Woodward – The Short Railroad that Built a Long Company in Birmingham

Woodward – The Short Railroad that Built a Long Company by John Stewart.  Come and learn about the Woodward Iron Company’s Railroad, as well as the company and some of its leaders.

The Woodward Iron Company Railroad was unique in being a keystone in one of the most complete vertically integrated industrial companies in the United States.  Over four generations of the Woodward family operated a company that was synonymous with Birmingham as a producer of “merchant iron” from 1881 to 1973 – the actual beginnings of the Woodward Company predate the beginning of the City of Birmingham.  The Woodward Company and its leaders were a strong part of Birmingham’s business community, and its building occupied one street corner of the “heaviest corner on Earth.”  Third generation A. H. “Rick” Woodward was perhaps one of the most colorful business leaders in Birmingham, including his owning the Birmingham Barons Baseball team, being the builder of Rickwood Field, and being a “millionaire” locomotive engineer.