April Thoughts and Updates
With the arrival of Spring our attention is drawn to the progress being made on the building of the new kitchen. Shelby County is helping with some funding with the understanding we provide the labor. A dedicated group of our members and scores of community friends are making this happen. A concrete slab was poured, walls and roof trusses erected, metal roofing put on and donated exterior 1×12 pine siding applied. Exterior doors are hung as is the imposing front door – locally made by a member, made partially of circa 1850 pine salvaged from an old community home. This new building will replace the small kitchen we have struggled with for years. There will be a good size dining room, nice kitchen with serving windows, modern restrooms and a front and side porch under roof. It is anticipated the dining room will also serve as a spacious meeting room with heat and air conditioning. Come see what is happening!
Spring also means the beginning of grass cutting time. The Captain William Houston Camp of The Sons of Confederate Veterans have recently offered to maintain the grounds around the museum – while our members continue to mow across the road. Additionally, the Shelby Iron Works Chapter of The Daughters of The Confederacy offered to maintain the flower bed near the flag pole. Their help in the upkeep of the grounds is appreciated. The appearance of Shelby Iron Park is important to our mission of preserving the memory of what once happened here and the modern, extensive town that sprung up around it.
To help preserve that memory, we have produced a high quality DVD titled, “Shelby Iron Works – Timeline – 1846/1930. A story about the largest charcoal blast furnace in the southern United States.” It invites us to travel back in time to learn about this influential iron works – how it helped lead the way in the industrialization of Alabama and the South. Learn about the vital role it played during the Civil War, about its influence on the community, as well as what circumstances led to its final closure. It is complete with newly rendered 3D computer models of the Iron Works. This timeline helps us get a glimpse of the days gone by, and examine the rich contributions made by those who helped build our community before.
The DVD can be purchased for $12.00 at the Park or for $15.00 by mail ($3.00 covers the cost of mailing). Mail orders may be addressed to: Shelby Iron Works, P.O. Box 176, Shelby, AL 35143. During events when the museum is open, the DVD runs continuously on a monitor for the edification of visitors. The run time is 53 minutes. It has been well received and several have suggested it would make a great gift to family or friend. Kindly make your purchase today, to help defray our production cost – we think you will be pleasantly surprised.
We are gearing up our preparations for the Spring Festival – as previously mentioned – the grounds are being dressed up, menu prepared, supplied ordered, and seemingly hundreds of other things finalized. The date will be April 30th (9-5). Please come, help if you can, visit with old friends, observe the various activities, tour the museum, and sit in the shade.
Our current calendar includes a Spring Festival, Annual Engine Show in the summer, two-day Fall Festival, along with various other outings, school group visits, senior visits and promoting our Civil War Heritage concurrent with its 150 year anniversary.
Do you remember – our property adjoins the Heart of Dixie Railroad right of way. When that rail line was a part of the L&N railroad, it served a depot that once stood near our present museum. We continue to develop long range plans to rebuild that depot (for use as an expanded museum). We are the terminus of The Heart of Dixie Railroad right of way. We continue to liaison with them in anticipation of the day they will run excursion to Shelby Iron Works. With our modern kitchen, possibly an expanded museum, nice park with ample shade and other ancillary exhibits, Shelby Iron Works could be an attractive train ride destination and help both the Railroad and Shelby Iron Works induce more visitors to our county.
We are currently working to provide better directional signage with arrows pointing the way to the Iron Works. We have contacted Shelby County about some road signs – the Sons of Confederate Veterans have agreed to letting us put a sign on their post at Hwy 25 & 42. Also, we have a donation to improve the sign in Shelby. All of these are in the works.
A number of years ago, we added an Olde Tractor Show and Parade to our Festivals – the thought being this would naturally fit with the Olde Ways we were trying to preserve and promote. This past year we held the first annual Old Engine Show – again to introduce more history into the other things we were doing and promote interest in the Historical significance of Shelby Iron Works and what once happened here.
Perhaps you have read about the new Fire Museum to be build in Calera. In addition to the Olde Tractors and Engines that are presently remembered, recalled and reminisced – perhaps Olde Fire Trucks could be another attraction. Perhaps their presence at our festivals could draw attention to their new facility as well as promote Shelby Iron Works festivals.
Your dues, donation and support help us maintain Shelby Iron Works as a site of Historically recognized regional and national significance.
(errors, omissions and mistakes are mine alone – kindly overlook)
Sincerely, Harry O. Burks Jr.
Shelby Iron Works Rolling Mill – 130 Years Later
From Ethel Armes Book,
The Story of Coal and Iron in Alabama:
” … Horace Ware had built at his furnace at Shelby a large rolling mill with a capacity of twelve tons of heavy and small-size finished bar iron. This was the first and parent rolling mill plant for Alabama. … On April 4, 1860, the mill engine was started and all the machinery properly adjusted, and on April 11th, 1860, this mill turned out Alabama’s first day’s product of finished bar iron, the beginning of an era in her history as an iron manufacturing state.”
Shelby’s rolling mill was destined to become Alabama’s major supplier of Confederate iron. The mill was destroyed on March 31, 1865 by troops of General Emory Upton’s Division of Wilson’s Cavalry Corps. It was never rebuilt.
In the Spring of 1994, Dr. Jack Bergstresser, Sr. PhD and a team of archeologists from PanAmerican Consultants, Inc. began a preliminary archeological investigation of a portion of the rolling mill. Joining in the dig were students of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and members of the Historic Shelby Association.
The excavation was funded in part through a grant from the Alabama Historical Commission and partial matching funds by the Historic Shelby Association.
The photo above is the measured drawing of the portion of the rolling mill that was excavated.
Unearthing Our History
Robert Brasher, first President of Historic Shelby Association, works to clear remaining debris overlay from a section of the rolling mill floor during our archeological excavation in 1994. The dig was conducted under the direction of industrial archeologist Dr. Jack Bergstresser, Jr., PhD.
The Shelby rolling mill was destroyed on March 31, 1865.
Shelby Iron and the Shakanoosa Arms Co.
From Anthony and Hills Pictorial History, Confederate Longarms and Pistols:
“In 1861, William Dickson, Owen O. Nelson and Dr. Lewis H. Sadler started the Shakanoosa Arms Co. in Dickson, Ala. They received a contract from the state of Alabama for 5,000 Mississippi rifles (Model 1841) and bayonets. Records show that from October 1,1863 to November 1,1864 the state received 645 rifles against this contract. Shortly after the armory was started, it had to be moved to Rome, Ga. Here, it was in operation for several months until there was a fire which destroyed the plant. Next the armory was moved to Adairsville, Ga. and then settled in Dawson, Ga. around March of 1864. The armory remained in operation until the end of the war. The Shelby Works supplied the iron for the arms made at Dickson, Nelson & Co.”
See photos and description of this rifle here: http://www.antiquesandguns.com/dixonnelson.html The rifle is called “a Holy Grail of Confederate Collecting.”
The L & N Depot in 1946
Above is a shot from the tracks of the depot in Shelby as it appeared in 1946. Although Shelby Iron ceased manufacturing operations in 1923, the company remained in business well into the mid 20th century. The depot remained a thriving and important location for Shelby residents. In 1946, the post office still occupied the original 1870 building located less than100 yards from the depot, Mail coming in on the train would be loaded onto carts and pulled to the nearby building. Shelby residents would gather daily to “meet the train” for mail, freight, and, of course, to see who was entering or departing town on one of the passenger trains.
Works at Shelby Iron
This early photo, which was entitled “Works at Shelby Iron Co.”, is from a stereograph. Shelby furnaces’ insatiable appetite for charcoal provided many local families a source of income, with charcoal mounds dotting the landscape in wooded areas surrounding Shelby. The iron company at times also purchased train car loads of charcoal from colliers outside the area. All this in addition to the 40 beehive shaped charcoal ovens owned by the Iron Works. These 40 ovens were of brick construction and each had a capacity of 40 cords of wood. Four of those charcoal ovens can be seen on the right in the photo. The sheds in front of the ovens were used for storing the charcoal.
Pate Brothers Merchantile
From the late 1800’s well into the 20th century, Shelby was a bustling hub of business and commerce. Shelby’s wide streets were lined with store fronts of every description. Above is a 1950’s photo of Pate Brothers Mercantile, which was founded by G. W. Pate. The store was still in operaton at this time, though Shelby’s golden era had long passed. This photo shows one of three different businesses that occupied this large building.
Shelby Iron Works 