Guest speaker, Jim Bennett, discussed the life of southern iron master Moses Stroup's. He covered Moses' travels from his youth through his death. Jim discussed the furnaces Moses was associated with including Round Mountain. During his time at Round Mountain, Moses proved that high quality iron could be made using red iron ore. Prior to that, furnaces used only brown iron ore. Years later, the tremendous growth of the Birmingham iron industry would be based on red ore. Jim concluded his program discussing the growth of the Alabama iron industry and it's current state.
Danny Crownover, Society vice-president, brought copies of photographs from an album that recently surfaced containing previously unknown photos of the Tennessee, Alabama & Georgia Railway wreck at Yellow Creek on May 14, 1924. The photos confirmed the previously unknown identity of the locomotive that was involved in the wreck as #100. According to Warren Stephens of the TAG Historical Society, the locomotive was only 4 years old at the time of the wreck. The engine was rebuilt and put back into service. It would be sold to another railroad in 1930 and was scrapped in 1952. The TAG Society already had roster of all TAG locomotives that included date purchased, sold/scrapped, but these photos completed the story as they were previously unsure which locomotive was involved in the wreck. Danny donated copies of the photos to the Cherokee County Historical Museum.
The winners of this years Society awards were announced:
Mann Award - David Crum and Scott Wright
Minnix Award - Doris Pearson
After the meeting, Mr. Bennett visited the site of Round Mountain Furnace where the Society is working to get a historical marker placed.
Our next meeting will be in May.
