Martin Luther King Jr.~ Martin Luther King Jr. and his family lived here in Montgomery from 1954 to 1960 while he served as pastor of the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church. During the Bus Boycott, Martin Luther King Jr. became a leader in the community and was elected as president to a newly formed group, the Montgomery Improvement Association. In 1956, terrorist who tried to intimidate the protesters of the boycott bombed the parsonage where he and his family lived. Dr. King’s involvement with the boycott gave him the credibility he needed to become a national leader for the Civil Rights Movement.

Black Heritage Trail~ This trail runs from Selma through Lowndes County to Montgomery and then from Montgomery to Tuskegee. It offers a unique opportunity to walk in the footsteps of civil rights pioneers. There are many local sites that a visitor can view first hand that will help them interpret a sample of the triumphs and tribulations experienced along the road to equality.

Selma to Montgomery March~ In 1965 Rev. Martin Luther King lead a protest march for voting rights. It began on the Edmond Pettus Bridge in Selma and ended at the capitol steps in Montgomery. Legislation was then passed by Congress, which protected the rights of all citizens.

Jefferson Davis, President~ In 1861, Jefferson Davis was sworn in, on the capitol grounds as the 1st and only President of the Confederate States of America. A gold star now marks the spot where he stood. As Chief Executive of a new nation, Davis dwelled in a house that stood on the corner of Lee & Bibb Street. The First White House of the Confederacy was later moved from its original location to its current location, the corner of Washington & Union Street, where it would be restored.

Nations First Trolley System~ On April 15, 1866, the first electric trolley streetcars began in Montgomery, Alabama. Many people assume the trolley system began In San Francisco, but it originated here. The Lightening Route continued to operate until 1936 when the city replaced it with buses.

First Flight School~ In 1910, Wilbur Wright decided to open one of the world’s earliest flying schools at the site that would subsequently become Maxwell Air Force Base. In the 1920’s the air repair depot which was located on site, was renamed Maxwell Field and became an air training base. Today, Maxwell is home to the prestigious Air University.

Hank Williams~ At sixteen, living in Montgomery, Williams quit school and began his music career in earnest. He made his first radio appearance on WSFA in late 1936 or early 1937, and would soon become one of the station's most popular performers. He also worked beer joints and regional shows with his band, already named the Drifting Cowboys. It is reported that he was discovered at the old Empire Theatre, which is now the Rosa Parks Museum. Montgomery was the last place the country music legend performed before dying in his sleep. He is buried here in Oakwood Cemetery.

F. Scott Fitzgerald~ In 1917, F. Scott Fitzgerald was training for combat at Camp Sheridan, located on Montgomery’s outskirts. While in town, he attended a dance at the Country Club, where he met Zelda Sayre. They were married after the war and set a style for the Jazz Age.

War Between The States~ Alabama seceded from the union on January 11, 1861, and declared itself the Republic of Alabama. The Alabama secession convention invited other representatives from six of the states that had seceded from the union to gather in Montgomery in early 1861 to form the government of the Confederate States of America, with Montgomery as the capitol. On April 11, 1861, the telegraph was sent, from the Winter Building in Downtown Montgomery, that ordered the fire on Fort Sumter, beginning the Civil War.

General Richard Montgomery~ In 1819, New Philadelphia and Alabama Town merged and took the name Montgomery, after General Richard Montgomery, who was a Revolutionary War hero that died in 1775 during the Battle of Quebec.

Montgomery County~ In 1816 the Mississippi Legislature created Montgomery County, which was named for Major Lemuel Purnell Montgomery who died at Horseshoe Bend.

Montgomery (The Capitol City)~ Alabama’s first capitol was Cahaba, but in 1826 the state decided to move the seat of government to Tuscaloosa. Then in the 1830’s and early 1840’s the boundaries of the state moved eastward. With changing demographic and geographic centers, the need for a new and more centrally located seat of government was evident. In 1846 the state’s government moved to Montgomery from Tuscaloosa. After the fire of 1849 there was talk of moving the capitol once again, but the state appropriated funds to begin reconstruction so the capitol would remain here.

Flags of the Confederacy~ The first flag of the confederacy, Stars & Bars, was adopted in 1861. Since there was a similarity to the U.S flag, Stars & Stripes, there was a second flag adopted in 1863, the Stainless Banner. This flag resembled a flag of truce and fell limp around the pole, so the Confederate Congress added a red bar to the flag in 1865, making this our third national flag.

Montgomery Theatre~ The theatre opened on Monroe Street in 1860. During the first week of performances, John Wilkes Boothe acted in several of the Shakespearian plays. During the secession fervor, a little known song, “Dixie’s Land”, was transcribed for the Montgomery Brass Band. It was played in honor of Jefferson Davis’s inauguration. In 1907, the theatre closed its doors.

Historic Union Station~ The citizens of Montgomery, Alabama were first introduced to Union Station and the Train Shed on May 6, 1898. The facility was designed by Benjamin Boswell Smith and represents the late Victorians. There were six railroads that passed through Montgomery: Atlantic Coast Line, Central of Georgia, Seaboard Airline, M&O, L&N, and Western of Alabama. Union Station served as a passenger rail station until the late 1970’s. In 1982-83 the building was restored for office space and in 1999, the city of Montgomery acquired it. Today, it is a vital part of Riverfront Development and is home to the Visitor Center and Depot Gift Shop.

Governors Mansion~ The state of Alabama decided to provide their chief executive a residence in 1911. It bought a beaux-arts mansion on Perry Street that was built in 1906. This mansion would house the states governors until 1950, when the current mansion was purchased. The first Governor to occupy the mansion was Gordon Persons, who moved in on his inauguration day, January 15, 1951. This mansion also served as the home to Alabama’s first and only female Governor Lurleen Wallace from 1968-1969.

Ft. Toulouse~ The French established Ft. Toulouse in 1717. Thus beginning settlement of East Alabama & New Philadelphia.

Montgomery Baseball~ Montgomery has been home to a number of minor league baseball teams including the Montgomery Wings, the Rebels, the Grays, the Bombers, the Capitols and the Lions. Most recently, Montgomery has become home to the Montgomery Biscuits, which play in the newly constructed Riverwalk Stadium. The stadium is part of Downtown Revitalization and is included in phase one of the Riverwalk project.

Nat King Cole~ Nathaniel Adams Cole was born in Montgomery on March 17, 1919. Cole’s home was moved from it original location and placed on the campus of Alabama State University. A Historical Marker now marks the house where he grew up. While his work from the Fifties and Sixties shared little with the rock and roll revolution that was under way, Cole’s broader influence on the idiom as a musical pioneer and as a popular star is undeniable.

TrackBack URI for this entry

Comments (0)

Subscribe to this comment's feed

Show/hide comments

Show/hide comment form

Name

Email

Website

Title

Comment

smaller | bigger

Subscribe via email (registered users only)

I have read and agree to the Terms of Usage.

Write the displayed characters

Add Comment