THE VULCAN STATUE – BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA

The Vulcan statue, located in Birmingham, Alabama, is 56-foot tall statue of the Roman god Vulcan, god of the fire and forge. It is the city symbol of Birmingham, reflecting its roots in the iron and steel industry. It was created as Birmingham’s entry for the Louisiana Purchase Exposition (1904 World’s Fair). The completed weight of the god Vulcan’s figure alone is 100,000 pounds. When Vulcan’s anvil, block, hammer and spearpoint are added, the statue weighs a total of 120,000 pounds. It stands on a pedestal that is 123-feet tall. The statue has a chest circumference of 22 feet 6 inches and a waist circumference of 18 feet 3 inches. The Vulcan statue is the largest cast iron statue in the world and the largest metal statue ever made in the United States.

ONLY TOWN IN U.S. TO HAVE A YEAR-ROUND USPS WATER DELIVERY SERVICE

Magnolia Springs, Alabama is the only town in the United States to have a year-round U.S. Postal Service water delivery route. The 31-mile route started in 1915 and now services about 180 homes. Mailboxes are located on the docks, and the delivery person drives a 15-foot Alumacraft boat that rarely comes to a complete stop.

U.S. Postal Service carrier Mark Lipscomb places letters in a mailbox along the Magnolia River in Alabama

"THE DOLLY PARTON BRIDGE"

The General W.K. Wilson Jr. Bridge, more commonly known locally as the "Dolly Parton Bridge", consists of dual parallel tied through arches of weathering steel and beam viaducts of concrete that form one continuous span carrying four lanes of Interstate 65 across the Mobile-Tensaw River Delta northeast of the U.S. city of Mobile, Alabama. The bridge has red warning lights atop the parallel support arches which, when combined with the shape of the supporting arches when approached from certain directions, have caused the bridge to gain the nickname "The Dolly Parton Bridge".

"The Dolly Parton Bridge"

PHIL CAMPBELL, ALABAMA

Phil Campbell is a town in Franklin County, Alabama. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,148. Phil Campbell is the only town in Alabama given both the first and last names of an individual. In the 1880s, a railroad work crew leader and engineer by the name of Phillip Campbell (originally from England) established a work camp. Mel Allen, a prominent local businessman, told Campbell that if he would construct a railroad depot and add a side track to the stretch of railroad going through the area, Allen could develop a town, which he would name after Campbell. Campbell built both the depot and siding, and Allen followed through on his promise. In June 1995 the Scots writer Phil Campbell organized a convention in this town for people with the name "Phil Campbell". Twenty-two Phil Campbells and one Phyllis Campbell attended; they hailed from all over the United States.

SYLACAUGA METEORITE

On November 30, 1954, a meteorite fell in Oak Grove, Alabama (near Sylacauga). The meteorite, which became known as the “Sylacauga Meteorite” is the first documented extraterrestrial object to have injured a human being in the USA. The grapefruit-sized fragment crashed through the roof of a frame house, bounced off a large wooden console radio, and hit Ann Elizabeth Fowler Hodges (1920-1972) while she napped on a couch. The 34-year-old woman was badly bruised on one side of her body but able to walk. The event received worldwide publicity.

Elizabeth Fowler Hodges