Confederate Hospital

 

Located in a house on this site on Dr. and Mrs. Carnot Bellinger's farm south of the city of Montgomery. Mrs. Bellinger served as both a nurse and administrator as president of the Soldiers' Home. A "Wayside" hospital, it cared for traveling soldiers and refugees before moving to the city in 1862 to become the "Ladies' Hospital." The present Burton Avenue was the drive to the Bellinger home. In the late 19th century the property became part of Montgomery as "Bellinger Heights" and, in 1904, the Bellinger Hill School was built here. The Soldiers' Home structure was altered as a residence and survived until the 1970's.

 

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The Soldiers' Home

 

Founded June 1861 by the Ladies' Hospital Association of Montgomery, Sarah Hails Bellinger, with her husband, Dr. Carnot Bellinger, donated the site for the hospital and served as the hospital's first president. The Bellinger farm site included a spacious four-room house for the hospital, one of the first for Confederate soldiers during the Civil War. The name "Soldiers' Home" was attached to the hospital after a patient described the facility in a letter to his mother as neither hospital nor asylum but a true "Soldiers' Home." Dr. and Mrs. Bellinger tended the sick here until May 1862, when exhaustion caused them to move the Home to the corner of Bibb and Commerce Streets in town.

[1999: Montgomery]

 

Confederate Military Prison

 

Near this site, from mid April to December 1862, a Confederate military prison held, under destitute conditions, 700 Union soldiers, most captured at Shiloh. They were imprisoned in a foul, vermin-abounding cotton depot, 200 feet long and 40 feet wide, without blankets and only the hard earth or wood planks as a bed. The cotton shed was situated between Tallapoosa Street and the Alabama River. Of the 700 Union prisoners, nearly 198 died in captivity. The survivors were moved to Tuscaloosa, Alabama in December 1862.

 

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Civil War Military Prisons

 

Records of the Commissary General of Prisoners list 198 Union prisoners, from the Montgomery military prison, buried at Montgomery. Most of these were listed as unknown. Subsequently, in 1868, the remains interred in the Montgomery cemetery were removed to the National Cemetery at Marietta, Georgia. Over 674,000 soldiers were taken captive during the Civil War. Often prisoners were crammed into facilities with disregard of capacity limits, hygiene, nutrition, or sanitation needs. These deplorable conditions existed in military prisons of both sides. More than 56,000 prisoners died in confinement, 30,218 in Confederate and 25,976 in Union prisons.
[2001: Tallapoosa St. @ Coosa St., Montgomery 32.38119N  86.31087W]

 

Court Square

 

Two small villages, New Philadelphia, founded by Massachusetts lawyer Andrew Dexter in 1817, and East Alabama, established by Georgians led by John Scott in 1818, united in 1819 to form Montgomery, named for Revolutionary hero Gen. Richard Montgomery. Connecting at Court Square, the two towns' principle streets were Philadelphia's Market Street (Dexter Avenue) and East Alabama's Main Street (Commerce Street). First courthouse stood to west of artesian well which city enlarged in 1850s. Fountain erected in 1885.

 

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Court Square

 

Historic hub for business in Montgomery. Exchange Hotel built in 1848 on NW corner of Commerce and Montgomery Streets; rebuilt 1906; demolished 1970s. Cast iron-fronted Central Bank of 1856 on NE corner of square; Winter Building, site of telegraph office in 1861, on SE corner since 1840s. Historic processions passing along Dexter Avenue to the Capitol included Jefferson Davis Inaugural, 2/18/1861; Gen. J.H. Wilson's Cavalry Corps, 4/12/1865;167th Infantry Regt. Rainbow Division, 5/12/1919; Selma-Montgomery Civil Rights March, 3/25/1965. 
[1992: Court Square beside fountain, Montgomery, 32.37747 N  86.30916 W]

 

Major Charles W. Davis, Infantry
United States Army

 

A native of Montgomery, graduate of Lanier, alumnus of the Universities of Alabama and Maryland, Major Davis was awarded the Medal of Honor as Executive Officer, 2d Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division. "For distinguishing himself conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty on Guadalcanal Island. On 12 January 1943, he volunteered to carry instructions to the leading companies of his battalion which had been caught in crossfire from Japanese machine guns. With complete disregard for his own safety he made his way to the trapped units, delivered instructions, supervised their execution and remained overnight in this exposed position.

 

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"Above and Beyond"

 

The following day, Davis volunteered to lead an assault on the Japanese position holding up the advance. His rifle jammed, he drew his pistol and led the assault. Electrified by this action, his soldiers followed and seized the hill. The capture broke Japanese resistance and the battalion was then able to secure its objective." During a distinguished 32-year career, he served on the Army General Staff and graduated from the National War College. Among many important assignments, he commanded the 503d Regiment of the 11th Airborne Division. During the Vietnam War, he advised the South Vietnamese Army in combat. Retired as a Colonel in 1972, he died in 1991. He is buried in Arlington. His service reflects great credit on Montgomery, on Alabama, and on the Nation.

[2007: On grounds of River District Substation, Montgomery Police Department.  Marker is reached by taking the tunnel down to the river at the north end of Commerce Street. 32.38209 N  86.31326 W]

 

Day Street Baptist Church

 

Organized from Bethel Baptist Church, congregation founded 1882 with Rev. George Casby as first minister. Originally met in frame building; fund-raising began for this edifice in 1906. Designed by Wallace Rayfield, Tuskegee Institute architect and faculty member, building completed ca. 1910. A graduate of Pratt School of Architecture, Rayfield established the first black architectural firm in Birmingham and won national recognition. Day Street's community activities included the organization of the first black Alabama scout troops and involvement in the Civil Rights Movement. Rev. M. C. Cleveland led the church from 1933 until his death in 1978.
[1995: 861 Day St, Montgomery (Day St. @ Davidson St.), 32.36960 N   86.32438 W]

 

Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church, Organized 1877

 

The second black Baptist Church in Montgomery. First pastor was Rev. C. O. Boothe. Present structure built 1885. Designed by Pelham J. Anderson; built by William Watkins, a member of the congregation. 
Many prominent black citizens of Montgomery have been members. Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., served as pastor (1954-1960). Montgomery bus boycott organized here December 2, 1955. 
[1980: 454 Dexter Avenue, Montgomery, 32.37745 N  86.30263 W]

 

Dr. Martin Luther King

 

Dr. King became pastor of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in September, 1954. He led the Bus Boycott of 1955-56 as president of the Montgomery Improvement Association. Leaving Montgomery in 1960 he went on to national leadership in civil rights, advocating non-violence. Accomplishments include: president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference; Selma-Montgomery March; March on Washington; Nobel Peace Prize. His work brought on a world social-humanitarian movement. He was assassinated on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee, during an effort to secure laborers' rights.
[1993: 309 South Jackson Street, Montgomery, 32.37309 N   86.29627 W]

 

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Ministers' Home Dexter Avenue 
King Memorial Baptist Church

 

House built circa 1912. It has been the home of the ministers of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church since 1919. Its most famous occupant, Dr. Martin Luther King, lived here from September 1954-February 1960. During this time he led the Bus Boycott launching an outstanding career as a world leader for civil rights and humanitarian causes. When a bomb damaged the house on January 31, 1956, Dr. King returned from a Boycott meeting and calmed an angry crowd from the porch, averting possible violence. From 1947-1952 the house was occupied by Dr. Vernon Johns, an earlier advocate of civil rights.

 

First Baptist Church

 

Founded November 29, 1829, with four charter members. English-born Lee Compere, a missionary to the Creek Indians, was the first pastor. Services initially were held monthly in a building shared by other denominations. In 1833, the church constructed its own house of worship on North Court Street. The growing congregation built a two-story brick structure on the same site in 1854. In 1860, Basil Manly, former President of the University of Alabama, became pastor, delivering the invocation at Jefferson Davis' inauguration the next year. The church played a significant role in the development of the Southern Baptist Convention. Its rich history intertwines with the events of the Civil War and ensuing years.

 

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First Baptist Church

 

This stone building, modeled after a cathedral in Florence, Italy, is the church's third home. Construction began in 1905 when Dr. Charles Stakely was pastor and proceeded as funds were available. Completed and dedicated on November 11, 1923, its total cost was $175,126.91. The church facilities frequently have been enlarged and modified to parallel the congregation's growth. For untold hundreds, this church has been the place of conversions, baptisms, marriages, funerals, and life-changing worship experiences with God. First Baptist has played an influential role in the historic, cultural, and religious life of Montgomery and the South.
[1994: 305 South Perry Street, Montgomery, 32.37386 N   86.30719 W]

 

First United Methodist Church

 

First United Methodist Church, organized September 15, 1829, is the oldest organized church in the city of Montgomery. Located on Court Street downtown for nearly 100 years, the congregation purchased for $20,000 this site in Cloverdale Park in July 1931. The name Court Street Methodist Church changed to First Methodist Church on October 2, 1932. The chapel served as the site for the first worship service, held on November 30, 1933. George Awsumb, a Memphis, Tennessee architect, designed the educational building and sanctuary constructed in the midst of the Great Depression on a pay-as-you-go basis under the supervision of the pastor, Dr. Oscar E. Rice. Worship services were first held in the present sanctuary on July 3, 1938. The Fellowship Hall was completed in 1952; the Fellowship Building in 1961; and Wesley Hall in 1996. First United Methodist Church of Montgomery has provided great leaders, both lay and clergy, for our city, state, and nation since the church was founded in 1829.
[2004: 2416 West Cloverdale Park, Montgomery, 32.35648 N   86.29231 W]

 

The Frank M. Johnson, Jr. Federal Building and United States Courthouse

 

Named in honor of Judge Frank M. Johnson, Jr. (1918-1999), who served here as U.S. District Judge from 1955 -1979, as U.S. Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit July 12, 1979 - October 1, 1981, and as U.S. Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit October 1, 1981 - July 23, 1999. Nationally renowned as a fearless, uncompromising jurist who rendered numerous landmark decisions upholding equality under the law, and enforcing the fundamental tenets of the Constitution in the turbulent years of the civil rights movement in America. Among other historic rulings, Judge Johnson presided over cases authorizing the Selma to Montgomery March (1965) and the Freedom Rides (1961), requiring that women and blacks be allowed to serve on Alabama juries, desegregating the Alabama state police, and requiring the extension of mental health treatment to persons institutionalized for mental illness.

 

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The Frank M. Johnson, Jr. Federal Building and United States Courthouse

 

Born in Winston County, Alabama October 30, 1918, Johnson served as an officer in the ETO during World War II where he was wounded twice and awarded the Combat Infantry Badge and the Bronze Star medal. He was the recipient of multiple national honors during his judicial career, including the Edward J. Devitt Distinguished Service to Justice Award (1984), the American Bar Association's Thurgood Marshall Award (1993), and the Presidential Medal of Freedom (1995) as well as LL.D. degrees from the University of Alabama, Boston University, Yale, Tuskegee University, Mercer, Notre Dame, and Princeton. He was a lifelong champion of the right of all Americans "to share in the freedoms which our government was established to secure and protect."
[2005: Lee Street, Montgomery, 32.37521 N   86.30963 W]

 

Georgia Gilmore

 

Georgia Gilmore, cited as a "solid, energetic boycott participant and supporter," lived in this house during the days of the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Once arrested on a bus, Gilmore was ardent in her efforts to raise funds for the Movement and organized "Club From Nowhere" whose members baked pies and cakes for sale to both black and white customers. Opening her house to all, she tirelessly cooked meals for participants including leaders such as Dr. Martin Luther King and Dr. Ralph Abernathy. Her culinary skills continued to aid the cause of justice as she actively worked to encourage civil rights for the remainder of her life.
[1995: 453 Dericote St., Montgomery, 32.37043 N   86.29705 W]

 

Georgia Washington School

 

Miss Georgia Washington founded the Peoples Village School for black students on this site in 1893. Georgia Washington was born a slave November 23, 1851 in Virginia. As a student at Hampton Institute, Virginia, she met Dr. Booker T. Washington who later recruited her to teach here in Mt. Meigs. The first year the enrollment grew from four to 100 students. She retired in 1936, after 43 years of service, and the school was deeded to Montgomery County. A new school building was dedicated in February 1950 and was named Georgia Washington School. She died October 5, 1952 and is buried here on the grounds of her beloved school.
[2001: Antioch Lane @ Georgia Washington St., Mt. Meigs community, 32.35446 N   86.10147 W]

 

Governor Jones House

 

Thomas Goode Jones, governor of Alabama from 1890-1894, occupied this house during his long political career which took him from the Montgomery City Council to a federal judgeship. During his two terms as governor, his home was the Executive Mansion and later frequently was used as a federal courtroom. Originally a four room cottage, the house was enlarged by Jones in the early '90s. His son, the noted jurist Walter B. Jones, continued to live in his family home and inaugurated Jones Law School in a house to the rear. The law firm of Webb and Crumpton restored the house in 1978. 
[1979: 323 Adams Avenue, Montgomery, 32.37526 N   86.30379 W]

 

Governor Shorter House 

 

Residence of Civil War Governor John Gill Shorter, 1861-63. A strong supporter of Confederacy, Shorter built up defenses of state during war. Growing "Peace Movement" led to his defeat for re-election 1863. 
House acquired by Jacob Greil 1878. Held by Greil family until 1910. A former Confederate officer, Greil became prominent Montgomery businessman and civic leader. House built 1854, in Italianate style by John P. Dickerson. Neo-classical portico, freize, and interior details added early 1900's.
[1982: 305 South Lawrence Street, Montgomery, 32.37389 N   86.30591 W]

 

Governor William Calvin Oates

 

Born in Pike County into a poor Alabama family in 1835, Oates practiced law in Abbeville when the War began. Elected Captain of the "Henry Pioneers," Co. G, 15th Alabama Infantry. He saw service in Jackson's Corps and was appointed Colonel of the 15th Regiment in 1863. Given command of the 48th Alabama infantry in July 1864, Oates' right arm was shattered by a mini ball at Petersburg in August 1864. He later served Alabama as a legislator, Congressman, and Governor. Oates served stateside as a Brigadier General, USV in the Spanish-American War.

 

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Colonel W. C. Oates, CSA at Gettysburg

 

July 2, 1863: General Law's Alabama Brigade of Longstreet's Corps arrived on the field, having marched 23 miles in 11 hours. The 15th Alabama Regiment commanded by Oates became the extreme right flank of Lee's Army. It made five charges up Little Round Top against withering fire of the enemy and engaged in fierce hand-to-hand combat with Col. Joshua Chamberlain's 20th Maine Regiment and other Federal troops before being driven off the hill by a final desperate bayonet charge from the high ground against its flank and rear. Oates always attributed his regiment's failure to take its objective on the shortage of water and fatigue from the forced march.
[1994: 829 Columbus Street, Montgomery, 32.38472 N   86.29429 W]

 

Grace Episcopal Church

 

In the late 1850s the cluster of Episcopal families around Mt. Meigs undertook to build a church and engaged Pennsylvania architect Joseph W. Pierson to prepare the plans. The plans were submitted in April 1861, but due to the hardships caused by the Civil War and its aftermath, it was over 30 years before the church was actually built. Finally becoming a reality in 1893, Grace Church was constructed according to Pierson's original plans in the "Gothic Revival" style popular for rural Episcopal churches all across the South during the 1850s. The auxiliary buildings and the church gardens are of a much more recent construction to reflect the style of the original sanctuary.
[2000: 906 Pike Road, Mt. Meigs Community, 32.35517 N   86.09508 W]

 

Gunter Annex

 

On Aug. 27, 1940, the AAF leased the Montgomery Municipal Airport for use as a military airfield. During WW II, the field was the home of the AAF Basic Flying Training School and was named in honor of Mayor William A. Gunter. It later housed Extension Course Institute, AU Field Printing Plant, School of Aviation Medicine, and Air Force Senior NCO Academy. Tenants included the Air Defense Sector, HQ 14th Air Force, and Standard Systems Group. The field became an Air Force base in 1948 and an Air Force station in 1973. It returned to base status in 1988 and later became an annex to Maxwell AFB in 1992.

 

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Gunter Basic Flying Training School

 

Activated on Aug. 27, 1940, the school was among the first established under WWII Air Corps expansion program. BT-13s were the principal planes used in the 10-week training course until 1944 when they were replaced by AT-6s. Once, nearly 400 airplanes were involved in the training program and the skies over the field were hailed as the "densest air traffic in the world." The school closed September 1945, with over 12,000 cadets-American, British, and French-earning their "wings" and with British cadets dominating early classes. At the war's end, 600 Chinese students received preflight training here.
[1996: Just inside gate of Gunter AFB on Cong. William Dickson Blvd., Montgomery, 32.41053 N   86.24418 W]

 

Hank Williams-Alabama Troubador

 

In 1938, young country singer Hank Williams won a contest on the stage of the Empire Theatre. Born in Butler County, south of Montgomery, on September 17, 1923, Williams learned to play the guitar and sing on the streets of Georgiana. Writing songs and performing, he made his way to Nashville, where in 1949 his "Lovesick Blues" stopped the show at the Grand Ole Opry. Other acclaimed compositions include "Your Cheatin' Heart," "Jambalaya," and "Kaw-Liga." Williams died on January 1, 1953, and is buried in Montgomery's Oakwood Annex Cemetery.

 

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Rosa Parks-Montgomery Bus Boycott

 

At the bus stop on this site on December 1, 1955, Mrs. Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to boarding whites. This brought about her arrest, conviction, and fine. The Boycott began December 5, the day of Parks' trial, as a protest by African-Americans for unequal treatment they received on the bus line. Refusing to ride the buses, they maintained the Boycott until the U.S. Supreme Court ordered integration of public transportation one year later. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. led the Boycott, the beginning of the modern Civil Rights Movement.
[1993: 252 Montgomery St. near Moulton St., Montgomery, 32.37654 N   86.31135 W]

 

Historic Site of St. James Holt Crossing Baptist Church

 

On this site, the St. James Baptist Church #2, also known as St. James Holt Crossing Baptist Church, stood as the oldest Baptist church founded by African Americans in the City of Montgomery. Organized in 1875, the Church occupied two buildings on this property - one was relocated to make way for the railroad in 1908, and the second was relocated in 2004 as part of improvements to adjoining properties. The Church now resides east of Zelda Road on property formerly owned by the Alabama Masonic Lodge. The St. James Holt Crossing Baptist Church was originally founded by four members, including James Ashe whose descendants continue to play a role in its congregational affairs.
[2006: Carter Hill Road near Zelda Road, Montgomery, 32.35247 N   86.26389 W]

 

Holt Street Baptist Church

 

Holt Street Baptist Church is a congregation founded by former members of Bethel Baptist Church in 1909. Under the leadership of Rev. I.S. Fountain, a group met for four years in Labor's Hall, on the corner of Cobb and Mobile Streets before purchasing this site and constructing a church in 1913. The congregation added a wing in 1946, and in 1953 demolished the old structure and built the present sanctuary. On the evening of December 5, 1955, the first day of the Bus Boycott, some 5,000 people gathered here. Dr. Martin Luther King, a newly elected leader of the Montgomery Improvement Association, addressed the crowd which pledged support for the continuation of the boycott. Minister, A.W. Wilson, was officer of MIA.
[1995: South Holt @ Bullock Street, Montgomery, 32.36489 N   86.32056 W]

 

"House of Mayors"

 

Built in the 1850's for Jack Thorington, mayor of Montgomery in 1838-39, this House has also been the home of Mordecai Moses, mayor in the late 1870's, and Joseph Norwood who had been mayor of Fort Deposit before coming to Montgomery. Moses owned the home from 1879 until its purchase in 1893 by Norwood whose family converted it into apartments in 1940. The House has undergone several alterations and exhibits excellent architectural ornamentation which evidences the tastes of each period of change. In 1979, the House was restored for use as a tourist center and office building for the State.
[1979: 532 South Perry Street, Montgomery, 32.37114 N   86.30731 W]

 

Huntingdon College

 

A liberal arts college. 1854-founded by citizen group as Tuskegee Female College. 1872-acquired by Methodist Church: Alabama Conference Female College. 1909-moved to this site as Woman's College of Alabama. 1935-named Huntingdon College for Countess of Huntingdon, Wesleyan leader. 1946-became co-educational.
[Before 1965: replaced by following marker in 2007]

 

Huntingdon College

Coeducational liberal arts college of the United Methodist Church

1854: Founded as Tuskegee Female College
1872: Acquired by the Methodist Church, renamed Alabama Conference Female College
1909: Moved to this site as Woman's College of Alabama
1935: Renamed Huntingdon College for patron of British Methodism
Motto: Enter to Grow in Wisdom; Go Forth to Apply Wisdom in Service
[2007: 1500 East Fairview Avenue, Montgomery, 32.35791 N   86.28519 W]

Professor John Metcalfe Starke 
"Fessor Starke" 
1860-1941

A native of Virginia, John Metcalfe Starke received his early education in Petersburg and graduated from the University of Virginia in 1882, earning diplomas in Latin and mathematics. He taught in Virginia and North Carolina before coming to Montgomery in 1887 as headmaster for a boys' school organized by prominent local men. Its success caused him to start a school of his own at Hamner Hall. In 1897 he built a building here. The following year he married Frances Powell. He received an honorary doctorate from the University of Alabama in 1929. A small, wiry man, honest, courageous and fair, he believed fervently in the school's motto, "Work Wins." For over half a century, he was a paragon as an educator here in Montgomery.

 

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Starke University School 
1888-1968 
"Omnia vincit labor - Work Wins"

 

In 1887, eighteen prominent men founded a private school for boys, hiring John Metcalfe Starke as its headmaster. In 1888, Starke opened his school. Rigidly high academic, military and disciplinary standards prevailed throughout the next eighty years. Boys who fell behind reported for Saturday classes. From 1897-1923 the school stood here on Dexter Avenue; later located on Houston Street and then on Mount Meigs Road. Professor Starke died in 1941. The school continued, closing in 1967-68. A governor, U.S. senator, judges, generals, doctors, businessmen, academics, lawyers and financiers were among Starke School's many distinguished graduates.
[2001: Dexter Ave. @ South Decatur St., Montgomery, 32.27442 N   86.30209 W]

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Josiah Morris 1818-1891

 

Had his bank on this site 1852-1891. He helped finance Montgomery's business, railroads and industry. Here on Dec. 19, 1870, he bought 4150 acres of land and deeded them to the Elyton Land Co. which later was platted, and on his motion named the City of Birmingham.
[1952: 8 Commerce Street, Montgomery, 32.37788 N  86.30983 W]

 

Knox Hall

 

Designed by Stephen Decatur Button, Knox Hall built in the 1840's by William Knox, a native of Ireland who settled in Montgomery in 1830's. Knox founded Central Bank of Montgomery which made first loans to Confederate government. 

House incorporates details from LeFever's "Beauties of Modern Architecture," leading Greek Revival pattern book of ante-bellum period.
[1982: 419 South Perry Street, Montgomery, 32.37327 N   86.30709 W]

 

The Lightning Route

 

In 1886, Montgomery became the first city in the Western Hemisphere to convert an entire street railway system to electricity. The Capital City Street Railway Co. initiated electric trolley service on one mile of the street car line the year before. Civil engineer J.A. Gaboury supervised installation of the system developed by Charles Van de Poele. The car line, fondly known as the "Lightning Route," operated until 1936. Investors in the mass transit system also were involved in the development of the early suburbs of Highland Park and Cloverdale, as well as the first public recreation area at Oak Park.

 

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Central Bank Building

 

Designed by Philadelphia architect Stephen Decatur Button for William Knox, president of Central Bank of Alabama, this Renaissance Revival building emulated the Venetian palaces of the 16th century. Completed in 1856, it was praised by state newspapers as the first ironfront in Alabama. Central Bank, which generously supported the Confederacy, was bankrupt at the end of the Civil War. Other banks occupied the building until jewelers Klein and Son acquired and occupied it from 1923-1983. The building was restored for the Arts Council of Alabama in 1985.
[1993: Court Square/First Alabama Park, Montgomery, 32.37756 N   86.30892 W]

 

Lilly Baptist Church 
"The Lilly" 

 

Lilly Baptist Church, established November, 1900 as a missionary church of Bethel Missionary Baptist. Originally located on St. Clair Street in a small frame building. Moved May 27, 1973, into new 1500-seat sanctuary at present location. Education Complex added April, 1985. 
Known as "The Lilly," church was active in Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955-56). Noted for its music, the church has seven choirs which recorded albums in 1974 and 1984. 500 members of congregation participated in nationally acclaimed movie, "Long Walk Home." "The Lilly" has played a significant role in Montgomery since its founding and continues to serve as a spiritual beacon to the community.
[2007: 820 Hill Street, Montgomery, 32.36660 N   86.32957 W]

 

Lincoln Cemetery 
1907

 

In 1907 the American Securities Company opened Lincoln Cemetery for African Americans and Greenwood Cemetery for whites, the first commercial cemeteries in the city. Landscape design indicates Olmstead influences with curving drives and two circular sections. Space allotted for 700 graves with first interment in 1908. Most graves are simple concrete slabs with evidences of African-American funerary art and late-Victorian motifs. Marble markers denote members of Mosaic Templars of America, black benevolent society, or graves of veterans. American Securities owned site until tax-exemption ended in 1957. Vandalism and neglect have seriously damaged graves and landscape.

 

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Rufus Payne, 1884-1939 
"Tee-Tot," Mentor of Hank Williams

 

Born in Lowndes County, Alabama, Rufus Payne grew up in New Orleans in midst of jazz musicians. Young Payne learned every instrument possible. At death of his parents, he came back to Greenville where he soon had a following of both races, playing jazz and blues for all segments of society. In nearby Georgiana, he met young Hank Williams, an eager student of the rhythm and beat of Tee-Tot's music. In 1937, Williams moved to Montgomery and soon thereafter Tee-Tot came to the city where he lived until his death in 1939, a friend of Williams' family and mentor to the singer-composer. Hank Williams stated that Payne was his only teacher. Tee-Tot died a pauper and lies here in an unmarked grave.
[2001: 1162 Lincoln Rd. at Harrison Rd., Montgomery, 32.36767 N     86.26547 W]

 

Lomax House-1848

 

Built by James J. Gilmer. Purchased by Reuben C. Shorter, 1819, for his wife, Caroline A. V. Billingslea, who later married Tennent Lomax, captain and governor of Orizaba, Mexican War. Colonel, 3rd Ala. Infantry Regt., CSA, killed at Battle of Seven Pines, 1862. Social center of Montgomery for 60 years. Purchased in 1932 and restored to its original condition in 1972 by the Preferred Life Insurance Company. 
[1973: 235 South Court Street, Montgomery, 32.37415 N     86.30878 W]

 

Henry Allen Loveless

 

Born in Bullock County in 1854, H.A. Loveless struggled to get an education, working by day and attending school at night. After a few terms at Selma University, he settled in Montgomery where he first entered the undertaking profession. In addition, he opened a coal and wood yard, operated a livery stable and was a building contractor. A founding member of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, he served as treasurer and was on its Board of Trustees and that of Swayne School. An officer of the Alabama Realty Company, he was also a member of the Negro Businessmen's League and numerous fraternal organizations. He died in 1921, respected by the entire community.

 

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Loveless School

 

Montgomery's first junior and senior high school for African American students began in Loveless School. Built in 1923 and enlarged in 1930, this building first housed seven grades; the opening of Carver Elementary School and the reduction in enrollment made possible additional classes at Loveless. Under Principal T.H. Handall, the first seniors graduated May, 1940. In 1948, George Washington Carver Senior High organized and had first classes here, but upon its moving to new quarters, Loveless reverted to a junior high and then to elementary. In spring of 1998, elementary moved to new site, and in fall of 1999, Loveless became home of LAMP.
[2000: 921 W. Jeff Davis Ave., Montgomery, 32.36599 N     86.32376 W]

 

Lucas Tavern 
Circa 1818

 

Stood 2800 feet north of this point, just west of Line Creek on the Federal Road. Moved to Montgomery in 1978 to serve as the Visitor and Information Center for the Old North Hull Historic District, it is the oldest remaining building in Montgomery County. Original proprietor, James Abercrombie, ran it from about 1818. Walter B. Lucas announced his take over of the tavern in the January 6, 1821 issue of the Montgomery Republican. A four-room frame building with a long central hall, the tavern's most famous guest was Revolutionary War hero the Marquis de Lafayette who stayed here on April 2, 1825 during his triumphant tour of the United States.
[2002: @ Mile marker 151 on US Hwy 80 in Waugh, 32.36606 N  86.04194 W]

 

Maj. Gen. Claire L. Chennault

 

Born in Commerce, Texas, on September 6, 1893, Chennault was commissioned in 1917 and received his wings in 1919. A graduate of and instructor at the Air Corps Tactical School, he became a leading advocate of pursuit aviation, and later formed the nationally renowned aero demonstration team called the "Flying Trapezers." Channault retired in 1937 and went to China where he established the legendary "Flying Tigers." He was recalled to active duty in 1942 as commander of the USAF in China and later commanded the 14th Air Force. He retired from service in 1945 and died in New Orleans, LA, on July 27, 1958.

 

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Three Men on a Flying Trapeze

 

The Flying Trapezers, the Air Corps' first aerial demonstration team, was established under Maxwell's Air Corps Tactical School in 1932. Led by Capt Claire Chennault, members included Lt Haywood Hansell, Sgt John Williamson, and Sgt William McDonald. Chennault used P-12Cs to perfom loops, rolls, and figure eights to show his fellow officers that three planes could execute with precision the violent and difficult maneuvers necessary to attack and destroy invading bombers. The team played a key role in developing pursuit tactics and in discrediting the "bomber invincibility" theory before being disbanded in 1936.

 

 

Major General James Harrison Wilson USV 
1837-1925

 

Exceptional American soldier, born Illinois, West Point Class of 1860, MG at 27. Civil War service: Port Royal 1861-62, Aide to McClellan '62; Vicksburg and Chattanooga Campaigns, Grant's staff '63-64, Chief of Calvary Bureau '64; Wilderness and Valley Campaigns, Commander Calvary Division, Sherman's Corps'64; Franklin, Nashville, AL & GA '64-65. Retired from Army 1870; pursued railroading career in U.S., Latin America, Japan & China. MG USV, 1898; War With Spain, Division Commander in Puerto Rico; Boxer Rebellion, Commander U.S. & British troops in China. U.S. representative at coronation of King Edward VII.

 

Marks House-Circa 1825

 

Built by William Matthews Marks, who immigrated from Oglethrope County, GA, on acreage purchased from the U.S. land office in Cahaba, AL for $1.25 per acre. 

Foundation is pegged-together heart pine; framing is 3" by 9" timbers; mantles, dados, and all the bricks are hand made. Kitchen, baths, a rose garden and pavilion for dancing were added by the Churchill Marks family in the 1920s. The house was purchased by Dr. Haywood B. (Woody) Bartlett in 1957. 

In 1967, the movie of Truman's Capote's "Thanksgiving Visitor" was filmed in the house. The facility has served as the Pike Road Community Club Center since 1968. The Pike Road Arts and Crafts fair is held here annually on the first Saturday in November. The house suffered extensive fire damage on August 28, 1997 and was subsequently restored by the Pike Road Community.
[1998: 706 Old Carter Hill Road (County Road 85), Pike Road, 32.26004 N   86.09883 N]

 

Lt. William C. Maxwell

 

William Calvin Maxwell was born Nov. 9, 1892, in Natchez, AL. An Army ROTC student at the University of Alabama, he left in 1917 to enlist in the Army. He received his commission in April 1918, after completing flight training at Kelly Field, Texas. In 1919, he was assigned to 3rd Aero Squadron, Phillippines. On August 12, 1920, engine trouble forced Lt. Maxwell to attempt to land his DH-4 in a sugarcane field. Maneuvering to avoid a group of children playing below, he struck a flagpole hidden by the tall sugarcane and was killed instantly. On the recommendation of his former commanding officer, Maj. Roy C. Brown, Montgomery Air Intermediate Depot was renamed Maxwell Field on November 8, 1922.

 

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Air Force ROTC

 

The Reserve Officer Training Corps was created by the National Defense Act of 1916. Air Force ROTC has its roots in seven Army Air Service ROTC units established at land-grant colleges in the 1920s. The program was significantly expanded after World War II and again in 1964. Air Force ROTC is the Service's largest and oldest source of commissioned officers, recruiting and educating thousands of officer candidates each year at colleges and universities nationwide. The Junior ROTC program provides citizenship training to high school students in the United States and the Department of Defense schools around the world. Maxwell Air Force Base has been home to Headquarters, Air Force ROTC since 1956.
[1995: Montgomery]

 

Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce

 

The first American Chamber of Commerce was organized in New York City in 1770. The Montgomery Chamber was organized in 1873. Thomas Joseph was its first President. The Alabama State Journal stated at its founding, "Montgomery ought to have a Chamber of Commerce. Located in the midst of one of the richest agricultural districts in the South, the political center of the commonwealth, and the commercial center of a large section which obtain here their supplies, the Chamber of Commerce would seem to be demanded by the necessities of our position." Initially, it occupied the front rooms of the First National Bank Building.

 

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The Forefront of Montgomery's Future

 

The Chamber changed names several times, but stayed in the lead for solid progress. Initially, it encouraged European immigrants to move south, promoted development of the Alabama River and the railroads, and had Commerce Street paved. It brought the Wright Brother flying school here in 1910 and was key to bringing military bases, the Veterans Hospital, trade schools, educational institutions, industrial parks, and tourism to the area. It is the linchpin of business and community growth partnering with elected and civic leaders to create jobs and a better quality of life for Montgomery area citizens.
[1996: 41 Commerce St., Montgomery, 32.37828 N   86.31022 W]

 

Montgomery's Confederate Hospitals

 

Situated away from main battlefields and with good rail and river connections, Montgomery was ideal for Confederate hospitals. Two locally operated were Soldiers' and Wayside. The government staffed six during the conflict. Citizens rendered services including food and nursing. Ladies, General, Madison and Concert Hall hospitals were on Commerce and Market streets; Stonewall and Watts, tent units, were west of town near the Alabama and Florida Railroad. After Shiloh and during the Atlanta Campaign, the hospitals were very busy, but throughout the War they tried diligently to heal wounds and diseases, often with limited supplies. These approximately seven hundred and fifty graves represent their failures. The commemorative marker was placed by the Ladies Memorial Association.

 

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Civil War Medicine

 

During the War Between the States medical knowledge was primitive. As a result, twice as many men died of disease than in battle from wounds. Early in the War, childhood diseases such as measles, mumps and chicken pox decimated entire camps. Later, the greatest killers were diarrhea, dysentery, typhoid, malaria and pneumonia. Many of those who survived battlefield wounds and amputations later died from infection. Scarcity of medical supplies in the beleaguered South added to the suffering and high death rate. For generations maimed veterans served as reminders of the horrors of wartime medicine.
[2007: 829 Columbus Street, Montgomery, 32.38423 N   86.29648 W]

 

Side 1

Montgomery County Circuit Court
Site of Major Civil Rights Cases 1956-1960

In 1956, 89 persons were indicted for violating an anti-boycott law; Rosa Parks’ conviction was appealed; the Montgomery Improvement Association car pool was enjoined; and Fred D. Gray was accused of legal misrepresentation (actions in all 4 cases ended with the successful end of the boycott).  In 1957, the NAACP was banned from Alabama (later overturned). In 1960, black Alabama State College and white MacMurray College (Illinois) students were jailed for eating together at the Regal Cafe, and a white and a black student were arrested for attempted desegregation of the Jefferson Davis Hotel; all convictions in these cases were reversed. Also in 1960, local black ministers were sued for libel in the case that resulted in the landmark 1964 Times v. Sullivan ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court, and Martin Luther King Jr. was acquitted by an all-white jury in a tax case. African American lawyers arguing cases in the courts here included attorneys Fred D. Gray, Charles Langford, Solomon Seay Jr., Charles Conley, Orzell Billingsley, Peter Hall, Arthur Shores, and Robert Carter. 
Sponsored by the Montgomery Improvement Association

Side 2
Sit-Ins and Marches at the Montgomery County Courthouse

On February 25, 1960, Alabama State College students demanded service at the “Whites Only” Courthouse Grille located on this site. When refused, the students occupied all the tables. The Grille was then closed, the lights turned off, and the students asked to leave. Subsequently, 9 ASC students were expelled, a dozen professors were pressured to resign, and the president was compelled to step down. Fred D. Gray filed St. John Dixon v. Alabama as a result of these actions and ultimately the students were ordered reinstated. On March 17, 1965, after a week of voting rights demonstrations in Montgomery marred by police violence against the protesters, some 4,000 students from Montgomery and Tuskegee marched on the Montgomery County Courthouse where leaders met with city, county, state, and federal officials. During the 7-hour meeting, students sang and chanted in the rain outside. When Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. emerged from the meeting, he announced that officials had apologized for the recent violence.
Sponsored by the Montgomery Improvement Association
[2015: South Lawrence Street]

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Montgomery and Electricity

 

Gaslights in 1854, electric lights in 1883 and the electric trolley in 1886 made Montgomery a state leader in applying modern technology for lighting and motive power. Steam was used first for generation, but in 1902 local businessmen built a dam on the Tallapoosa River to provide electricity for the city. Several companies competed fiercely to supply the growing demand. Montgomery Light and Power and Montgomery Light and Traction struggled to survive and were in receivership in 1923 when acquired by Alabama Power Co. Today, Alabama Power continues to serve the city and state. Montgomery Water Power and Electric Company, although short-lived, built this classically inspired structure in 1901.

Placed in recognition of Alabama Power's centennial, 1906-2006

 

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Hydroelectricity in the River Region

 

Hydroelectricity played a vital role in the growth of Montgomery and the state. The 1902 dam at Tallassee was the first major hydroelectric plant in Alabama. The Great Flood of 1919 destroyed the dam, causing acute power shortages, a problem not fully resolved until 1920, when workers completed a transmission line linking the city to the Alabama Power Co. dam at Lock 12 on the Coosa River. In 1926 Martin Dam was completed on the Tallapoosa River, creating what was at the time the largest artificial lake in the world. In 1928 work was completed on Jordan Dam north of Wetumpka and Yates Dam at the site of the 1919 dam failure. Thurlow Dam, also near Tallassee, was completed in 1930. Today, Alabama Power operates 14 hydroelectric projects on the Coosa, Tallapoosa and Black Warrior rivers. 

Placed in recognition of Alabama Power's centennial, 1906-2006
[2006: E. Jefferson Street @ N. Lawrence Street, Montgomery, 32.38093 N   86.30615 W]

Montgomery City-County Public Library

 

First official library organized 1843 in building on Court Square. Although of short duration, others followed. In 1898, Montgomery Library Association chartered as subscription library. In 1900, Andrew Carnegie, steel magnate, offered $50,000 for a building if property acquired; over $12,000 rapidly raised locally for lot at corner Perry and Adams. York and Sawyer of New York designed building with Frank Lockwood supervising architect for Beaux Arts structure. This was first free library. In 1959, Sherlock, Smith and Adams designed new building for Library and Fine Arts Museum at Lawrence and High. Racial integration took place in1962. With Museum's move to Blount Park in 1988, Library re-designed to better utilize space. In 2005, main facility renamed to honor civil rights advocate Juliette Hampton Morgan. Nine branches and the Morgan Library now serve the City and County.

Sponsored by The Friends of the Montgomery City-County Public Library

 

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Juliette Hampton Morgan

 

Juliette Hampton Morgan was a white Montgomery, Alabama librarian whose privileged upbringing seemed unlikely to produce the determined civil rights activist that she became. Her letters to the Montgomery Advertiser supporting the 1956 Bus Boycott, integration of the University of Alabama, and national compliance with public school integration drew fire from traditionalists who demanded her resignation. People boycotted the Carnegie Library on Perry Street where she worked, taunted and insulted her, and burned a cross on her front lawn. In 1952, she wrote to a friend, "there are thousands [like me] who want to change our old order, but they are afraid of speaking out. I believe that is our biggest problem - overcoming the fear of decent white people."
[2008: High Street @ South Lawrence Street, Montgomery, 32.37202 N   86.30587 W]

 

Montgomery's First Election 
January 3, 1820

 

At this site, in Jonathan Coggswell Farley's store, an election was held to establish Montgomery's first government. The Alabama General Assembly, meeting in the capital at Huntsville, approved an act on December 3, 1819 to combine the communities of New Philadelphia and East Alabama into the new town of Montgomery. Named in the act to conduct and manage the election were Jonathan C. Farley, Walter B. Lucas, Ebenezer D. Washburn and Andrew Dexter. 

Elected to the first town council were Nimrod E. Benson, William Graham, Clement Freeney, Ebenezer D. Washburn, John Goldthwaite, Rhodes L. Smith and Daniel Carpenter. They chose Graham as the first intendant (mayor). 

Walter B. Lucas proposed that the new town be named for Gen. Richard Montgomery, the Revolutionary War hero.

 

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Jonathan Coggswell Farley 
1798-1864

 

Farley acquired two lots on this site in 1817. Here he build the town's first frame store and first frame two-story building, his house. In Farley's store, an election was held January 3, 1820 to create Montgomery's first governing body. Farley and three others were named in an act of the Alabama General Assembly to conduct and manage this first election. 

 

Farley was born in Ipswich, Massachusetts in 1798. About 1816, he sailed from Portland, Maine to the port of Mobile then proceeded to Ft. Jackson (Toulouse) to establish a trading post. Coming to Montgomery, he opened the town's second store. He served as foreman of the first Grand Jury and, later, moved to a plantation outside town near Cross Keys. 

The town's first newspaper, The Montgomery Republican, also occupied his store.
[2000: North Hull Street @ Dexter Avenue, Montgomery, 32.37773 N  86.30356 W]

 

Montgomery's Slave Markets

 

The city's slave market was at the Artesian Basin (Court Square). Slaves of all ages were auctioned, along with land and livestock, standing in line to be inspected. Public posters advertised sales and included gender, approximate age, first name (slaves did not have last names), skill, price, complexion and owner's name. In the 1850s, able field hands brought $1,500; skilled artisans $3,000. In 1859, the city had seven auctioneers and four slave depots: one at Market Street (Dexter Avenue) and Lawrence, another at the corner of Perry and Monroe, and two on Market between Lawrence and McDonough.

 

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First Emancipation Observance - 1866

 

Montgomery's first observance of the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation was New Year's Day at Wilson's Grove on Mildred Street. A parade formed at Gilmer's Warehouse, Commerce Street. Invited were a brass band, the governor, legislators, aldermen, businessmen, benevolent societies, churches and fire engine companies. Peyton Finley, parade marshal, was the first black member of the State Board of Education. Speakers of the day included Holland Thompson, first black alderman and a state legislator, who advised "show by good conduct, industry, and fidelity, that the year 1866 was a year of jubilee, instead of insurrection." He also told the crowd to acquire land, homes, and education for their children.
[2001: Montgomery St. @ Commerce Street, Montgomery, 32.37758 N   86.30971 W]

 

Montgomery Theatre

 

Opened in October 1860 as the South moved closer to secession, the theatre was significant in the social, cultural and political life of the city. In the early months, John Wilkes Booth performed here, Bryant Minstrels introduced "Dixie," which was transcribed for the Montgomery Brass Band. Southern leaders Robert Toombs, Alexander Stephens and William L. Yancey addressed packed houses. Later the city's location on route between New Orleans and Atlanta brought performers Edwin Forrest, Joseph Jefferson, and leading theatrical troupes and opera companies to the stage which closed in 1907. 
[1996: Perry Street @ Monroe Street, Montgomery, 32.37846 N   86.30756 W]

 

Murphy House

 

Greek Revival Home built 1851 by John H. Murphy, cotton broker and an incorporator and director of the Montgomery Water Works Company chartered 1854. Union Army Provost Marshal's Headquarters 1865. Elks Club 1902-1967. Restored by Montgomery Water Works and Sanitary Sewer Board, 1970.
[1970: 22 Bibb Street, Montgomery, 32.38001 N   86.30946 W]

 

Nat "King" Cole

 

Nathaniel Adams Cole, world famous jazz musician, was born at 1524 St. John Street on March 17, 1917. His father, Edward, a Baptist minister, moved his family to Chicago in the early 1920s. There, Cole began his career as a jazz pianist. He toured the vaudeville circuit with the "Shuffle Along Review." In 1939, he formed the original "King Cole Trio." In the 1940s, he started singing and recording ballads in a distinct style that attracted great multitudes to his concerts. His early hits included "Sweet Loraine," and "Sweet Georgia Brown." He died of lung cancer on February 15, 1965 in Santa Monica, California.

 

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Nat "King" Cole

 

Nat "King" Cole's music career spanned three decades and a variety of styles. He first played the piano in dance halls, then created his famous jazz trio and developed a singing style that influenced the future of jazz, rhythm-and-blues, and popular music. In 1946, he became the first black artist to have a sponsored radio show and in 1956 hosted the first T.V. series. His records were on the charts for 23 years; he had more than 100 hits. He won a Grammy in 1959 and received the Grammy lifetime achievement award in 1989. His daughter won a Grammy in 1992 for "Unforgettable," her dubbed duet with her father.
[1995: St. John St., Montgomery]

 

The Oaks Plantation

 

House built ca. 1830s by Alexander Carter on small land holding.  Increasing fortunes led to a 1780-acre diversified and innovative plantation.  Oak trees planted on either side of front drive led to its name.  During WWII, an auxiliary landing strip, called Mt. Meigs Field, was built on the land by Army Corp of Engineers, and was used for training by American, French, and British aviation cadets from Gunter Field, as well as by “Tuskegee Airmen” from Moton Field.  Prominent families who owned The Oaks included those of Edward Pierce, E.T. Davis, William Nicrosi, Price McLemore, Tine Davis, Wayne Dawson.

 

Sponsored by East Montgomery County Historical Society

[2011: Marler Road @ Avenue of the Oaks near Waugh. (Off US 80 near Exit 16 on I-85 east of Montgomery.) 32.35722 N   86.04511 W]

 

Oak Park Montgomery's First Public Park

 

Streetcar and land developers opened Highland Park in 1886 at same time adjacent suburb with that name was developing. In mid-1890s, City purchased park and renamed it. Oak Park became popular with zoo, pools, pavilion and picnic areas. A segregated facility, the City closed it in 1957, but re-opened it in 1965 as integrated park and gardens. In 1968-69, City built W.A. Gayle Planetarium, operated by Troy University. For years, the well-loved Myers Pop Corn served thousands of happy customers who proved his slogan "By My Corn I Shall Be Known." Marcus B. Myers's stand was just outside the Oak Park gates on Forest Avenue; he was known throughout the neighborhood for his generosity and kindness to the children who were patients in nearby hospitals.
[2007: Corner of Forest Avenue and Park Street, Montgomery, 32.36874 N  86.28656 W]

 

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Forest Avenue's Medical Facilities

 

With the growth of the Highland Park suburb in the 1890s, a medical community developed along Forest Avenue. In 1895, Dr. Isaac Watkins opened Highland Park Sanatorium in three frame houses in the 500 block. In early 1920s, Watkins sold to Dr. T. Brannon Hubbard who practiced in one and conducted a nursing school in another. Later, he built Hubbard Hospital adjacent to them. Dr. Hubbard closed his hospital in 1956, but continued to practice until 1968. In the 1930s, a Children's Hospital provided services by pediatrician Dr. C. Hilton Rice. Following World War II, in 1946, Dr. Frank Jackson and twelve other doctors founded Jackson Hospital that expanded into one of the largest in the area. In addition to the hospitals, hundreds of individual doctors have devoted themselves to the community, carrying out the medical traditions established here in the late 19th century.

 

Office of Dr. Luther Leonidas Hill

 

This early 20th-century building was office of Dr. L.L. Hill who, in 1902, performed first open heart surgery in the Western Hemisphere when he sutured a stab wound in a young boy's heart. A Montgomerian, Hill graduated in medicine from Jefferson Medical College and the University of the City of New York by the time he was 21. He then studied in London with the world renowned Dr. Joseph Lister. Hill practiced from 1884 until 1932, pioneering new ideas in antiseptic procedures in Alabama. He and a brother, Dr. R.S. Hill, founded Laura Hill Hospital named for their mother. L.L. Hill's son, Senator Lister Hill, introduced the Hill-Burton Act providing for hospitals across the nation.

 

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Office Site of Dr. J. Marion Sims 
"Father of Modern Gynecology"

 

On this site in 1840s stood small hospital of Dr. J. Marion Sims in which he made surgical history with his successful operations for urinary fistula in women. A South Carolinian, Sims studied at Charleston Medical School and Jefferson Medical College of Philadelphia. He practiced briefly in his native state before coming to Mt. Meigs (1835) and Montgomery (1840). He left this city and, in 1853, founded a famous Women's Hospital in New York, gaining world renown for his work in the field of surgery for women. Among his patients were the Empress Eugenie of France and other members of European royalty. His statue is on the grounds of Alabama's Capitol.
[1994: Washington Street @ South Perry Street, Montgomery, 32.37656 N  ; 86.30735 W]

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Pleasant Grove Missionary Baptist Church, 1881

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One of the oldest continuously existing African American churches in Montgomery, Pleasant Grove Missionary Baptist Church was founded in 1881 by the Rev. J. H. Kennedy. The original sanctuary was a small wooden building, heated in colder months by a large black stove. Congregants worshipped there until completion of a new building in 1957. The church was a beacon for “Punkin Town” or “Pratt Quarters” in an era before highway construction divided the neighborhood. For generations, church members have endeavored to welcome through its doors those in need.  

“Upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” ~ Matthew 16:18
[20 Dempsey Street, Montgomery]