Jerry and Linda Butler

James Montgomery was born in 1798 in Tennessee. He fought with General Andrew Jackson’s forces against the Creek Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend on the Tallapoosa River in Alabama on March 27, 1814 . He received the title of Major as a result of his service.

In 1824, Major James Montgomery moved to Hardin Co. TN probably from Sumner Co. TN. He landed his boat near the Lick ford on White Oak Creek, and settled with his family on a spot one-half mile north-west of Shady Grove Church. Some time during 1824, he built a mill on the west side of the river. His brother in law, Jesse W. Holland erected a tanyard near by.

Not much more is known about Major James Montgomery. His descendants include legislators, doctors, merchants, blacksmiths and farmers in Hardin and Henderson County Tennessee.

It is not known how Major Montgomery relates to the Montgomery’s of Decatur County Tennessee. James Montgomery moved to Hardin County about the same time that David Montgomery moved to Decatur County . They lived within about 5 miles of each other in these adjoining counties. It is quite possible that they are related.

There are no Montgomery's living in Hardin County in 1820.

James apparently had a wife before Elizabeth. It is not clear which children belong to which wife. I have grouped them based on the children from the 1840 census.

The 1830 census shows
3 males 5-10
1 male 15-20
1 male 30-40 - James
1 female 20-30

The 1840 census shows
1 male under 5
2 males 5-10
2 males 10-15
1 male 40-50 - James
2 females under 5
1 female 30-40

There are two other families living in the James Montgomery household in the 1850 census. There are three Holland children which appear to be the children of Jesse and Mary Holland.

A History of Hardin County, Tennessee by B. G. Brazelton, Cumberland Presbyterian Publishing House, Nashville, TN, 1884

In the year 1824 Major James Montgomery landed his boat near the Lick ford on White Oak Creek, and moved out with his family to a spot one-half mile north-west of Shady Grove Church, where he settled; and it was some time during 1824 that he built the first mill that was run by horse-power on the west side of the river. Major Montgomery received his title by serving in the Indian war. He was with Col. James Hardin and Solomon Brazelton at the battle of Horse-shoe Bend.

The progress in education had been very slow up to this date, notwithstanding private schools had been in existence since 1824. The first school commissioners were elected as early as June, 1825, but nothing of account was done in the way of public schools until 1839. At this date the county contained twelve civil districts, and there were five school directors elected for each district, who enumerated all the white children over six and under sixteen years old, in their respective districts, on the last day of June in each year. In 1840 the Thirteenth District was included in the Twelfth, and the first school directors in it were Major James Montgomery, Solomon Brazelton, Davidson Alexander, and two others, names unknown.

"History of Tennessee : From the Earliest Time to the Present; Together with an Historical and a Biographical Sketch of Henderson, Chester, McNairy, Decatur, and Hardin Counties." Nashville: Goodspeed Pub. Co., 1886. pp. 829-841.

A water mill was built near Shady Grove Church by Maj. James Montgomery in 1824, and Jesse W. Holland erected a tanyard near the same place also in 1824.

West Tennessee Historical Society Papers, Early History of Hardin County, P. M. Harbert, 1947

To what was later known as Davy Spring, came William Gann accompanied by one Massengill; these men became neighbors to Thomas Shannon who moved from Davidson County to the Saltillo community. Thereafter there came to that community Frances Kincannon, James Montgomery, Bowen Davy and many others.

Hardin County Historical Quarterly
Vol. 1 No. 3 p. 15 1833 State census taken from 7-9 to 9-7, 1833 all men over 21 years of age: lists
p. 684 # 817 Ja Montgomery
p. 685 # 816 Jos Montgomery
p. 686 # 818 Tho Montgomery