Birmingham Then and Now

About this book

Since its official founding in 1871 Birmingham Alabama has been known by many names including "The Magic City" and "Little Birmy " but today its best remembered as the epicenter of the American Civil Rights Movement. Discover Birminghams rise as a Southern industrial power its role during the turbulent 60s and its rebirth in the 21st century in Birmingham Then & Now. See the citys most popular sites including Jemisons House Vulcan Park Red Mountain and the steps of the Jefferson County Courthouse where the Reverend Martin Luther King called for an end to segregation. Pay a sobering visit to the 16th Street Baptist Church the site of a bombing that killed four little girls in 1963 and became the turning point in the U.S. Civil Rights Movement. Though the bomb ripped a hole in the back of the building and destroyed all but one window the church has been restored and remains an important monument in American history. Investigate "The Heaviest Corner on Earth " located at 20th Street and First Avenue where in the early 20th century four of the tallest buildings in the South quickly sprang up solidifying Birminghams reputation as the Magic City. See how these giants of their day compare to todays skyscrapers. Meet "Miss Blanche " proprietor of Madame Bernards Brothel--reputed to be the best house in town. Her next-door neighbor "Old Lady Barfield" ran a brothel of her own. See these houses of ill repute in all of their then-and-now glory.