A Brief History of Montgomery, AL

The Alibamu Indians originally heavily populated the Montgomery area. However, by the hear 1800 the Indians had mostly been driven off, and the white settlers began to permanently reoccupy the area. From 1800 to 1813, settlers continued to move in, but in 1814 two competing businessmen who would lay the foundation of the capital city arrived. Each seeking his fortune on the lands near the river, they constructed separate towns, East Alabama and New Philadelphia, along the Alabama River. Each was a success, and their proximity quickly caused them to merge. The city was then incorporated together officially in 1819 and was named after General Richard Montgomery, who had died in the American Revolutionary War.