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Ruffner Mountain Nature Preserve

Central Alabama geography stubsGeography of Birmingham, AlabamaHistoric American Engineering Record in AlabamaNature centers in AlabamaNature reserves in Alabama
Parks in AlabamaParks in Birmingham, AlabamaProtected areas of Jefferson County, Alabama
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Ruffner Mountain Nature Preserve is a 1,038 acres (4.20 km2) 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 raptors, snakes, turtles, and owls. The Ruffner Mountain area was home to iron ore mines and stone quarries, supplying the area's steel mills. The preserve contains more than 14 miles (23 km) of hiking trails.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Ruffner Mountain Nature Preserve (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Ruffner Mountain Nature Preserve
81st Street South, Birmingham

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Latitude Longitude
N 33.559547833333 ° E -86.707412 °
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81st Street South 1298
35206 Birmingham
Alabama, United States
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L. Frazier Banks Middle School

L. Frazier Banks Middle School (formerly Banks High School) was a former high school and middle school in the Birmingham Public School System in Birmingham, Alabama, USA. The school, which was named for former superintendent L. Frazier Banks, occupied six buildings in a residential area of Birmingham's South East Lake neighborhood. The school was opened as a high school in 1957 and, at first, accepted only freshmen. The high school's first graduating class matriculated in 1961. The school's athletic teams in that 1960-61 season won the Birmingham city football, basketball and baseball championships. In the early part of that decade, a U. S. Air Force F-86D/L "Sabre", tail number 52-4243, was acquired when it was taken off active service. The aircraft was painted in the school colors of Columbia Blue and Scarlet, then was installed as a mascot and landmark in front of the school. In 1972 and 1973, Coach Shorty White led the Banks Jets to consecutive 4A state football championships. The school was recognized nationally as a football power, even appearing in the pages of National Geographic. Future NFL quarterback Jeff Rutledge led the team into a 1974 showdown with Woodlawn High School and future NFL running back Tony Nathan at Legion Field. The crowd was estimated at 42,000. In the 1990s, Banks was transformed into a middle school under the direction of Superintendent Cleveland Hammonds. As a middle school, Banks fed into Woodlawn High. A December 2000 arson damaged the auditorium and destroyed dozens of band instruments. In October 2006, the Facilities and Technology Committee of the Birmingham Board of Education heard a recommendation from new superintendent of schools Stan Mims to close Banks and transfer its students to the new Ossie Ware Mitchell School. The recommendation was approved, with students transferring during the 2006 Christmas break. In the fall of 2007, after the school's closure, the state of Alabama agreed to turn over the landmark jet, which was actually still owned by the USAF, to the Southern Museum of Flight, where it will be restored to its original Maine Air National Guard active military color scheme for display.

1916 Irondale earthquake
1916 Irondale earthquake

The 1916 Irondale earthquake struck in the north–central region of the U.S. state of Alabama on October 18. The strongest earthquake in state history, it registered an estimated Richter scale magnitude of 5.1 and resulted in minor damage. Damage was limited to Shelby and Jefferson counties and reached its maximum severity near the epicenter in the city of Irondale, including cracked windows, fallen chimneys, and dried-up wells. While there were no fatalities, the earthquake spawned widespread panic, prompting alarmed workers to evacuate tall buildings. The earthquake originated in the Eastern Tennessee Seismic Zone, a fault noted for earthquakes of moderate magnitude. Faulting in the area is strike-slip-oriented, probably because of the Alabama-New York Lineament, which runs adjacent to the seismic zone. Several scientists believe that small earthquakes from the zone indicate the reactivation of deep, ancient faults. Alabama has seen roughly 20 earthquakes since the beginning of the 20th century. The earthquakes have been moderate, never reaching above magnitude 5.1, and they tend to cause damage only near their epicenters while reaching areas much further away. Major events include those in 1916, 1997, and 2003. Despite the lack of powerful seismic events in Alabama, earthquakes from nearby fault zones, including the New Madrid Seismic Zone, pose a serious threat to infrastructure. An earthquake similar in size to the 1916 Irondale event today could damage thousands of buildings and cause up to $1 billion in damage.