“M” is for Montgomery, John Henry (1833-1902)

“M” is for Montgomery, John Henry (1833-1902). Manufacturer, merchant. Born in Spartanburg County, Montgomery went into a general merchandising  business in 1857. After the Civil War he continued to engage in farming and mercantile activities. In 1874 he moved to Spartanburg where he joined the mercantile firm of Walker, Fleming and Company, the largest cotton buyer in the county.  In 1882 when the Pacolet Manufacturing Company was organized, Montgomery was named its president and treasurer. Under his guidance the company expanded to three mills with fifty thousand spindles. Montgomery’s second major mill project, Spartan Mills was organized in 1884. By 1900 the upcountry mills under his presidency were consuming cotton at such a high rate they had to look further south for enough supply of raw cotton. Two years later John Henry Montgomery opened two mills in Georgia.