Birmingham Board of Aldermen

The City of Birmingham was incorporated by the State of Alabama on December 19, 1871. The eight members of the Board of Aldermen were elected with each mayor to a term of two years. Each of the city's four wards elected two aldermen to the board. The board was sometimes referred to as the City Council. In 1887 (at least), the board met every second Wednesday evening in the Roden Block at 2nd Avenue North and 20th Street.

1871

The first Board of Aldermen, serving in the administration of Mayor Robert H. Henley was composed of James B. Francis, Benjamin F. Roden, W. F. McDonald, A. Marre, J. B. Webb, John A. Milner, and T. S. Wood.

1873

The second board, serving under Mayor James R. Powell, included J. B. Luckie, Mortimer Jordan, William H. Morris, Benjamin F. Roden, John A. Milner, James O'Connor, Christian Enslen, and Frank P. O'Brien. Charles Linn took O'Brien's place after his resignation.

1875

Mayor William H. Morris served two terms and had the service of the same group of aldermen in both. These were Charles E. Slade, William Berney, William A. Smith, I. R. Hochstadter, Jule L. Lockwood, J. B. Fonville, W. P. Brewer, and A. C. Oxford.

Morris resigned in 1878 and the Aldermen elected Elyton Land Company president Henry M. Caldwell to serve his unexpired term.

1878

The first administration of Thomas Jeffers included Benjamin F. Roden, Mortimer Jordan, Frank Gazwell, F. D. Nabers, Jule L. Lockwood, G. W. Allen, and Willliam A. Smith.

In Jeffers' second term Jordan, Lockwood and Nabers remained and were joined by C. L. Hardman, T. G. Paine, B. A. Thompson, C. C. Truss, and C. L. Wadsworth.

1882

The first of three administrations headed by Judge A. O. Lane brought together the following aldermen: C. P. Williamson, Benjamin F. Roden, A. S. Elliott, E. Ellis, T. L. Hudgins, James O'Connor, F. V. Evans, and John G. Sheldon.

In the second administration, only Berney was re-elected. Joining him were I. R. Hochstadter, N. R. Rosser, W. J. Rushton, James F. Smith, J. A. Going, Fred Sloss, and E. V. Gregory.

In Lane's third administration, Hochstadter stayed on and was joined by William A. Walker, Jr, E. W. Linn, D. M. Drennen, James O'Connor, E. J. Smyer, R. W. Whilden, John Colley, and W. H. Eastman.

1888

Mayor: B. A. Thompson

1892

Mayor: David J. Fox

1894

Mayor: J. A. Van Hoose

1896

Mayor: F. V. Evans

1899

Mayor: Mel Drennen

Aldermen: Robert H. Kerr, Henry B. Gray, Walter Moore, J, M. Meichan, Harry Jones, John J. Altman, C. T. Rambow, C. O. Heidt, and John F. Harrington

1905

Mayor: George Ward

1908

Mayor: Frank P. O'Brien

1910

Mayor: Culpepper Exum

The Mayor-Aldermen system was replaced by the Birmingham City Commission, considered to be a more progressive and businesslike form of government, in 1911.

References

• Dubose, John Witherspoon (1887) Jefferson County and Birmingham, Alabama: Historical and Biographical. Birmingham: Teeple & Smith, Publishers.
• Norton, Bertha Bendall. (1970) Birmingham's First Magic Century: Were You There?. Birmingham: Lakeshore Press. p. 7

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Preceded by: none

Legislative Body for the City of Birmingham 1871 - 1911

Succeeded by: Birmingham City Commission