Please encourage others to give: if not to Red Mountain Park, then to an organization that speaks to them.

New Admin. Asst.

Cynthia has previous experience with the park.  As a child, she grew up in the Wenonah community.  Cynthia and her friends often visited the area where the park is being built.  They enjoyed playing in the old mine ruins and picking plums.  Cynthia is honored to be a part of this project with Red Mountain Park, and is excited to be “reuniting with her past to build a wonderful future”.

Fun Facts about Cynthia:

Her hobbies include event planning and spending time with her niece, Shymya.

She also enjoys cooking for her friends and family.

Everyone here at Red Mountain Park is glad to have Cynthia on board with us, and are looking forward to great things to come.

Recently, we had the Friends of Red Mountain Park out for a workday. Check out these great pictures from their visit!

Receiving the Rail Trail Champion award from Keith Laughlin, President of the Rails to Trails Conservancy

I am delighted to report that I have just returned from receiving my Doppelt Family Rail-Trail Champion Award from the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy.

The 24 other national recipients and I were awarded at Kaiser Permanente’s state-of-the-art Center for Total Health in Washington, D.C. on October 1.  We received a commemorative silver-plated railroad spike and, most importantly, a pass-through grant to the trail or trail organization of our choice.

For my organization, I chose Friends of Anne Arundel County Trails, which continues to promote, protect and enhance the trails of Anne Arundel County in Maryland, where I first took a leadership role in developing rail-trails.

The Rails-to-Trails Conservancy is a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., whose mission is to create a nationwide network of trails from former rail lines and connecting corridors to build healthier places for healthier people.  I am thrilled that this organization has allowed myself and others to express our love for rail-trail projects while sharing our passion with other organizations who share similar goals.

With Steve Elkington, National Park Service Rivers, Trails and Conservation Office, Washington DC

According to Ranger McFerrin, the L&N Railroad was predominantly the main railroad carrying red ore early on.  He says industry in Birmingham and the railroad are inseparably intertwined.

Founded in 1850, this railroad system ultimately spanned 6000 miles and served 13 states.  The L&N operated both freight and passenger trains.  Its original purpose was to join Louisville, KY and Nashville, TN, its namesake cities.

The L&N helped to determine the fate of the city of Birmingham.  A preexisting railroad had been constructed to be used solely to transport minerals from Birmingham to Chattanooga.  However, due to a change in the railroad’s shares, the L&N purchased the rails and expanded them to Montgomery, nearly going bankrupt due to the acquisition.  The industry thrived, though, and Milton Smith, the railroad’s president, chose to circle the railroad around Red Mountain.

Without this railroad, our city would not be what it is today, and Red Mountain Park could have never have been a vision.

Good luck to our Park Ranger at the convention!

Speaking of fall, it won’t be long before we can enjoy this type of scenery again:

Best wishes.

Oxmoor Cemetery was in use until 1912, and over 300 residents of Oxmoor were buried there.  It is registered on the Alabama Historic Cemetery Register, and is one of only 14 on the list in Jefferson County.

Recently, our maintenance manger, Jeff Newman, led a cleanup of the area. We are excited that this beautiful cemetery is now clear of debris and that the markers of those buried here are visible.  Here are some views of the excellent work that was done:

Day 1 of Red Mountain Park's first-ever Volunteer Vacation in March 2011.

The American Hiking Society describes Volunteer Vacations as “a week of building and maintaining trails in exciting and diverse locations across the country.”

The 2012 Volunteer Vacation at Red Mountain Park will take place sometime in March 2012.  Our staff has officially begun the application process!

According to the American Hiking Society, “The mission of the Volunteer Vacations program is to provide land managers with much needed assistance, maintaining and building hiking trails, while also providing our volunteers with a safe, organized and enjoyable vacation experience.”

For last year’s Volunteer Vacations at the park, volunteers built a trail to the highest point on the park property, leading to a breathtaking overlook of Birmingham’s downtown skyline at an elevation of 900 feet.   The project was a tremendous success.

Volunteer Vacations at Red Mountain Park are family friendly and fun so come join us in the preservation of America’s mining history through a meaningful volunteer project, and in turn, help build a beautiful trail system for future generations!  We will be sure to let you know when official registration begins.  For a better idea on the scope of last year’s project, you can view more information here.