Montgomery in Montgomery County, Alabama — The American South (East South Central)

MISSING

SEE LOCATION SECTION

The Lightning Route
⎯⎯⎯
Central Bank Building

Photographed by Tim & Renda Carr, August 1, 2009

1. The Lightning Route / Central Bank Building Marker

Inscription. The Lightning RouteIn 1886, Montgomery became the first city in the Western Hemisphere to convert an entire street railway system to electricity. The Capital City Street Railway Co. initiated electric trolley service on one mile of the street car line the year before. Civil engineer J. A. Gaboury supervised installation of the system developed by Charles Van de Poele. The car line, fondly known as the "Lightning Route" operated until 1936. Investors in the mass transit system also were involved in the development of the early suburbs of Highland Park and Cloverdale, as well as the first public recreation area at Oak Park.

Side BCentral Bank Building Designed by Philadelphia architect Stephen Decatur Button for William Knox, president of Central Bank of Alabama, this Renaissance Revival building emulated the Venetian palaces of the 16th century. Completed in 1856, it was praised by state newspapers as the first ironfront in Alabama. Central Bank, which generously supported the Confederacy, was bankrupt at the end of the Civil War. Other banks occupied the building until jewelers Klein and Son acquired and occupied it from

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1923-1983. The building was restored for the Arts Council of Alabama in 1985.

Erected 1993 by Alabama Historical Association.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Railroads & Streetcars • War, US Civil. A significant historical year for this entry is 1886.

Location. Marker is missing. It was located near 32° 22.655′ N, 86° 18.541′ W. Marker was in Montgomery, Alabama, in Montgomery County. It was at the intersection of Court Square and Dexter Avenue, on the right on Court Square. Touch for map. Marker was in this post office area: Montgomery AL 36104, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker was in Alabama’s Tri-Counties River Region.

It was also in the American South,

specifically in the Deep South,

and in the Black Belt.

Globally, it was in North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it found itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At

The Lightning Route / Central Bank Building Marker Side B image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Tim & Renda Carr, August 1, 2009

2. The Lightning Route / Central Bank Building Marker Side B

least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this location: Rosa Louise McCauley Parks / The Bus Stop (here, next to this marker); Here Stood Mrs. Rosa Parks (a few steps from this marker); Rosa Parks Statue (a few steps from this marker); Court Square Fountain (within shouting distance of this marker); Decorative Lions Heads (within shouting distance of this marker); City of Montgomery / Court Square (within shouting distance of this marker); An Intersection of History: Court Square (within shouting distance of this marker); A Tale of Two Towns (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Montgomery.

Also see . . . Capital City Street Railway from From Wikipedia. (Submitted on September 5, 2010, by Timothy Carr of Birmingham, Alabama.)

Central Bank Building image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Tim & Renda Carr, August 1, 2009

3. Central Bank Building

Court Square image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Tim & Renda Carr, August 1, 2009

4. Court Square

The Lightning Route in 1886 image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Tim & Renda Carr

5. The Lightning Route in 1886

Montgomery's Original Electric Street Car. Circa 1897 image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Tim & Renda Carr, August 1, 2009

6. Montgomery's Original Electric Street Car. Circa 1897

Front View of the Central Bank Building image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Tim & Renda Carr, August 1, 2009

7. Front View of the Central Bank Building

Court Square Fountian looking North up Commerce Street image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Tim & Renda Carr, August 1, 2009

8. Court Square Fountian looking North up Commerce Street

The tolley line made a right turn from Dexter Avenue here at Court Square and headed up Commerce Street.

From Court Square looking up Dexter Avenue toward the State Capitol image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Tim & Renda Carr, August 1, 2009

9. From Court Square looking up Dexter Avenue toward the State Capitol

The Lightning Route / Central Bank Building Marker is missing. image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mark Hilton, December 14, 2019

10. The Lightning Route / Central Bank Building Marker is missing.

This small park at Court Square was renovated and the marker removed a while ago. Will try to find out if it will be returned or moved elsewhere. The Rosa Louise McCauley Parks / The Bus Stop marker was moved to the same spot as this missing marker.

Credits. This page was last revised on December 14, 2019. It was originally submitted on September 5, 2010, by Timothy Carr of Birmingham, Alabama. This page has been viewed 2,754 times since then and 65 times this year. Last updated on July 29, 2015, by J. Makali Bruton of Washington, District of Columbia. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. submitted on September 5, 2010, by Timothy Carr of Birmingham, Alabama. 10. submitted on December 14, 2019, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.

The Lightning Route⎯⎯⎯Central Bank Building

The Lightning Route
⎯⎯⎯
Central Bank Building