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Birmingham, Alabama, circa 1906. "Second Avenue looking east." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
My family should have walked through these streets. I plan to show these to my mother the next time I see her. She may recognize some of this.
Constantine "Gus" Koutroulakis, a long-time fixture on this very block, passed away yesterday morning at the age of 81. Since 1948, Gus had owned and operated Pete’s Famous Hot Dogs in a mere sliver of space at 1925 2nd Avenue N. Amazingly, this tiny building has been continuously occupied since the 1920s.
God Bless you, Gus, and the joy you brought to generations of Alabamians.
The man with that long rod may be switching the tracks. You can see the trolley is at a junction, where it can go left or right.
Or at least the building that housed the First National Bank is. Built in 1903, it's at the corner of 2nd Avenue N. and 20th Street N. and is now known as the Frank Nelson Building. The camera in the modern picture is looking at the building corner where the First National Bank sign was attached.
No horseless carriages in Birmingham.
Since the Ensley area of Birmingham is more or less due west of downtown, one could probably see the smokestacks of TCI&R from the upper floors of the First National Bank building (just beyond the Marx Store). If one really wanted to, that is.
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