September 19, 2009
Walking route would link Montgomery's past, progress
By Jill Nolin
The city of Montgomery started as two cities and has existed as different parts -- in one form or another -- since New Philadelphia and East Alabama Town agreed to merge in 1819, with the two towns joining at what is now Court Square Fountain.
Even the city's official seal brags of its dual role in history: It is both the cradle of the Confederacy and the birthplace of the civil rights movement. The city is where the president of the Confederacy was sworn in, and it's where a seamstress attracted international attention when she refused to give up her seat on a city bus.
But is there a way to weave these histories together and tell the bigger story of Montgomery's place in American history? Jeff Dean thinks so, and he's helping the city of Montgomery figure out how to tell this story through a historical walking trail.
"We don't have to build anything. All we have to do is change the way we think and the way we tell our story," said Dean, who is a volunteer helping the city and the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce with the project.
The heritage trail, which would be modeled after Boston's Freedom Trail, would include sites such as Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church -- where the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was pastor from 1954 to 1960 -- and the First White House of the Confederacy, the home of Jefferson Davis in 1861.
If this sounds familiar there is a reason. Dean is the same person who proposed the project about eight years ago when he was a student at Loveless Academic Magnet Program High School in Montgomery. He has since graduated from Harvard and is back in Montgomery working at Summit Housing Partners -- and he still strongly believes in the project.
This time, he is not the only one.
Mayor Todd Strange, who took office in March, also sees the project as an important tool for economic development downtown.
"We'll get that one done one way or another," Strange said recently.
Strange said he has concerns about making the trail's focus all about the city's history, because he does not want to hinder economic development by creating the perception that Montgomery is only about its past. Strange said he wants to portray the city as a progressive city in hopes of attracting forward-thinking companies.
While the concept might be similar, the atmosphere in downtown Montgomery is certainly not what it was when Dean first pitched the idea. Downtown revitalization, which seemed like a pipe dream nearly a decade ago, has gained undeniable momentum along the riverfront.
What is not clear is how soon the project will take shape. The city has applied for a $75,000 grant through the National Endowment for the Humanities to help with the planning process, and then it would seek an implementation grant. But with or without the grants, the city plans to move forward with the project; it might just take a little longer without the grants.
Aside from needing money to develop plans, Dean said funding also is needed to accomplish things such as integrated advertising and to help the facilities along the route improve their hours of operation.
Having such an organized -- and free -- walking trail available now would have been a benefit to 39-year-old George Davidson, who is in town visiting his parents. With a few hours to kill Thursday, the Augusta, Ga., resident stopped by the Montgomery Area Visitor Center at Union Station for guidance.
Davidson said the signage that would come with the trail would be especially helpful for those unfamiliar with the area and unaware of the historical sites located downtown.
"If I wasn't as open as I am, it would be a little intimidating," Davidson said of trying to explore downtown Montgomery.
The project would change that by creating an organized trail system with clear signage and an audio guide. The walking trail would be free for users, and it would link together more than a dozen locations, some of which do charge an admission.
The locations that would be included are still being determined, but the intention is to select a palette of sites that would represent the range of Montgomery's varied historical assets. The trail would embrace the city's role in the Civil War as well as its influence on the civil rights movement, but it also would go beyond that.
Proposed stops include The Alley, which is located in the Lower Commerce Historic District, and the Harriott II, which is a tribute to the first steamboat to travel up the Alabama River from Mobile to Montgomery in 1821.
While it's not an official motto for the trail, Dean said his goal is to create an educational trail that will create national interest and portray Montgomery as "America's civil city," playing on its two infamous roles in history.
Dean said that focusing on one part of Montgomery's history would cause the city to lose an opportunity to tell a larger story about its struggle to interpret the Constitution and understand its government.
Georgette Norman, director of the Rosa Parks Museum, said an organized trail would help all of the museums and sites in the downtown area.
"(Visitors) might know about the (Civil Rights) Memorial, but not us (the Rosa Parks Museum). Or they might know about the Dexter Avenue church, but not us. It would give us a more unified look," Norman said.
But Norman said she also would like to see the city consider practical matters as it develops the trail. Specifically, she noted that there is currently not a public restroom or a place for someone to pick up basic items. There also needs to be more eating options, especially on the weekend, she said.
"The first thing they say is, 'Where can we eat?'" Norman said.
Carole King, historic properties curator at Old Alabama Town, said that Old Alabama Town has agreed to participate in the project once the funding is acquired. King noted that even though special historic tours are offered now -- a tour called "Rivers and Rails" will be offered at 9:30 a.m. Sept. 26 starting at Commerce Street -- the walking trail would be a boost for tourism.
"It'd be great to have something available for visitors to do on their own all the time," King said.
Ken Reynolds, retail development coordinator for Montgomery, believes that the walking trail could help spur more retail and commercial development interest in downtown, especially the areas of downtown that have yet to benefit from the momentum along the riverfront.
"Certainly, the addition of more foot traffic would be very advantageous to people who were interested in developing those properties," Reynolds said.
The trail would enable the city to collect data on the number of people who walk along the designated route and by many now-empty storefronts. That information could make a compelling argument for a would-be investor, said Daniel Hughes, chairman of the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce's board of directors.
"It could only promote feasibility and expectation of sales, so I think it would be a big thing," said Hughes, who is also Dean's employer.
Additional Facts
Sites being considered
Union Station train shed (starting point) -- 300 Water St.
Future civic park in what is now a parking lot in front of the train shed
Rosa Parks Museum and Library -- 252 Montgomery St.
Frank Johnson Federal Courthouse -- 15 Lee St.
Greyhound Bus Station -- 210 S. Court St.
Court Square -- Dexter Avenue at Montgomery and Commerce
Civil Rights Memorial -- 400 Washington Ave.
Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church -- 454 Dexter Ave.
Alabama Capitol -- 600 Dexter Ave.
Alabama Department of Archives and History -- 624 Washington Ave.
First White House of the Confederacy -- 644 Washington Ave.
Old Alabama Town -- 301 Columbus St.
St. John's Episcopal Church -- 113 Madison Ave.
The Alley -- Between Commerce, Tallapoosa and Coosa streets
Harriott II -- Docked beside Riverwalk Amphitheater, corner of Coosa and Tallapoosa
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