The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-05-14
.PRATTVILLE HAS
MANY INDUSTRIES
Noted for Sixty Years as an In
dustriaI Center
FOUNDED BY DANIEL PRATT
Mr.. Pratt Left immense Cotton Gin
Works and Other Factories
as Proof of His
Genius.
FOUNDED BY DANIEL PRATT
BY FRANK v. EVANS.


Prattville. May S.-(speeial EVERY
Alabamian knows something of Pratt
vile because the name is so closely iden-
titled with the general progress of the
state; and then. too, Prattvile was a
pioneer in the Industrial development of
Alabama 1t was as far back as 1910 that
Daniel Pratt laid the foundation of Pratt
vile. and from the day he established his
gin works mere, sixty-odd years ago,
Prattville has been known throughout the
whole country as a manufacturing town.
Not, however. until seven years ago. when
the Louisville and Nashville built a
branch road to this place, and soon after
ward the Mobile and Ohio's Montgomery
branch touched Prattvile did the town
assume commercial Importance.
Since these railroads came a new Pratt
vile has sprung into existence and 1t has
grown rapidly each year. The small
wooden stores have given place to com
modious brick structures, and the popula-
ton, wealth and general activity of
Prattvile have increased wonderfully.
City Has No Debt.
Prattville today has a population of
from 25O0 to 5000. The city has no debt
and the tax rate is small. No liquor is
sold here. The town has public school
system partially free, and well attended.
There are four churches Methodist. Bap-
fist, Presbyterian and Episeopalian; and
many pretty homes some of them magni-
ficent. Wealth, refinement anc energy are
in evidence at Prattville, and 1t is de-
lightful place to visit or for a home.
The great Pratt Cotton Gin works, now
consolidated with the Continental Gin
company, were established here by the
founder in 1910; and the Pratt Cotton
mills soon thereafter. Both of these great
works were first run by water power, but
today 10th steam and water power are
used. With slight interruption the wheels
and machinery of these have run steadily
since the day the master hand of Daniel
Pratt placed them here-sixty-odd years
ago
Besides these manufacturing plants
Prattville has a $500 cotton oil mill and
large planning mill. pottery. machine
shops and blacksmith shops. 1t is esti-
mated that these works give employ
ment to about 1000 hands, and the monthly
pay rolls prove quite valuable to the gem
eral public here.
Lighted BY Electricity.
Prattvile is lighted by electricity, and
the mills supply water power for fire pur
poses. The health of the community Is
excellent, and the water is cold clear,
palatable and wholesome. There are two
hotels here; the one kept by Mrs. I. w
Smith is always wel-hlled with travelling
men who find here hospitable welcome
a good table, cleanly beds and genial
host and hostess.
Nothing like a correct idea can be pre-
scented of Prattville without reference to
the county of Autauga, of which this
favored little city is the county site
Autauga Is another of the territorial
counties of the state, having been estab-
lished in 1873 The territory was taken
from Montgomery county, and late in he
sixties Autauga lost much of her ter
ritory to the newly formed counties of
Elmore and Baker NOW Chiffon,
Derivation of Name.
It's name is derived from the large
clear and swift flowing creek which flows
through its center, and even divides the
city of Prattvile. "Autauga" Is said to
signify '1and of plenty In the Indian
tongue. 1t has area of $50 square miles
now and may be fairly classed among
the riched counties of the state. The
county is well watered. and the Alabama
river is its southern boundary The lands
of the county generally light, with
a clay subsoil. and these produce abnnd-
antly well under a high degree of fer
tiization, while the bottom lands are so
fertile naturally as to need no fertilizers.
The forests of Autauga We're once I'M
mensely valuable, but numerous great
sawmills have been cutting the timber
down, saving and shipping 1t away for
more than thirty years However, 1t would
seem that much still remains. for | am
told that there are twenty-seven saw
mills in daily operation now in this coun-
tc.
Autuagua is also said to be rich in min
erals Ircn ore is here found In abund-
ance, ochre, the finest clays, plumbago
and gold and 1t Is promised that much
of this mineral wealth is soon to be de-
veloped
Lands Produce Abundantly.
These lands produce abundantly corn
cotton, small grain, potatoes, vegetables
and sugar cane. all of which find a ready
and a profitable market close by The
farmers as elsewhere In the state are in
a much improved condition, and are in
! creasing their planting acreage and car
ing better for the lands. There is a scar
ity of labor. and the heavy demand has
| increased pay-hence bette work Near
Prattvile are immense fields of vege-
tables, and just now women and chill
dren are employed In numbers picking
green peas and Grating them for the mar
kets Shipments go out daily and soon
other vegetables are to follow | am IN
formed that truck gardening is rapidly
increasing in this county, and that the
industry is proving quite profitable
Much attention Is paid also to dairy
farming Near Prattyille John b. Golson,
w. A. Northington, u. b. Lamar and w.
A. Wadsworth have fine heards of Jersey
and other graded cattle, and most of them
are shipping butter to the markets, re-
ceiving therefor the highest fancy prices,
and reaping rich profits. Considerable at
| tention is paid here also to bee culture.
| W. A. Rollins. A. j. Preston and several
others have many hives. and they ship
the product to the markets and find the
| industry encouragingly remunerative.
| Fruits, grapes and berries grow well in
| Autauga, but there is no planting or cul-
tivation Of these ON large scale.
Interesting Bit of History.
| Autauga has a bit of history. The only
| governor of Alabama Territory and tn,
first governor of the state William Wyatt
| Bibb lived and died In this county. Fl,
was appointed territorial governor In 1871