Linda Kilgore

I can show any property in the Montgomery River Region and Lake Martin

Welcome to the beautiful city of Montgomery! As the epitome of economic prosperity, Montgomery is the prosperous and progressive state capital of Alabama. Montgomery embodies southern hospitality, welcoming visitors and new residents alike with open arms. Enjoy living in a friendly community that has four full seasons a year and booming businesses, an award winning school district, and a rich history.

Montgomery is filled with rich diversity and cultural landmarks such as the Hank Williams Museum, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Rosa Parks Museum, First White House of the Confederacy, Civil Rights Memorial and much more. Montgomery is the home of Maxwell/Gunter Air Force Bases, Hyundai Motors Manufacturing Alabama and Biscuits Baseball. To learn all this and more about Montgomery, please visit their official website at: http://www.montgomeryal.gov/.

History

Long before Montgomery was founded, the area was the site of two Indian settlements called the Ikanatchati and the Towasa. In 1540, Hernando De Soto and his fellow Spanish explorers became the first Europeans to explore the area that would one day become Montgomery. However, it wasn’t until 1716 that the first white settler, James McQueen, arrived in the area. The area continued to be sparsely inhabited until 1814, when a man named Arthur Moore built cabins along the local rivers banks. Three years later, the land was put up for sale and purchased by two groups of land speculators.

These two groups founded the towns of Philadelphia and East Alabama, who were great rivals of one another. In December 1819, the rivalry was finally ended when the two towns merged under the name Montgomery, Incorporated. Eleven days after Montgomery was founded, Alabama became a state.

In 1821, steamboats arrived at the city, which allowed for the arrival of new residents and for easier trade. By 1825, cotton was Montgomery’s major agricultural crop and the town boasted a private school, a dancing school, a court, and a State Bank. Real estate companies also began to flourish as new settlers arrived in the area. In 1834, the Montgomery Railroad became a reality. By 1840, Montgomery had a population of 2,179 residents. On January 30, 1846, Montgomery became the new capital of Alabama, with the first session in the new capital meeting in December of 1847.

Alabama was the first of the southern states to secede from the Union during the Civil War on January 6, 1861. On February 4 of the same year, representatives of six seceding states met in Montgomery and formed the Confederate States of America, with Jefferson Davis serving as President and Montgomery serving briefly as the new capital.

After the Civil War, Montgomery suffered many hardships, taking until 1880 for economic and social recovery to take place. The expansion of the railroad, access to the most productive agricultural regions in the South, as well as the fact that it was state capital aided in re-connecting the city with other areas in the state through roads and railway routes. By this time the population had grown to 16,713 residents. Montgomery was home to the first electric streetcar in the country, arriving in 1885. In 1890, industrialists and financiers began to visit Montgomery in search of new business sites, opening a large lumber mill, local textile and garment factories, cotton processing plants, and fertilizer plants.

Between 1900 and 1940, Montgomery steadily grew from 30,000 residents to 78,000 residents. During this time Orville and Wilbur conducted their first night flights in Montgomery in 1910, opening an airfield and the first flight school in the city. Later, the city became a center for packing plants, furniture, construction, and chemical and food production.

In 1955, Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her bus seat to a white man. For 381 days after this incident, Montgomery African Americans boycotted the city’s buses, forcing the U.S. Supreme Court to order desegregation of Montgomery buses. In the 1960s, Montgomery became the virtual headquarters of the civil rights movement. In 1965, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. King led the famous Civil Rights March for Justice from Selma to Montgomery. Less than five months after the march, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which represented a major victory for civil rights advocates.

To learn more about Montgomery’s rich history, please visit: http://www.hellomontgomery.com/history.cfm or contact the Mongtgomery County Historical Society at: PO Box 1829, Montgomery, AL 36102; telephone (334)264-1837. Alabama Department of Archives and History Museum can be contacted at: 624 Washington Ave., Montgomery, AL 36130; telephone (334)242-4435; email Mark.Palmer@archives.alabama.gov.

Parks and Recreation

Montgomery is home to a first-class parks and recreation department, dedicated to ensuring a higher quality of life for all Montgomery residents. Montgomery’s mission is to “provide a well-rounded recreation and leisure program conducted in safe, clean and attractive facilities and environments, geared to reach all persons without regard to age, gender, religion, national origin, race or disability”. Montgomery offers a variety of open spaces, open shelters, and parks, as well as pavilions, playgrounds, trails and more. If you enjoy being involved in exciting recreational programs, Montgomery offers basketball, football, gymnastics, golf, swimming, senior programs and much more! Click here to find out more about what Montgomery’s Parks and Recreation Department can do for you and your family. http://www.montgomeryal.gov/index.aspx?page=58

For a complete list of Montgomery’s parks, trails, and natural areas, please click here: http://www.funontheriver.net/parks

For a complete list of Montgomery’s recreation, sports, and culture facilities, please visit:
http://www.funontheriver.net/recreation

Attractions and Activities

Discover a rich variety of fantastic attractions and activities that await you in Montgomery. Montgomery offers superb shopping, delectable restaurants and eateries, and fun to be had by all. If you enjoy sightseeing, take a cruise on the Harriott II Riverboat or explore the Museum of Fine Arts. If you love the excitement of watching or playing sports, go see an incredible game at the Riverwalk Stadium or head on over to the Montgomery Alabama River Skate Park. Montgomery has so much to offer both visitors and residents alike; to find out more about the incredible attractions and activities that await you in Montgomery, please feel free to explore the links provide below.

Museum of Fine Arts
http://www.montgomeryal.gov/index.aspx?page=57

Riverwalk Amphitheater/Splashpad

355 Coosa Street (At the end of Coosa Street to the River)
Montgomery, Al 36104
(334) 265-2100

Riverwalk (Biscuits) Stadium
200 Coosa Street
Montgomery, Al 36104
(334) 265-2100

Union Station/Train Shed
300 Water Street
Montgomery, Al 36104
(334) 265-2100

Montgomery Alabama River Skate
301 Bibb Street
Montgomery, Al 36104
(334) 240-4651

Alley Way Common Area
One Dexter Plaza Roundabout
Montgomery, Al 36104

Harriott II Riverboat

Montgomery, Alabama Attractions

Events

Montgomery is home to a variety of fun events throughout the year, always offering you and your family something new and exciting to experience! From concerts from world-renowned artists to theatrical performances and holiday events, there’s something for people of all ages and interests. Please visit Montgomery’s official event calendar, official City calendar, and annual events calendar to discover just a few of these family-friendly events and activities that await you in the upcoming months.

Montgomery’s Official Event Calendar

Montgomery’s Official City Calendar

Montgomery Annual Events