Former Slave Link to Pratt Subject of History Program

Dr. Bailey spoke at a Feb 19th lecture on Outstanding Black Alabamians.

He was Alabama’s master bridge builder, but former slave Horace King may have combined his talent with Prattville industrialist Daniel Pratt on other projects.

By Jim Plott
Montgomery Advertiser

King, noted for his architecture in Alabama and west Georgia, will be discussed at 7 p.m. Thursday by Richard Bailey, a research and writing specialist at Maxwell Air Force Base.

The program, titled, “Spanning the Racial Divide: Horace King, Bridge Builder,” is also part of Alabama Humanities Foundation Speakers Bureau and will include King’s seldom-recognized recognition at improved race relations.

King lived in Alabama before the Civil War.

Horace King

He is credited with building a bridge that spanned the Chattahoochee River between Columbus, Ga., and Phenix City, but his work’ also brought him

to central Alabama.

“It’s a possibility that he and Daniel Pratt worked together,” said Tyrone Crawley, vice president of the heritage association. Pratt is the industrial entrpreneur who founded Prattville.

There is speculation that Pratt and King may have combined their talents to design the stairs at the Alabama Capitol in Montgomery.

One link of King to Autauga County is the construction of a bridge over the Coosa River at Wetumpka.

Richard Bailey placed his portrait on permanent display at the state capitol in February 2017, a first in Alabama history.  Newspaper article is available.