The Bessemer Hall of History Museum, Alabama, United States

4wvlngth10 5:00 PM Dec 20, 2017

LOTS of History here...
Lots of History here from the Bessemer area, especially from back in the days of Railroad travel.....

4interceptpubs 5:00 PM Apr 21, 2019

Small local history museum
This free museum provides insights into the people and events that have shaped this small city just outside of Birmingham. Founded in 1886 to take advantage of a geologic oddity whereby iron ore, coal, and limestone (the three basic ingredients needed to make steel) were available locally, Bessemer grew rapidly with 1,000 people living here in just a few months and reaching a population of 4,000 in just two years - leading it to be called the "marvel city" (not to be confused with nearby Birmingham, the "miracle city"). The museum occupies the former Alabama Great Southern Railroad depot. As might be expected, there is a large collection of railroad related material on display, but also exhibits covering the iron and steel industry, military history (mostly Civil War of course, but also other wars where local citizens have served - one notable item on display is a typewriter brought back from Hitler's "Eagle's Nest" retreat in the Alps by a local soldier), the civil rights movement (Martin Luther King, Jr. was arrested here in 1967, and the door of his jail cell is on display), etc. We covered this interesting little museum in about 30 minutes and think it certainly is worth a stop if you happen to be in town.