The REAL HISTORY Behind Sloss Furnaces

[@SarahGreen523]

Another well done video! Great camera work, great interview and a fantastic tour through the furnace! Usually when I see content about Sloss, it's heavy on the paranormal and light to nothing on the actual furnace. I thoroughly enjoyed this! Thank you!

[@exploringhistory]

Thank You so much for watching!! Unfortunately people like to focus on the paranormal and forget about the Sloss history.

[@annakortukov2845]

Thanks for the great video, the old footage brings the furnaces alive.

[@exploringhistory]

@@annakortukov2845 Thank you, Anna, for your kind words! We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the video. Bringing history to life through old footage is one of our favorite things to do. We are currently working on a follow-up video on Sloss, which is a more in-depth history. Stay tuned 😊

[@phonehome7349]

I was born in B'ham in 1954 and left in 1969. So many times seeing Sloss in operation as we drove or rode over the viaduct on the way to school or the mall or downtown, etc. from home on the south side. A really impressive sight at night with the glowing molten metal flowing. And the smell (like boiled eggs, I always said) never to be forgotten.

[@exploringhistory]

I wish I could have seen Sloss in operation and at night. I can only imagine.

[@hinspect]

My Grandfather worked there years ago and retired in the 60s. I remember riding by there and loved it when they were pouring, especially at night! I wonder if anybody else remembers the Dog food animated billboard with the Dog eating food and wagging it's Tail?

[@exploringhistory]

@@hinspect thank you for sharing!!

[@kjrichards4571]

@@hinspect Yes indeed. Penny brand dog food. Apparently the billboard is now located outside the Birmingham Barons ball park.

[@runningintohistory]

Great work William! We have an almost identical furnace up here (Bethlehem Steel), that is also now used for festivals and live music.

[@exploringhistory]

Thanks!! You should make a history video on the Bethlehem Steel!!

[@runningintohistory]

@@exploringhistory I thought about it but there are so many already since it made the steel for the Empire State building and many others during that Era.

[@seanrosenau2088]

@@runningintohistory What are the acoustics like in a place like that?

[@runningintohistory]

@@seanrosenau2088 it's an outdoor stage but definitely a lot of reverberation off of the stacks.

[@artblack-z3l]

Nice interview with Ty, the Sloss representative.

[@exploringhistory]

I really enjoyed collaborating with Ty!!

[@joshwhigham8330]

Another great video!!

[@exploringhistory]

Awesome!! Thank you for your support!! Much appreciate it!!

[@enzprintco.8625]

My band played there in 2002! I heard this last summer (2024) was the last one.

[@DNRailworks]

Sloss is a amazing place to visit thankfully i live only 30 mins from it, I love the history it holds i really wish walls could talk, id love to hear the stories of it. Im actually building a furnace for my train layout and it is heavily influenced by Sloss

[@exploringhistory]

Thank you for checking out our video. Exploring Sloss' fascinating history is something I want to do more in the future. Have you seen our recent video covering Sloss' history?

[@TatianaBoshenka]

i had hoped to learn more about the engineering history, the innovations that made Sloss profitable, and James P. Dovel, the inventor who did much of that work.

[@exploringhistory]

Hi Tatiana, thank you for watching and commenting. Your suggestion about a follow-up video on Sloss has inspired us, and we'll start researching the topic. Hopefully, we can begin filming sometime this year. Thanks again for reaching out and for your suggestion!

[@cindylawrence7076]

Jerry's father worked there. Jerry has some stories that his father told him. Jerry loves Sloss.

[@exploringhistory]

That’s awesome!

[@RuthBentley-z5i]

I have been there 😮so so scary

[@exploringhistory]

Not really if you focus on the history 😉

[@brittanypolen3205]

The sloss furnace is haunted because the ghost adventures went there and did a show about the sloss furnace

[@jasonsmith2439]

Yeah if ghosts adventures were there then it’s definitely haunted

[@brittanypolen3205]

@@jasonsmith2439 it is they did a show there about it

[@oddmontsoddington8961]

The last year they did Sloss Fright Furnaces I worked part time setting it up with some friends. The haunted house people had all these oil barrels (like 100+) that weighed 60 pounds or so each, and we hand unloaded them all over the place (the haunt actors would bang on them to scare people). I remember after carrying about 20 of the damn things over my shoulder how bad it must have actually been working at Sloss. This video confirms yep. I'm a wimp.

[@exploringhistory]

Hahaha we all felt like wimps after we were done filming. So don’t feel bad 😂

[@pizznshidz4967]

Man, I feel so bad for the people that had to work there. It must have been hotter than hell and miserable

[@exploringhistory]

@@pizznshidz4967 I couldn’t agree more. I’ve spent time researching the stories of those who worked at Sloss Furnaces, and it’s hard to fathom what they went through. The heat, especially near the blast furnaces, was like stepping into an oven, and the long hours made it even more brutal. I can’t help but feel a deep respect for the men who endured those conditions to keep the furnace running. Their grit and resilience really shaped Birmingham, and I think it’s important we remember just how tough life was for them.

[@pizznshidz4967]

@@exploringhistory I agree.

[@jermainec2462]

Very shitty place to work... RIP to men who worked this place back in the day 💪🏾🙏🏾

[@exploringhistory]

Yes! I know I could not have worked there back in the day.

[@2OpinionH8ted]

Everything starts in the 1800s. Is anyone questioning anything at this point???

[@martinjewell1335]

.......and in 1971, the EPA shut them down. The end.

[@zakszazso9860]

Alabama could be Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén's cousin. (both have incest, and had metallurgy)

[@paulagrunwell7050]

Wrong. Where do you think you got the names Birmingham, Sheffield, Leeds etc? Think again.

[@exploringhistory]

What are you referring to?

[@southerncross3638]

British steel and Iron cities. My Father was born in Leeds UK.