James Pickering Dovel

James Pickering Dovel Historians have called Sloss Furnace a perfect example of the New South. The Civil War awakened southern men to the industrial potential of Alabama. It became an arsenal of the Deep South with a significant number of foundries and rolling mills. During Reconstruction and the early Modern Era, a number of prominent southern men wanted to build an Alabama based on industry and commerce. Sloss Furnace represents an embodiment of the spirit …

…nation's perception of disorder and disarray in the South. Through his ingenious and clever innovations, the life and spirit of Alabama was forever affected. He deserves to be called a hero of Alabama. by Larry Montgomery Works Cited Lewis, W. David. 1994. Sloss Furnaces and the rise of the Birmingham district: an industrial epic. Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press. Neely, Dr. Richard, history professor. Interview by author, 28 June, 2000, Birmingham. The Southerner. New Orleans: Southern Editors Association [1944.]