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The history of Montgomery begins in the early 1800's. The encroachment of the early white settlers on the Creek Indians' land caused tensions between the two races which finally ended in war. It was after the defeat of the Creek Indians at Horseshoe Bend in March 1814 and the subsequent treaty at Fort Jackson in which the Creeks ceded millions of acres, that central Alabama was truly opened up for settlement.The county of Montgomery was created by an Act of the Legislature of the Mississippi Territory on December 6, 1816 and was named in memory of Major Lemuel P. Montgomery of Virginia, who had the distinction of being the first man to die in the battle of Horseshoe Bend. Originally, Montgomery County embraced the whole of central Alabama. In time, however, it was subdivided and portions were set apart which made up Elmore, Bullock, and Crenshaw counties.
"Cotton planters who, because of high cotton prices, were frequently able to make great profits on their product dominated the settlement of this area. The plantation system used slave labor, and settlers of African-American ancestry outnumbered whites in most parts of central Alabama. But the slave owning whites were not a majority of the white population, and Alabama politics in the antebellum period reflected the class tension of this division. The extraordinary wealth generated by the sale of cotton made this region one of the most prosperous parts of the United States, especially in the decade before the Civil War. Cotton was the mainstay of the economy until World War II."1
"...The City of Montgomery, which became the county seat in 1822, was built on the side of the Indian town Ikanatchati (Econachatee), which means red ground, and Towasa on a high red bluff known to Alibamu Indians as Chunnaanaauga Chatty. Hernando DeSoto and his troops, who passed near Montgomery in the autumn of 1540, were the first Europeans to visit this region.
"When the Alabama Lands were offered for sale in 1817, two groups of speculators made their initial payments. One group, a company of Georgians led by General John Scott, bought the area along the river bluff and called it "Alabama Town." Later, a second group, led by Andrew Dexter, bought the area bounded by present day Court, Ripley, Scott, and Jefferson Streets and named it "New Philadelphia." The Georgians abandoned the Alabama Town and built the town of East Alabama, in competition.
"A bitter rivalry between the two groups was finally terminated when the two towns were merged under the name Montgomery. Incorporated December 3, 1819, eleven days before Alabama was admitted into the Union, the city of Montgomery was named in honor of Major Richard Montgomery of Revolutionary War fame, who lost his life in the Arnold expedition against Quebec."2
Local Facts &Trivia
- The County is older than the state; was organized in 1816 by the Mississippi Territorial Legislature
- The first Steamboat arrived in 1821
- The City of Montgomery became the county seat in 1822
- The City of Montgomery became the state capital in 1846
- The City of Montgomery was the First Capital of the Confederacy in 1861 for three months.
- First electric trolley system in the Western Hemisphere in 1886
- First State Department of Archives and History in 1901
- First civilian flying school in 1910
- First night flight in history in 1910
- First concerted effort in the Civil Rights movement in 1955
- Home of Gunter Base and Maxwell Base, Air War College for the Air Force.
- The Town of Highland Park was Incorporated in 1887
- The Highland Avenue School was built in 1903
- The first area fire station was built in 1911
- In 1910, the City of Montgomery annexed part of Highland Park into the city
- In 1927 the rest of Highland Park, along with Highland Gardens, Capital Heights, Oak Park and Cloverdale was annexed
- The trolley system, which was the hub of the neighborhood, was shut down in 1936.
"The Town of Highland Park came into existence from a 500 acre tract of land owned by Bolling Hall. He sold this land in 1887 to a group of men who formed the Highland Park Improvement Company. The land was platted and connected to the City of Montgomery when the owners of a system of electric trolley cars agreed to extend its lines into the area. This was the first electric trolley system in the western hemisphere. At this time Highland Park included what is now known as Oak Park. The corporation limits of the Town of Highland Park, Alabama were filed in the Montgomery County Probate Office on 3/22/1887. These boundaries are somewhat different from what is now known as Highland Park."The name Highland Park comes from a baseball field on this land which was known as Highland Park. It was once located where the Highland Avenue School now stands. It was bounded on the west by Boyce Street, on the north by Highland Avenue, and almost to Polk Street on the East, and close to Cherry Street on the south.
"The Capital City Street Railway Lines, known as the Lightning Route, ended at Oak Grove. When the rails were extended across the Montgomery and Eufaula Railroad (later Central of Georgia) and down Highland Avenue, the number of homes increased from ten at the beginning of 1884 to fifty-eight at the date of incorporation. Another benefit of the rail system was the first real sub-division in Montgomery. This was known as Bungalow City. It was bounded by the east of Panama Street to Ann Street and the north of Highland Avenue to Thrasher Street. The homes were small and stained dark green, brown, or red and were advertised as ultra modern and easy to heat and maintain."
At the end of Cherry Street on the west side of the Railroad was a platform with a small shelter. This was the Highland Park Railroad Station. One could actually board and de-train at this site." "In 1936 the Trolley was discontinued and the power lines removed. The exposed tracks at the cross streets were visible for many years. The Railroad was abandoned and some of the tracks have been removed. In 1887, the Highland Park Improvement Association announced plans for the sale of lots in an area east of town on the old Hall Plantation property. Principals and directors of the association were also investors in the Capital City Street Railway company as streetcars and suburban development went hand in hand. Montgomery's street railway, which in 1887 became an entirely electric system, offered the opportunity for people to live away from the inner city by providing a means by which they could get to and from work. Earlier, in December 1886, the rail company had opened a large tract of land for the city's first public park, the Oak Park of today. At the time, the plotting of residential areas around green space was gaining adherents and growing in popularity around the country.
The tracks for the streetcar went down a median on Highland Avenue, the main thoroughfare of the new community. Highland Park thrived to the point that by 1903 a school became a necessity, and in 1911 the city built a fire station. Several denominations began churches, including Presbyterian, Episcopal, Methodist, and Baptist. In 1924, architect Carl Cooper designed an edifice for the Church of Christ; today that building serves as the Crump Community Center.
Architecturally, many of the homes remain from the late 19th century and early 20th centuries including small Queen Annes, craftsman and bungalows. The elementary school in the handsome old building serves as a focal point for the neighborhood as does the Community Center. Underscoring the ambience are gardens, fretwork, gables, and hexblock sidewalks. One can also find Dan Crapps Barber Shop, Peachtree on Highland Avenue restaurant and art shop, and other businesses. The Highland Avenue median, although no longer ringing to the sounds of streetcars, has plantings and trees offering shade and beauty.
The people of Highland Park, many of who are occupying houses that have been in their families for two or three generations, have dedicated themselves to the preservation of their neighborhood, its history and its future.