2009 Official Alabama Vacation Guide - (Page 56) Alabama Metro STAY, PLAY, AND ENJOY THE ART & HISTORY IN ALABAMA’S METROPOLITAN REGION T he area slicing through Alabama’s north-central region was once the center of ancient civilization in North America. Moundville, with its 26 earthen mounds, was the largest city in North America from 1000 to 1450 A.D. Today, visitors can see what archaeologists have discovered. But while the region can claim an ancient city, it is also the home of Alabama’s largest city and one of its newest. Birmingham, with a metropolitan population near one million, lies within 50 miles of the three main ingredients for producing iron and steel. It sprang like magic from the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in the late 1800s. The 19th-century furnaces at Tannehill and Brierfield near Birmingham and the 20th-century Sloss Furnaces are vestiges of this age. Along with the industrial development came a boom in PHOTOS: ATD, ATD/JEFF GREENBERG, ATD/KARIM SHAMSI-BASHA. art and culture. Vulcan Park, the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame, Alabama Theatre, and Rickwood Field—the world’s oldest ballpark—are rooted in the city’s history. Perhaps Birmingham is best known for the historic role it played in the Civil Rights struggle of the mid-20th century. Visitors will learn about this pivotal time in history at the Civil Rights Institute, Kelly Ingram Park, and the 16th Street Baptist Church. left ••• right Gadsden historic building and the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in Birmingham. 56 w w w. a l a b a m a . t r a v e l http://www.alabama.travel
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