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development to the enslaved community. The enslaved were encouraged to learn trades that interested them, and Davis allowed them to keep extra money they made in their chosen skilled work, rare among
Southern enslavers. It was illegal to teach an enslaved person how to read and write in Mississippi, but Joseph Davis encouraged it.
136:, a highly educated and charismatic individual, instilled in him the values of self-improvement and community upliftment. The Montgomery family, including W. T. Montgomery and Isaiah Montgomery, would later become prominent figures in the post-emancipation era, advocating for the rights and advancement of African Americans.
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unique vision. With Davis' permission, Mr. Montgomery opened a general store on the plantation called
Montgomery & Sons, which became incredibly successful. The income allowed Benjamin to purchase Mary's time from Joe Davis so she could raise William and his siblings instead of working in the fields.
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While endeavoring to persuade his kin to join him in the Dakota
Territory, Montgomery encountered resistance from those who doubted the realization of their dreams amidst the vast plains. Despite his attempts, the allure of the southern landscape remained strong for his brother Isaiah, who shared his
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Montgomery's father, Benjamin
Thornton Montgomery, played a crucial role in the operations of Davis Bend. Despite being enslaved, Benjamin was highly educated and possessed remarkable business acumen. He was tasked with overseeing the plantation's operations, ensuring its success under Joseph Davis's
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reported "Hon. W. T. Montgomery has returned from an extended trip through
Mississippi. He reports that the low prices of cotton have placed the Afro-Americans of the South in a deplorable condition. He has for some time been endeavoring to have his brother sell out and locate in Dakota but has been
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After the war, the cotton industry and the
Southern economy in general went into steep decline. The buying price of $ 300k was good for 1867, but within years the land was worth a fraction of that price. The debt was an impossible burden to overcome. A flood broke through the plantation's levees and
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Enjoying not only financial prosperity but also harmonious race relations in his new locale, Montgomery employed the services of
Scandinavian settlers to oversee his household and farm operations. Despite initial reservations among potential migrants due to the unfamiliarity with wheat cultivation
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Disheartened by the setbacks encountered within the
Association, Montgomery resolved to explore new horizons. With a steadfast resolve reminiscent of his forebears' ambitions, he embarked on a fresh chapter, as articulated in a succinct passage from his autobiography: "seeking to commence anew, at
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The following years saw the family reach unprecedented highs but it ended in hard times. Their store, Montgomery & Sons, flourished and expanded. Benjamin petitioned the government for a post office to serve Davis Bend, and on May 6, 1867, William
Thornton Montgomery became its postmaster, and
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At its peak, the
Montgomery and Sons Association was among the wealthiest merchant-planters in the South. The community flourished for a time, with improved living conditions, educational opportunities, and economic success for its members. However, the association faced challenges such as local
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in Mississippi. They envisioned a self-sufficient and prosperous community where freedmen could live and work independently. The association operated as a collective enterprise, with members pooling resources and labor to cultivate land and engage in various business ventures. Plantation owner
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Despite the relative comfort afforded to them at Davis Bend, Montgomery and his family never lost sight of their ultimate goal: freedom. Their time at the plantation instilled in them a sense of resilience and determination, laying the foundation for their future endeavors as free individuals.
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Growing up at Davis Bend, William Thornton Montgomery experienced a childhood unlike many other enslaved individuals of his time. He witnessed firsthand the implementation of Joseph Davis's progressive policies, which included providing education, fair treatment, and opportunities for personal
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The Montgomery and Sons Association was a community and business venture established by Benjamin Thornton Montgomery, William Thornton Montgomery's father, following the end of the Civil War and emancipation of enslaved individuals. Benjamin Montgomery, who had been enslaved on Joseph Davis'
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Moreover, Davis Bend's unique approach to governance extended to its legal system. Overseers were prohibited from punishing individuals without a fair trial at the plantation's Hall of Justice, and sexual exploitation of enslaved women, a common practice elsewhere in the South, was strictly
337:. Montgomery's farm thrived, expanding his initial 640-acre (260 ha) holding to 1,020 acres (410 ha). In 1888, Montgomery erected a grain elevator where the railroad crossed his land, around which the hamlet of Lithia emerged, serving as a crucial stop on the railroad route.
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The experience of growing up at Davis Bend shaped William Thornton Montgomery's worldview and instilled in him a desire to challenge the status quo. It was here that he first encountered the principles of community cooperation and self-sufficiency, ideals that would later influence his
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perhaps the first African American postmaster in the South. Soon after, William was named constable for the Justice of the Peace, and the latter post was soon awarded to his father. Both of these appointments were likely firsts among African Americans in the South.
230:. Davis Bend became a refugee camp for formerly enslaved people seeking the protection of the Union Navy stationed nearby. As the former home of Confederate President Jefferson Davis, the United States took pleasure in turning Davis Bend into a place where the
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along his section of the Mississippi River. Joseph Davis' slave utopia failed – all Davis Bend residents embraced freedom and many men enlisted in the US Army and Navy. Both Montgomery brothers joined the US Navy, William serving aboard the river ironclad
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Montgomery would lease land on good terms to members of the Association. Davis Bend's courts were reestablished, schools were built, and workers pooled their efforts for community projects like levee maintenance.
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In February of 1865, 22-year-old William Thornton Montgomery returned to Davis Bend, reopened his father's store, and became head of a company of African American cotton farmers protected by soldiers of the
289:. Despite its eventual decline, the Montgomery & Sons Association represents a significant chapter in the history of African American entrepreneurship and community-building in post-Civil War America.
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permanently rerouted the Mississippi River, turning Davis Bend into Davis Island. Prices for cotton plummeted in spite of uncooperative weather and insects causing decreasing yields.
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forbidden. As "progressive" as Joseph Davis' policies may seem however, his general rule as that "the less people are governed, the more submissive they will be to control."
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plantation, was highly educated and a mechanical and business genius. He purchased the plantation from Joseph Davis after the war and shared Davis' utopian philosophy.
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the age of forty, the aspirations of youth." Opting for a departure from past failures, he shifted his focus away from the familiar landscape. Following a tenure as
96:, businessman, farmer, and community leader, best known for his contributions to agriculture and his advocacy for African American empowerment. Born into slavery on
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Herbert G. Ruffin II, “Davis Bend, Mississippi (1865-1887),” Black Past.org, accessed March 15, 2024, http://www.blackpast.org/aah/davis-bend-mississippi-1865-1887.
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treasurer, he grew disenchanted with the prospects for African Americans in Mississippi, thus choosing to test his fortunes in the northern expanses of the
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Photo from the Milburn J. Crowe Photograph Album of William Thornton Montgomery ca. 1865. Courtesy of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History.
398:. William became a director of the Bank of Mound Bayou and co-founder of the Mound Bayou Loan and Investment Company. He died on July 3, 1909, aged 66.
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By the turn of the century, Montgomery's investments in wheat futures and land in Manitoba had gone bad. In the summer of 1900, he lost his land in
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Ultimately, the demise of the Montgomery and Sons Association led Montgomery to seek opportunities elsewhere, eventually leading him to
167:. Davis ran the plantation with a vision of creating a community where enslaved individuals could live and work together harmoniously.
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Creating a commemorative Site on the Heritage and Memory of Cotton Pickers in the Mississippi Delta: A Community Driven Movement
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Creating a Commemorative Site on the Heritage and Memory of Cotton Pickers in the Mississippi Delta: a Community Driven Moment
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Lithia, North Dakota, grew up around the home and grain elevator of W. T. Montgomery. The community no longer exists.
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242:. The rest of the family soon joined him, and Benjamin once again became the leader of the Davis Bend community.
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Milburn Crowe, ed., “Mound Bayou History: Prelude to Mound Bayou: Davis Bend,” The Voice 4 (July 1971): 8, 4.
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and apprehensions about the harsh winters, Montgomery's success and satisfaction remained steadfast.
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natural disasters, the collapse of the cotton industry, and legal disputes over land ownership.
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restlessness but remained convinced of the impracticality of their aspirations in the Dakotas.
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experimented with ways of easing formerly enslaved people into freedom and the market economy.
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600:. Fargo, North Dakota: North Dakota Institute for Regional Studies. pp. 200–201.
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On November 19, 1866, Montgomery's father purchased both Davis Bend plantations (
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William Thornton Montgomery spent his formative years working as a carpenter at
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but was determined to seek education, despite legal prohibitions. His father,
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Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
155:. Davis Bend was not a typical Southern plantation; it operated as a unique
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entrepreneurial pursuits and advocacy for African American empowerment.
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The Challenge of the Prairie: The Life and Times of Red River Pioneers.
269:"The Association" aimed to create a community of free African American
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The Challenge of the Prairie: The Life and Times of Red River Pioneers
524:(1st ed.). New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 219–225.
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in the Dakota Territory, his land intersecting with the newly laid
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Soon, Montgomery became a respected farmer and businessman in the
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Fargo, North Dakota: North Dakota Institute for Regional Studies.
574:"Dakota Datebook Archive: W. T. Montgomery, Black Bonanza Farmer"
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and Mary Montgomery. He grew up alongside his younger brother,
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555:"Sailor Detail - The Civil War (U.S. National Park Service)"
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began in 1861, Joseph Davis fled at the first sign of the
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for enslaved people, influenced by the ideas of early
612:"Town view with grain elevator, Lithia, North Dakota"
108:, in February 1843, Montgomery was the eldest son of
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As a child, Montgomery experienced the hardships of
636:. Saint Paul, Minnesota. March 19, 1892. p. 3.
335:Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul, and Pacific Railroad
226:, and Isaiah as the personal attendant of Admiral
420:Mississippi Department of Archives & History
694:"Davis Island: A Confederate Shrine Submerged."
92:(February 1843 – July 3, 1909) was an American
661:(1st ed.). New York: Oxford University Press.
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728:19th-century African-American businesspeople
394:as well. He decided to become a citizen of
329:By 1884, Montgomery had settled south of
69:Learn how and when to remove this message
748:African-American history of North Dakota
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32:This article includes a list of general
473:Turnipseed, Cassie Sade (August 2016).
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738:People from Warren County, Mississippi
416:"Crowe (Milburn J.) Photograph Album"
261:The Montgomery & Sons Association
206:between December 1863 and March 1864.
199:Montgomery served as a seaman on the
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733:19th-century American businesspeople
668:. Middle Tennessee State University.
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38:it lacks sufficient corresponding
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481:Middle Tennessee State University
758:People enslaved in Missisissippi
753:Montgomery family of Mississippi
572:Helm, Merry (October 19, 2004).
455:. Memphis, Tennessee. p. 8.
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657:Hermann, Janet Sharp (1981).
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293:Migration to Dakota Territory
16:American freedman (1843–1909)
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240:United States Colored Troops
157:experiment in utopian living
110:Benjamin Thornton Montgomery
120:, an all-black community.
90:William Thornton Montgomery
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664:Turnipseed, C. S. (2016).
360:African American newspaper
106:Warren County, Mississippi
650:Drache, Hiram M. (1970).
616:Minnesota Digital Library
596:Drache, Hiram M. (1970).
379:Mound Bayou, Mississippi
124:Early life and education
118:Mound Bayou, Mississippi
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308:Christine, North Dakota
53:more precise citations.
659:The Pursuit of a Dream
522:The Pursuit of a Dream
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386:Later life and death
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223:Carondelet
216:Union Navy
210:After the
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59:March 2024
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247:Hurricane
147:owned by
316:Manitoba
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