Montgomery at 150: A village on the move
Editor's Note: This story ran in a previous edition of The Beacon News. We are running it here in honor of Montgomery Fest, and 150 years of village history.
MONTGOMERY -- More than 200 old and new residents of Montgomery came out to celebrate the 150th anniversary of its incorporation earlier this year at the Police Department.
(Beacon News file photos)
The celebration marked the village's incorporation on Feb. 17, 1858. To kick off the celebration and annual open house, Village President Marilyn Michelini explained that Montgomery residents elected Ralph Gray, John Lilley, Ransom Davis, Azariah Palmer and Edward Gillett as trustees and Daniel S. Gray as the first president.
Since then, she said, the village has grown from 240 to more than 16,000 residents.
In addition, the village honored Donald Lilley, the great-grandson of trustee John Lilley, and his family for their dedication to the town.
"Today was a great success. I finally see people making this a destination, not just dropping by. I think we've come so far," Michelini said.
The Police Department offered information on the DARE program, drunken driving goggles, fingerprint identification kits for kids and medical information cards for seniors. The department also sold shirts from police functions to raise money for Special Olympics.
Resident Patricia Roge took her grandson on the guided tour of the Police Department. She said it was a wonderful experience to get to see the inner workings and equipment.
"It was nice to see how people were fascinated with the Police Department," said Mera Johnson, assistant to the village president. "We had a lot of people that attended. It gives the people a chance to see what the departments do."
Residents also were able to see plans for the new village hall and library, on which building is underway. And the Community Development Department showed the bigger picture with current and future maps of the town.
Planner Michael Browns said the key to a well-developed village is having a balanced community with a good mix of commercial, residential and manufacturing areas.
"I think it's a nice opportunity. It makes our village officials personal and not a government entity," said Mark Reinbold who rents a property in the area. Reinbold also liked the shredder the village had available for destroying personal documents.
Other organizations and departments represented included the Public Works Department, giving information about the village's water conservation regulations; Chamber of Commerce; Countryside Fire Protection District and Montgomery; and the Historic Preservation Commission.
The Historic Preservation Commission display included information on Settler's Cottage, old pictures, postcards of the town and an opportunity to buy engraved brick pavers that will be put in behind Settler's Cottage and in front of village hall.
Saturday's open house gave residents "a sense of their history for their new hometown," Trustee Lloyd Mattingly said.
