Birmingham is one of the most prosperous cities of the South. It has thrived largely because of its iron and steel industry. It is near the southern end of the Appalachians, and in a district rich in iron and coal. It has therefore become the "Pittsburgh of the South" in the matter of iron working. Birmingham, England, after which it is named, is noted for its iron and steel mills. In 1900 Birmingham had a population of only 38,000. In 1910 it had almost 133,000. This was a greater increase in population than that of any other city over 25,000 in the United States. One of the chief causes of its rapid growth is shown. The iron ore from the nearby mines is shipped to these mills. The ore is melted, made into pig iron, and then is shipped or manufactured into steel. The city has many blast furnaces, rolling mills, machine shops, engine and boiler works, and railway repair shops. What is the difference between iron and steel? Our greatest iron-ore producing district is around Lake Superior. This section produces about 85% of our ore. The Alabama district ranks second with nearly 9%. The following figures show the production in the United States in 1913: Minnesota......... 38,658,793 long tons Michigan.......... 12,841,093 long tons Alabama........... 5,215,740 long tons New York......... 1,459,628 long tons Wisconsin......... 1,018,272 long tons All others.......... 2,786,911 long tons Total........... 61,980,437 long tons Birmingham is an important railroad center. How would you route a carload of steel rails from Birmingham to St. Louis? It has factories to make cotton-seed oil, and does a big business in lumber products. Keystone ID: 16737 Note: All titles, descriptions, and location coordinates are from the original Keystone Slide documentation as supplied by the Keystone View Company. No text has been edited or changed.