- Ferry
- Early
- private c. 1821; state franchise Dec. 25, 1837
- City of Atlanta
- Location approximate
Montgomery's Ferry
James McConnell Montgomery, a War of 1812 veteran from Fort Peachtree, settled here about 1821 and ran a private ferry, franchised by the state on December 25, 1837. His house served as a way station and a post office (1825-1842).
The record
GHS markers say Montgomery acquired about 1,000 acres on both sides of the river, the west bank still in the Cherokee Nation, and that the ferry, later DeFoor's, crossed where the Seaboard railroad bridge now spans the river. It became 'a noted crossing place' on the route into Cherokee country and remained the only traffic crossing on the main Atlanta-Marietta road until 1872, except in 1864-65 when the boats disappeared. His two-story house stood just south of where Moores Mill Road joins. Montgomery (1770-1842) became postmaster of Standing Peachtree and also served as justice of the peace, census taker, sheriff, Indian agent and legislator. Montgomery Ferry Drive in Atlanta keeps the name.
Today: The Riverside/Bolton area near Marietta Blvd; the CSX bridge marks the crossing.