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DANIEL PRATT was born at Temple, New Hampshire, July 20, 1799. After serving three years of apprenticeship as a carpenter, he came to Savannah, Georgia, from Boston, at the age of nineteen. Soon thereafter, he located at Milledgeville, Georgia, where he was engaged in carpentering and contracting work. About 1827 he returned to New Hampshire for a visit and, while there, married and returned to Georgia with his bride. In 1831, realizing the great possibilities of a cotton gin and the great need for it, he, with Samuel Griswold, established a small plant in Clinton, Georgia. In 1832, not satisfied with this location, Mr. Pratt moved westward into Alabama, but Mr. Griswold would not agree to accompany him. Mr. Pratt built a blacksmith and gin shop in Elmore, Alabama, but later moved to McNeill's Mill on Autauga Creek. There he leased water power for a nominal sum and finally began the manufacture of gins. For five years he made a small quantity of gins. In 1838 he moved further up Autauga Creek. Here he purchased a large tract of land with fine water power and there founded the town of Prattville. In the earlier days of the Company, gin shipments were made by steamboats. Prattville was located four miles from Washington Landing on the Alabama River. There being no improved roads to Washington Landing, Daniel Pratt constructed a plank road over which gins were hauled by wagons to the landing. As business increased, these facilities at Washington Landing became inadequate and other shipping arrangements had to be made. Montgomery was twelve miles away and had railroad facilities, from which point the gins were later shipped. Deliveries of gins to Montgomery necessitated a long haul by wagons. In the winter months, wagons traveled through heavy mud, and this made it necessary to have four to six mules to a wagon. To handle deliveries to Montgomery required four to six special wagons built for the purpose. Even with these disadvantages, shipping facilities by railroad provided quicker deliveries. Soon after Daniel Pratt established the Prattville plant, he invited his nephew, Merrill E. Pratt, to come to Prattville from New Hampshire and become associated with him. This he did in 1841. Mr. Pratt adopted Merrill as his son, though he had one living child, a daughter, Ellen. At Daniel Pratt's death, May 13, 1873, he left his estate in equal parts to Merrill E. Pratt and his daughter, Ellen Pratt who had since married Henry T. DeBardeleben. Merrill E. Pratt was placed in charge of the business. In 1881 Merrill E. Pratt bought the interest of Mrs. DeBardeleben. He became the sole owner of the business with the exception of a working interest in the profits which was held by W. T. Northington. Mr. Pratt died in 1889. However, the business continued in operation by his estate, with Daniel Pratt, his son, in charge. The company was never organized as a corporation. In 1899 the entire property was sold to Continental Gin Company, and at that time the Daniel Pratt Gin Company was the largest producer of cotton gins in the world. 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 05/09/2007 |
