U.S. Snagboat Montgomery
Pickensville, Alabama
Components: Indoor and outdoor interpretive panels; Video; Interactive kiosk; Brochures; Website; Education program
Built in 1926 by the Charleston Dry Dock and Machine Company of Charleston, SC, the U.S. Snagboat Montgomery served on seven of the South’s rivers until 1982. That year, the Montgomery was retired from service and docked at the Tom Bevill Visitor Center on the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway. The Department of the Interior designated the U.S. Snagboat Montgomery a National Historic Landmark in June of 1989.
In 2003, the Corps of Engineers moved the Montgomery to a dry berth. Today, fully restored to her glory days of pulling snags from the South’s rivers, the snagboat serves as a tourist destination.On 28 October 2004, the Grand Re-Opening of the Montgomery included new multimedia interpretation prepared by The History Workshop.
The Workshop designed and installed 12 exterior and 12 interior interpretive panels along with a interactive kiosk in the visitor center. The kiosk provides four video presentations that can be used by all visitors. It is especially beneficial to those who cannot tour the boat since the Montgomery is not accessible to disabled visitors. These same video presentations are available for groups to see in the center’s media room. A full color card brochure draws visitors to the Montgomery, while a new interpretive brochure enhances the tour experience. The Montgomery’s website provides a history of the boat, maritime tours, and educational PDFs for visiting classroom groups.