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Montgomery, Alabama
Image:Flag of Montgomery, Alabama.png Flag
Coordinates: 32°21′42″N, 86°16′45″W
Country	United States
State	Alabama
County	Montgomery
Incorporated	December 3, 1819
Mayor	Bobby Bright
Area
- City	404.53 km²  (156.19 sq mi)
- Land	402.43 km²  (155.38 sq mi)
- Water	2.09 km² (0.81 sq mi)
Population
- City (2005)	200,127<ref name=popest>Annual Estimates of the Population for Incorporated Places over 100,000 (CSV). 2005 Population Estimates. U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division (June 21 2006). Retrieved on November 9, 2006.</ref>
- Density	499.66/km² (1,281.31/sq mi)
- Metro	335,055
Time zone	CST (UTC-6)
- Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
Website: http://www.montgomeryal.gov

Montgomery is the capital and second most populous city of the U.S. state of Alabama and the county seat of Montgomery County. Montgomery is notable for its association with the Civil War, for being the first capital of the Confederacy, and for being a primary site in the Civil Rights Movement, including the famous Montgomery Bus Boycott (see below).

Contents 1 History 2 Geography 3 Demographics 4 Weather 5 City Government 6 Notable Points 7 Local TV 8 Local radio 9 Local schools 10 Higher education 11 Nearby towns 12 Neighborhoods 13 Publications 14 References 15 External links

[edit] History

The Montgomery area was originally heavily populated by the Alibamu Indians (after which the state is named). By the year 1800 the indians had mostly gone and settlers began to permanently reoccupy the area. From 1800-1813 settlers continued to move in, but in 1814, two competing businessmen arrived who would lay the foundation of the capital city. Each seeking fortune on the fertile lands near the river, they both constructed separate towns, East Alabama and New Philadelphia, along the Alabama River. Each was a success, and quickly their proximities caused them to merge. Incorporated together in 1819, upon the founding of Alabama, the new city was named for General Richard Montgomery, who died in the American Revolutionary War attempting to capture Quebec, Canada. Not too long after Montgomery and Alabama had been founded, Montgomery became a central stage coach station and link to the railroad leading from New York to New Orleans. It also quickly became known for producing cotton and it was likewise a prominent steam boat port along the river. Montgomery didn't initially become the capitol of Alabama upon the founding of the state, however. It was actually the fifth. The territorial capital, St. Stephens on the Tombigbee River, had been supplanted by Huntsville, then Cahawba, which flooded, and then Tuscaloosa. Finally, the capitol was moved to Montgomery, the legislature likely finding it an ideal location with adequate travel and amenities from which to run the state. As for a capitol building, it has been said that New Philadelphia's founder, the more prominent of the two businessmen who came to found the city, named Andrew Dexter, believed so strongly that his town would one day become capitol of a new state, that he actually reserved a spot for a capitol building, and ironically, once the capitol was moved to Montgomery, his spot was purchased for that very purpose. [1]. From that point on, Montgomery continued to increase in prosperity and prominence in the new United States. When the south finally seceded during the Civil War, Montgomery served as the first capital of the Confederate States of America; Jefferson Davis was inaugurated on the steps of the Capitol. This is evidence to the fact that during this time, the south was not as it is depicted today. It was quite well-educated, well-off, and influential in the prosperity of the nation. In fact, the lagging-behind of the south that can be seen today is merely a result of the Civil War, which destroyed the south's accomplishments and hindered its' development for many years, as well as economic hardships after the Great Depression and the Civil Rights Movement. Otherwise, it cannot be said that the south did not have its golden age, so to speak. After the Civil War, Montgomery was left virtually physically undamaged, but times became hard due to the destruction of Alabama's infrastructure. Sights had been turned from it quite early on during the war though, once the capitol was moved to Richmond, VA, in an effort to keep the war in the north. Once the railways had been rebuilt, using the opportunity, the city continued to progress, with industrial growth in textiles and agriculture moving in. On March 19, 1910 Montgomery became the winter home of the Wright brothers Wright Flying School. The men frequented Montgomery, founding several airfields, one of which is today an air force base--that being around the time the Wrights began working with the government to produce planes for military use. In the years leading up to the Great Depression, Montgomery flourished, with the population growing steadily until. After the depression, WWII revitalized the city once again, but only for a short time before the Civil Rights Movement and economic hardships began to hinder the city once more. During this time, however, there were some noticeable highlights, for example, Montgomery became the first city in the world to install electric street carsTRAM.

The Civil Rights Movement in Montgomery

Rev. Dr. Martin L. King Jr. gained national attention for civil rights issues during his tenure, 1954 to 1960, as pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, two blocks from the State Capitol Building. A civil rights memorial has been erected near the still-active church. On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks became a civil rights heroine in the city by refusing to give up her bus seat to a white man. The reaction to this arrest led to the 382-day Montgomery Bus Boycott which forced the city to desegregate its transit system on December 21, 1956. In 1965, Dr. King's nationally-publicized march for justice was conducted from Selma to Montgomery.

Country music pioneer and legend Hank Williams lived part of his life in Montgomery, and is buried here. Country star Alan Jackson eulogizes Williams in a popular song, called Midnight In Montgomery, about a trip to Hank's gravesite. Many other prominent connections can be made to Montgomery as well.

Recent Years

In more recent history, Montgomery has done well to begin to recover from its' economic shortfalls of the 20th century. Montgomery is now home to Hyundai and its' very first assembly plant in the U.S. A revitalization effort has brought a baseball stadium and a riverfront walk to downtown, as well as numerous parks and historical attractions. Montgomery public schools were among the first in the nation to receive city wide Internet access and the Alabama school system was the first to wire all districts and schools via fiber optics. In 1994, a large 21 floor tower was constructed, which now houses many prominent tenants. Montgomery is also expanding rapidly, with plans to build a second bypass system and with talks of constructing large residential and commercial developments throughout the city. Montgomery is home to one of the U.S.'s maximum security prisons, is a major supply hub for the military, and is home to some of the military's most valuable and critical computer systems. Montgomery also houses one of the military's key air war colleges. Recently, Montgomery has been focusing on further improving local schools. Also, Montgomery is home to the Alabama Shakespeare Festival and Fine Arts Museum, the fifth largest in the world.

[edit] Geography

Montgomery is located at 32°21′42″N, 86°16′45″W (32.361538, -86.279118)^GR1.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 404.5 km² (156.2 mi²). 402.4 km² (155.4 mi²) of it is land and 2.1 km² (0.8 mi²) of it (0.52%) is water.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 201,568 people, 100,784 households, and 100,784 families residing in the city. The 2005 Census Bureau estimate places the population at 200,127.<ref name=popest/>

The population density was 500.9/km² (1,297.3/mi²). There were 86,787 housing units at an average density of 215.7/km² (558.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 49.63% Black, 47.67% White, 0.25% Native American, 1.06% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.37% from other races, and 0.98% from two or more races. 1.23% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 78,384 households out of which 32.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.4% were married couples living together, 19.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.8% were non-families. 30.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 3.06.

In the city the population was spread out with 25.9% under the age of 18, 12.1% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 11.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 88.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $35,627, and the median income for a family was $44,297. Males had a median income of $31,877 versus $25,014 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,385. About 13.9% of families and 17.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.7% of those under age 18 and 13.4% of those age 65 or over.

Job Highlights of 2006: Montgomery was recently labled one of the best places to locate technology jobs in America; considering pay and cost of living.

[edit] Weather

Montgomery experiences short, warm springs and hot, typically humid summers lasting from mid-May to well into September. Autumns are usually during October and November and are mild - from the mid 60s to 70s (degrees Fahrenheit). Winters last from December until February; their severity/coldness varies from year to year, but they are usually moderate, with temperatures rarely receding below 20 degrees Fahrenheit.

[edit] City Government

The current mayor of Montgomery is Bobby Bright. Bright was elected mayor in the 1999 municipal elections, defeating longtime mayor Emory Folmar. Bright was re-elected in a landslide against challenger Scott Simmons in the 2003 municipal elections.

The city is served by a nine-member city council, which is composed of nine districts of equal size. The city council is responsible for establishing the city of Montgomery's policies. The current council president is Charles Jinright. The Montgomery City Council meets every first Tuesday of the month at 10:00 am and every third Tuesday of the month at 5:00 pm in the Council Chambers at City Hall downtown.

Current Mayor

Bobby Bright

Current City Council Membership

District	Representative	Position
I	Jim Spear	Councilman
II	Tim Head	Councilman
III	Janet May	Councilwoman
IV	James Nuckles	Councilman
V	Cornelius Calhoun	Councilman
VI	Willie Cook	Councilman
VII	Martha Roby	Councilwoman
VIII	Glen Pruitt, Jr.	Councilman
IX	Charles Jinright	Councilman

[edit] Notable Points

• Alabama Shakespeare Festival
• The Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts
• The Alabama Department of Archives and History
• First White House of the Confederacy
• Montgomery Biscuits, Southern League baseball for Tampa Bay Devil Rays
• Montgomery Zoo
• The Betsy Ann Riverboat

[edit] Local TV

• WAKA 8 CBS [2] (licensed to Selma, Alabama)
• WSFA 12 NBC [3]
• WCOV 20 Fox [4]
• WBMM 22 CW [5]
• WBIH 29 Station independently managed out of Denver, Colorado. Mostly Infomercials (licensed to Selma, Alabama)
• WAIQ 26 PBS
• WNCF 32 ABC [6]
• WMCF 45 TBN
• WRJM 67 MyNetworkTV (licensed to Troy, Alabama)
• WFRZ 34 Religious and Educational [7]

[edit] Local radio

Montgomery, AL is ranked #151 by Arbitron.