Montgomery Heritage
The community of Montgomery began in the spring of 1795 when six sturdy and resolute families from Orange County, New York, set out on a journey that brought them to what is today Montgomery, Ohio, The families were all related with names that have become commonplace in our community. There were the three Felter sisters and their husbands Cornelius Snider, the leader; Jacob Roosa; and Nathaniel Terwilliger along with three Felter brothers and their wives.
The closely knit, stalwart group gathered together their possessions and traveled through Fr. Pitt (now Pittsburgh), floated down the Ohio River to the mouth of the Little Miami River, and made their way up Sycamore Creek to where it meets the present Montgomery Road just north of Bethesda North Hospital. The first winter was spent in simple lean-to shelters left by early scouts. Then, in spring of 1796, they moved to the junction of two Indian trails, which are Cooper Road and Main Street.
The growth of Montgomery was a gradual one with about a dozen homes being built by 1816. That number grew to about 500 by 1950. In 1910, Montgomery was incorporated as a village, and it became a city in 1971 having reached 5000 inhabitants. Today, the population is approximately 10,000.
To preserve the City’s cultural heritage, the Montgomery Landmarks Commission was established in 1976 by a group of stalwart citizens not unlike their forbearers. As of today, the Commission has identified 32 landmarks to commemorate the City’s historical beginnings. These landmarks will be preserved for future generations as a tribute to Montgomery’s past.