SJR60ENROLLED
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SJR60
84MZB2H-2
By Senator Chambliss
RFD: Rules
First Read: 03-Apr-25
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First Read: 03-Apr-25
Enrolled, An Act,
SJR___ HONORING DANIEL PRATT AS ALABAMA'S FIRST GREAT
INDUSTRIALIST.
WHEREAS, Daniel Pratt, born in 1799 in Temple, New
Hampshire, was a visionary, industrialist, workforce
developer, landscape architect, and philanthropist who
profoundly influenced the State of Alabama; and
WHEREAS, Daniel Pratt, after receiving training as a
carpenter, traveled to the southern United States and
eventually settled in Alabama, where he founded the town of
Prattville in 1838, transforming a swampy landscape into a
thriving industrial hub; businesses he started include a
grist mill; a woolen mill; blacksmith shop; sawmill; horse
mill shop; door, sash, and blind shop; a carriage and wagon
shop; tin shop; foundry; general store; cotton mill; and a
mercantile, among others; and
WHEREAS, Daniel Pratt is credited with building the
first dam in Alabama; his purpose as a community builder was
to enhance its generational residents with a lifestyle of
growth, spiritually, mentally, and physically; his plan was
to develop a modernized workforce to populate his first
industrial manufacturing business; and
WHEREAS, he was also a champion of, and charter
investor for, railroads noting that Alabama had health and
water power, but lacked the third leg of the stool:
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water power, but lacked the third leg of the stool:
accessibility to market; and
WHEREAS, he established the Daniel Pratt Gin Company,
which became the largest manufacturer of cotton gins in the
world, setting new standards for industrial excellence and
contributing to the economic development of Alabama; his
internationally renowned gin company operated for nearly 180
years, from 1833 to 2012, under successor names such as the
Continental Gin Company and the Continental Eagle
Corporation; and
WHEREAS, a devout and steadfast Christian, Daniel
Pratt was deeply committed to philanthropy, providing land
and funds for the construction of schools and churches, and
promoting cultural enrichment through libraries, music
societies, and art galleries for the benefit of his
community; and
WHEREAS, although Mr. Pratt died in 1873, his gin
factory remained active on the global stage, driving
industrial innovation and expanding into new sectors; his
son-in-law, Henry Fairchild DeBardeleben, carried forward
Pratt's vision, spearheading the growth of the iron and coal
industry in what would become Birmingham; and
WHEREAS, Daniel Pratt's remarkable contributions to
the development of Alabama's iron and coal region are
honored through the naming of industrial ventures such as
the Pratt Coal & Coke Company, Pratt Coal & Iron Company,
Pratt Mines, and the Pratt Seam, which fostered the growth
of Pratt City; the success of Alabama's iron and coal
industries is deeply rooted in Pratt's visionary efforts to
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industries is deeply rooted in Pratt's visionary efforts to
develop the state's mineral resources; and
WHEREAS, in addition to manufacturing cotton gins,
the Continental Gin Company (CGC) became one of the first
southern industries to produce munitions for World War II;
recognized for both the quality and quantity of its
production, CGC was awarded the United States Navy's
prestigious "E" Flag for Excellence six times throughout the
war; to further support its wartime operations, the company
maintained a full-time office in Washington, D.C., for the
entire four-year duration; and
WHEREAS, CGC played a crucial role in the Manhattan
Project by providing heavy piping for the atomic energy
program at Oak Ridge demonstrating its commitment to
advancing national interests; and
WHEREAS, the Daniel Pratt/Continental Gin Company
collection includes engineering drawings of numerous types
of bombshells, munitions, artillery mounts, turrets, and
shields manufactured at CGC plants, highlighting its
significant contributions to military manufacturing; and
WHEREAS, from 1926 to 1959, CGC was owned by the
Woodruff family of Atlanta, best known for their ownership
of Coca-Cola; showcasing CGC's versatility in manufacturing,
the Daniel Pratt/Continental Gin Company collection includes
engineering drawings for Coca-Cola dispensers from the 1940s
and 1950s; and
WHEREAS, Daniel Pratt was Alabama's first great
industrialist and established Prattville as Alabama's first
industrial village, laying the foundation for the state's
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industrial village, laying the foundation for the state's
economic growth; and
WHEREAS, Daniel Pratt played a pivotal role in the
design and construction of the 1851 Alabama State Capitol as
the lead commissioner, shaping the state's most iconic
government building; and
WHEREAS, a copy of Mr. Pratt's architectural drawing
of the Capitol is preserved at the Prattaugan Museum, and
the circular cantilevered staircases found within the
Capitol were a standard architectural feature in the homes
Pratt designed and built in Georgia before coming to
Alabama, as well as in homes he built in Autauga County; and
WHEREAS, Horace King, the renowned bridge builder
credited with constructing the Capitol's staircases, was
known to Mr. Pratt from his time in Georgia, and Mr. Pratt
provided Mr. King with a $100 model used in the construction
of the Chattahoochee River covered bridge in the early
1830s; and
WHEREAS, in 1846, Pratt constructed a three-story
building on St. Charles Street in New Orleans to house
cotton gins being shipped to France, Russia, Africa, the
United Kingdom, and Mexico, demonstrating his company's
global reach and influence; and
WHEREAS, Daniel Pratt co-founded the Red Mountain
Iron & Coal Company in 1862 and faithfully served as its
president; and
WHEREAS, recognizing the financial difficulties of
reconstruction, Daniel Pratt partnered in opening the
Wheless-Pratt Bank in New Orleans in 1867; and
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Wheless-Pratt Bank in New Orleans in 1867; and
WHEEREAS, following the Civil War in 1867, Daniel
Pratt was selected to chair the first meeting of the
National Association of Textile Manufacturers in New York
City, underscoring his prominence in industrialism; and
WHEREAS, Daniel Pratt was honored with the first
honorary degree of Master of Mechanical and Useful Arts by
The University of Alabama, recognizing his extraordinary
contributions to industry and public welfare; and
WHEREAS, though not having the benefit of a formal
education himself, Pratt expressed in a private letter that,
"No man holds education in a higher estimation than myself";
and
WHEREAS, Daniel Pratt served as a member of the
Alabama House of Representatives and continued to invest and
encourage all to invest in the state's infrastructure and
economic growth throughout his life; and
WHEREAS, mindful of his Christian duty, Daniel Pratt
declared, "Some pretend to show their works by their faith I
hope to show my faith by my works, so long as God blesses me
with health and strength"; and
WHEREAS, Daniel Pratt was renowned as a great
industrialist, but he also earned recognition as a Southern
Renaissance man; an advocate for education, he was an
architect, patron of the arts, economic developer,
statesman, philanthropist; now therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA, BOTH
HOUSES THEREOF CONCURRING, That we celebrate the life and
legacy of Daniel Pratt as Alabama's first great
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legacy of Daniel Pratt as Alabama's first great
industrialist, whose pioneering achievements in business,
manufacturing, infrastructure, and community service have
left an enduring mark on the State of Alabama and continue
to inspire future generations.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That it is our duty to follow
the example of Daniel Pratt and continue to invest in our
communities through our faith, our family, and our fellow
man.
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man.
________________________________________________
President and Presiding Officer of the Senate
________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Representatives
SJR60
Senate 03-Apr-25
I hereby certify that the within Act originated in and
passed the Senate.
Patrick Harris,
Secretary.
House of Representatives
Passed: 09-Apr-25
By: Senator Chambliss
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