Willis T. Brown (1871 - bef. 1920)

Born 7 Jan 1871 in Liberty, Amite, Mississippi, United States

Husband of Emma K. (Crossley) Brown — married 1894 in Lincoln, Mississippi, United States

Died before 1920 before age 48 in Mound Bayou, Bolivar, Mississippi, United States

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Biography

Willis T. Brown is a part of US Black heritage.

This profile is part of the Mound Bayou, Mississippi One Place Study.

Original Settler of Mound Bayou

Willis T Brown was born in Liberty, Amite, Mississippi on 7 Jan 1871 to Ephraim and Eliza Brown. In the 1880 census Willis (age 9) was the son of Ephraim Brown in Beat 4, Amite, Mississippi, United States.^[1][2]

He was married in 1894, to Miss Emma K. Crossley, near Brookhaven, Lincoln County, Mississippi.

In the 1910 census W (age 39), Laborer, was the married head of household in Beat 3, Bolivar, Mississippi, United States.^[3]

Willis died sometime before 1920 for Emma is listed as widowed in that census.^[4]

The Negro at Mound Bayou

On his arrival at Mound Bayou in 1902, Mr. Brown engaged in the restaurant business and continued successfully for several years. He closed the business to accept a general book agency proposition with one of the largest book publishing concerns in the country. He remained in this business till 1908, and he must have succeeded for he broke every local record for sales and deliveries. He was a local representative of the lumber and real estate interests of the firm of Banks & Francis. Mr. Brown is about the livest proposition that ever came to Mound Bayou as real estate agent. Anybody wishing to locate at Mound Bayou will see him.

Sources

1. ↑ 1880 Census:"1880 United States Federal Census"
   Year: 1880; Census Place: Beat 4, Amite, Mississippi; Roll: 640; Page: 514A; Enumeration District: 046
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 6742 #8350566 (accessed 24 May 2023)
   Willis Brown (9), single son, in household of Ephraim Brown (44) in Beat 4, Amite, Mississippi, USA. Born in Mississippi.
2. ↑ Hood, Aurelius P. The Negro at Mound Bayou: being an authentic story of the founding, growth and development of the "most celebrated town in the South," covering a period of twenty-two years , page 91. Available at https://hdl.handle.net/2027/emu.010002630190
3. ↑ 1910 Census: "1910 United States Federal Census"
   Year: 1910; Census Place: Beat 3, Bolivar, Mississippi; Roll: T624_733; Page: 6a; Enumeration District: 0011; FHL microfilm: 1374746
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 7884 #13580551 (accessed 24 May 2023)
   W T Brown (39), married, Laborer, head of household in Beat 3, Bolivar, Mississippi, USA. Born in Mississippi.
4. ↑ 1920 Census: "1920 United States Federal Census"
   Year: 1920; Census Place: Beat 1, Bolivar, Mississippi; Roll: T625_870; Page: 13A; Enumeration District: 5
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 6061 #77991852 (accessed 24 May 2023)
   Emma Brown (45), widowed, Laborer, head of household in Beat 1, Bolivar, Mississippi. Born in Mississippi.