Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1912-05-24
MOUND BAYOU
IMPROVEMENTS

Negro Town to Issue NUM-
cipaI Bonds and Provide
Better Facilities.
REALTY VALUATION OF TOWN.
CITIZENS OWN $4,000 IN REAL
ESTATE AND 100000 IN PER-
soNAL PRoPERTY-MARY susi-
NESS INSTITUTIONS.
New York.-Many Improvements are
soon to be made In Mound Bayou,
Miss, the widely known negro town.
according to Isaiah r. Montgomery,
Mound Bayou's founder, who 10 In New
York on business. Mr.. Montgomery Is
negotiating to place municipal bonds
of the town on the market, which will
be done to inaugurste civic improve
ments, such as sidewalks, light, water
and sewerage facilities. Already
Mound Bayou has considerable plank
walks and an artesian well that flows
Is to 20 gallons q minute Of pure, soft
water. However, no arrangements
have been made to date for piping it.
While in New York Mr.. Montgomery
Is arranging to Goat the $4,000 worth
OF oil mill bonds. and is further seek.
ing to reach the class OF far-sighted
philanthropists with view to showing
them the need OF the formation of a
permanent trust or foundation fund of
several hundred thousand dollars, to be
loaned among the negroes at and AZ
per cent. which would encourage the
development of small farms and the
building OF comfortable homes. 1t is
the idea of Mr.. Montgomery that
portion of the interest be used for
building suitable rural schools, in
which the South Is quite deficient, par.
ticularly as relating to negroes.
The proposed trust or foundation
fund may be made up In part of the
endowments already set apart fol. ne
gro institutions. In that case proper
proportion of the interest would be.
preserved to- the purpose prescribed.
The primary object of the investment
sought is to secure the perpetuation
and development of Mound Bayou as
a progressive, agricultural, industrial
and commercial center and for the pro.
motion Of thrift and enterprise that
may continually demonstrate the adj
ministrative and constructive capacity
OF the negro, thereby contributing
greatly as an encouraging example to
the race at large as well as to the
lasting and general good of the State
OF Mississippi.
MOUND BAYOU's HISTORY.
Mound Bayou derives its name from
two bayous that stretch irregularly
like an enormous Y, the left arm
northeast and the right arm north
west. About three miles southeast OF
the town they Join at the foot of an
enormous mound relic of the Indian.
About 1885 the L. N. o. & T. rail-
road. owned principally by Messrs.
Coils p. Huntington and r. T. Wilson,
came into possession OF million acres
comprising large portion Of the great
Yazoo delta, at that time considered
scarcely 1abitable continuously by the
Anglo-Saxon. In 1887 the company
sought the attention of Isaiah r. Mont
gomery. who believed that he saw a
golden opportunity for his race and
soon concentrated all of bis powers to
attract the better class Of negroes aid
encourage them to buy homes on the
section drained by the two bayous.
The country was trackless wilder
ness assessed at one to two dollars per
acre, and in many cases contracts had
to be renewed. Montgomery institut-
ed a rule with the railroad not to
wholly cancel a contract as long as a
settler could be depended upon, and in
case of failure, another man was put
in his place.
Very little 1--we stock or building ma.
terial was available, frontier methods
We're resorted to, settlers Joining to
help each other split and hew logs to
build their cabins, make slab and
puncheon floors, and pile the logs
that had to be burned of their small
clearings. Meantime an existence was
eked out by splitting railroad ties and
making white oak slaves for the Euro
pean market.
About 1894 a demand arose for town
lots. Isaiah Montgomery and a cous-
in, B. T. Green, had a 40,acre tract
plated. A charter was duly executed
by Gov. Anelm J. NJ Laurin, and
Isaiah T. Montgomery was appointed
first mayor.
One of the fundamental rules at
Mound Bayou has been to cultivate
public opinion and have the people at
large participate in responsibility for
the reputation Of the community. As
a result law and order prevails to an
extent equal to any town in the South.
The first machinery brought in was a
small saw mill used mostly to cut
thousands of the fine white ash logs
that abounded in the high cane lands.
All land became cleared, cotton gin
and press was attached to the mill.
THE BANK OF MOUND BAYOU.
Some seven years ago Charles
Banks associated with number OF
others, established the Bank Of Mound
Bayou. This institution now owns a
two-story brick building. has paid-up
capital of. $4,000 with resources OF
over 100000. and has been of inval.
liable service in concentrating and de.
veloping the business of agricultural
interests. There are at present three
saw mills that operate on an average
of four or five months year, cutting
about 100000 feet that enters mostly
into the local trade. Many millions