ROBERT S. MUNGER, a young man operating his father's gin at Mexia, Texas, from 1883 through 1885, conceived the idea of handling the cotton to the gins by air. It would then be distributed to two or more gins in a battery with a belt distributor, using a common lint flue behind the gins to take the cotton to a battery condenser. The cotton would then be moved to a double box cotton press.

Mr. Munger received a number of patents covering this method of ginning and handling cotton. After making an unsuccessful effort to sell them to several gin manufacturers, he established at Dallas, Texas, in 1884, a small plant for the manufacture of the Munger Ginning System, embodying his principle and ideas. He continued this work individually from 1884 to 1887, at which time he needed capital. He interested a banker, W. M. Gaston, and organized the Munger Improved Cotton Machine Manufacturing Company as a corporation. The officers were R. S. Munger, President, W. H. Gaston, Vice President, and T. E. Littlefield, Secretary and Treasurer. In 1889 W. H. Gaston was made President, R. S. Munger, Vice President, and S. I. Munger, Secretary and Treasurer.

In 1890 R. S. Munger moved to Birmingham, Alabama, for the purpose of establishing a plant to take care of the trade east of the Mississippi River.

In 1892 S. I. Munger became President and Manager of the Company, James Maroney, Vice President, and J. T. Elliott, Treasurer.

In 1897 still another change was made as follows: S. I. Munger, President, R. S. Munger, Vice President, J. L. Means, Secretary, and Ennis Munger, Treasurer.

From the beginning of the Company, sales increased rapidly, especially in the territory west of the Mississippi River.

In fact, up until the Company became a part of the organization of Continental Gin Company in 1899, the Munger machinery sales in the West were the largest of any single manufacturer.

 The Munger/Continental Buildings on Elm street are now loft apartments.

Information from The Story Of The Continental Gin Company 1900-1952 by Algernon L. Smith Vice Chairman of the Board Edited by James F. Sulzby, Jr. Printed by The Birmingham Publishing Company Copyright 1952 Continental Gin Company