Echoes of Elvira

Mining at this site may have begun as early as 1865, at the end of the American Civil War. A man by the name of Billy Gould was one of the early prospectors in the area. The coal mine at Elvira was serviced by a spur off the L&N mainline.

I could find very little information on Elvira, aside from the fact that this mine did exist. I set out to find evidence of the mine.





A concrete foundation that once supported rails leading to the tipple just over the hill. I was probably very close to the old mine portal at this point.





A mound of coal refuse on the hill just above the concrete foundation. The mound looked like it had been placed there relatively recently. It was too well shaped and free of debris to have been left for over 70 years.





Remains of another structure further to the north, beyond the tipple and rail spur.



Map of Elvira area in 2015.



Map of Elvira area in 2018. Today, the Elvira area is being developed into a luxury home community. The homes cost more than I earn in 25 years, and the lower lying land has been flooded by damming Martin Brook. Thankfully, the Elvira Mine itself remains undisturbed, but signage indicates the area is owned by the Riverwoods development company.

Songo Mine

Woodward Iron Company operated the Songo slope mine on Red Mountain. The mine opened sometime after 1880, when the Alice Furnace began operation. In 1917, TCI gained control over the northern railroad on Red Mountain, creating difficulties for Woodward's Songo ore mine. Their solution was to drop a 384 foot deep shaft directly into the existing mine workings below. This working became known as the Redding shaft. This shaft allowed Woodward to extract ore on the south side of Red Mountain, and use rail track on that side of the mountain to deliver their ore.

Today, the Songo mine portal is visible but blocked with a gate. You can visit the portal in Red Mountain Park by hiking up the mountain above the Redding Hoist House.





Looking into the mine, you can see rails inside.



Office structure close to the Songo poral.





Ruins of a structure that may have house pumps or other equipment for the Songo mine.









Abandoned microwave horn antennas, left at the base of a tower close to the Songo mine.



The inside of the antennas were lined with acoustic foam.

Redding/Wenonah Mine No.10

In 1879, the Alice Furnaces Company opened and work began on the Alice Furnace near downtown Birmingham. in 1880, the Redding mine was opened to feed the new furnace. A few years later, TCI purchased Alice Furnace Company. TCI later renamed the mine to No.10. In 1956, after 76 years of ore production, the mine was finally closed. Eventually, the mine portal was sealed with a concrete plug, then buried.







Today, the mine portal has been dug out and opened, but has a gate installed to prevent entry.



The view down the slope. The slope is flooded before any side cuts are visible.



There is a Hardie-Tynes compressor near the mine portal, which presumably supplied power for air tools to the miners. Historical aerial photos only show a concrete foundation where this compressor now sits, so I am unsure if it has always been here, or if it was recently placed as a historical exhibit.



Hardie-Tynes was a Birmingham based company founded in 1895. They finally closed in 2016.



The thermometer still works today, some 70+ years later.



























Looking down the slope toward the mine portal.









A trail leading to the northeast, toward Woodward's Songo mine.





This long pipe was laid across the surface of the mountain, leading from the No.10 mine, in the general direction of the Songo mine. Perhaps it was to take water out of the No.10 mine?



Structure foundations left behind below the No.10 mine.