Grayson County TXGenWeb

J.C. Montgomery
Real Estate Agent & Broker

James Watson Burson and John C. "Mont" Montgomery founded the Cresset newspaper in Denison in April 1875. Only two months later, James H. Day replaced Montgomery. On August 31, 1877, Burson & Day changed the paper's name to Denison Daily Herald. Apparently the Denison Daily Herald ceased publication around 1883.

Denison Daily News
Tuesday morning, January 6, 1880
pg.1

Among our business men, we have none who are more energetic in their calling than John C. Montgomery, real estate agent and broker. Mr. Montgomery is one of the pioneer business men of the city, and has occupied, during that time, many positions of honor and trust. He was vice-president and treasurer of the Gas and Coal Company for two years, has been agent for the Town Company for about two years, which position he still fills, and is a director of the Denison & Pacific Railroad Company.
In addition to the real estate business, Mr. Montgomery makes a speciality of buying and selling city, county and state bonds. Probably no man in the city is better posted in this class of paper. He is also familiary with city titles, and his information regarding city property is daily sought for. All correspondence is promptly attended to, and business transacted on liberal terms.

Denison Daily News
Tuesday, February 3, 1880
pg.4

Letter from John C. Montgomery
John C. Montgomery writes the following interesting letter which will be read with interest by our citizens:

Silver City, Ark., Jan. 28
Friend K
.....This little town of some three hundred inhabitants is about thirty-five miles from Hot Springs, in a small clump of hills. We arrived at Richmond (a city containing a hotel and stable) last night and to-day visited the "Little Mountain" mine, owned by John Morse , who has sunk a shaft eighty feet and has found an abundance of calcareous spar, carrying baryta, argentiferous pyrites and forty-three ounces of silver to the ton of spar.
Mr. Morse was very sanguine and thinks he has struck a bonanza.
We then visited the "Montezuma". This mine was found by a negro boy, who sold it for $500, to two young men. It has since been sold to a German gentleman from Milwaukee for $10,000. The present owner is working it, and is well pleased with developments.
The "Walnut" mine has a shaft of 119 feet, but is flooded. Both the last named mines have smelting works in operation.
We then visited this place, which is the center of attraction. It is here that Commodore Reynolds, or "Diamond Joe", as he is more familiarly known, has large interests. The Minnesota is the best worked mine in the camp.The shaft is 130 feet, besides having several large drifts. The ore is sacked and sent to the mills as soon as taken out.
Claims are being taken up constantly, and the excitement runs high. I managed to locate a claim and bought a lot in town, and am already looked upon as a millionaire. Every one who has invested here considers himself a millionaire (in his mine.)
Diamond Joe has secured a charter for a railroad to this point, and will soon commence the work of extending his narrow gauge road from Hot Springs.
I came here with a man who had struck it rich at Leadville. He does not altogether like the looks of the mines. He says that the formation is quite different from any mining fields he ever saw, and that as yet no true fissures views have been discovered, but he is willing to admit that if, as they go down, the veins hold out, and proves as valuable as the surface would seem to indicate, there will be more money spent here next summer than there was at Leadville las year.
Diamond Joe has invested $16,000, and two other capitalists $12,000 each, which shows that these people have some faith in the future of Silver City.
The ores are aquarts, spar, carbonates, chlorides and galena, all carrying more or less silver, and some gold. Now is the time to come if you mean business.
They have a district recorder and a local code of laws, and have killed ten men since the camp opened, which is pretty good evidence of having struck it big.
MONTGOMERY