14. Horace King-Bridge builder

14. Horace King-Bridge builder

Born into slavery in South Carolina, Horace King (1807-1885) and his owner John Godwin moved to Columbus in 1832 to support the rapid development of recently ceded Creek lands. King and Godwin’s initial contract was Columbus’ first bridge connecting Georgia and Alabama, now known as the Dillingham Bridge. King worked widely throughout the southeast. While none of King’s original constructions (bridges and buildings) are still standing in Columbus, the locations of all current bridges in the downtown area (except the 13th Street Bridge) use the locations that King used. In the post Civil War period, King was elected to Alabama’s House of Representatives twice before moving to La Grange, Georgia. Lupold, J., & Thomas, F. (2004). Bridging the Deep South Rivers: The life and legend of Horace King. Athens, GA: University of Georgia Press.

Here is a portrait of Horace King and one of his wooden bridges that linked Columbus to Phenix City. (Courtesy Columbus State University Archives).