Exploring Coke Ovens from the 1880s! West Blocton Alabama

I grew up close to this small town that all started from its bee hive Coke Ovens! This place is full of history and even though it is a park it is almost forgotten by many!

[@mushroomman1856]

Nice tour. Al around Blocton and the surrounding area at the time was like Pgh of the south. I'm a Coke Battery worker in Pa and OH. Coal isn't cooked it is baked on the absence of O2. The chiminys are called stand pipes that gradually released all the pressure from the release byproducts into the atmosphere . The brick process sealing of the opening was also sealed with clay to stop O2 from entering. ( if O2 anters the baking process the coal burns to ashes) every other would be charged with Coal and every adjacent oven would be pulled and quenched. The heat from adjacent ovens would start the baking process of the next charged oven. Depending on the temperature 2340f would bake a charge of Coal in 24 hours. We have the ovens here around Pittsburgh Pa. These ovens are named Bee-Hive ovens. Thanks for the tour. Keep up the great work.

[@propeyton6971]

I learned something new today!!!

[@robbremault8145]

Thank you for sharing this interesting part of West Blocton AL ... hot stuff! XO CALIFORNIA

[@ALIENDAWRAWS]

I’ve been at coke ovens and all the times it was cool

[@rjay9758]

hello my friend, glad to see your posted video though a little late in my initial response , compared to others , i enjoyed it looking forward to the next blessings. 👍

[@jupiter99ish76]

Thank you. Interesting history!

[@tidytreasurehunter1828]

Nice look back in history .Thanks for showing us very interesting 👍🇺🇸🇬🇧

[@historyhunter5146]

Thanks for the tour that was really cool ! I didn't know those even existed... 😃

[@tinaharbit1806]

Very nice!

[@johnkriete2152]

It’s amazing how quickly nature replenishes. Awesome video.

[@ClaytonCountyHistoryHound]

We have the large lime kilns around our area. Similar concept but they cooked the lime in limestone. Thanks for sharing. Take care.

[@jamesschwamberger7958]

We toured some if those ovens in Coketon WV today. It's lost knowledge.

[@michellesheleg5895]

Love history! Thanks!

[@lindagiles1911]

Wonderful bit of history. What a hot, laborious occupation some had.

[@HeartbreakerRelics]

Very interesting. I worked in a steel mill for 15 years. Thanks for the tour.

[@cynthiaswearingen1037]

A very good history lesson! Thanks!

[@marykaystreasures]

I really enjoy your videos and I'm looking forward to new ones

[@oliverclothesoff5397]

I hope you walked up the caffee creek while you were there! I've never even heard of coke ovens. Thanks for the fun bit of history!

[@christinakirby2518]

I live in Adger Al . I know the Blocton coke ovens. But I also know of some ovens along the rail tracks in Abernant Al. Looking at your channel I see your a bottle digger well I know of rare bottles that were part of the John's Alabama bottler of coca cola . Just a mile from me . I have heard stories from my grandpa about houses that lined John's road from Adger to Abernant . I was a young child when he passed but he would tell stories from way back in time . He was born in the 1890s and talked about tough times when he was a child . May God bless you on your adventures

[@adventurearchaeology]

Actually have a Johns. Would love to find more though!

[@christophermason8151]

That's a very cool place. Yesterday I got to go metal detect my first civil war site. It was in Baldwin county Alabama. The trenches were still there. It was awesome being able to walk around and detect where a battle took place. I found 5 three ringers and one other bullet. My brother found 8 and parts of an artillery shell.

[@tincuptimmetaldetecting9259]

Very cool history lesson AA. Thanks for sharing! GL & HH!

[@darlatoman8654]

Awesome video. Very cool and interesting.

[@johnsalsbery4718]

That's cool. Thanks for sharing.

[@frphxkaboom3008]

I spent a year working in a coke ovens in the 70's. Nasty place. Hard to vision what a hell hole that place would have been. Imagine digging the coke out of that oven . the steam, worse than a coal mine

[@randywilkerson4874]

I'd like to see that!

[@dorisward7284]

Thank you that was interesting.

[@thomasomahony5251]

Fascinating

[@alabamagirl2725]

I was there a few weeks ago.

[@dixielivin]

I live across the street from the coke ovens in Virginia Mines. I think I know the others you were referring to by the tracks. They're just a few miles down from me as well.

[@adventurearchaeology]

Yep!

[@alabamadirtdigger8216]

Check out Shelby Iron works ..in ShelbyCounty ! Very Cool...

[@jerrydineen2827]

I really did enjoy your video. When I saw the title about Coke ovens, I wondered just what Alabama did to make money. lol

[@adventurearchaeology]

Coal Mining and the Steel industry are what built the Birmingham area. Currently we are all automotive haha Honda, Mercedes, Kia, Hyundai and now Toyota all have their manufacturing plants here. There are still coal mines everywhere to!

[@simhifree2416]

The Park could turn some of those into Hobbit Holes for overnight camping. No need for all those ovens not being used and getting overgrown.

[@davidgeorge1225]

I appreciate all the historical background clips on the sites as well as the companies behind some of the bottles you find. Do you and the other guys collect everything from the greater Birmingham area or do each one of you specialize in a particular type of bottle, i.e. milks, sodas, druggists, proprietary meds, whiskerys, etc., or try to collect everything from a particular municipality or county? Keep it up. Thanks.

[@adventurearchaeology]

We try to collect mainly central Alabama towns.

[@DiggingCanuck]

Very cool 😀

[@chasetonga]

I thought this was going to be about how Coca Cola bottles were made. But, I still learned something new!

[@rjay9758]

thanks !!! i forgot to mention that.

[@oldschoolace619]

On the coke ovens near you rhat is not part of a park have you tried to do some metal detecting or looking for dumps or privies nearby? The workers had to have left some stuff behind or at the very least had to have used a privy nearby right?

[@adventurearchaeology]

In the near future we plan on detecting at a few places there were coke ovens. Just waiting on the cool weather! Haha

[@oldschoolace619]

@@adventurearchaeology can't wait to see the footage as you take us along for the ride. Love to see what artifacts, bottles and other treasures that you reveal! HH !

[@glassfromthepast1205]

Really cool video

[@steven2212]

Hence, the Iron bowl right?

[@vivianparks6169]

Wish I knew when you and the others were there . Could have shown you other places.

[@adventurearchaeology]

We dont live far! If you have a cool place let us know!

[@rfd06]

ya over here we have lot of ion ore ovens that date back to the rev war till the 1920's

[@marykaystreasures]

Do you ever research any of Winston County Alabama my ancestors are buried there

[@victorhavrylyuk]

nice video

[@RGO5]

Now let's see what's in the trash pits and privies?!? Haha maybe some outside the park owned land.

[@garrykendal8603]

My coke ovens 34 year old 😂😂😂

[@charleswillsonpeale5739]

I wonder how many others like myself thought you were talking about cooking coke-cola or glass bottles in the title ? LOL

[@adventurearchaeology]

Lol ya it definitely is off topic of my normal videos!

[@DragonSlayerRob]

I thought this was going to be about drugs, I’m appalled…. 😜

[@tjlee1595]

Sixth lal