Alabama Iron Works

The Alabama Iron Works was a foundry and blacksmithing shop located at Avenue D and 11th Street South in Birmingham. It was founded in January 1886 and incorporated on August 19 of that year by Henry Behrens, George Veitch and W. W. Barclay.

The business specialized in the manufacture of the Van Pelt Double Acting Force Pump along with a range of frogs, switches, tram cars, miner's needles, iron fencing, and drills. Custom cast and wrought-iron work was also done for railroads, mines and other customers. Jacob Schmidt, a native of Denmark, was employed as shop superintendent.

The failure of the company to fulfill orders placed by Hurley & Brown in 1888 became the subject of a contract dispute case argued before Alabama Supreme Court in December of that same year.

References

• Dubose, John Witherspoon (1887) Jefferson County and Birmingham, Alabama: Historical and Biographical Birmingham: Teeple & Smith, Publishers; Caldwell Printing Works.
• North Alabama (Illustrated) (1888) Birmingham: Southern Commercial Publishing Co.
• Alabama Iron Works v. Hurley & Brown (December 1888) Supreme Court of Alabama