Andrew Dexter believed his town would grow and profit from new settlers as they entered the area via the Federal Road. John Scott believed his town would profit from river traffic. Unfortunately, neither man was absolutely correct and economics forced the two towns to join in 1819. The junction of Market Street (now Dexter Avenue) and Commerce Street was chosen to bring the two towns together and is known today as Court Square. It was the site of the first Court House, slave auctions, land auctions, and other important events. The well at Court Square, which would later be known as “Big Basin,” was just a small spring in 1819 and not dug-out to its present size until the 1850’s.
Once the two towns joined, the new town needed a name. A local businessman, Walter Lucas, who owned Lucas’ Tavern on the Federal Road along with a general merchandise store in East Alabama, offered the name of Montgomery after the Revolutionary hero, General Richard Montgomery. Montgomery County was named for Major Lemuel Purnell Montgomery who was killed at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend in 1814.
Nevertheless, what became of the city founders? Andrew Dexter was a prospector and always on the lookout for a new or better business venture. He moved to Mobile where he died of Yellow Fever and buried in an unmarked grave in that city. His wife and son are both buried in Oakwood Cemetery. John Scott outlived Andrew Dexter by two years and died at his plantation home outside the city of Montgomery with his grave being lost to history, although there is a head-stone with his name in the Scott burial plot in Oakwood Cemetery. It is ironic that neither of the city founders is buried in the city they helped found and are in unmarked graves.
The city of Montgomery did benefit from the Federal Road as well as river traffic. Andrew Dexter and John Scott both had a vision, which eventually propelled Montgomery to become one of the leading cities of the growing South as the country expanded westward.
Since Chris’ Hotdogs is located on Dexter Avenue, it has witnessed the much of the city’s history. There is no doubt Mr. Scott and Mr. Dexter would have thoroughly enjoyed a meal at Chris’.