Editing Brookside, Alabama

{{Use American English|date=September 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
|name                     = Brookside, Alabama
|settlement_type          = [[Town]]

|image_skyline            =
|image_caption            =
|image_seal               = Seal of Brookside, Alabama.png

|image_map                = File:Jefferson County Alabama Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Brookside Highlighted 0109736.svg
|map_caption              = Location in Jefferson County and Alabama
|image_map1               =
|map_caption1             =

|subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Alabama|County]]
|subdivision_name         = [[United States]]
|subdivision_name1        = [[Alabama]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Jefferson County, Alabama|Jefferson]]

|government_type          =
|leader_title             =
|leader_name              =
|established_date         =

|area_footnotes = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_01.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=October 29, 2021}}</ref>
|area_total_sq_mi         = 6.32
|area_land_sq_mi          = 6.31
|area_water_sq_mi         = 0.01
|area_total_km2 = 16.38
|area_land_km2 = 16.35
|area_water_km2 = 0.03
|unit_pref = Imperial

|elevation_footnotes      = <ref name=gnis/>
|elevation_ft             = 607

|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_footnotes     =
|population_total         = 1253
|pop_est_as_of =
|pop_est_footnotes =
|population_est =
|population_density_sq_mi = 198.48
|population_density_km2 = 76.64

|timezone                 = [[Central Time Zone (North America)|Central (CST)]]
|utc_offset               = -6
|coordinates              = {{coord|33|37|54|N|86|54|47|W|region:US-AL|display=inline, title}}
|timezone_DST             = CDT
|utc_offset_DST           = -5
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 35036
|area_code                = [[Area codes 205 and 659|205 & 659]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 01-09736
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 2405331<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2405331}}</ref>
|website                  = {{URL|https://www.brooksidealabama.com/|brooksidealabama.com}}
}}
[[File:St Nicholas Church Brookside Alabama (HABS).jpg|thumb|St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church in Brookside (erected 1916, renovated 1965)]]

'''Brookside''' is a town in north-central [[Jefferson County, Alabama]], United States.  As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], the population of the town was 1,253. It is a former mining town.<ref name="USAToday-20231226">{{cite web |title=It's a trap! Small towns across US use traffic tickets to collect big money from drivers. |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2023/12/26/police-speeding-traffic-tickets-revenue-civil-rights/71970613007/ |publisher=[[USA Today]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231227055730/https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2023/12/26/police-speeding-traffic-tickets-revenue-civil-rights/71970613007/ |archive-date=December 27, 2023 |date=December 26, 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref>

==History==
The Brookside mine was opened in 1886 by the Coalburg Coal and Coke Company. It was purchased one year later by the [[Sloss Furnaces|Sloss Iron and Steel Company]] as a source of fuel for their [[blast furnace]]s in [[Birmingham, Alabama|Birmingham]]. Following the practice of the time, the mined coal was processed into [[coke (fuel)|coke]] in rows of [[beehive oven]]s banked into the hillside below the mine opening. In 1897 a Robinson-Ramsey Coal Washer was installed, increasing the efficiency of coke burning and therefore the overall efficiency of the mine. Other advanced equipment was also installed at Brookside, placing it at the forefront of mining technology in the [[Birmingham District]] at the turn of the century.

Brookside served as the headquarters for four Sloss-owned mines in the immediate area ([[Cardiff, Alabama|Cardiff]], [[Coalburg, Alabama|Coalburg]], Brazil and Brookside). Because the capacity of Brookside's processing equipment exceeded the mine output, some of the slack from the Brazil mine was brought to Brookside for washing and coking.

Brookside was incorporated in 1898.  The descriptive name Brookside stems from the Five-Mile creek that flows through the town.

Sloss, like other employers in the booming industrial expansion of the early 20th century, had difficulty recruiting skilled labor. Recruitment efforts extended internationally and Brookside became the home of many [[Czechoslovakia]]n immigrants and their families who made their way to the mines. As Brookside became a destination for Eastern European miners in the area, the culture of the town reflected their ethnic traditions. A [[Russian Orthodox]] church was founded and served to strengthen community ties. This church was one of the first Russian Orthodox churches built south of the Mason-Dixon.  Unlike other mines where skilled whites and unskilled blacks could be played against each other by the owners, the Brookside miners were tightly organized and carried out a successful (albeit violent) [[labor strike|strike]] in 1906.

Between 1910 and 1920, mining operations jumped around to several seams and the number of miners fluctuated between a low of 54 in 1910 and a high of over 600 in 1914. In 1913 the mechanical coal cutters used previously were supplanted by hand picks. A new church building for St. Nicholas was completed in 1916.  The [[1920 Alabama coal strike]], combined with a global depreciation in the coal market, led to a shutdown of the mine. When the strike was settled in 1921, Brookside mine was never re-opened.

In 1924, Brookside served as one of the settings for the [[Famous Players–Lasky]]'s [[1925 in film|1925]] feature film ''[[Coming Through (1925 film)|Coming Through]]'', which was based on Jack Bethea's novel ''Bed Rock''. Silent film stars [[Thomas Meighan]], [[Lila Lee]] and [[Wallace Beery]] stayed with local families during production. (Jones-2007)

Sloss removed all of the surface works and held on to the mine property. In 1952 Sloss merged with the U.S. Pipe and Foundry Company, a subsidiary of Jim Walter Industries since 1969.

===Saint Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church===
Brookside remains a small town with a distinct Eastern European flavor. Founded in 1894, its [[onion dome]] church was re-faced with brick in 1965 and still holds services for approximately 70 congregants. The “Annual Russian/Slavic Food Festival,” observed the first full weekend of each November, brings visitors to tour the temple, see traditional [[Eastern European]] dances, and sample time-honored ethnic plate lunches and baked goods prepared by the Sisterhood of [[Saint Olga]].

==Geography==
Brookside is located at {{Coord|33|37|55|N|86|54|47|W|type:city}} (33.631867, -86.913068).<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|accessdate=April 23, 2011|date=February 12, 2011|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref> It lies along the banks of Five Mile Creek, a tributary of the Locust Fork of the Black Warrior River, in the southern end of the Cumberland Plateau.

According to the [[United States Census Bureau|U.S. Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{convert|6.0|sqmi|km2}}, of which {{convert|6.0|sqmi|km2}} are land and 0.17% is water.

==Government==
===Police===
In 2022, an investigative report by [[John Archibald (writer)|John Archibald]] of AL.com (the website of ''[[The Birmingham News]]'', ''[[The Huntsville Times]]'', and the ''[[Press-Register]]'' of [[Mobile, Alabama|Mobile]]) uncovered a surge in Brookside Police's aggressive and arbitrary ticketing of motorists passing through the city.<ref name=":0">{{cite news|last=Archibald|first=John|date=January 19, 2022|title=Police in this tiny Alabama town suck drivers into legal 'black hole'|work=AL.com|url=https://www.al.com/news/2022/01/police-in-this-tiny-alabama-town-suck-drivers-into-legal-black-hole.html|access-date=January 19, 2022}}</ref> Brookside had an unusually high ratio of police officers to residents (nine officers in a 1,253-person town, or one officer for every 144 residents), having grown from just one officer in 2018. In 2020 its officers, who drove unmarked cars and wore uniforms without Brookside insignia, made more arrests for misdemeanors than it has residents. The town went from towing 50 vehicles in 2018 to 789 in 2020.<ref name=":0" /> These tickets cost motorists thousands of dollars and have become the city's largest source of revenue. In 2021, more than half of Brookside's revenues stemmed from fines and forfeitures.<ref name=":0" /><ref>Kulha Shari; [https://nationalpost.com/news/world/a-force-unto-itself-how-a-police-department-in-a-tiny-alabama-town-abuses-its-citizenry "A force unto itself: How the police department in a tiny Alabama town overtickets its citizens"], ''[[National Post]]'', [[Postmedia Network]], January 21, 2022. Retrieved January 27, 2022</ref> The town and police department are now defending several lawsuits which have accused Brookside police of fabricating charges and making up laws in order to produce more ticket revenue. One federal lawsuit alleges malicious prosecution of a pastor and his sister, who were charged with impersonating police officers, in retaliation for their having filed a complaint that a Brookside officer allegedly stopped the pastor and used a racist slur against him.<ref>{{Cite web|date=January 19, 2022|title=Pastor, sister say rogue Alabama police force sought revenge|url=https://www.al.com/news/2022/01/pastor-sister-say-rogue-alabama-police-force-sought-revenge.html|access-date=January 19, 2022|website=al|language=en}}</ref> The police have written over 400 fines in two years for driving in the left lane despite its not being illegal.<ref name=":0" />

On January 25, 2022, Brookside Police Chief Mike Jones resigned "in the wake of revelations" over the reported policing policy.<ref>Archibald, John; [https://www.al.com/news/2022/01/brookside-police-chief-mike-jones-resigns-after-alcom-report-on-traffic-trap.html "Brookside Police Chief Mike Jones resigns after AL.com report on traffic trap"], [[Advance Publications|Advance Local Media]], January 25, 2022. Retrieved January 27, 2022</ref> Elected representatives and officials on both sides of the Alabama Legislature committed to challenging "aggressive policing and churning of often-minor traffic stops" by Brookside Police Department, including Republican Lt. Gov. [[Will Ainsworth]] and Democratic Party chair [[Christopher J. England|Chris England]].<ref>Archibald, John; [https://www.al.com/news/2022/01/were-going-to-get-something-done-state-leaders-promise-action-on-brookside-ticket-trap.html "We’re going to get something done: State leaders promise action on Brookside ticket trap"], Advance Local Media, January 26, 2022. Retrieved January 27, 2022</ref> A ''Newsweek'' article reiterated the accusations and reported that Brookside mayor Mike Bryan called the town's policing "a positive story," saying of the reports that "Everybody's got a story" and "99% of them are lying."<ref>Trattner, Charlotte; [https://www.newsweek.com/police-chief-quits-after-report-reveals-half-citys-budget-alleged-traffic-traps-1673256 "Police Chief Quits After Report Reveals Half of City's Budget from Alleged Traffic Traps"], ''[[Newsweek]]'', January 26, 2022. Retrieved January 27, 2022</ref> Mark Levie Pettway, sheriff for the overarching [[Jefferson County, Alabama|Jefferson County]], stated that "I wouldn’t be surprised if they ([[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]]) opened up an investigation. You can’t do what’s going on over there."<ref>Hodge, Lawrence; [https://jalopnik.com/this-tiny-alabama-town-of-1-200-has-been-overrun-by-pol-1848389331 "This Tiny Alabama Town Of 1,200 Has Been Overrun By Out Of Control Police"], ''Jalopnik'', [[G/O Media]], January 20, 2022. Retrieved January 27, 2022</ref>

One person claimed that an officer wore "a Norse sign sometimes appropriated by white supremacists – on a ring and one of his gun clips."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Archibald |first1=John |title=Brookside police patrolled social media, threatening town's criti |url=https://www.al.com/news/2022/01/brookside-police-patrolled-social-media-threatening-towns-critics.html |website=AL.com |date=January 27, 2022 |access-date=March 19, 2022}}</ref> AL.com later reported that at least seven officers had left the department, and that the remainder had adopted new uniforms and vehicles to present a less-paramilitary appearance.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Archibald |first1=John |title=Inside the remarkable rise and fall of Alabama's most predatory police force |url=https://www.al.com/news/2022/04/inside-the-remarkable-rise-and-fall-of-alabamas-most-predatory-police-force.html |website=AL.com |date=April 26, 2022 |publisher=Advance Local Media |access-date=May 15, 2023}}</ref>

The Jefferson County district attorney and criminal courts have thrown out cases originating in Brookside, including traffic offenses and drug felonies, citing Brookside police officers' lack of credibility as witnesses.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Archibald |first1=John |title=DA cites 'rogue police force,' drops dozens of felonies from Brookside |url=https://www.al.com/news/2022/03/da-cites-rogue-police-force-drops-dozens-of-felonies-from-brookside.html |access-date=July 11, 2024 |work=Advance Local |date=March 24, 2022}}</ref>

The "reports of abuses" by the Brookside Police department caught the attention of the Alabama Senate, which unanimously passed a bill limiting the amount of money cities can keep from fines.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Cason |first1=Mike |title=In response to Brookside, Alabama Senate passes cap on traffic ticket money cities can keep |url=https://www.al.com/news/2022/03/in-response-to-brookside-alabama-senate-passes-cap-on-traffic-ticket-money-cities-can-keep.html |access-date=March 31, 2022 |work=Advance Local |date=March 29, 2022}}</ref>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1890= 380
|1900= 658
|1910= 623
|1920= 666
|1930= 466
|1940= 714
|1950= 733
|1960= 999
|1970= 990
|1980= 1409
|1990= 1365
|2000= 1393
|2010= 1363
|2020= 1253
|align-fn=center
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/prod/www/decennial.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|author=United States Census Bureau|author-link=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=February 2, 2014|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150426102944/http://www.census.gov/prod/www/decennial.html|archivedate=April 26, 2015}}</ref><br />2013 Estimate<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/popest/data/cities/totals/2013/SUB-EST2013-3.html|title=Annual Estimates of the Resident Population: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2013|accessdate=June 7, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140522161634/http://www.census.gov/popest/data/cities/totals/2013/SUB-EST2013-3.html|archive-date=May 22, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>
}}

===2020 census===
{| class="wikitable"
|+Brookside racial composition<ref>{{Cite web|title=Explore Census Data|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=1600000US0109736&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|access-date=December 11, 2021|website=data.census.gov}}</ref>
!Race
!Num.
!Perc.
|-
|[[White (U.S. Census)|White]] (non-Hispanic)
|891
|71.11%
|-
|[[African American (U.S. Census)|Black or African American]] (non-Hispanic)
|266
|21.23%
|-
|[[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]]
|2
|0.16%
|-
|[[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]]
|4
|0.32%
|-
|[[Race (United States Census)|Other/Mixed]]
|57
|4.55%
|-
|[[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]]
|33
|2.63%
|}
As of the [[2020 United States census]], there were 1,253 people, 475 households, and 329 families residing in the town.

===2010 census===
At the [[2010 United States Census|2010 census]], there were 1,363 people, 521 households, and 381 families living in the town. The population density was {{convert|227.2|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 577 housing units at an average density of {{convert|96.2|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The [[Race and ethnicity in the United States Census#2010 census|racial makeup]] of the town was 79.5% White, 18.5% Black or African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.2% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. 0.7% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Of the 521 households, 30.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.7% were married couples living together, 21.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.9% were non-families. 23.2% of households were one person and 7.7% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.07.

The age distribution was 25.5% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 24.5% from 25 to 44, 29.9% from 45 to 64, and 11.4% 65 or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.3 males.

The median household income was $41,848 and the median family income  was $55,833. Males had a median income of $50,473 versus $31,208 for females. The per capita income for the town was $21,486. About 13.1% of the families and 14.5% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 13.3% of those under age 18 and 21.1% of those aged 65 or over.

===2000 census===
At the [[2000 United States Census|2000 census]], there were 1,393 people, 546 households, and 393 families living in the town. The population density was {{convert|232.8|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 613 housing units at an average density of {{convert|102.4|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The [[Race and ethnicity in the United States Census#2010 census|racial makeup]] of the town was 90.52% White, 8.69% Black or African American, 0.36% Native American, 0.14% from other races, and 0.29% from two or more races. 0.93% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Of the 546 households 31.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.6% were married couples living together, 15.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.0% were non-families. 26.2% of households were one person and 10.8% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.08.

The age distribution was 24.8% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 28.6% from 25 to 44, 24.3% from 45 to 64, and 12.8% 65 or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.8 males.

The median household income was $29,792 and the median family income was $34,821. Males had a median income of $30,900 versus $21,563 for females. The per capita income for the town was $14,242. About 14.7% of families and 18.2% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 30.6% of those under age 18 and 16.7% of those age 65 or over.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
*{{Cite book |last=Lewis |first=W. David |title=Sloss Furnaces and the Rise of the Birmingham District: An Industrial Epic |location=Tuscaloosa, Alabama |publisher=Univ. of Alabama Press |date=1994 |isbn=0-8173-0708-7}}
*{{Cite book |last=White |first=Marjorie Longenecker |title=The Birmingham District: An Industrial History and Guide |location=Birmingham, Alabama |publisher=Birmingham Historical Society |date=1998 |isbn=0-943994-00-4}}
*{{Cite thesis |last=Simon |first=Staci S. |title= A Study of the Slovak Community at Brookside, Alabama |degree=M.A. |publisher=University of Alabama at Birmingham |date=1997}}
*{{Cite journal |last=Jones |first=Pam |date=Summer 2007 |title=A 'Wild West' Town in Alabama: Brookside |journal=Alabama Heritage |volume=85 |pages=26–37}}

==External links==
*{{Official website|brooksidealabama.com}} (has not been updated for several years)
*[https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/01/opinions/end-policing-for-profit-alabama-nelson-jones/index.html "What happens when cops start policing for profit"] - CNN
*[[Historic American Buildings Survey]] (HABS) documentation:
**{{HABS |survey=AL-918 |id=al0986 |title=St. Michael's Cemetery, Brookside Road |photos=1 |cap=1 |link=no}}
**{{HABS |survey=AL-919 |id=al0987 |title=St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church, Church Street & Park Avenue |photos=4 |color=1 |cap=1 |link=no}}
**{{HABS |survey=AL-974 |id=al1104 |title=Brookside Auto Service, Main Street at Brookside Road & County Road 112 |photos=1 |color=1 |cap=1 |link=no}}
*[[Historic American Engineering Record]] (HAER) documentation:
**{{HAER |survey=AL-17 |id=al0914 |title=Brookside Coal Mine, Mount Olive Road North of Five Mile Creek Bridge |photos=1 |dwgs=1 |data=7 |cap=1 |link=no}}
**{{HAER |survey=AL-17-A |id=al0953 |title=Brookside Coal Mine, Beehive Coke Ovens |photos=2 |cap=1 |link=no}}
**{{HAER |survey=AL-17-B |id=al0954 |title=Brookside Coal Mine, Washer & Crusher (Foundations) |photos=7 |cap=1 |link=no}}
**{{HAER |survey=AL-17-C |id=al0955 |title=Brookside Coal Mine, Tipple (Foundation) |photos=2 |cap=1 |link=no}}
**{{HAER |survey=AL-17-D |id=al0956 |title=Brookside Coal Mine, Washed Coal Storage Bins (Foundation) |photos=2 |cap=1 |link=no}}
**{{HAER |survey=AL-59 |id=al1069 |title=Brookside Bridge, Spanning Five Mile Creek East of Main Street |photos=1 |cap=1 |link=no}}

{{Jefferson County, Alabama}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1886 establishments in Alabama]]
[[Category:Birmingham metropolitan area, Alabama]]
[[Category:Historic American Buildings Survey in Alabama]]
[[Category:Historic American Engineering Record in Alabama]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1886]]
[[Category:Towns in Alabama]]
[[Category:Towns in Jefferson County, Alabama]]