Birmingham was a town in Marshall County, Kentucky, that was destroyed by the creation of Kentucky Lake. Birmingham was located on land o…Birmingham was a town in Marshall County, Kentucky, that was destroyed by the creation of Kentucky Lake. Birmingham was located on land owned by Thomas A. Grubbs in 1849, laid out and platted in 1853 and incorporated in 1860. Early residents included L. S. Locker, Thomas Love and Thomas C. Grubbs. Birmingham enjoyed prosperity shortly after the end of the Civil War when a stave mill and timber business employed over 200 people. Birmingham was named after Birmingham, England in hope that the city would establish its European namesake's iron industry; the area had its own nascent iron industry, some remains of which can be viewed today in the Land Between the Lakes. Collins' History of Kentucky states that in 1874 Birmingham had a population of 322; by contrast, the county seat of Benton, Kentucky then had a population of only 158. By 1894 Birmingham had five churches, two schools, two hotels, four dry goods and general stores, three grocers, two millinery shops, two wagon and blacksmith shops and a drug store.
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