No matter your location in the city of Birmingham, Alabama, you can almost always spot the statue of Vulcan towering high atop Red Mountain. The unmissable Roman god of fire and forge that is cast in iron stands at an impressive 56 feet tall and is the largest cast-iron statue in the world. And it’s no coincidence that the home of this industrial masterpiece is the Magic City. Long before Birmingham became a Southern food hot spot, a business and banking hub, or a medical mecca, it was the king of iron and steel.
In June 1871, Birmingham was founded at the crossroads of two railroad lines. But this location was also a proverbial gold mine of natural resources. Iron ore, coal, and limestone—the three natural materials necessary for iron production—were found in abundance in the region’s earth. In fact, there’s
