In my latest micro adventure that I’m calling, 1800’s Coal Miner Mass Graves Found near Coke Ovens and Once Lawless Town of West Blocton! Ep-38, I travel back to the 1800’s once lawless town of West Blocton in Bibb County, Alabama.
While there I find the 1800’s Italian Catholic cemetery. According to internment.com – Blocton Italian Catholic Cemetery was placed in the National Register of Historic Places on April 22, 1999.
History
In the late 19th Century, hundreds of Italians immigrated to Bibb County, Alabama to work in the coalmines of the Tennessee Coal and Iron Company (TCI). In spite of segregation and discrimination, these immigrants established a thriving and vibrant community in Blocton, Alabama. In addition to their own community known as Little Italy, the Italian immigrants founded St. Francis of Assisi Church and later, the the Catholic cemetery.
Blocton Italian Catholic Cemetery was established in 1896 and consecrated in 1901. It was used until 1970. The cemetery is located in what was then the coal mining community of Blocton, a town developed by TCI.
Little Italy, the immigrant’s separate community, was located northeast of the cemetery, straddling a railroad spur which served the Klondike Mine and TCl’s #3,6, and 9 mines.
The Italian Catholic Cemetery contains approximately 86 monuments of modest range and variety, representing over 100 Italian family names.
Then I travel to a very interesting ruins site in Bibb County near West Blocton known as Coke Oven Park. Cokeovenpark.com has this to say – Originally opened in 1996, the West Blocton Coke Ovens Park is situated among the ruins of 467 ovens that were capable of producing 600 tons of coke daily. Construction on the ovens began in 1887 and the first coke was produced in 1888. The Blocton ovens complex was once one of the largest of its kind in the state.
Coke is one of the three ingredients needed to make iron in a blast furnace, the others being iron ore and limestone. Coal was top-loaded into the ovens, heated to 2,800 degrees to burn off impurities, leaving coke which is almost pure carbon.
Then I travel back to the once Lawless 1800’s town of West Blocton to eat at the Tiger Hut!
Hope you enjoy my latest micro adventure that I’m calling – 1800’s Coal Miner Mass Graves Found near Coke Ovens and Once Lawless Town of West Blocton! Ep-38