Bessemer, Alabama

Bessemer is a city located in Jefferson County, Alabama. As of the 2000 census, the population of the city is 29,672.

Industry

The town is served (1911) by the Alabama Great Southern (Queen & Crescent route), the Louisville & Nash~ ville, the Kansas City, Memphis & Birmingham (St Louis & San Francisco system), the Birlningham Southern, and the Atlanta, Birmingham & Atlantic railways.

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Bessemer is situated in the midst of the iron ore and limestone district of Alabama, in the south part of Jones’ Valley (about 3 m. wide.); to the east is the Red Ore mountain range, rich in red haematite; to the north-west are the Warrior coalfields; to the south-west, south and south-east are immense fossiliferous iron ore seams and the Cahaba coalfields; in the immediate vicinity of the city are limestone quarries, and about 18 m. north-east are the limestone kilns of Gate City.

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Mining, iron smelting and the manufacture of iron and coke are the chief industries of Bessemer (1911); truck farming is also an important industry.

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In 1900 Bessemer was the eighth city of the state in population, second in amount of capital invested in manufacturing, and fourth in the value of its manufactured product for the year.

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