Montgomery History

 Source: From a pamphlet located in the Grant Parish Library, Montgomery Branch
Submitted By: Kay Thompson - Brown

The history of Montgomery is one of interest and romance, much of it documented by reliable sources in the records in Natchitoches Parish Court House, while other information has been handed down to us by tradition.

 Early in the 1780's Louis Charles DeBlanc became Commandant at the Natchitoches Post and granted in the name of Spain, land to Hosea Sos and Hosea Marie Ortiz which encompasses the present site of Montgomery. Later this land was sold to Vallerie LeMoine, who in 1840 sold it to General Thomas Woodward.

An old record book in the Natchitoches Parish Courthouse states that Jean Baptiste Deprez Dion Derbonne who was, in 1719, guardian of the store house of the Company of the West, and stationed at the Natchitoches Post, had established a trading post at Bon Dieu Falls (later called Creola Bluff, and still later, Montgomery). This was approved by Lieutenant Philippe Blondelle, the Post Commandant at Natchitoches.

Red River did not always flow alongside the buffs at the Montgomery site. The original stream was the Rigolette de Bon Dieu, meaning "Circular Channel of the Good God." In 1832, the Red River cut away the shoulder between its own bed and the lagoons of the Rigolettes and came rampaging down the valley of the little bayou, washing out more direct course to Colfax, leaving Natchitoches isolated on the big bend which later became Cane River. This violent work of nature was the first step in starting Montgomery on the way to a permanent settlement.
Indications point to the belief that the first people to visit the area that is now Montgomery were the Mound Builders, a primitive Stone Age people who were somewhat more civilized than the knife and tomahawk savages found when permanent French settlements began. The graves of the chiefs often included hunting horse or dog so that these could join the master in the "Happy Hunting Ground" beyond.

In 1840, General Thomas S. Woodard, former brigadier general in the United States Army, and a veteran of the Indian Campaigns, came to Bon Dieu Falls and purchased a tract of land that extended back from the river for about five miles. He changed the name of the area to Creola Bluffs, after a Cherokee princess whom the general loved.

General Woodard wished to marry Creola, but her father, believing the general to be an enemy of his people, forbade it. After a time, she married a Methodist missionary, Reverend Montgomery Rogers, who had come from Alabama and had served with General Sam Houston at Jacinto. When a son was born to the couple, the father wished to call him "Montgomery", but Creola, still carrying a love in her heart for General Woodard, insisted upon the name, "Woodard." A compromise ended in the child being named "Montgomery Woodard Rogers." General Woodard, upon hearing that Creola had a son named Montgomery, incorporated the bluff into a village, and named it "Montgomery" in honor of her new son.

While General Woodard's remains lie some four miles from the present site of Montgomery, an impressive monument to his memory by the people of Montgomery, was erected in the Montgomery Cemetery.

Montgomery thrived as a small river port for many years, with steamboats, barges, and other traffic serving the town. Some of our oldest citizens still recall the showboats furnishing lively entertainment for people of this area.

Montgomery has always had a history of excellent educational facilities. In the late nineteenth century, Mt. Lebanon College, a private school, was in operation several miles distant, and on land now owned by L.C. Kieffer. While the institution was referred to as a "college", it is believed that elementary and secondary school students attended as well.

T.H. Harris and his brother were among the teachers. The former went on to become State Superintendent of Education and it was during his tenure that elementary and high school teachers began receiving equal pay with the same qualifications, statewide.

In 1901, the first railroad, built by a German native, William Edenborn, was constructed through Montgomery. It was first known as the Shreveport and Red River Valley Lines, but changed after a few years to The Louisiana Railway and Navigation Company. Still later, it was lengthened and became the Louisiana and Arkansas Railroad. William F. Duffy, a native of Wisconsin was one of several engineers who surveyed the original line through Montgomery. At the time the railroad was built, the station was named "Machen" in honor of Judge Frank Machen. When the railroad replaced river transportation, the business establishments in the old town moved to be near the station, and Machen became Montgomery.

Montgomery received national recognition in 1926 when Mrs.. Lula Wardlow became the first woman mayor in the United States. During her tenure in office, many improvements were brought about. Mrs.. Wardlow, an ordained Methodist minister, was a forceful and far - sighted mayor. Many modern conveniences, such as electric power, city water, and ice plant, resulted from her administration. Flowering trees and shrubs enhanced the beauty of the community as never before.

Two years ago, Montgomery advanced from the status of "Village" to that of "Town." It is governed by a mayor, five aldermen, and a marshall, all elected officials. An industrial board and planning commission are working toward bringing additional industry to the area. At present, the town boasts several small industries, including a pallet plant, a concrete culvert and septic tank plant, and a pulpwood industry. However, these plants do not fill the need for employment, as many people are now obliged to travel long distances to work. Many have actually been forced to move elsewhere to find employment.