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, Jr, William H. Morris, Benjamin F. Roden, John A. Milner, James O'Connor, Christian Enslen, and Frank 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, Frank. Evans (4th Ward), 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 Walker, Jr, E. W. Linn, D. M. Drennen, James O'Conor, E. J. Smyer, R. W. Whilden, John Colley, and W. H. Eastman.

Hochstadter and Colley represented the First Ward. Linn and Eastman represented the Second Ward. Drennen and Smyer represented the Third Ward. And Walker and O'Conor represented the Fourth Ward.

Colley, Warnock and Enslen served on the cemetery committee. Warnock, Enslen and Hochstadter served on the finance and accounts committee. Eastman, Hochstadter and Drennen served on the fire committee. Enslen, Drennen and O'Conor served on the free schools committee. Smyer, Colley and Eastman served on the gas committee. Enslen and O'Conor served on the judiciary committee. Hochstadter, Colley and Smyer served on the markets committee. Drennen, Hochstadter and O'Conor served on the miscellaneous committee, O'Conor, Smyer and Colley served on the street improvements committee. Drennen, Warnock and Smyer served on the street railroads committee. And Eastman, Hochstadter and Drennen served on the water works committee.

1888

Mayor: B. A. Thompson

1892

Mayor: David J. Fox

1894

Mayor: James Van Hoose
Aldermen included Samuel Ullman

1896

Mayor: Frank 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.

• 2nd Ward: George Ward

1901

Mayor: Mel Drennen

1903

Mayor: Mel Drennen Aldermen:

• 5th Ward: B. H. Cooper

1905

Mayor: George Ward

• Fred Fulghum, appointed to fill seat left by Altman in January 1905
• 2nd Ward: John O'Neill
• 3rd Ward: R. H. Eggleston
• 4th Ward: Walter Moore
• 5th Ward: B. H. Cooper
• 6th Ward: John C. Forney (incumbent)
• 7th Ward: John L. Parker (served as Acting Mayor during the 1907 mayoral controversy with C. C. Heidt filling the remainder of his term)

1907

Mayor: George Ward

• 1st Ward: R. D. Burnett
• 2nd Ward: John O'Neill
• 3rd Ward: R. H. Eggleston
• 4th Ward: Walter Moore
• 5th Ward: B. H. Cooper
• 6th Ward: John C. Forney
• 7th Ward: C. C. Heidt
• 8th Ward: Dan Hogan
• 9th Ward: C. H. Estes

1909

Mayor: Frank P. O'Brien

• 1st Ward:
• 2nd Ward: John O'Neil
• 3rd Ward:
• 4th Ward:
• 5th Ward: Phil Harper
• 6th Ward:
• 7th Ward:
• 8th Ward:
• 9th Ward:
• 10th Ward: W. R. Starbuck
• 11th Ward: A. R. Causey
• 12th Ward (2 places): S. R. Hawley, J. B. Gibson
• 13th Ward (2 places):
• 14th Ward (2 places):
• 15th Ward (2 places): Frank W. Smith
• 16th Ward (2 places): M. H. McDowell, P. J. Rogers

1910

• Mayor: Culpepper Exum
• 1st Ward: Pete Houppert
• 2nd Ward: Sam Stern
• 3rd Ward: George Huddleston, Sr
• 4th Ward: Walter Moore
• 5th Ward: G. B. Morgan
• 6th Ward: A. Maben Hobson
• 7th Ward: John E. Morris
• 8th Ward: Dan Hogan
• 9th Ward: Walter Metcalf
• 10th Ward: D. C. Ball
• 11th Ward: J. W. Lacey
• 12th Ward (2 places): S. R. Hawley, J. B. Gibson
• 13th Ward (2 places): A. L. Thorp, C. E. Glover
• 14th Ward (2 places): T. J. Carter, James McLaughlin
• 15th Ward (2 places): Frank W. Smith, D. U. Williams
• 16th Ward (2 places): M. H. McDowell, P. J. Rogers

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; Caldwell Printing Works.
• Norton, Bertha Bendall (1970) Birmingham's First Magic Century: Were You There?. Birmingham: self-published/Lakeshore Press

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Preceded by: none

Legislative Body for the City of Birmingham 1871 - 1911

Succeeded by: Birmingham City Commission