Therefore, it does not license or charge permission fees for use of such material and cannot grant or deny permission to publish or otherwise distribute the material. Aaron henry july 2, 1922 may 19, 1997 was an american civil rights leader, politician, and head of the mississippi branch of the naacp. The mississippi farm bureau federation collection provides a unique overview of mississippi farm practices and land use from the late nineteenth through the early twentyfirst centuries, as well as the institutional history of mfbf from its inception during the great depression. Janet sharp hermanns book, the pursuit of a dream 1999 is highly praised as a source of not only the history of mound bayou, but the early beginnings of the conceptual foundation for mound bayou that began with benjamin montgomerys davis bend. Mdah digital archives mississippi department of archives.
The strength of mitchells work is that he provides context, continuity, and perspective in chronicling the states past and linking that past to our shared future. The term bayou can also refer to a creek whose current reverses daily due to tides, and which contains brackish water highly conducive to fish life and plankton. A history features a series of revisions and updates to its comprehensive coverage of mississippi state history from the time of the regions first inhabitants into the 21st century. The mound bayou, mississippi, story internet archive. He was one of the founders of the mississippi freedom democratic party which tried to seat their delegation at the 1964 democratic national convention.
List of books and articles about mississippi history online. The bayou pierre site originally consisted of three earthen mounds. But mound bayou was an extraordinary place, an allblack town. Her most recent book, freedoms island, about an allblack mississippi town. The contact info below is for our main executive center.
Mound bayou 1887 mound bayou was an all black town in the yazoo delta in northwest mississippi. Articles are archived on the site and provide a rich source of mississippi history. Photograph of image in book showing the mond bayou cotton gin, located in mississippi. The population was 1,533 at the 2010 census, down from 2,102 in 2000. Mound bayou, mississippi by suzassippi on july 12, 2011 39 our friend susan james of suzassippis lottabusha county chronicles blog will be taking a turn as a guest contributor on misspres this week sharing her thoughts about the africanamerican town of mound bayou in the delta.
The national trust for historic preservation announced its annual americas 11 most endangered historic places for 2018 yesterday, and for only the sixth time in 31 years, a mississippi site has made the list. Moreover, their voices often were not included while they were alive because of their race and lower socioeconomic status. New book chronicles and celebrates the history of the nations first rural community health center in the mississippi delta. Jan 27, 2017 most people dont know the unusual story behind this mississippi town. He actually hosted mamie till in his home in mound bayou while she was in the mississippi delta during the trial in 1955. Find mound bayou newspaper articles that tell the story of your ancestors lives as they lived it and watch your family history unfold as never before. Yes indeed, it is this prehistory of the mound bayou settlement that drives this particular busdrove it all the way through the. Established in the late 1800s, the allafrican american town was completely unlike any other of its time. Antebellum mississippi max grivno is an associate professor of history at the university of southern mississippi.
Mound a is the only mound currently visible from old mill road. The second series of marriage books include both white and colored marriages. Jun 17, 2018 most people do not know the history behind mississippi town, mound bayou. Plantation supplies store, mound bayou, mississippi library. Antique photo of my greatgrandmother children, 191920. It developed into an autonomous free community in the aftermath of the american civil war. Natchez burning by greg iles, the optimists daughter by eudora welty, the secret history by donna tartt, a streetc. Mound bayou, mississippi, newspaper archives 1940 1950. I feel connected to mound bayou because my fathers ancestors lived there. Home african american history the jewel of the delta. Encyclopedia of africanamerican culture and history dictionary.
Through political cooperation with white supremacist politicians and businessman he was able to keep mound bayou safe, but it came at a cost. Mound bayou to a much more fascinating history that transcends its prefounding at davis bend, both before and after emancipation, and through some of its more interesting and even some of its more problematic nature. Evidence of their cultures has been found largely through archeological excavations, as well as existing remains of earthwork mounds built thousands of years ago. Most people dont know the unusual story behind this mississippi town. Souvenir program of the 50th anniversary of mound bayou, juy 1117, 1937 shelby, ms. Montgomery, founder of mound bayou, mississippi with his cousin benjamin t. Isaiah thornton montgomery was born a slave on may 21, 1847, at hurricane plantation on davis bend, now davis island, below vicksburg, mississippi.
Facts about mound bayou, bolivar county, mississippi. Carnegie library, mound bayou, mississippi 19101935. Located along us highway 61 in the central mississippi delta, mound bayou was at one time the nations largest and most selfsufficient african american town. Mound bayou traces its origin to the community of davis bend, mississippi, which had been originally started in the 1820s as a model slave community by joseph e. Carnegie library, mound bayou, mississippi 1910 1935. Theres also a marker describing mound bayou as the. Mound bayou je grad u americkoj saveznoj drzavi misisipi. Most people do not know the history behind mississippi town, mound bayou. It still has a vision for what mound bayou should be, and it still has to fight for it. Mound bayou, mississippi by suzassippi on july 12, 2011 39. The towns port, bruinsburg landing, was located directly on the mississippi river, just south of the mouth of the bayou pierre. A sign outside of city hall in mound bayou depicts the towns history. Photograph of image in book showing the mond bayou cotton gin, in mississ ippi creator. The contents of the library of congress farm security administrationoffice of war information blackandwhite negatives are in the public domain and are free to use and reuse.
In 1890, for example, while serving as the only black delegate at the mississippi constitutional convention, he publically endorsed the. Mississippi joined the union as the 20th state in 1817 and gets its name from the mississippi river, which forms its western border. Our friend susan james of suzassippis lottabusha county chronicles blog will be taking a turn as a guest contributor on misspres this week sharing her thoughts about the africanamerican town of mound bayou in the. We were there to support the citys taborian hospital project, promote a historic preservation workshop for youth next month, and meet some people from the community as we plan for the service learning class in january. Heres whats become of a historic allblack town in the mississippi delta founded by former slaves in 1887, mound bayou, miss. A fourth mound located roughly half a mile southwest of these mounds may also have been part of the site. Full text of the mound bayou, mississippi, story see other formats mound bayou story mississippi i 0 \ j c. Arcadia publishing houses the top selection of mississippi history books online. Check your email, and view and pay your bill online. Carnegie library, mound bayou, mississippi 19101935 blackpast. A new history of mississippi kindle edition by mitchell, dennis j download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Janet sharp hermans book the pursuit of a dream all about joseph davis. It was located on the south bank of the bayou pierre, 3.
Get to know your ancestors storiesthe lives they lived, their hardships and triumphs. In july 2005, mound bayou, mississippi, historian milburn crowe donated to mdah an album of ninety photographs of town fathers and cousins isaiah thornton montgomery and benjamin titus green, their family, and friends who included abolitionist frederick douglass and bolivar county circuit clerk joseph emory ousley. Joining festivities for the 128th anniversary of founders. Davis, whose former bondsmen later settled the postbellum mississippi community of mound bayou.
Montgomery 18471924 isaiah thornton montgomery was an african american leader best known for founding the allblack town of mound bayou, mississippi and for his public endorsement of black disenfranchisement. Mound bayou, mississippi city information, fast facts. It then outlines the process, which is ongoing, of public archaeology in mound bayou, mississippi. Montgomery, a prominent businessman, and benjamin green had a dream even before the civil war, to establish the largest u. The primary coordinate point for mound bayou is located at latitude 33. Encyclopedia of africanamerican culture and history. The mississippi historical society has provided programs and produced books, maps, brochures, and other materials aimed towards the education of the general public. Davis owned a plantation in warren county, mississippi known as. Davis, whose former bondsmen later settled the postbellum mississippi community of mound bayou in 1887. Marriage books 4 and are missing from the family history library collection. Drawing upon existing data as well as new documentation, this work provides an overview.
Archaeology at mound bayou, believed to be the first archaeological project designed and implemented by a black community. In addition, marriage books 5, 6, 20, 24, and 25 first series were apparently skipped when the igi was created. We have 9 locations in the mississippi delta region. Featuring over,000 newspapers and a powerful search engine, no other online resource provides as much family history information to research your genealogy. Get instant criminal history, financial history, addresses and contact info. Africanamerican history and the history of health care, including his first book. Joining festivities for the 128th anniversary of founders day in mound bayou, ms. This migration movement was led by isaiah montgomery, former patriarch of davis bend.
This is why mound bayou felt like disney world for hall why, as a child, it filled him with wonder. Mound bayou white pages phone books in mississippi ms. July 1887 the city of mound bayou, mississippi was founded as an independent mound bayou. Fannie lou hamer, african american civil rights activist, cofounder in 1964, and vicechairperson of the mississippi freedom democratic party mfdp, which was established as an alternative to the allwhite mississippi democratic party. Annual meetings provide distinguished speakers, tours of historic sites, and special events. The city has a proud history of credit unions, insurance companies, a hospital, five. Founded in 1887 the city of mound bayou mississippi was founded by isaiah t. The history of the state of mississippi extends to thousands of years of indigenous peoples. Explore a wide range of universities and colleges in mound bayou, mississippi. Mitchell has meticulously researched and written an incredibly valuable examination of mississippi s bewitching history warts and all.
I look forward to sharing my family history research in the form of a book, which will touch on some mound bayou history, including taborian hospital and some of the staff there who attended to my mother and grandmother during their lifetime. Mound bayou is a city in bolivar county, mississippi, united states. Mound bayou area historical tornado activity is slightly below mississippi state average. The town actually has an intriguing history that stands out among other towns throughout the 19th and 20th century. It was founded during the spring of 1887 by twelve pioneers from davis bend, a fledgling black colony impacted by falling agricultural prices, natural disasters, and hostile race relations. Primary sources mississippi delta archives library. Montgomery was born enslaved on may 21, 1847 to benjamin thornton and mary lewis montgomery on the hurricane plantation at davis bend, an area along the mississippi river near vicksburg, mississippi. This book examines the many questions left by the adaptations of owenite thought in. Search our online phone book to find phone numbers, addresses, and more.
Mound bayou, mississippi, was founded by an exslave, isaiah thornton montgomery i. Local history books on mississippi arcadia publishing. Mississippi history timeline mississippi department of. Heres whats become of a historic allblack town in the.
A town of negroes situated 104 miles south of memphis, 116 miles north of vicksburg, is very near the geographical center of the great yazoo mississippi delta isaiah t montgomery on. Davis, influenced by the utopian ideas of robert owen. The mound bayou mississippi story, the delta center for culture and. Source for information on mound bayou, mississippi. Contact information for all of our locations, click here. Photograph of image in book showing the mond bayou cotton. Told with wit, warmth, and heart, this familys story places the reader right on the ground as mound bayou, mississippi copes with a world reluctant to change, providing an intimate view of the civil. Green, all of whom had been slaves at the davis bend plantation in warren county. Montgomery led the founding of mound bayou in 1887 in wilderness in northwest mississippi. Mound bayou, mississippi considered by many to be the first allafricanamerican town in the south, mound bayou, mississippi, was founded in 1888 by isaiah t. Discover more about your ancestors than names and dates in mound bayou newspapers.
History of mound bayou mississippi the history chronicles. Welcome to the heart of mound bayou city data where you can quickly find the key mound bayou detailed data and census information you need. Interview with george johnson, mound bayou, mississippi. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading a new history of mississippi. It is bordered by alabama e, the gulf of mexico s, arkansas and louisiana, with most of that border formed by the mississippi river w, and tennessee n. Mound bayou ranks in the upper quartile for population density and the lower quartile for diversity index when compared to the other cities, towns and census designated places cdps in mississippi. Search the history of over 424 billion web pages on the internet. Known as the jewel of the delta, mound bayou has a remarkable backstory, to say the least.
Montgomery house added to national trust endangered. The library of congress does not own rights to material in its collections. Montgomery house in mound bayou, home of the founder of the first and only incorporated african american municipality. I will cover a brief history of the towns beginnings, followed by a report. The benevolent aid and burial society 1937 jf ptak science books post 2167 there is something terribly american, full of hope, and trust, and celebration in this anniversary celebration pamphlet for the city of mound bayou, mississippi an african american town founded in 1887. Mississippi history now mississippi historical society. Sabra waldfogel writes historical fiction about southern jews and african.
Mar 08, 2017 heres whats become of a historic allblack town in the mississippi delta founded by former slaves in 1887, mound bayou, miss. The first describes the history of mound bayou followed by a project called digging for the dream. All four mounds are included on a map drawn by mississippi state geologist b. The bibliography of mississippi history consists of briefly annotated secondary sources books and journal articles by professional and amateur historians, doctoral dissertations, and masters theses. The exhibits pay homage to africanamerican music, sports and history, including the civil rights movement. From the start, it was designed to be a selfreliant, autonomous. Bayous are commonly found in the gulf coast region of the southern united states, notably the mississippi river delta, with the states of louisiana, arkansas and texas being famous for. Bruinsburg is a ghost town in claiborne county, mississippi, united states. The help, as i lay dying, roll of thunder, hear my cry, sing, unburied, sing, the last mile, mudbound, cat on a h. I came to mound bayou both to learn about the unique history of the town. Photograph of image from book showing a picture of isaiah t. With over 12,000 years of history, mississippi has a story to tell.
Bessie staples oral history of mound bayou ms part one. From new lanark to mound bayou reexamines the claims that a theoretical and ideological relationship existed between the scottish manufacturerreformer robert owen and the mississippi planter joseph e. Represents the only available comprehensive textbook on mississippi history specifically for use in collegelevel courses. Family trees are just not complete without the details available in mound bayou newspapers. A mississippi health center and its war on poverty, historian dr. Sep 03, 2011 debra, latoya, and i headed over to mound bayou early this morning for the homecoming weekend september fest. The outskirts of hope is a highly personal narrative that shines a light on the struggles within the deep south in a passionate, moving way.
Photograph of image from book showing a picture of isaiah. Whether you want to know about mound bayou s history, census information, data or when the library is open, these key links make it easy to get. Here is a history of mound bayou i found by doing a search mound bayou history. Story of mound bayou university press of mississippi. Mound bayou, mississippi mound bayou was an allblack town located in the yazoo delta of northwest. Montgomery was born to benjamin thornton montgomery, who was a slave of joseph e. New documentary 2020 lost ancient civilizations in our history duration. A mississippi health center and its war on poverty. Isaiah thornton montgomery was an african american leader best known for founding the allblack town of mound bayou, mississippi and for his public endorsement of black disenfranchisement. Today, the town remains at 98 percent african american. It would come to be known as mound bayou, one of the first settlements established by freed people exclusively for african americans. From prehistoric to 1900 todd sanders, architectural historian, mississippi department of archives and history.
So few people know that, because many of the people who lived and witnessed that history are gone now. But his school sat on hallowed ground, the land cleared and the town settled by freed slaves. The mississippi history timeline is divided into eight eras, and each era centers around major occurrences that changed the way people live in mississippi. Constructed in 1910 with a grant from andrew carnegies library development program, the carnegie library of mound bayou, mississippi was the first free public library intended for african americans in the state of mississippi and one of the first african american public libraries in the country. See more ideas about black history, african american history and mississippi.
Oldest historical black town in the united states largest all black town in the south after the reconstruction period wow who knew i want to visit one day most people do not know the history behind mississippi town, mound bayou. Title interview with george johnson, mound bayou, mississippi, september 1941 part 1 of 6 contributor names lomax, alan, 19152002 interviewer. I look at disney world and mound bayou as basically the same, 21yearold hall said. With a brief history of the allnegro town mound bayou, ms. Mound bayou, mississippi 38762 join the delta center and k12 educators participating in the national endowment for the humanities most southern place on earth institute for this special presentation of the new book t. Mound bayous history a magical kingdom mississippi today.
It served as both a reading room and a community assembly hall until fire destroyed it in the 1930s. Mound bayou, called the jewel of the delta by president th eodore roosevelt, is located approximately onehundred miles south of. It is notable for having been founded as an independent black community in 1887 by former slaves led by isaiah montgomery. Mound bayou was an all black town in the yazoo delta in northwest mississippi.