"M" is for Montgomery, John Henry (1833-1902). Manufacturer, merchant. In the late 1850s, Montgomery farmed and entered into general merchandising business. After service in the Civil War, he continued his farming and mercantile activities. In 1874, he moved to Spartanburg, joined a firm that was the largest cotton buyer in the county. He and his partners organized the Pacolet Manufacturing Company that began operations in 1884. Montgomery was president and treasurer of the company. Under his leadership, the company expanded to three mills. Part of his success was due, in part, to his skill at attracting northern capital for his second major mill project, Spartan Mills. By 1900, the upcountry mills under John Henry Montgomery’s presidency were consuming cotton at such a high rate that they had to look further south for enough supply of raw cotton.
