Vulcan

The Statue of Vulcan in Birmingham, Alabama
Factories that make iron need a lot of iron ore, coal, and limestone. There is a large supply of these materials in north Alabama. Because of this, factories in the city of Birmingham, Alabama can produce a lot of iron.

During the time near the year 1900, factories in the city of Birmingham produced so much iron that the number of people living there grew quickly. To honor the city and its factories, the city’s leaders decided to build a large statue to display at the St. Louis World’s Fair.

The city leaders chose the Roman god Vulcan because he is the god of fire and the forge. (A forge is a place where iron is made, and making iron uses fire.) The statue of Vulcan that they designed holds a hammer, which is a tool used to form iron. The statue also holds a spear tip because that is something that is made of iron.

The statue was built in 1904, and has stood as a symbol of Birmingham for over 100 years. The statue is 56 feet tall, and it stands on a base that is 124 feet tall. The entire structure is 180 feet tall!

The statue of Vulcan is a fantastic symbol of Birmingham, Alabama and the iron industry that is such a big part of the city. If you get the chance, you should definitely pay a visit to this incredible statue.

[|Click here to see a picture of the statue and get more information]