The Alabama Pipe Company, located in Anniston, Alabama, founded in 1912, was a prominent manufacturer known for producing high-quality cast iron pipes and other industrial products. The company played a significant role in the local economy and contributed to the development of infrastructure across the region.
From the early 1930s to mid-1950s, as the holiday season approached, the Alabama Pipe Company had a tradition of showing its appreciation for its employees by gifting them unique and memorable items as Christmas presents. These gifts were not just tokens of gratitude but also represented the company’s commitment to its workforce. I actually stumbled across one of those pots from 1954. I have not come across too many of these cast iron pots out in the wild. Everyone that I have found are dated 1939 or 1954. Considering the company was founded in 1912, it is very plausible that these pots were manufactured to celebrate years of service and or the company anniversary or just as Christmas time gifts. There was a time when some companies gifted their employees food such as a ham or turkey during the holiday season, so why not a cast iron pot to cook some baked beans in for Christmas too!
The cast iron bean pots were designed not only for practical use but also to carry a special touch of history and tradition. On the bottom of each pot, the company decided to cast a bean recipe. This recipe served as a reminder of the values and traditions that the Alabama Pipe Company held dear. The pots were durable, long-lasting, and perfect for slow-cooking stews and, of course, beans.
Anniston, Alabama · Friday, November 29, 1957
It was in 2015 that I stumbled upon one of these cast iron bean pots. The pot, with its Alabama Pipe Company logo and the recipe for a delicious bean dish still cast into its bottom, represented a piece of the company’s history and the holiday spirit it embodied. When I discovered this piece of history I began researching its history, and found a connection to the past, looking for stories of the employees who had received these pots with gratitude and the warmth of holiday traditions from the 1950s from the area where I grew up. If you have any stories or knowledge of these cast iron pots please share in the comment section below.
I want to believe the employees who received these unique bean pots cherished them as both a symbol of their hard work and dedication to the company and a reminder of the close-knit community that existed in Anniston. Over the years, the pots became family heirlooms, passed down from one generation to the next, and they continued to serve as both functional cookware and sentimental keepsakes.
Alabama Pipe Company and Woodward Iron Company of Birmingham Alabama merged in 1959 to form one of the largest integrated Southern Pipe companies in the South.
Baked Beans Recipe
Alabama Pipe Company Christmas 1954 – Cast Iron Bean Pot Recipe. This recipe was found on the bottom of an old cast iron bean pot from Anniston Alabama. Research indicates that the bean pot was given to the Alabama Pipe Company workers as a Christmas gift in 1954.
Baked Beans
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Wash and pick over the beans, cover with cold water, and soak overnight.
- Drain and rinse beans again, place in a large pot, and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for about 45 minutes, or until the skins wrinkle.
- Chop and place the onions in the bottom of a bean pot.
- Combine beans, syrup, mustard, sugar, and salt and add to pot.
- Score the salt pork and place it on top of the beans. Add water to cover.
- Cook at 325 degrees F for about 8 hours. Check and add water as needed.
- Remove cover for the last hour to brown salt pork.
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