The Sloss Mines are a group of mines in southwestern
Jefferson County, Alabama, United States.[1] They were established by the Sloss Iron and Steel Company and its successor, the Sloss-Sheffield Iron and Steel Company, on the southern end of
Red Mountain.[2] The Sloss Iron and Steel Company itself was founded by
James Sloss in 1881 as the Sloss Furnace Company.[3] The Sloss Mines produced
iron ore from 1882 until the 1960s. The ore that these mines produced were essential to the production of iron at the
Sloss Furnaces, making them an important element in the formation of adjacent
Birmingham and
Bessemer as cities.[4]
Red Mountain Park is an urban park that runs 4.5 miles (7.2 km) from east to west along the mountain. Red Mountain Park now owns the Sloss No. 2 mine site. Park officials plan to open a portion, but not all, of the area that the mines operated on to the public. Although the entrances have for the most part been sealed, The Tenn Coal and Iron mines 10, 11, 13 and 14, located in Red Mountain Park, are planned for development into interactive visitor sites. In addition, walking trails on the former mining sites have been developed, as well as the preservation of a mine worker's cemetery and many historic mining structures.[6][7][8]