05/05/2003 - End of Natchez-Under-The-Hill, John David Montgomery, Steamboat Pioners End of Natchez Under-The-Hill   It was November 1837, and the town council had just enacted a restrictive tax of $10 per flatboat. This measure was designed to get rid the wharf district known as Natchez Under-The-Hill, the home of the most impoverished and disreputable of the riverboat men. The council had made its first confiscation of cargo after nine captains refused to pay the $10 tax. MORE >> John David Montgomery A Natchez native and long-time bartender, John David Montgomery was the subject of an article in ETC a Natchez Democrat publication in 1986. It said: The Under-the-Hill Saloon is alive with characters, and that's the way J.D. Montgomery likes it. "This is a character town, and the people here are what make this a character bar," J.D. says, slowly twirling a $4 Churchill LaJolla D'Nicaragua cigar in a glass laced with cognac. MORE >> Steamboat Pioneers The steamboat played a big role in Natchez history. Stories about the early days of steamboat travel still fascinate us today, as we envision the floating palaces replete with elegant furnishings and fine cuisine and, among the passengers, the dark eyed gambler with charming smile and a persuasive line. MORE >> Subscribe To Our Newsletter || Tell A Friend