Aldrich
Home of the Aldrich Coal Mine Museum
In 1872, New York native Truman Aldrich acquired the Montevallo Mining Company and began mining at Aldrich. His brother William Farrington Aldrich and wife lived at Aldrich, managing the works and the town until William sold his part of the mine to Truman in 1905. Mining continued until 1942. The mining community structures remain as do Aldrich historian Henry Emfinger’s photograph and artifact collections, now displayed in the former commissary.
Aldrich is located in west central Shelby Co., just west of Montevallo, AL. Montevallo is the home of the University of Montevallo. This 1910 USGS map shows the two towns, located with good rail access to the Southern RR.