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About The advocate. (Portland, Or.) 19??-19?? | View Entire Issue (Aug. 3, 1929)
UCXXXXXXXXXV Portia nd Advoca te Illustrated Feature Section nr N / Ilf < « MM ■ »(g ilM r N > •»♦•*" %4 * r 1 1 t a t n g He p t • k i , 4 h lrg | g , u t a II * • • August 3, 1929 M ís n ¡ mn ¡|>|>¡%4 A ll- N e g r o T o w n I* O n e of* d i r I Ir a n ia ! ic a n d I iin ju r I’Y a t u r r * o f llic I m ir t i State*. It W a * l4,Htal»li*lir<l 12 Y e a r * A*¡o a n d M a s D r v r l o p r d in to a I n u n o f ( ¿ r o t t ili" M o w n * a n d V r liir t r - r» M o u nd city. Bayou 1 Illustrated Feature Section Bl Jr M »«a la r* NEGROES RULE THEMSELVES? M O U N D BAY OU REPLIES 73k * ILLUSTRATED FEATURE SECTION rxxxxxxxxxx M iO r Y en ! has all the conveniences o f a m odern It i* the o n ly tow n in the U n ited States w h e re the j a il bec am e a useless a p p e n d a g e and was abolished. It has a black m a y o r , a black boa rd o f alderm en , c h ie f o f po lice and all N e g r o o ffic ia ls . in n il. When a handful of enterprising Negroes with vision and determination, founded the all-Negro town of Mound Bayou, in Mississippi, everybody expected its early down fall. Such remarks ns these were constantly encountered by th<‘ young pioneers: "Negroes can't rule themselves!” "They won’t ‘puli' together” ; "The town will fail in five years.” Well, Mound iiayou is still alive and kicking— ki* king high at that. T h e Fou nder*. The first plans for establishing Mound Bayou as a real town were laid by Isaiah T. Montgomery, a former slave, anti his cousin, Benjamin T. Green, July 12, 1887. These! two hardy and farsighted Negroes purchased one thousand st i es of land from the I..N.O. and T. Railroad Company, j and with their heroic families, pitched their tents upon their ■ new acquisition. At that time this part of Mississippi was! u \ast wilderness— not even a shack was in sight. Two Intrepid llunterv Tlic MUIe I ’ommonlty Knrivr* Ms First Sorrow ... f t t nod Greet»» were furird to con | Amidst the progress *nd happtnea. tent ihoiioclve» with lorest-lx-urs,, that crowned the rRort* ol these |>eo • ptiti'lier». dear, wolves, wildest« and pi«. ten the llrst sorrow Benjamin ia. Kins O l course the anim als' cirren. one of the co-founders. wa-. were loathe lo p o t with the sov-1 killed by a worthless tramp over a erelgnty ol Hits wlldemeas. hence the ! trivial matter This sudden blow sad- bstlie between man and beast wa. dened ttiese hardy fetk. lor they rea- bitterly waned luted fully the loss ol thetr great lead- M AYOK B A. GREEN I ’, is unnecessary U- point out the victors Moreover it is conceded that ( Ireeu and Montgomery were two ol the most intrepid hunters who ever rnlerert the M l -slsslppl Valley; and that their rkiU with Uie rifle was unequalled first lluts Built The battle w i U i the Mlmlsalppl an imals having hern won. It was not long I k *lore giant oaks and trees ol ginii and cypress began lo tall be-! lore the swing ol U e use men. In ! their stead were soon erected sturdy | dwelling places ol strong timber Wells were driven to supply Iresli water In the place ol spring water | wlueii was during those time the ulilv available water supply. Tile Origin of the Name Mound Bayou 'I d ) original two families had now (r o a n Into u colony o l respectable sire One day. some one i>op|K'd the question What shall we call our newt settlement? The answer was obvious The u curly settlers had undergone much hardship in overcoming the thi ll« ultles resulting Irom the numerous mounds and bayous that abounded near the site ol the embryonic Com munity. Bo with a unanimous gusto, tile name Mound B ayou ’ was adopt ed Pioneer« Are Organised Into Home Owning Community Montgomery and Clreen then begun to organize the pioneers Into u liomc- ownlng community. A poftton ol tin- The Bolivar Canni y Training School, at Mound Bayou. original tin usaud acres imrchused by the M in d er* was divided Into town lots and sold to the settlers on long cr However tills slate of nnnd d ld qlt did under the well-known cir-*u rer Fred L. Booze: Mrs. E. H Jones term* while- other settler* were "able i not remain long. M.mivl Bayou had I cumstances surrounding life In M i,- is city clerk; D r P M George is city m secure front the ralh.md c.'m piny i ^ - o n i e » » object o f general attention - » PPk the ' farmland upon long leases. ♦throughout America. Begmiiing as with seme trepidation Is Not n e » vlly Weighted With Debt 1 Mourn! Bayou is Incorporated Mound Bavou is not h e a v i l y T h e situation became, however, an .weighted with debt as are m ost, entirely favorable one, consequently i In 1898 the town »’.is incorporated, i I . T . Montgomery, the surviving co- founder. was elected Its first mayor. There arc now between 1,000 and 1.500 people In the incorporated town In whnt Is culled the Mound Bayou Community, there are around 3.000 Negro men and women Mound Iiayou Has «Numerous Busi M * 4 Three Barber Shops. ■ * American ----------- cities ana towns. its One Electric Shoe lie pair Shop. 1 total Indebtedness Is but $0.500. O n* Job Printing plant. T h e town is also wed lighted by One Weekly Newspaper electricity; the climate Is nealihiui Ten Mercantile Establishments. and the winters pleasantly mild T w o Service Statlom. In the professional lie d. It con- One Auto Repair Shop. I tains one lawyer, one medical doc- One Federal Farm Loan Associa { tor, and one dentist. tion. Have Arranged Million-Hollar T w o Undertakers. Project Mound Bayou lias Its share ol churches, there beln j six. Perhaps The people of Mound Bayou have It was tiie religious influence exerted an old-fasnloned community spirit, by these churches that caused the also. They have recently organized abolition of the Mound Bayou jail. a Mound Bayou Foundation to raise , one million dollars lor the develop- Their School System T h e following schools are effective 1 i.ieni o! their town. Recently thypg was a celebration ly handling the educational situation ¡o f Home Coiniag Week and Foun in tills bright town. The Mound Bayou Consolidated d e r 's Day (July 7-13, 1929». The very permanency and stability School District, In which Is located Bolivar County Training School. This of this pioneering community has attracted the Interest of the entire school owns real esta'«- worth $150.000 particulary when one ol and has a student enrollment of 1 000. country; The Baptist Normal, a high school, its distinguished citizens. Mrs. Mary i C. Booze, attracted widespread a t has an enrollment of 150 students. tention as national Republican Cotn- Ils s K ft re live M unicipal G overn m en t mittecwoman lor the State of M is Mount Bayou Is governed In an or sissippi. derly manner, by a mayor and a board of aldermen B A. Green, may Will There Be an AU-Negro Slate? Mound Bayou has often been dis or: R. W. Jones. S. L. Cohn, Joe W. Covington and H . H . Powell are cussed as the possible nucleus ol an It is not entirely aldermen: chief of police. John all-Negro state ♦Thom as. lire chief. Jim M iller; treas- improbable that this may be brought to pass. Many authorities, both white and black, have predicted the establishment of an all-Negro state in America, and have indicated that Mound Bayou will be the base of ! such a project. T h e Mound Bayou Invitation to the Negro men and women o f the world Is "Com e to Mound Bayou and run for Judge and Chief of Police and not from th em !" ;<>m- The C'arnrflp l.lhnirv ness Organisations The progress of these people is ex- j emplifli'd in the extent o f their bust-, ness organizations. The following are some of the enterprises of the town: The Mound Bayou Bottling Works, manufacturing s«>da water, ginger ale. gay ola and other soft drinks. A Burial Association. Tw o Steam Gins One Electric Oln. Tw o Drug 8tores. One Hotel. Out Joyous and Vigorous First Lady By D O N C H A R L E S W a s h in g t o n C o rre sp o n d e n t and S p e c ia l W r i t e r This article shows why it is that Mrs. Hoover could be expected to do no different in the Mrs. DePriest Tea Party. Learn the Truth About This Affair In T h e Illustrated Feature Section A U G U S T 10, 1929 IniDositif home of Ivtiah T. Montgomery founder of the city