William Aldrich

William Farrington Aldrich Jr. (1853-1925) served three terms representing Alabama in the U.S. Congress, from 1896-1901. He was also noted for his development of the coal mining industry in Shelby County with his brother Truman Aldrich. He also served in Congress, though for less than one year, and was better known for his involvement in iron manufacturing as well as his collection of 20,000 fossils, later donated to the Alabama Museum of Natural History. The Aldrich Coal Mine Museum is named for both brothers and interprets local coal mining history in the former Montevallo Coal Mining Company store in Montevallo, Shelby County.