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Alabama the new cotton territory. 1833- Daniel Pratt made a temporary stop at a water power site at mortar creek, in Autauga county, Alabama. This site was known as the Elmore Plantation "Elmore's Mill". This site is in present day Elmore, Alabama. In 1833 Autauga county was comprised of much of Autauga, Elmore and Chilton counties. Daniel assembled the 50 gins which found a quick sale. 1834 - Daniel leased, for $120.00 a year, for five years, a water powered factory site on Autauga Creek, Known as McNeil's Mill. Here he produced an average gin production of 200 gins per year. This lease expired in 1839. 1835 - While still manufacturing gins at the McNeil site, Daniel purchased one thousand acres of land from Joseph May, Three miles up the Autauga Creek from the McNeil site. This site is present day Prattville, Alabama. The price was $21,000.00 (half was paid in cotton gins at the prevailing price). The remainder of the purchase was financed by a friend of Daniel's from New England $8,000.00 and $2,000.00 loan from the State Bank Of Alabama. All the debts were satisfied by the expiration of the lease at the McNeil site, in 1839. 1839 - Daniel Pratt moved his gin factory to the new site and started his planned town. 1849 - The thriving manufacturing town of Prattville host eight hundred residents The New England system of a planned town was followed from the beginning. Before settlement, the land was surveyed, streets and lots marked out, the site of a public square, a school, and other public buildings determined. The city is centered around the Pratt manufacturing complex. Similar to Lowell, Mass. Many of Pratt's buildings had short eaves styled as New England buildings. Buildings in the south had wide overhanging eaves to shade from the southern sun. Most towns in the south are centered around a courthouse or town square. 1850 Samuel and Elisha Griswold become partners in the gin company, temporarily named S. Griswold & CO.(1) 1850- 1850
Federal Census: c.1852 3-story masonry machine and carpenter shop erected adjacent to c.1848 factory. The structure later is used as part of the gin manufactory. 1853 Samuel and Elisha Griswold withdraw from E.C. Griswold & Co. Name changes to Daniel Pratt Gin Company. 1854 Pratt moves gin factory to new three-story structure on the west side of the creek, adjacent to the c.1848 building. 1960- State population=964,201. 1860
Federal Census:
1861- January 11: Alabama convention votes to secede from the Union.
1870-
State population=996,992. 1873 Death of Daniel Pratt. Nephew Merrill E. Pratt and daughter Ellen Pratt DeBardeleben become owners. 1880- 1880 Federal Census: White
population= 662,185 1881 Merrill E. Pratt buys DeBardeleben interest in company and becomes sole owner, with exception of small interest held by W.T. Northington. 1889 Death of Merrill E. Pratt. Business continues, operated by estate with son Daniel Pratt in charge. 1890 1890 Federal Census: White
population= 833,718 1898 Three-story masonry structure added to expand gin factory operations. Steam power added to operate this building's machinery. Designed by Frank Lockwood. Built the same year as Union Station In Montgomery , also by Lockwood. 1899 Daniel Pratt Gin Company merges with Munger Improved Cotton Machine Mfg. Co. (Dallas, TX), Northington-Munger-Pratt Co. (Birmingham, AL), Winship Machine Co. (Atlanta, GA), Eagle Cotton Gin Co. (Bridgewater, Mass), and Smith Sons Gin and Machine Co (Birmingham, AL) to become Continental Gin Company, headquartered in Birmingham. 1900 1900 Federal Census: White
population= 1,001,152 1912 Four-story masonry building added for finished-gin storage. 1917 The Russian Revolution came, taking over all the banks, which resulted in the Company's loss of an amount exceeding $213,000.00. 1926 Woodruff family purchases controlling stock in Continental Gin Company. Woodruff Family owned the Coca-cola company. Started The Trust Company Of Georgia etc. 1959 Fulton Industries acquires controlling interest in the company. 1962 Prattville facility expanded. Continental Gin Company moves headquarters from Birmingham to Prattville. 1964 Merger of Moss-Gordin and Continental Gin to form Continental/Moss-Gordin Company. 1968 Allied Products Corporation acquires Fulton Industries and their holdings. At the same time, Allied Products acquires Bush Hog Company, Selma. 1975 Bush Hog/Continental Gin formed. 1986 Joseph and Roger Fermon purchase 50 percent of Continental Gin Company stock. Consolidation of Continental Gin Company and Murray division of Murray-Carver, Inc., forming Continental Eagle Corporation. 1988 Joseph and Roger Fermon purchase remaining Continental Eagle Corporation stock to become sole shareholders. 1999 Alabama Year Of Industry Daniel Pratt Celebration 2002 One Hundred and Seventy Years in business - 9300 press and 9500 Press introduced 2003 One Hundred and Seventy one Years in Business LInt Cleaner Louvers introduced - EagleMax Series of Ginning Equipment 2007 One Hundred and Seventy Five Years in Business More to come 05/09/2007 |