What was the library like in 1916? The library's director was Carl Milam.
In 1916, The Birmingham Public Library consisted of 6 locations (Central, East Lake, Woodlawn, Avondale, West End, and Ensley). The library had around 40,000 books and almost 30,000 registered borrowers. The number of borrowers increased nearly 30 percent in three years. City Hall housed the central branch on its 4th floor. Today, The Birmingham Public Library has 19 locations and owns nearly 1 million items.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, September 15, 1916
Do you remember being taught about how to behave in a library and take care of books? In 1916, this pictorial library primer ran in the children's section of
The Birmingham Age-Herald. It covers everything from washing your hands before handling a book to using a bookmark instead of dog-earing a page. Additional advice includes not eating candy while reading (it will make the pages sticky) and being careful with a bottle of ink around books. At the end, the child checks out his first library book.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, February 27, 1916
What were people reading in 1916? The House on Henry Street by Lillian Ward was the most requested book at The Birmingham Public Library. This book tells the story of Lillian Ward and her work to help the poor through the establishment of settlement houses in the lower East Side of New York City. Much in the tradition of Twenty Years at Hull House by Jane Addams and The Making of An American by Jacob Riis, this book shows the sentiment of the Progressive Era in which everyday citizens sought to reform government, practice philantrophy, and institute social reform. As you will see in our other online galleries, the citizens of Birmingham helped the needy and tried to reform city government.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, May 3, 1916
What happened if you wanted to take a book on your summer vacation in 1916? Back then, it was not easy to renew a book over the phone due to the outrageous long distance charges. Returning it through the mail was risky as it could arrive late, become overdue, or get lost in the mail. The library found the solution by granting summer vacation loans. Books could be checked out from June 1st through September 30th without worrying about renewals or overdue fines. Of course, patrons had to read the fine print of this privilege: 7 day books were excluded, each loan was subject to the approval of the librarians, and patrons might be asked to return the book after one month if it was needed for serious research purposes. The library instructed patrons to wait until 1-2 days before their trip to check out books and return them to the library immediately upon their return.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, June 1, 1916
As this headline suggests, the librarians created topical displays of books to coincide with events happening in the community or to showcase books on a certain topic. In 1916, there was a display on books about peace, demonstrating Americans' concern about World War I and the current conflict between the U.S. and Mexico. Another example of a topical display is books on babies and parenting to celebrate Baby Week.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, April 20, 1916
When Birmingham hosted the Confederate Veterans Reunion in 1916, the Birmingham Public Library put together an exhibit of Confederate money. The United States Treasury Department actually supplied the money for the exhibit. The Union Army seized the money and turned it over to the Treasury Department at the conclusion of the Civil War. Because of the thousands of people in town for the Confederate Union, the exhibit opened at 7:45 am (instead of 9 am) and stay opened until 9 pm, which was the library's nomral closing time.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, May 17, 1916
The Birmingham Association for the Blind curated an exhibit of work done by students at Talladega's School for the Blind, which was on display at the public library. The exhibits included crochet, hand made brooms and hammocks, and chairs caned by the students. The purpose of the exhibit was to draw attention to blindness and to make people aware of the legitimate occupations available to the blind. For example, Mr. Johnson, supported himself selling brooms and was loaned a Braille typewriter to aid his communication.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, January 11, 1916
Have you ever wondered where Birmingham citizens learned about art before the establishment of The Birmingham Museum of Art in the 1950s? The answer, of course, is at the library. In 1916, the Birmingham Art Club partnered with the library to select books for a new art collection, set up an exhibit to display artistic works, and brought in lecturers to speak about art. Thanks to the libary's cultivating a love of art and educating the public, the citizens of Birmingham grew more and more appreciative of fine pieces of art. Today, the Central branch still loans out framed art prints that patrons can check out for 60 days.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, March 9, 1916
The Birmingham Public Library was very much a forward thinking library in 1916 and, as this headline suggests, was "the best conducted library in the entire South." Having read in a magazine about libraries that loaned music scores, piano rolls, and one which even had a soundproof room so patrons could play the music before checking it out, the library director decided to circulate piano rolls and solicited donations from local music companies.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, February 22, 1916
The Starr Piano Company started the collection with a donation of 150 piano rolls. Each patron could check out three rolls and keep them for a week. Some of the popular songs included: "On the Banks of the Wabash, Far Away," "My Old Kentucky Home," and "Tenting on the Old Camp Ground." The collection became so popular they added more piano rolls to include songs like "Sewanee River" and, of course, "Dixie."
The Birmingham Age-Herald, January 16 and Feburary 6, 1916
Today, the library still loans music, but instead of piano rolls, you can checkout CDs. With the rise of MP3s, Birmingham Public Library subscribes to Freegal, which allows Birmingham patrons to download three songs a week for free and keep them for life.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, February 6, 1916
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What did people do for fun in 1916? Birmingham offered many options for leisure activities. Explore our Leisure Gallery.
On a Wednesday night in April 1916, the staff of The Birmingham Age-Herald
decided to visit various places of amusement around town to see how many people were there and what the most popular activities were. Rumors that Prohibition had ruined Birmingham were circulating throughout the country. As president of the Birmingham City Commission, George Ward was doing his best to restore the reputation of Birmingham. Most of the buildings previously filled by saloons had been turned into movie houses. Over 16,000 thousand people were participating in leisure activities on this Wednesday night between 7 pm and 11 pm. The Lyric had the highest attendance with 2,000 people attending its two performances and other theaters had robust attendance as well. The newly opened Hippodrome boasted over 700 people at their skating rink. It is interesting to note that each location is itemized by name and attendance. However, guests to African American venues were grouped together under "Negro Shows" as segregation existed in places of amusement at the time.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, April 9, 1916
A bicycle race was a big event for the children of Birmingham in 1916 as boys raced their bikes to see who was the fastest in this 5 mile race. 42 boys entered the race, but only 27 finished.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, March 1, 1916
Messenger boy, Tommy Hinds, was the winner in 1916 with a time of 13 minutes 52 seconds. He received an Indian bicycle with Goodyear tires as his prize.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, March 1, 1916
The Avondale zoo was another popular place to go. Miss Fancy was the zoo's prized elephant. She came to the zoo in 1913 and was a great favorite with the children.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, March 19, 1916
This article found in the children's section of The Age-Herald tells the story of Miss Murphy, a hippoputamus who had been fed a knife instead of a morsel of food at another zoo. Her story was used to teach children to be kind to zoo animals and to prevent animal abuse.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, March 19, 1916
The Alabama State Fair came to Birmingham for 10 days and nights of fun beginning on October 5th through October 14th. The fair had a little bit of everything including agricultural, live stock and poultry exhibits, band concerts, horse racing, and, of course, fireworks.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, September 27, 1916
One of the shows you could see at the State Fair was Miss Lottie Mayer and her five diving girls. Because the newspaper only provided this picture, we are left to imagine what this show really involved. Did the girls actually dive into a big tank of water? Was there synchronized swimming? Or was it just the girls posing in their water nymph costumes in front of the crowd? Whatever the case may be, this show most likely drew a crowd in 1916.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, October 6, 1916
As anyone who has been to a fair knows, it can get expensive when you factor in the cost of admission, food, souvenirs, games, and paid performances. Luckily, the equestrian exhibition was something everyone could enjoy for free. Spectators would have loved seeing men and women performing acrobatic tricks while riding horses.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, October 6, 1916
After a four year absence, the Ringling Circus came to Birmingham on October 23, 1916. Cinderella was the theme of this year's circus. The spectacle involved 1,250 actors, 735 horses, and 300 female ballet dancers to re-tell this beloved fairy tale. The equestrian act was greatly enhanced with the addition of many fine performers who were escaping war torn Europe by joining the circus in the United States. 60 clowns provided comical relief under the big top. It took 89 train cars to move all the equipment from one engagement to the next.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, October 3, 1916
The Ringling Circus and the Alabama State Fair paled in comparison to Dare-Devil Derrill. This stuntman planned to balance himself seated in a chair atop the Jefferson County Bank Building as part of an advertising gimmick for Chero-Cola. Saturday, April 15, 1916, was the scheduled date for the stunt. However, there was a disclaimer that the event might be cancelled in case of high winds. Apparently, there was a high wind as no further newspaper coverage was found in The Age-Herald.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, April 9, 1916
Did you know there were two types of movie theaters? "Feature" houses allowed patrons to see one picture that spanned five or six reels of film. "Programme" houses were theaters that offered several pictures every day which they got from a national distributing agency. The feature houses included the Strand, Colonial, Trianon, Newsome's, and Alcazar. They were quite profitable. The programme theaters included the Princess, Odeon One, Odeon Two, and the Vaudette. They made their money from the businessman lunch time crowd who dropped in for a short, sappy picture that only cost a nickel.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, January 2, 1916
You might not recognize the name Billie Burke, but you've almost certainly seen her in the movies. Her most famous role was Glinda the Good Witch from the Wizard of Oz, and she was known for her high squeaky voice. She made her film debut in 1916 with the silent movie,
Peggy, which showed here at The Strand. Birmingham's social columnist, Dolly Dalyrmple, gave a glowing review of Billie Burke's performance and encouraged everyone to see the movie. This photograph of Billie Burke as Peggy is one of the few remaining images of the silent movie, Peggy, because no known copy of the film exists today.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, February 26, 1916
The Strange Case of Mary Page by Frederick Lewis was an example of a newspaper serial and movie pairing in which readers would read the story in the newspaper and see the serial movie each week. In this story, Mary Page was found unconscious next to the corpse of a man who hated her with a pearl handled revolver lying between them. She was put on trial for murder with her lover acting as her defense attorney. Everyone eagerly awaited the next installment of
The Strange Case of Mary Page each Sunday. Sometimes, The Age Herald did not receive the next installment in time for printing much to the outrage of its readers. Like so many other silent movies, no known copy of
The Strange Case of Mary Page exists.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, May 2, 1916
Based on Thomas Dixon's book, The Clansman, The Birth of a Nation was a silent epic film directed by D.W. Griffith depicting two families (one from the North and the other from the South) during the Civil War and Reconstruction. The film starred silent legends, Lillian Gish, Mae Marsh, and Henry B. Walthall. Like many other Southern cities, the film premiered in late 1915 at the Jefferson Theater to sold out crowds. The Jefferson Theatre secured the film for additional two performances before it closed in Birmingham.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, January 2, 1916
Although The Birth of a Nation closed in January, the Jefferson Theatre brought it back for a one week only encore performance in at the end of February. This was very unusual for movies as there were a limited number of prints of the film and a traveling orchestra. Because of the popularity of the movie, the Jefferson Theatre charged up to $2 per ticket, which was greatly overpriced as most movie tickets cost between 5 cents and $1.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, February 27, 1916
D.W. Griffith was the director of The Birth of a Nation and he pioneered advanced camera and narrative techniques that would transform the movie industry. According to the advertisements, this movie featured 18,000 people, 3,000 horses, contained 5,000 scenes, and cost $500,000 to make the Civil War and Reconstruction come alive for movie goers, and the battle scenes were unparalleled. With a breathtaking score performed by a live orchestra, it was a one of a kind movie.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, February 27, 1916
Another reason for the film's popularity was its star, Henry B. Walthall. He grew up in Shelby County and briefly attended Howard College (Samford University). He was Alabama's first movie star. In
The Birth of the Nation, Walthall played Colonel Ben Cameron, the protagonist of the film.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, March 5, 1916 and December 24, 1916
The Birth of a Nation's depiction of the Ku Klux Klan as heroic led to the organization's rebirth. However, not everyone enjoyed
The Birth of a Nation, especially African Americans. The NAACP tried to boycott the film and have the more racist scenes edited out.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, March 5, 1916
In November 1916, the Strand screened The Fall of a Nation, the sequel to
The Birth of Nation and the first ever movie sequel. The Clansman's author, Thomas Dixon, Jr., wanted to cash in on the success of
The Birth of a Nation by directing The Fall of the Nation. The film' s plot criticized the pacificism of the United States as a
European army invades the country executing women, children, and veterans. The hero of the film was a pro-war Congressman who was aided by a suffragette. It was a box office flop and one of the lost silent films.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, November 5, 1916
Fashion Week was another option for entertainment. Fireworks, the ringing of bells, and the flicker of street lights signaled the opening of Fashion Week as the stores unveiled their newest displays. Many women came from out of town to shop for the latest fashions. There was also a Fashion Ball at the Tutwiler Hotel, and the queen of Fashion Week was Miss Annie Mae Clift.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, March 12, 1916
Roller skating became increasingly popular in Birmingham. The police worried about the safety of skaters as automobiles shared the same paved streets. According to the laws of Birmingham, skaters were prohibited on city sidewalks and streets. However, the police found this law increasingly hard to enforce as there were nightly skating parties. The popularity of skating suggested a need for the establishment of a downtown skating rink.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, March 2, 1916
Social columnist, Dolly Dalrymple, wrote about the latest skating fad in her column. She pointed out that skaters were becoming much more adventurous as they attached themselves to motorized vehicles for a free and exhilarating ride. Some motorists aided the skaters by attaching a rope to the back of their vehicle. One boy took to using his large dog as his personal "horse" to pull him on his skates. According to Ms. Dalrymple, skating was good for your health even though it was somewhat dangerous to skate on the city's streets.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, March 26, 1916
Seeing the skating fad, the Orpheum Theater's owner, J.H. Edmondson, decided to turn it into a skating rink. The remodeling involved tearing out the stage and auditorium seats, improving lighting and ventilation, and laying a new maple floor. Mr. Edmondson planned to petition for membership in the Western Skating Association in the hopes of being able to host skating exhibitions with professional skaters. He also bought 1,000 pairs of skates to rent out to customers.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, February 21, 1916
The former Orpheum opened as the Hippodrome Skating Rink. 900 people went for opening night and 400 of them skated. Mr. Edmondson clearly had made a wise business decision.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, April 2, 1916
Mr. Edmondson made good on his promise to bring in professional skaters. The professional racers came from all across the country and competed for a cash purse. Local racers participated in an amateur event for a smaller cash purse and bragging rights.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, May 14, 1916
Attending a wrestling match was another great way to spend your leisure time. The Jefferson Theatre was one of several venues that hosted wrestling matches. The picture above shows the wrestlers, Ed "Strangler" Lewis and Tom Draak. If betting, my money would be on Ed "Strangler" Lewis based on his fearsome nickname.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, April 3, 1916
Rickwood Field became the site of the first wrestling tournament in the South. It was hailed as the largest wrestling tournament ever staged outside of New York City and lasted three nights.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, May 14, 1916
Birmingham hosted its first auto show in 1916. Donald Drennan of the Birmingham Motor Company organized the event. The debut of the 8 cylinder engine brought out many curious people. Visitors saw all makes and models of cars and asked questions of the experts.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, February 20, 1916
Race car driver, Eddie Rickenbacher, was the featured guest and was known as a "speed king" in the racing world. You might recognize Eddie Rickenbacher's name as he went on to become an ace pilot in World War I.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, February 24, 1916
The success of the auto show aroused interest in building a speedway in Birmingham. August (Garry) Herrman, chairman of the national baseball commission and owner of the Cincinnati Baseball club, and Harry L. Gordon, former Cincinnati mayor, were the principal investors. Solon Jacobs of Birmingham would oversee the construction of the speedway. The plan was to build the speedway around Edgewood Lake, which was home of the Birmingham Motor Club, at a cost of $500,000.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, March 5, 1916 and March 19, 1916
The principal investors of the Birmingham Motor Speedway Company tried to solicit local investors at the cost of $10 a share. Work began on the speedway in the summer of 1916. Unfortunately, the money ran out and the speedway was never finished. The graded section became Lakeshore Drive in Homewood.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, April 23, 1916
As golf began to grow in popularity, the citizens of Birmingham clamored for a municipal golf course. Birmingham was a growing city and in competition with other cities. St. Louis had four golf courses within the city limits, and within the state of Alabama, Selma had its own municipal course. Dr. George Eaves, president of the Jefferson County Anti-Tuberculosis Association, supported the idea as exposure to fresh air was a proven method of fighting tuberculosis.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, October 15, 1916
The proposed site of the golf course was Green Springs Park. The city purchased the land during the term of Commissioner George Ward. The golf course never made it out of the planning stages. It was not until 1923 that Green Springs Park opened to the public. In 1952, Green Springs Park's name was changed to George Ward Park in honor of George Ward.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, October 15, 1916
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As 1916 began, the majority of Americans were opposed to joining the war in Europe. President Woodrow Wilson was running for re-election, and his campaign used the slogan, "He kept us out of the war." This political cartoon showed the increasingly isolationist sentiment felt by many Americans. As Uncle Sam suggested in this cartoon, if you favor war with anybody, then you should be willing to
be the first one to volunteer to fight and be on the front lines of the battle.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, January 16, 1916
President Wilson emphasized preparedness as the United States' official stance for the national defense. He suggested that this was a period of "watchful waiting" for the United States and most Americans wanted to remain isolated and stay out of the European conflict.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, January 28, 1916
Since the sinking of SS Arabic in the fall of 1915, Germany had limited its use of submarine or U-boat warfare. On March 24, 1916, a German U-boat torpedoed the SS Sussex, and crippled the ship. Over 50 people lost their lives and there were 25 Americans aboard the ship. Contrary to this early report of the disaster's headline, no Americans were lost in the Sussex disaster. However, news stories like this were slowly eroding the pacifism of Americans and President Wilson felt compelled to stand up and demand the end of unrestricted submarine warfare.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, March 26, 1916
In a speech to Congress, President Woodrow Wilson demanded that Germany must cease unrestricted submarine warfare or the United States would sever diplomatic relations. If Germany refused, Congress planned to seize interned German vessels valued at $100,000 or more, and more importantly, demand the cessation of all supplies from U.S. manufacturers. Although not an official declaration of war against Germany, the cutoff of supplies would effectively cripple the German war machine. Wilson insisted on an immediate response from Germany and the world held its breath waiting to see what would happen.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, April 20, 1916
Germany responded to Wilson's demand to restrict submarine warfare with a demand of their own, which was that the United States condemn Britain's use of the blockade. According to Germany, this was a violation of international law. Although Germany added a demand, they agreed that they would not target passenger ships, that merchant ships would not be fired upon unless weapons were confirmed to be onboard and only then with warning, and that merchant ships could not be sunk unless provisions were made for safety of the crew.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, May 6, 1916
Germany's response became known as the Sussex Pledge, and it looked like the United States had avoided being drawn into the war. Germany upheld the Sussex Pledge for almost a year until it decided that unrestricted submarine warfare would be the best way to defeat its enemies before the United States chose to enter the war in the spring of 1917.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, May 6, 1916
After making the Sussex Pledge, Germany announced that the commander of the German U-boat admitted blame for torpedoing the SS Sussex. The commander believed the SS Sussex was a warship and fired upon it hastily. The German government offered indemnity to Sussex passengers. This apology and the indemnity went far to appease the United States, who had several passengers aboard the ship, and keep it from breaking diplomatic relations.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, May 11, 1916
For most readers of Birmingham newspapers, the images of World War I were to be found in the Sunday newspaper segments like
The Age-Herald's Rotogravure section. This picture of women being trained as railway conductors and guards in Germany's railway system would have surprised many Americans with this reversal of gender roles. The nature of their uniforms had hidden the femininity of these women, and without the caption, it would be harder to ascertain that these were women.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, March 19, 1916
Zeppelin airships frightened many people with night bombing raids.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, January 2, 1916
This is a picture of a British machine gun squad wearing gas masks to protect them from gas attacks. World War I brought about chemical warfare. Mustard gas could cause blistered skin, irritated eyes, and trouble breathing. Although not typically fatal, it became one of the most feared weapons.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, January 2, 1916
The Battle of Verdun began in February 1916 and lasted until December 1916.
The battle was between the German and French armies. Every week in the newspaper, Birmingham residents would read that German forces had advanced and the next week the story would be that French forces had pushed the Germans back. The story would be reversed the following week. It became one of the longest (lasting 303 days) and costliest battles with estimated casualties of 700,000 to 1 million people.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, March 5, 1916
No picture can ever fully describe the horrors of war, or in this case, the cold. This picture shows soldiers quickly eating food in the midst of a battle during a winter storm.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, April 20, 1916
Americans remained virtually untouched by wartime shortages with the exception of castor oil, quinine, calomel, and cod liver oil. This cartoonist poked fun at the shortages as many of these drugs were taken by babies and tasted awful. In most industries, U.S. manufacturers were facing increased demand for goods as they were supplying both the United States and Europe, and thus reaping larger profits.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, March 10, 1916
World War I was not personal for most of the citizens of Birmingham, but on occasion, a news story would show a tie to Birmingham,
that slowly over time transformed the idea of a European war into a global war. One example of this was the death of pilot Robin Barton. He had been born in Ensley, Alabama and was the son of Mr. and Mrs. A.E. Barton. His father was the superintendent of the Ensley blast furnace, but moved his family back to England during Robin's youth. Seeking adventure, Robin Barton returned to work at the Woodward Company and became a good friend of Erksine Ramsay. Upon the war breaking out in England, he left his job and became a pilot. While flying a reconnaissance mission, he was shot down and died in the airplane crash.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, March 14, 1916
Alabama's Elizabeth Shelley gave an eyewitness account of what the war was actually like.
She served as a nurse in Serbia and became a fascinating person in the eyes of Alabama citizens. She had been one of society's belles, was the daughter of politician General Charles M. Shelley, and was considered a dear friend by many prominent Birmingham ladies before she decided to become a nurse and worked overseas. Madame Mabel Grouitch, the wife of the undersecretary of war of Serbia, drew attention to Nurse Shelley's work at the hospital in Nish, Serbia when she visited Washington D.C. and told story after story of Nurse Shelley's compassion and determination to help those sick and in need. In addition, Nurse Shelley's eyewitness accounts were regaled throughout Birmingham social circles as they shared her letters from overseas.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, Janaury 16, April 9, and April 11, 1916
Reading about the European war compelled some to do something. Alfred Eaves was one of those people.
He left Birmingham to join the Canadian army, and held the conviction that this was "a war to end all wars." He was the 23 year old son of Dr. and Mrs. George Eaves. Alfred was killed at the Battle of the Somme in October 1916. This was one of the great battles of World War I that began in July 1916 with the first British offensive and did not end until November 1, 1918.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, October 6, 1916
Most people think of World War II when it comes to Jews being mistreated, but many overlook what happened in World War I. This advertisement announced that there were 5 million Jews that were starving and destitute in Poland. Robert Jemison chaired Birmingham's relief committee and had the support of the most prominent men in Birmingham.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, January 30, 1916
The war in Europe was continually in the newspapers, but one event surprisingly lacked press coverage. It was the Easter Rising/Rebellion that took place in Ireland in April 1916. Irish Republicans mounted an armed uprising in an attempt to overthrow British rule in Ireland. They were unsuccessful. The Rebellion thrust Irish nationalism into the spotlight and led to the creation of an independent Ireland with the creation of Northern Ireland in 1921. Besides the war in Europe, the relations between the United States and Mexico dominated newspaper coverage in 1916, and most people never realize how close the United States was to a full-scale invasion and war with Mexico.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, April 29, 1916
Mexico's President Victoriano Huerta had become the enemy of President Woodrow Wilson and the United States and was forced into exile before dying a few months later. In the wake of his death, Venustiano Carranza and Pancho Villa vied for the presidency and the United States chose to support Carranza. In retaliation, Pancho Villa conducted raids across the U.S.-Mexico border leading to the loss of numerous American lives. On January 11, 1916, Pancho Villa's forces stopped a train at Santa Ysabel and murdered 116 American businessmen en route to reopen the Cusihuiriachic mines. One
man feigned death and escaped to tell of this brutal atrocity. In the wake of this tragedy, Wilson was faced with a choice of whether to intervene with U.S. troops or allow Carranza to track down and capture Pancho Villa and his men. Wilson decided not to intervene as it would question the legitimacy and authority of Carranza's government. However, relations between the U.S. and Mexico remained strained.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, January 15, 1916
Pancho Villa announced his intention to destroy American property and end the presidency of Mexico's president Carranza. More Americans would be subject to violence and even death at the hands of Pancho Villa. With pressure from the United States, President Carranza declared Pancho Villa an outlaw and made it possible for anyone to execute him.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, January 20 and January 22, 1916
Heeding President Wilson's call for preparedness in regard to the European situation and the trouble brewing with Mexico, the men of Birmingham formed the Jefferson Artillery, Battery C, first battalion, first artillery of the Alabama National Guard. Members of the Jefferson Artillery would undergo full military training and could be called up for active military service. The Jefferson Battery was unique as local businessmen could participate as associate members without enlistment in the military.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, February 13, 1916
In the eyes of Alabamians, the increasing tension between the United States and Mexico became much more real with the story of an Alabama woman and her baby. Pancho Villa and his bandits conducted raids at Columbus, New Mexico, and captured Mrs. Maude Wright along with several other Americans. During the raid, Mrs. Wright was holding her baby and one of the bandits snatched the baby out of her hands. Pancho Villa held Mrs. Wright and the other Americans for nine days and Mrs. Wright had no idea what had happened to her baby. It turned out that one of the bandits had given the baby to a Mexican family to care for it, who in turn gave the baby to some Mormon colonists. Luckily, the Mormon colonists contacted the American authorities to ascertain the whereabouts of Mrs. Wright and brought the baby to her location to be reunited.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, March 10, March 12, and March 17, 1916
The hostage story of Mrs. Maude Wright and her baby and the death of 24 Americans at Columbus, New Mexico alarmed Americans even more about the growing conflict between the United States and Mexico. President Wilson sent the Spanish American War hero, Major General Frederick Funston, to command the American Expeditionary Forces and track down Pancho Villa.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, March 14, 1916
Funston tasked General John "Black Jack" Pershing with the task of locating Pancho Villa and gave him 10,000 men. The pursuit became known as the Punitive Expedition. Newspaper stories about Pancho Villa's raids continued to make front page headlines, and time after time Villa eluded American military forces.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, March 29, 1916
By June, the United States had troops hunting for Pancho Villa throughout Mexico, and Mexico's President Carranza wanted them out of his country. The presence of U.S. troops was hurting his reputation as a strong leader and the legitimacy of his rule. The United States might have considered Carranza's demand had it not been for the actions of Pancho Villa later that month.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, June 1, 1916
President Wilson refused Carranza's demand for the withdrawal of troops and began activating more National Guard units, including the Alabama National Guard. With that news, the men of Birmingham rushed to the city armory to enlist for active service. It looked like war with Mexico was eminent, and every man wanted to do his duty by serving in the military.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, June 20, 1916
There was even a parade in Birmingham to showcase the National Guard as they prepared to depart for Montgomery, Alabama for the last round of training. It was expected that all the National Guard units from across the state would gather, undergo the last round of training, and embark for Mexico within a few days. The Jefferson Artillery departed Birmingham on June 26, 1916.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, June 22, 1916 and September 3, 1916
As the Jefferson Artillery traveled to Montgomery, tensions between the United States and Mexico became even more heated. Under the command of General Pershing, U.S. troops approached the city of Carrizal with the hopes of capturing Pancho Villa who was rumored to be ensconced there. Mexico's troops were also there. In a strange turn of events, U.S. troops ended up fighting Mexican troops while Pancho Villa and his men watched. Mexico's troops captured 23 African American soldiers from the 10th Cavalry and held them as prisoners of war. The United States demanded their return, and Carranza was faced with a choice: to escalate the conflict or to return the soldiers peacefully. Luckily, Carranza ordered the release of the 23 African American soldiers, yet the buildup of the National Guard continued.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, June 26 and June 29, 1916
Meanwhile, in Montgomery, the boys awaited orders for the National Guard to move out.
The Age-Herald sent newspapers to the camp so the boys could keep up with the latest events in Mexico as well as the local news. Families wrote letters to the boys stationed there, and boys wrote back. Walter Blackman, Jr. was the son of
The Age-Herald's cartoonist, and he wrote about camp life. According to him, it was "no joke in the army."
The Birmingham Age-Herald, June 30, 1916
The Red Cross and the United Daughters of the Confederacy Birmingham Chapters sent the boys in Montgomery care packages, which contained two bath towels, a toothbrush, a cake of soap, and two handkerchiefs. Apparently government did not supply towels, so the soldiers would have been very grateful for them. Future plans included sending edibles and homemade jellies were anticipated to be the first food sent to the soldiers.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, August 9, 1916
The National Guard enjoyed much fanfare with enthusiastic goodbye waves from pretty girls and shouts of affirmation from the crowd while enjoying the music of the military band. They left Montgomery in October to be stationed in El Paso, Texas and Douglas, Arizona. The Archives Department holds the letters of Captain Mortimer Jordan written to his wife during his time in Arizona.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, October 5 and October 8, 1916
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Blue laws are designed to restrict certain activities on Sunday in favor of religious observances. In 1916, the debate over blue laws impacted the city of Birmingham. Several owners of garages complained to the City Commission that garages were opening on Sunday. They argued that the City Commission should force other garage owners to remain shut on Sunday through the enforcement of blue laws. The tone of this article pokes fun at garage owners like Mr. Posner who are too busy singing in the choir on Sundays to help out the harassed owners of motor cars needing service. It also suggests that the blue laws might be archaic and needed to be repealed. Sunday movies were also brought up as another area where the blue laws were not being enforced, and Commissioner James Weatherly stated that if it was the will of the people he would enforce all laws on the statue books. The City Commission plans to "take the matter under advisement."
The Birmingham Age-Herald, January 5, 1916
The mention of Sunday movies by the City Commission fueled a debate among the religious leaders of Birmingham. The Pastors' Union pressured Commissioner James Weatherly into drafing an ordinance for the closing of Sunday movies, but he claimed no sponsorship of the ordinance. According to him, it will be the responsibility of the Pastors' Union to garner support and present it to the City Commission. This new Weatherly ordinance makes exceptions to the Sunday blue laws for the running of the street cars and the operation of the newspapers, which are currently prohibited by the disagreeable and inflexible language of the current blue laws. By making these exceptions, the ordinance is clearly about "the closing of the Sunday moving pictures is the meat in the coconut". However, the actual text of the ordinance will not be made public "because of fear of international complications, and all that sort of thing" and will be on the City Commission's agenda in the weeks to come.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, January 11, 1916
Retired Episcopalian minister, Rev. F.W. Beecher, wrote a letter to the
Age-Herald editor entitled "The Ones Who Need to Be Educated" in which he stated that clergy should drop their opposition to Sunday movies. He argues that working people only have Sunday as a day of rest and should be able to partake in the "innocent and educational amusement furnished by the many excellent theatres presenting the attractive moving pictures." Beecher chastises other members of the Pastors' Union for reverting to a "Puritan Sabbath" and their efforts to close the movies on Sundays.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, January 8, 1916
With a new blue law ordinance before the City Commission, the citizens of Birmingham wrote many letters to the editor. Will Gray summed up the viewpoint of many citizens: "It does not seem fair at any rate for any set of men to try by legislation to force upon others their way of thinking."
The Birmingham Age-Herald, January 15, 1916
Dr. Dickinson of the Pastors' Union was the most outspoken supporter of closing the Sunday movies. According to him, the owners of several movie theaters approached the Pastors' Union about three years ago to see about repealing the Sunday blue laws. Their argument was that Sunday blue laws were denying the common working man the pleasure of seeing a movie on a Sunday. The Pastors' Union discussed the matter and determined that making an exception to the blue laws for movie theaters would open up a Pandora's box from similarly affected interests. Three members of the Pastors' Union dissented on supporting the new Sunday law.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, February 7 and February 16, 1916
While Weatherly's blue law ordinance was still being debated by the City Commission, the Retail Grocers and Butchers Association complained to Sheriff Thomas J. Batson that the current blue law was not being enforced, and to focus on grocers and butchers who were open on Sunday. Feeling pressure from this group, Batson ordered his deputies to arrest anyone in violation of Sunday blue laws, and over 300 arrests
were made in the first two weeks. Violators of the blue law were responsible for paying $3.75 in court costs. When asked about the large number of arrests, Sheriff Batson responded, "All persons violating any of the Sunday statues will hereafter be placed under bond. There will be no exceptions. We will close everything."
The Birmingham Age-Herald, February 28, 1916 and March 1, 1916
With the large number of arrests, people began to ask where the fine money was going. It turns out that Sheriff Batson and his deputies netted $3 out of the fine for the arrest and making bond and the remaining 75 cents went to the county treasury as payment for issuing the warrants. The procedure was that deputies would patrol the streets in pairs on Sunday. They would buy a soft drink, newspaper, or candy from the stores that were open, and appear before Judge Abernathy on Monday to issue a warrant for the arrest. The citizens of Birmingham were outraged, and Judge Abernathy ordered the halt of all Sunday law warrants.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, March 2, 1916 and March 4, 1916
In an interesting twist, the Barons were allowed to play baseball on Sunday
and several teams in the league did play on Sunday. However, the owners of the Barons
chose not to schedule games on Sunday not because of the Sunday blue laws, but because of too many fans wanting to attend on Sunday. The number of Sunday baseball fans was so large that Rickwood Field would
have required the expansion of the stands and this would take away from the attendance of weekday games.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, March 5, 1916
Although the issuance of warrants and arrests for violators of the Sunday blue laws had stopped, those previously arrested appeared before Judge Abernathy, who dismissed the cases upon payment of the $3.75. After all the arrests, it seemed that blue laws had disappeared from the minds of both the City Commission and Birmingham citizens.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, March 8, 1916
Although out of the newspapers for several months, several Birmingham citizens worked behind the scenes to resurrect the blue laws debate with a focus on Sunday movies.
Petitions opposing Sunday movies were circulated throughout the city. It became a movement of pastors and church laymen.
They held their first committee meeting in July. This meeting
examined the signed petitions to see if citizens supported closing movies on Sunday. If there was enough support, the committee
planned to securing a referendum to put the matter to a vote of the people.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, July 18, 1916
The press coverage of the Sunday movie movement resulted in the meetings of the pastor and church laymen becoming secret as they banned reporters from the meetings.
The Age-Herald reporters gleaned from the rumors circulating around the town that petitions signatures opposing Sunday movies had about 1,500 signatures.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, August 1, 1916
With enough signatures on the movie petition, the City Commission would be forced to once again consider blue laws and the closing of Sunday movies.
Age-Herald reporter Richard F. Lussier wrote an editorial expressing the hypocritical nature of Sunday movie opponents. Those in favor of closing Sunday movies argued that the movies being shown were immoral. Lussier contended that if that is the argument, movies should not be shown any day of the week. He argued in favor of Sunday movies, claiming movie theaters were a place of recreation in pleasant surroundings and gave an escape to the poor from dingy surroundings by immersing them in breathtaking visuals of foreign lands, nature, and flowers.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, August 29, 1916
The managers of the movie theaters approached the City Commission and offered to pay $2,000 to finance a special election regarding Sunday movies. In addition, they also offered to close movie theaters on Sunday, starting on October 1st, until the November election.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, August 30, 1916
As this point, you may be asking why the movie managers seemed so agreeable to holding a special election regarding Sunday movies and even offering to pay for it. The movie managers had ulterior motives as they worked behind the scenes to secure an injunction to stop the referendum election from going forward. The injection would change the Sunday movies election from a separate referendum to be included as part of the general election taking place on November 7, 1916. Because the November 7th election was also a presidential election, the movie managers anticipated a higher voter turnout who would oppose the closing of Sunday movies, and the movie managers would not have to pay for a separate election. In addition, the signatures for the petitions would become null and void as the petition only authorized a referendum election. Therefore, supporters of closing the movies on Sunday would have to secure new signatures. The movie managers found a way to appear agreeable, but really sought to serve their own interests.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, August 31, 1916
One of the members of the City Commission, Artie Barber, presented a new movie ordinance to his fellow commissioners. The proposed ordinance would "bar a fight, a killing, any show of domestic infelicity between a man and wife, the wearing of abbreviated skirts of tights" by women in the movies. This ordinance was to regulate morality of the city, and control what movies were being shown at movie theaters.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, November 30, 1916
Barber's proposed ordinance angered many members of the City Commission, the movie managers, and the members of several women's clubs. Barber assumed he had the support of women's clubs, but found he was mistaken when several representatives of the women's clubs spoke before the City Commission. One such speaker, Miss Rittenberry, argued that the movie ordinance was pointless, and further regulations would result in the city commissioners having to "put kimonos on all the statues in the park" in the name of decency. President George Ward announced his
intention to veto the ordinance and his plan to remove Barber from his position of commissioner of public safety.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, December 1 and December 2, 1916
After much debate, Barber's proposed ordinance ended up being passed unanimously by the City Commission. The Commissioner of Public Safety would be responsible for enforcing the law. These powers included restricting the age of the viewers, ordering separate viewings segregated by gender, and editing or cutting out questionable segments of film.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, December 7, December 20, and December 21, 1916
The movie managers were outraged, and the management of the Trianon stood in opposition to the new movie ordinance with their showing of
The Conquest of Canaan. As this advertisement suggested, this film violated the movie ordinance, but the managers argued it was "clean, wholesome, and wholly moral in tone."
The Birmingham Age-Herald, December 27, 1916
What was in this movie? The Conquest of Canaan was based on Booth Tarkington's novel of the same name, and was the story of a young man who lacked social standing and was regarded as worthless in his hometown of Canaan. Exiled from Canaan, the young man reforms himself, returns to Canaan, and begins the process of earning the favor of the townspeople. Social columnist Dolly Dalrymple endorsed the film and hailed it as "one of the great pictures of the day." It was re-made in 1922 and considered another lost silent film for decades. In 2010, the Russian government gifted the Library of Congress with 10 restored silent films it found in its archives, including the 1922 version of
The Conquest of Canaan.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, December 27, 1916
Moviegoers would vote as to the whether The Conquest of Canaan offended them with its violations of the movie ordinance, and the results would be flashed on the screen of The Trianon. As the year 1916 ended, we never found out the results of the public vote or the long-term effects of the movie ordinance or any other blue law. It would not be until 1930 with the Motion Picture Production or Hays Code that moral guidelines would be applied to films. Eventually, the Hays Code was replaced by the MPAA ratings system (G, PG, PG-13, R, NC-17) we have today.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, December 29, 1916
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Summer began with the threat of a typhoid fever epidemic looming as Birmingham had 68 reported cases of typhoid in June. Typhoid is a preventable disease and is caused by contaminated food and water. Only one city in the United States had more cases of typhoid than Birmingham and health officials attributed this high number to the prevalence of dry closets also known as a lack of indoor plumbing. As temperatures rose, Birmingham braced for another round of this deadly disease, but the cause of this typhoid epidemic was an unlikely culprit.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, June 28, 1916
By July, there were 300 cases of typhoid in the city, and the City Commission requested a typhoid specialist from the federal government. In 1916, there was actually a typhoid vaccine, which had been around for twenty years. However, it was not until the 1910s that there was widespread use of the vaccine. City physicians began vaccinating people at City Hall. However, the 500 doses of the vaccine ran out within three hours leaving several hundred people still waiting for the vaccine.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, July 3, 1916
Since the City of Birmingham had underestimated the number of typhoid vaccines to meet the demands of its citizens, local drug stores took advantage of the situation by selling typhoid vaccines to eager and fearful consumers. In this ad, Adam's Drug bolded the words "fresh every day" to emphasize the availability of the typhoid vaccine and indicated they were open all night. Greene Drug Company reported selling 2,000 vaccines in three days.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, July 4, 1916
Health officials decided to use publicity to control the spread of typhoid, and helpful health articles appeared in the newspapers to educate people about typhoid. Police officers doubled as sanitary inspectors and arrested business owners who had poor sanitary conditions, while newspapers published the list of those arrested by the police officers.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, June 30, and July 6, 1916
Public Safety Commissioner Hornady led the City's efforts to stress the importance of cleanliness and sanitation. Restaurants like the Plaza Cafe capitalized by placing newspaper ads advertising the cleanliness of their restaurant.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, July 4, 1916
Lonto's Cafe had several catchy phrases in their ad: "Be Careful What You Eat and Where" and "Eat at Lonto's Cafe for Your Health's Sake." They emphasized that most people acquire typhoid germs through food and encouraged people to consider the safety of what they were eating.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, July 4, 1916
The Metropolitan Cafe reiterated the message that typhoid was contracted through polluted food and drink. However, they may have gone a little
too far with their claim that "Eating at the Metropolitan is the best health insurance policy you can have."
The Birmingham Age-Herald, July 4, 1916
Ed Moore Insurance took it a step further by advertising the low cost of health insurance just in case you caught typhoid fever.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, July 5, 1916
Schropshire and Daniel Grocers suggested that "if you buy your groceries from us exclusively you will absolutely be immune from Typhoid Fever." A bold and impossible claim, but maybe some gullible people believed this advertising gimmick and bought all their groceries from this grocer. It would be interesting to know if any customers asked for their money back if they came down with typhoid fever.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, July 5, 1916
If you did not take out health insurance from Ed Moore or shop exclusively at the Shropshire and Daniel grocer, disinfectant and germicides were a more logical option and Eugene Jacobs' Drug Store had plenty of choices. This drug store also identified the source of the eggs and their milk supplier so
customers could feel safe about where their food was coming from before
buying it.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, July 4, 1916
American Laundry advertised that germs lurked in the laundry basket and your neighbor washerwomen could be spreading typhoid from house to house while picking up and dropping off laundry. According to them, American Laundry was the best option to "safeguard your family's health" as every garment was sterilized.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, July 4, 1916
Another option was to buy an incinerator. According to this ad, "typhoid lurks in the garbage can." You could rent one for $5 a month. Many people thought a $5 investment for a few months would be worthwhile if their household escaped typhoid.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, July 16, 1916
If you did become sick with typhoid, Parker's Drug was ready to assist with an array of ice bags, thermometers, bedpans, beef and malt extracts, grape juice, and ginger ale.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, July 6, 1916
The citizens of Birmingham lined up at City Hall to receive free typhoid vaccinations. There was even a lunch rush as working men and
women from downtown businesses and department stores stopped by for a vaccination. On July 7, city health officials gave 1,000 shots. The City Health Officer, Dr. Cecil Gaston, announced that the sanitary inspectors would cite business owners who had uncovered garbage cans. In addition, all employees of restaurants, meat markets, groceries, ice cream parlors, soft drink stands, bakeries, dairies, and creameries had to get a certificate of good health from a local physician and place it on record with the Health Department.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, July 7, 1916
By July, the Health Department received an average of 25 to 35 new typhoid cases daily. Typhoid vaccinations cost the city of Birmingham about 21 cents per dose, but were free to anyone who applied. Commissioner Hornady encouraged those citizens who were financially stable to purchase the vaccine from a local drug store or family doctor. However, some family doctors saw the typhoid epidemic as a way to make a profit and were charging $45 for the typhoid vaccine.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, July 4, 1916, and July 29, 116
Several people reported becoming sick with typhoid after eating Furnas Ice Cream. As a result, health officials launched an investigation of the ice cream manufacturer.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, July 4, 1916 and July 6, 1916
With rumors circulating about Furnas Ice Cream being the cause of the typhoid epidemic, Furnas Ice Cream tried to reestablish its reputation with this letter to the public. Furnas Ice Cream began pasteurizing all its milk used in its ice cream emphasized the factory's compliance with the Board of Health. This letter also took a stab at Furnas' competitors by mentioning they were the only ice cream company producing pasteurized ice cream in the city of Birmingham.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, July 6, 1916
With Furnas Ice Cream Company attacking other ice cream manufacturers over pasteurization, the other ice cream manufacturers countered the attack with their own set of advertisements in the newspaper. Glen Iris Dairy emphasized the purity of their ingredients and that
the dairy made its own ice cream. Pasteurization is not mentioned anywhere in the ad.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, July 7, 1916
Reinhart's Ice Cream advertised that their ice cream was pasteurized and they added that all
their tools and utensils were sterilized.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, July 9, 1916
Warner Ice Cream chose to emphasize its 30 years in business to help assure people their ice cream was safe.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, July 13, 1916
No ice cream manufacturer came close to topping Jersey Ice Cream Company with its claim that their ice cream was safe. They hired a chemist to test their ice cream and inspect their factory. Jersey Ice Cream Company published the chemist's report in the paper, which covered everything from clean clothes worn by employees to the use of hot water in the factory.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, July 9, 1916
Using a chemist to test your product became increasingly popular; McCary Mineral Water followed suit. Most likely, the sale of bottled mineral water increased as people thought it was safer than other drinking water.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, July 9, 1916
Over 1,300 people showed up at City Hall's Armory to take their second dose of the typhoid vaccine on the first day it was offered with around 1,000 people a day coming for their first dose. Halfway through July, the health department had received 243 reports of new typhoid cases, and that number was already 100 more cases than reported for the entire month of June. As the weather became hotter, the number of cases was expected to climb. The City Commission did have one small legislative victory as their recently passed dry closets ordinance remained in force when challenged in court. The dry closets ordinance allowed the
city to install sanitary connections and bill the property owner for the expense.
The bill could be paid in installments to the city.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, July 12, 1916 and July 14, 1916
The government's typhoid expert, Dr. Lumsden, pronounced that the typhoid epidemic originated at a dairy. The dairy's products were then used in ice cream. Dr. Lumsden refused to give the name of the dairy or the ice cream manufacturer, and referred to the ice cream manufacturer as "Manufacturer X." As of July 13, 1916, there had been a total of 451 typhoid cases reported in Birmingham. This manufacturer represented 20 percent of the ice cream market, but represented 56 percent of the total typhoid cases. The City Commission was considering the passage of a ice cream ordinance in which all manufacturers would be required to pasteurize their ice cream, but it was feared that this ordinance might put small business owners out of business.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, July 14, 1916, July 19, 1916 and July 22, 1916
Although the main cause of the typhoid epidemic had been traced to Manufacturer X's ice cream, the typhoid epidemic continued, bringing the total number of cases for July to 338. Even though 15,000 people had been vaccinated at the city's expense, the City Commission decided to increase its vaccination efforts by finally allowing African Americans to receive the typhoid vaccination and pay for it out of the city funds. Vaccinations for African Americans were given at a separate location and only by African American doctors. It is a sad tale that segregation and prejudice existed even in the midst of a typhoid epidemic.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, July 22, 1916
In the midst of the typhoid epidemic, George Ward proposed that the city offer rewards to boys and girls for the killing of flies. The children would put the dead flies in a jar and turn them in for money at a rate of .10 cents a quart. A movie manager in Ensley proposed the idea, but quickly gave it up when his movie theater was swarmed by too many boys carrying jars of dead flies. According to estimates, it would take about $100 to rid the city of the surplus fly population.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, July 26, 1916 and July 28, 1916
The ladies of Birmingham sought to prevent typhoid through a series of home inspections to investigate the living conditions of the occupants. The women planned to educate and instruct families on how to get rid of filth.
Two hundred women volunteered and the city provided both literature and a standardized questionnaire about sanitary conditions. If conditions
had not improved by the next visit, the lady inspectors reported them to the sanitary health commissioner. Upon completion of their survey, the women submitted a list of recommendations to improve the sanitary health of the city.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, August 5, 1916, August 11, 1916, and September 3, 1916
As August arrived, the typhoid epidemic slowed and the city of Birmingham closed the free typhoid vaccinations clinic. It was estimated that over 25,000 people had been vaccinated and cost the city approximately $10,000. According to Commissioner Barber, it was money well spent and he wished that more people
had taken advantage of the free typhoid vaccinations. No one would have predicted that one of summer's favorite foods, ice cream, would be the main culprit of the typhoid epidemic. By taking action in the name of public health, Birmingham was slowing becoming a modern city.
The Birmingham Age-Herald, August 11, 1916
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