Montgomery skyline from the banks of the Alabama River
Montgomery is the capital of the U.S. state of Alabama. The second largest city in Alabama, it is located on the Alabama River in Montgomery County (of which it is the seat) in south central part of the state. Montgomery is notable for its association with the Civil War and the Civil Rights Movement, including the famous Montgomery Bus Boycott (see below).
History
Incorporated in 1819, Montgomery was named for General Richard Montgomery, who died in the American Revolutionary War attempting to capture Quebec, Canada. Montgomery was made the capital of Alabama on the fourth try. The territorial capital, St. Stephens on the Tombigbee River, had been supplanted by Huntsville then Cahawba and Tuscaloosa [1]. It was the first capital of the Confederate States of America, whose president Jefferson Davis was inaugurated on its steps. It is located on the north portion of the Alabama River.
The Dexter Avenue Baptist Church
Rev. Dr. Martin L. King Jr. gained national attention for civil rights issues during his tenure, 1954/1960, 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, and is buried in Montgomery. Country star Alan Jackson eulogizes Williams in a popular song, called Midnight In Montgomery, about a trip to Hank's gravesite.
Geography
Montgomery is located at 32°21'42" North, 86°16'45" West (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 is water. The total area is 0.52% water.
Demographics
In 1900, at the end of the nineteenth century, Montgomery had 30,346 residents. In 1910, 38, 136 occupants of Montgomery were enumerated; in 1920, 43,464; and in 1940, 78,084.
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 201,568 people, 100,784 households, and 100,784 families residing in the city. 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.
City view from State Capitol
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. 17.7% of the population and 13.9% of families were below the poverty line. 25.7% of those under the age of 18 and 13.4% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
Notable points
The State Capitol, built in 1850
Local TV
Local radio
- WMSP 740 AM (Sports)
- WMGY 800 AM (Southern gospel)
- WNZZ 950 AM (Adult standards)
- WACV 1170 AM (News/talk and oldies)
- WAPZ 1250 AM (Southern gospel)
- WIQR 1410 AM (Regional Mexican)
- WLWI 1440 AM (News/talk)
- WXVI 1600 AM (Black gospel)
Local schools
- Alabama Christian Academy, Montgomery
- Brewbaker Technology Magnet High School, Montgomery
- Calvary Christian Academy, Montgomery
- Canterbury High School, Montgomery
- Carver Senior High School, Montgomery
- Jefferson Davis High School, Montgomery
- Evangel Christian Academy, Montgomery
- Fews Secondary Alternative School, Montgomery
- Hooper Academy, Hope Hull
- Lanier Senior High School, Montgomery
- Lee High School, Montgomery
- Loveless Academic Magnet Program High School, Montgomery
- Montgomery Academy, Montgomery
- Montgomery Catholic High School, Montgomery
- St. James School, Montgomery
- St. Jude High School, Montgomery
- Taylor Road Academy, Montgomery
- Trinity Presbyterian School, Montgomery
- Booker T. Washington Magnet High School, Montgomery
Higher education
Montgomery is home to a variety of colleges and universities, including:
Suburbs
The Montgomery Metro area includes the following suburbs:
Publications
- L. P. Powell (editor), in Historic Towns of the Southern States, (New York, 1900)
External links
The content of this page is retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montgomery%2C_Alabama under GFDL
