Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Birmingham City Council Scrapbooks Online

Businesmen's Group Appeals for Merger
Sixteen scrapbooks created by the Birmingham City Council are now available online. The scrapbooks consist of newspaper articles about government related issues and cover the years November 1962 through December 1964.

v.1.1 November 1, 1962 - February 21, 1963
Topics covered: controversy between Commission or Mayor-Council form of city government; campaigns of candidates for Mayor and City Council positions.

v.1.2 February 21, 1963 - April 12, 1963
Topics covered: election controversy; campaigns of candidates; Boutwell-Connor run-off election for Mayor; platforms of mayoral candidates; election of Albert Boutwell; new era for Birmingham.

v.1.3 January 22, 1963 - April 13, 1963
Topics covered: bond issue; annexation proposals; Red Mountain Expressway; problems of transit system; "City of Fear" article, 2/25/63; "Bad Birmingham Image" article, 3/5/63; segregation-integration controversy; "Outside Agitators" article, 4/4/63.


v.1.4 April 13, 1963 - June 1, 1963
Topics covered: change in the form of city government; swearing-in of Mayor Albert Boutwell and City Council members; ouster of the City Commission and subsequent controversy.


v.1.5 April 13, 1963 - July 4, 1963
Topics covered: racial issues; transit strike ends; opposition to amendments to Council (Dominick Bill); reopening of municipal golf courses; budget problems.

v.1.6 July 5, 1963 - August 6, 1963
Topics covered: annexation proposals; budget; public schools desegregation controversy; formation of Community Affairs Committee; repeal of city segreationg ordinances, 7/23/63; "breach of peace law" adopted, 7/24/63; problems with transit system.

v.1.7 August 6, 1963 - September 23, 1963
Topics covered: budget problems; Dominick Bill; transit system problems; Loveman's "bombing"; threats on the life of Mayor Boutwell; Arthur D. Shores' home bombed, 8/21/63; annexation; school desegregation problems; bombing of Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, 8/16/63; Royall-Blaik fact-finding team.

v.1.8 September 23, 1963 - November 16, 1963
Topics covered: representatives from Birmingham meet with President Kennedy; Royall-Blaik fact-finding team; black policemen controversy; transit system sale; overview of racial situation in Birmingham, 10/13/63; city seeking new sources of revenue.

v.2.1 November 17, 1963 - January 17, 1964
Topics covered: High school stadium issue; local reaction to assassination of President Kennedy; drive to return to city commission form of government; expressway problems; sales tax issue.

v.2.2 January 18, 1964 - March 4, 1964
Topics covered: tax plans; Legion Field; expressway problems; black policemen survey.

v.2.3 March 4, 1964 - April 28, 1964
Topics covered: airport expansion; "Birmingham Tomorrow" project; opening of community centers; "Sell Birmingham" program; city schools need improvements; April rainfall brings sewage problems.

v.2.4 April 28, 1964 - June 9, 1964
Topics covered: merger proposal; demand for the hiring of black policemen; visit by Governor George Wallace; Legion Field expansion; new postal facility; "Church Bombers in City", 5/30/64; budget requests.

v.2.5 June 9, 1964 - July 14, 1964
Topics covered: plan for a mayoral assistant; budget hearings; merger controversy; Legion Field expansion controversy; postal facility funding; new civil rights law in effect; proposed 20th Street mall.

v.2.6 July 14, 1964 - September 11, 1964
Topics covered: merger controversy; school integration plan; record budget sent to City Council; industrial site survey submitted; black protest of school integration plan.

v.2.7 September 11, 1964 - November 18, 1964
Topics covered: Connor vs New York Times trial; "Thrill Hill"; merger controversy in Homewood; sinkholes in Inglenook; cable television.

v.2.8 November 18, 1964 - December 20, 1964
Topics covered: merger controversy; fight to return to city commission government fails; plans for new civic center; medical center expansion.

No comments: