The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-02-23
By d. w. McIver.


spondence. }-Prattville was founded by
Daniel Pratt, the elder, and Is manu-
featuring town. NV friend and feiiow-
countryman, Rev. DR.. j. w. Rush. for
he too Is a native of Macon County,
who 10 the preacher in charge of this
station said to me. that PrattviIe was
q wonderful town in that II mace ana
sent away more goods and articles OF
merchandise than 1t brought back. Tnat
Is. more goods are manufactured here
than are consumed by the population.
That is a remarkable record and goes
TO prove that the power of the bold
largely utilized for manufacturing pur-
poses. 3
The founder of the place was born in
humble circumstances, without fortune
or wealthy friends, he made fame ana
monument behind him which will last
for all ages. He was mechanic by
nature and gifted with inventive genius
which served him. to good purpose in
developing and building up of the vast
business which Is now being carried on
by worthy successors. The land upon
which the present town Is situated was
purchased by Mr.. Pratt from Joseph
May in 1885 1t was then a wilderness,
a marsh covered with bay and pine. a
large expenditure of labor and capital
were required to drain the swampy land,
so as to fit II for the operation OF man
ufacturing establishments and for hu-
man habitation. Soon after Mr.. Pratt
went into Possession Of his purchase he
began to develop the place. He erected
dam across Autauga Creek, short
distance above where the brick dam now
stands He then established good saw
mill and soon after successful ana
large Touring mill, after building fine
grist mill. In 1888 he erected large
frame building for gin factory, where
in this building an immense business
was done for many years, and the Pratt
gin manufactured here, became cele-
brated for its excellence and great ef1-
cheney. throughout the entire cotton pro-
6ucing country, and enabled Mr.. Pratt,
by its wonderful popularity and lucra-
tive sales. to accumulate large fortune
which was wisely expended in the devei-
opment of the town.
II, 1886 the Prattville Cotton Manufac-
turing Company began the manufacture
of cotton goods In large wooden build
ins On TIC site OF the present cotton fac
tory and Daniei Pratt was the moving
spirit in this manufacturing enterprise.
assisted by band of excellent and pub
Iic-spirited men. The old frame building
was displaced by splendid brick struc-
ttire In D.
In this blilding the manufacture of cot
ton good was extensively carried on
through place and war and through pros
.psritt A.,d adv-rsity, uaiil March 80.
1855 when an unprecedented freshet in
the cree. cause = break j.. the dam.
aud the great flood of waters swept with
such terrific violence around the hlse of
the walls of the great building. as to I'M
a rninc the same I'D cause them to fall
The factory thereafter lay in ruins till
May. 1887.
The county has a good and substantial
Court House at Prattviile, the county
Jail with steel cells. for the safekeeping
of prisoners. The bridges which span
the various streams on the public high
ways are in excellent repair and the
Gently adopted system of work promise
to be an improvement over those which
traversed the county in the past. There
are many manufacturing plants that are
stitutions of the busy little city. Here
the immense mandatory of the well
known Daniel Pratt Gin Company Is To-
Gated, and whose vast machinery is pro-
PEELED by water. This is doubtless the
largest and most complete mandatory
of cotton gins in the world. Its ma
chimes are ordered not only from all the
cotton-growing section of America, but
In response to order from beyond the
seas. Pratt gins have of late years been
shipped to the far off Russias. Japan,
Java, and Mexico. 1t gives regular daily
employment to several hundred well paid
workmen and laborers; and its annual
product is immense. The Prattville Cot
ton Mills give occupation to $50
operatives and employees. Three hundred
looms and 100, 900 spindles are here worked
ana twenty Ddl6S OF COTTON are daily
manufactured into useful fabrics. The
manufactures are. osnaburgs, sheeting.
shifting. drilling and cotton rope. and
the daily production are 10000 yards OF
cloth and 1000 pounds of cotton rope.
These two representative establishments
have given to Prattville a local habita-
tion and a name.
Among the towns and postoffices which
dot the surface of Autauga, may be mem
Independence. Milton, Jones' Switch, Bill
Kingsley. Gibbons, Mulberry, Netlzen.
Rays Hill. Marbury Rollins. Deatsville.
Vine Hill, Autaugaville and Prattville.
The last named is the county seat and
has about $500 inhabitants with public
school that is a pride to her people.
fPrattville has recently taken a decided
step forward in educational matters. Up
to the present school year she has been
maintaining private and a public
schocl-Prattville Academy and Pratt
Vile Public School. Last summer, how
ever. the boards controlling the two
schools decided, after mature considera-
ton, that 1t would be wise to CONSOLE
date them. A committee from the two
boards drew up set of resolutions set
ting forth a plan for conducting one
graded public school, and the boards
acting together. adopted the resolutions
and elected a principal and four assist
ant teachers, thus making an excellent
beginning towards giving Prattville q
first-class public school system.
This school, the Prattvile Graded
School and Academy. has just closed its
first term in most furnishing condition.
During the term there, were enrolled PSI
pupils, and the records show an average
daily attendance of 205. The people of
the town have given the teachers such
support as Is rarely given. and the pat
rons express unusual satisfaction with
the work of the school.
OF the teachers elected last summer
three were already well known and
highly esteemed by the citizens. Mrs.
Mary Minis, who has charge of the third
and fourth grades, has been for some
years a teacher in the Prattville Public
School. She and Miss Edna Davis who
teaches the fifth and sixth grades. live
in Prattville. and both are highly spoken
of by those who know of their work