Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)/Montgomery

MONTGOMERY, a city, county-seat of Montgomery co., and capital of the State of Alabama; on the Alabama river, and on the Louisv i lle and Nashville, the Western of Alabama, the Plant System, the Central of Georgia, the Mobile and Ohio and the Seaboard Air Line railroads; 95 miles S. E. of Birmingham. Here are the United States Government Building, Masonic Temple, city infirmary, an orphanage, large cotton storage warehouses, electric lights, electric street railways. National banks, and several daily and weekly newspapers. It has manufactories of ice, fertilizers, candy, wagons, carriages, cigars, vinegar, soap, crackers, paper boxes, etc.; large interests in cotton oil machinery, marble, etc.; and an assessed property valuation of nearly $30,000,000. The opening of the Panama Canal gave a great impetus to the commercial interests of Montgomery, and it is now one of the most important industrial cities of the South. Montgomery was founded in 1817, and named in honor of General Montgomery, who was killed in the action at Quebec. It received its charter in 1837, and was inade the State capital in 1847. It was also the capital of the Confederate States in 1861-1862. Pop. (1910) 38,136; (1920) 43,464.