1908

Aftermath of the 1908 tornado

1908 was the 37th year after the founding of the city of Birmingham.

Events

• January 1: Local prohibition went into effect in Jefferson County.
• April 24: The 1908 tornado killed 35 and injured 188 more along its 105 mile-long path.
• May 19: An eastbound train derailed and damaged a steel bridge over the Cahaba River 15 miles east of Birmingham.
• November 15: 8 miners were killed in the 1908 No. 3 Mine fire.
• The original 16th Street Baptist Church building was condemned.
• Local prohibition was enacted in the City of Birmingham.
• Frank P. O'Brien succeeded George Ward as Mayor of Birmingham.
• The Birmingham Art Club was founded.
• Alberta City founded outside Tuscaloosa.

Business

• May 8: Vanderbilt Furnace No. 2 was blown in.
• July - August 30: An unsuccessful UMW strike idled 18,000 workers.
• Architect Wallace Rayfield relocated his practice to Birmingham.

Education

• Collegeville's Hudson School was established.
• Oak Grove Elementary School was founded in what later became part of Homewood.

Religion

• Temple Beth-El was founded by former members of Knesseth Israel Congregation.
• Central Park Methodist Church was established.

Sports

• August: Carlton Molesworth took over as manager of the Birmingham Barons.
• The University of Alabama and Alabama Polytechnic Institute (Auburn) failed to agree on a meal stipend for players, thus ending their rivalry until the legislature required them to play each other again in 1948.

Works

Mary Cahalan statue

• Mary Cahalan statue by Giuseppi Moretti

Buildings

• Elyton Elementary School
• Ensley High School
• The second Woodlawn City Hall
• Brown Marx Building expansion
• The first North Birmingham Elementary School
• William Merritt residence at 2020 Highland Avenue
• A. B. Loveman residence

Individuals

Alice Chalifoux, born in 1908

• Blanche Dean began teaching at a local church school.
• William Bell began teaching Greek and mathematics at Miles College.
• John A. Carroll came to Birmingham to open a furniture store.

Births

• January 22: Alice Chalifoux, harpist
• April 20: Lionel Hampton, jazz vibraphonist and bandleader
• September 8: Emory Jackson, Birmingham World editor and NAACP leader
• Augusta Williams, murder victim

Deaths

• February 23: Benjamin Roden
• March 6: M. J. Hurst, wife of Edward Hurst
• June 4: Oliver Marble, architect
• June 8: J. Q. A. Wilhite, former pastor of Sixth Avenue Baptist Church
• July 17: Charles Gardner
• August 21: Chambers McAdory

Graduations

• Blanche Dean, from Lineville High School

Context

1908 was a leap year. It was the year that the Grand Canyon was made a National Monument. The Boy Scouts of America was founded by Lord Robert Baden-Powell. The first Model T rolled off the Ford Motor Co. assembly line in Dearborn, Michigan. The Cubs earned their most recent World Series victory over Detroit. Taft was elected President over William Jennings Bryan. And an earthquake in Sicily killed more than 75,000 people.

External links

• "Views of Birmingham, Alabama with a glimpse at some of the natural resources of the Birmingham District and industries based theron." published by Isidore Newman & Son, Bankers (New York, New Orleans) and copyrighted in 1908.

1900s

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Births - Deaths - Establishments - Events - Works