| This narrative constitutes a technological and social history of Alabama's Cahaba coal field. Spanning slightly more than a century, Cahaba's story begins in the late-1840s and ends in the mid-1950s. The first section of the dissertation concentrates on nineteenth-century technology—discovery of coal in central Alabama, identification of major seams and faults, description and mapping of the coal field, and exploitation of the area's resources. The second section focuses on twentieth-century towns and the people who worked there.; The nineteenth-century account introduces two pioneers in coal mining operations and incorporates their story into the context of more familiar historical figures. William Phineas Browne appears in other historical and biographical works, but he earns distinction as Alabama's first systematic underground coal-mining entrepreneur. Joseph Squire, Browne's contemporary, emerges as the foremost authority on coal mining in the Cahaba field. This study represents the first examination of his letters and papers and establishes him as a critical factor in shaping central Alabama's industrial development. The nineteenth century closes with initial enterprises established by Truman H. and William F. Aldrich, Henry F. DeBardeleben, and James W. Sloss.; After the turn of the century, Cahaba's story became more diverse. Several entrepreneurs joined the initial operators in exploiting various coal deposits. Numerous communities dotted the landscape as coal-mining enterprises enjoyed growing prosperity. However, the Great Depression and technological changes in the use of fuels generated the decline and ultimate collapse of the coal-mining industry. This boom and bust significantly affected miners and their families, and their experiences form the basis of the twentieth-century study. In addition, the convict-lease system, welfare capitalism, and unionism constitute related themes that influenced quality of life within the Cahaba coal field. |
