If you ever visit Ruffner Mountain in the morning, the one thing you notice is the chorus of songs from the birds. Ruffner Mountain was named for him around 1910. Encompassing 1,036 acres, it is one of the largest urban nature preserves in the country. This section of Red Mountain is characterized by a continuous series of mining developments, but those known specifically as the Ruffner Mines begin at … COVID update: Ruffner Mountain has updated their hours and services. Obviously, much remained. Historically the site has been part of the Birmingham Red Ore Mining District. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. A detailed description of Ruffner Mountain Nature Center’s rock types can be found here. Obviously, much remained. My goal is to showcase the obscure, sometimes historic, forgotten places I have visited across the Southeast. Although 13 people were hospitalized, no one was killed in the blast. Georgia Pacific President John W. Johnston acquired control of the Sloss Furnace Company in 1887. In ... “Back in 2014 a friend of mine, Chris Lewis, and I both had some concerns about our health. The Ruffner mines closed June 1, 1953. Ruffner Mountain Nature Preserve is a 1,040 acre nature preserve located in the eastern portion of Jefferson County, Alabama in the City of Birmingham's historic South East Lake neighborhood. 1,2,3,4 & 5 Birmingham Industrial District; Creator(s): Historic American Engineering Record, creator Related Names: Sloss Furnace Company Miners cut through the rock with picks, wedges, and sometimes explosives. Ore Crusher at Ruffner Mountain Nature Center In addition to its educational activities, Ruffner Mountain offers numerous other activities for visitors, including hiking, bird watching, exhibits on mining history, and meeting facilities. A buddy and I went exploring one day in 1967. I grew up all in and around these mines in the late 70’s.. was 10 years old when the explosion happened… we lived just up from Banks High… oh the memories. 1971's Ruffner Mountain explosion is still a vivid memory to those who lived through it, and whose lives were remade by it. Don’t be surprised to find old rail beds, foundations from mining buildings or old abandoned mines. A place that I will be spending a lot more time at in the future. The preserve includes a visitor center containing native Alabama animals including foxes, raccoons, raptors, snakes, turtles, owls, and coyotes. ( Log Out /  2, operated by the Sloss Furnace Company from 1886-1953 before operations ceased and the mines … Here are a few shots from inside the mine at last Friday's bat survey. The loaded ore cars would be conveyed under their own power to the surface works on rails laid by hand. Ruffner Mountain Nature Preserve is a 1,040 acre nature preserve located in the eastern portion of Jefferson County, Alabama in the City of Birmingham's historic South East Lake neighborhood. The preserve includes a visitor center containing native Alabama animals including foxes, raccoons, raptors, snakes, turtles, owls, and coyotes. Red Mountain’s geologic complexity also means that this park offers a range of topography to explore, from the highest peak, which is 1,246 feet above sea level, to the quarries and mines offering a glimpse of the mountain’s rocky interior. During a public investigation held at Ruffner Mountain by our team on October 30th 2015, we attempted to communicate with the spirits of miners that once worked inside this mine … These mines provided ore for the nearby Sloss Furnaces, designated as a National Historic Landmark. Buckeye Trail (0.7 miles) This trail takes you from the ridge top to the base of the mountain with over 300 feet of elevation change. View more Join Gary Bostany on a hike at Ruffner Mountain while learning the history and its early beginnings. Feb 15, 2012 - The last of Ruffner Mountains Ore mines to cease production. Click the image above to learn more about the geology of Ruffner Mountain! ( Log Out /  Although assays indicated silver-lead values of $400 a ton, capital was hard to find. … In 1971, an explosion in a former storage building containing ammonium nitrate blew out windows in a nearby shopping center and caused $500,000 in damages to neighboring homes. It is a gateway to the wetland and the trails on the east side of the mountain; accessed from the top of the Hollow Tree trail. The Ruffner Iron Mine is in Birmingham, Alabama. 2 mine, exploded, injuring 13 people and causing as much as $500,000 in damage to structures through the Roebuck-South East Lake area.. Ruffner Mountain Nature Preserve is situated 1800 feet south of Ruffner Mines. Good luck! We had a great time exploring Ruffner Mountain this morning and afternoon during our weekend visit to Birmingham! Flickr photos, groups, and tags related to the "ruffnermountain" Flickr tag. Today this property is part of Ruffner Mountain Nature Center, Birmingham, Alabama. A project at Ruffner Mountain has won the nation’s highest achievement in the field of abandoned mine land (AML) reclamation, thanks to efforts to protect residents along trails and bats living in abandoned mines.. The preserve contains 14 miles of hiking trails. The Ruffner mines were operated by the Sloss Furnace Company, later renamed Sloss-Sheffield Steel and Iron Company. The 1971 Ruffner Mountain explosion was an accident that occurred on Sunday evening, July 25, 1971 when 20 tons of ammonium nitrate, stored by Southern Packaging at the inactive Ruffner No. ( Log Out /  No need to register, buy now! A buddy and I went exploring one day in 1967. Ruffner No 2 mine Bhamwiki Ruffner No 2 mine (originally part of the Irondale Mines or Upper Sloss Mines) was an ore mine operating from about 1886 to 1953 on the southeastern slopes of Ruffner Mountain to supply the SlossSheffield Steel and Iron Company with red iron ore The mine's ore crusher and other ruins remain as points of interest in the Ruffner Mountain Nature Preserve I… Once the iron ore was brought up out of the mine, the ore was then loaded into a ore crusher similar to this one. Yes I use WordPress. 2 mine (originally part of the Irondale Mines or Upper Sloss Mines) was an ore mine operating from about 1886 to 1953 on the southeastern slopes of Ruffner Mountain to supply the Sloss-Sheffield Steel and Iron Company with red iron ore. 2 mine, exploded, injuring 13 people and causing as much as $500,000 in damage to structures through the Roebuck-South East Lake area.. 1,2,3,4 & 5 Birmingham Industrial District; Creator(s): Historic American Engineering Record, creator Related Names: Sloss Furnace Company The acquisition included a limestone quarry at Gate City and the soft ore mines in Irondale. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without permission from the author is strictly prohibited. Ruffner Mountain Mine #2 Ore Crusher. ( Log Out /  Ruffner, however, was an experienced promoter and his persistence over the next few years paid off. DANGER : Do not enter under risk of death. mining years at Ruffner Mountain. Ore cars filled in the side passages would be brought to the central passage then hauled to the surface by a powered hoist. Obviously, much remained. In 1896, a local newspaper reported that its mines produced over 200 tons of raw ore per day for processing at nearby Sloss Furnaces.You may see many remnants of Birmingham’s industrial past while on the trail. 1971's Ruffner Mountain explosion is still a vivid memory to those who lived through it, and whose lives were remade by it. Ruffner Mountain Nature Preserve is a 1,040 acre nature preserve located in the eastern portion of Jefferson County, Alabama in the City of Birmingham's historic South East Lake neighborhood. My name is Leland Kent and I have had an interest in abandoned places ever since I was a kid. Ruffner Mountain Nature Preserve is a 1,040 acre nature preserve located in the eastern portion of Jefferson County, Alabama in the City of Birmingham's historic South East Lake neighborhood. Click below for community generated species lists of Ruffner's flora and fauna at iNaturlist.org!Flora of Ruffner MountainFauna of Ruffner Mountain. This preserve is a gem not far from the city center or airport. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. I hope to preserve the past through documentation and photographs since many of these amazing places are often lost to neglect, demolition, or renovation. Ruffner Mountain, 1214 81st Street South, Birmingham, AL. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. This home was built in and last sold on for. Another attempt at mining Ruffner took place around 1950, but only for a few years. The preserve includes a visitor center containing native Alabama animals including foxes, raccoons, raptors, snakes, turtles, owls, and coyotes. Free printable topographic map of Ruffner Mines in Jefferson County, AL including photos, elevation & GPS coordinates. 6. This past August, the federal Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement 2020 Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Awards recognized the Alabama Abandoned … In 1920, Ruffner organized Atlin Silver Lead Mines with a group of Seattle investors. I’m new to the blog world Today this property is part of Ruffner Mountain Nature Center, Birmingham, Alabama. If you are leading a class, would like to conduct research, or have a special interest in our caves and mines, please contact our Conservation Director, Jamie Nobles. The last of Ruffner Mountains Ore mines to cease production. One of the most popular paths in the park is the 1.2-mile Quarry Trail, which climbs to a ridge top and reaches an overlook with a good view of an abandoned limestone quarry. You can reach me at AbandonedSoutheast@gmail.com A buddy and I went exploring one day in 1967. Welcome to AbandonedSoutheast.com! Due to vandalism and concerns for safety the Ruffner mines were completely sealed in January 2017. The Nature Center has partnered with the Alabama Mine Land Reclamation Organization to install new bat-gates at Mines No. Sitting atop a ridge overlooking downtown Birmingham and many of its suburban neighborhoods, this park is laced with 12 miles of trails that lead to a variety interesting park features. The origins of the Ruffner Mountain Nature Center are tied to the region's iron ore mining history. Ruffner Mountain is a privately held, 1,040 acre urban nature preserve in the heart of Birmingham, Alabama. 22 reviews of Ruffner Mountain "Great spot hidden away in the city...Per city officials, this park is bigger than Central Park in NYC, making it one of the largest urban parks in the country (true?). Ruffner No. 35206, United States. Ruffner No 2 mine Bhamwiki Ruffner No 2 mine (originally part of the Irondale Mines or Upper Sloss Mines) was an ore mine operating from about 1886 to 1953 on the southeastern slopes of Ruffner Mountain to supply the SlossSheffield Steel and Iron Company with red iron ore The mine's ore crusher and other ruins remain as points of interest in the Ruffner Mountain Nature Preserve Feb 15, 2012 - The last of Ruffner Mountains Ore mines to cease production. Starting at the visitors’ center, hikers begin adjacent to the bird habitats and make their way along the path to the trailhead. Covering just over 1,000 acres, it's also home to a former quarry that was used for mining from the late 1800s to the 1950s. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Wetlands Trail (0.3 miles) One of our easier trails, it has very little elevation change. The Crater Creek property was on Vaughan Mountain, 23 km from Atlin. Ruffner Mountain Nature Preserve is situated 1800 feet south of Ruffner Mines. My photographs have been featured on CBS Inside Edition, CNN Travel, Houston Chronicle, The Weather Channel, MSN, Yahoo News, NPR, the UK Sun, the Daily Mail, NOLA.com, AL.com, and many others. In truth, the wetlands are not natural at all, but a consequence of the abandoned mines on the east side of Ruffner Mountain. The park is really pretty - and it has numerous trails that you can combine to create hikes of various lengths and difficulties! Past operations took place from 1887 to 1955. The underground mine, in Ruffner Mountain in Birmingham, Alabama, operated between 1886 and 1953, and paid miners 60 cents for each car filled with iron ore. The ore mining itself was carried out by contracted workers, usually African-Americans working under the direction of white supervisors. In the 1800s, miners earned 60 cents per car (approximately one ton). This portion of Red Mountain is characterized by a continuous series of mining developments that trace the evolution of mining. In 2010, Ruffner Mountain Nature Preserve consisted of over 1,000 acres and includes a newly built state-of-the-art 6,000 foot visitors center. A photo compilation made of some of the historic red ore mine ruins located on present day Ruffner Mountain. Find the perfect ruffner mountain stock photo. The acquisition included a limestone quarry at Gate City and the soft ore mines in Irondale. 1,2,3,4 and 5) Birmingham Industrial District N. of I 20 at the Oporto-Madrid exit Birmingham Jefferson County Alabama HAER No. I have zero coding or website experience. Ruffner's mission is to advance the understanding of ecology in a rapidly changing world. I spent 75 minutes walking in the hilly, well marked trails. The sq. “People still talk about it,” Kelly says. 3. Follow Abandoned Southeast on WordPress.com. I only had a Kodak Instamatic camera and was shooting B&W which is the source of this image. I released my first book, Abandoned Birmingham, in July 2018 and it is available worldwide through most major booksellers. ... Ruffner Mountain Nature Center: Man-made: 0.5 mi: W253-FM (Birmingham) Man-made: 0.6 mi: Wharton Lookout Tower: Man-made: 0.6 mi: Jones Valley: Land: 1.2 mi Historical Weather. In 1920, Ruffner organized Atlin Silver Lead Mines with a group of Seattle investors. Hiking trails range from easy level terrain, to strenuous 1,000-foot changes in elevation. By Tim Carr, April 2, 2008. The 1971 Ruffner Mountain explosion was an accident that occurred on Sunday evening, July 25, 1971 when 20 tons of ammonium nitrate, stored by Southern Packaging at the inactive Ruffner No. Photo from Ruffner Mountain Ruffner Mountain making a difference. Over a distance of several miles, every ravine along the southeast slope of Ruffner Mountain is pierced with drift mines. Red Mountain’s geologic complexity also means that this park offers a range of topography to explore, from the highest peak, which is 1,246 feet above sea level, to the quarries and mines offering a glimpse of the mountain’s rocky interior. It was all my 18 year old self could afford. At the turn of the 20th century, the Irondale mines were renamed after Ruffner. Directions, Parking, & Regulations. Search. View all posts by Abandoned Southeast, Used to play in one of these located in Roebuck Plaza section of Birmingham. The mines provided iron ore for the nearby Sloss Furnaces, which today is a National Historic Landmark. 2 mine (originally part of the Irondale Mines or Upper Sloss Mines) was an ore mine operating from about 1886 to 1953 on the southeastern slopes of Ruffner Mountain to supply the Sloss-Sheffield Steel and Iron Company with red iron ore. Hi are using WordPress for your blog platform? 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