Pratt City

Pratt City is a former municipality, coinciding with the current Pratt community, one of Birmingham's 23 communities. The area, originally called Coketon, grew up rapidly around the Pratt Mines, which had opened in the early 1870s and expanded to become the state's largest mine complex by 1886.

Streetcar service to Pratt City from Birmingham via Thomas arrived in 1887, providing a heavily-trafficked commercial spine (Carline Avenue) cutting across the dozens of distinct subdivisions laid out by independent speculators in a widening ring around the mines. Notable car stops included Estelle Station and Ida Station. By 1890 the community had more than 4,000 inhabitants, mainly miners, from a diverse range of ethnic backgrounds.

Pratt City was annexed into "Greater Birmingham" in 1910. The Pratt Mines ceased operating in the 1920s, though the community remained a commercial destination until the 1950s. Limited opportunities for employment precipitated a steady decline in economic activity.

Mayors

• Ephraim Hudnall, 1899-1901, 1903-
• Joseph Lacey, -1910

References

• Two Industrial Towns: Pratt City and Thomas (February 1988) Birmingham: Birmingham Historical Society