Life of Prattville founder Daniel Pratt remembered

The Autauga County Heritage Association is making sure the life of Prattville founder Daniel Pratt is never forgotten.

Today, the association held a wreath-laying ceremony at Pratt Cemetery on what would have been Daniel Pratt’s 225th birthday.

This Founder’s Day is an event of recognition and gratitude where a community comes together the people who came before them to make the city what it is.

Organizers say without the sacrifices of Pratt and others and their vision for the future, Prattville would not be what it is today.

But they’re also looking toward the future and making improvements.

Mayor Bill Gillespie showed drawings for how he hopes the cemetery will look, with an observation deck overlooking the city, a walking trail and more.

“The beauty here is really being revealed,” Mayor Gillespie said. “Again in the time as it comes, we will have in accordance to the artist rendering there will be an observation deck, and I hope we can encourage everyone to name it the Harvey Clark Observation Deck, you’ll be able to look out over it and see the beauty that I think inspired so many of us.”

Daniel Pratt (1799-1873), founder of the city of Prattville, Alabama – Photo from WAKA Action 8 News

“It shows how important the history is to the city,” Kathleen Daughtry, a descendant of Daniel Pratt said.  “I really look forward to (my daughter) one day learning about what her great, great, great, great grandfather did for the city, and I really appreciate that how important that is to the education in the city, about learning the history of where this town came from, from the ground up.”

One of Daniel Pratt’s youngest descendants, Aria Daughtry, laid the wreath at his gravesite today.