Scope and Content Note
The papers of the Benjamin T. Montgomery Family span the years 1872-1987, with the bulk of the material dating from 1872 to 1971. The collection items pertain to members of the Mississippi African American family of Benjamin T. Montgomery and his wife, Mary Lewis Montgomery. The Montgomery parents and children were all enslaved by Joseph E. Davis, older brother of Jefferson Davis, at Davis Bend, but post-Civil War became business entrepreneurs, public office holders, owners of Davis Bend, and founders of Mound Bayou, Mississippi. Included in the collection is the 1872 diary of Mary Virginia Montgomery (daughter), an 1890 speech by Isaiah T. Montgomery (son), biographical sketches of Isaiah's daughter and son-in-law, Mary C. Booze and Eugene P. Booze, a brochure celebrating the 100th anniversary of Mound Bayou containing biographical information on the Montgomery family, and a thesis, unpublished manuscript, printed matter, and a photographic postcard all relating to Mound Bayou, Mississippi. Items document the Montgomery family, the founding of the African American community of Mound Bayou in 1887, and agricultural and economic developments, education, politics, and the social life and customs of Mound Bayou.