James “Jim” Fort – “He Was Honest & Enjoyed the Respect of All Who Knew Him”

James “Jim” Fort was born around 1855 on the Fort Plantation in Marion Junction or Harrell’s Crossroads in Dallas County, Alabama to Julia Fort (an enslaved woman) and an unknown caucasian father.  In 1889, Jim Fort married Darnella Curtis. Together, they had 5 children.  He died in March 1922 at his home, located 5 miles northwest of Selma, near the R.H. Jones plantation. Jim’s obituary says about him, “He was honest and enjoyed the respect of all who knew him“.

A descendant of Jim and Darnella Fort has contacted this blog, and been a help in sharing family stories and contributing to the family tree, to her I will be forever grateful.

A big motivation for creating In Our Hearts, and sharing information and stories, is to record a history that would be lost otherwise, and to give voice to our ancestors and record the important events of their life, from their perspective.

If you would like to contribute to In Our Hearts, or include add any additional thoughts on this article, please leave your name in the comments below and I will respond. Any identifying info will be kept confidential (and not published).

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“What One Colored Farmer Did By Working His Farm”

Editor Journal:

As an encouraging illustration of what has been done in this county, even this poor crop year, and what can be done every year, permit me to submit the following facts. James Fort, one of our most humble, respectable and well-behaved colored citizens, resides in Frog Level beat, on the old Summerfield and Cahaba road, about five miles northwest of Selma. He is well known to many of our citizens.

Sixteen years ago he purchased 105 acres of land, about the poorest in the county, at $7.50 per acre, and has paid for it. He has resided on it now for about fourteen years. Jim has forty-five acres in pasture, under fence, in which he grazes eight cows, and four hogs that give him more than enough, milk butter and meat for home consumption. Sixty acres of his farm are In cultivation, thirty acres of which he rents out at $2.00 per acre. He cultivates, with himself and one hand, the other thirty acres.

On his thirty acres farm, this year, he made 470 bushels of corn, 45 bushels of unknown peas; 100 bushels of sweet potatos; 250 gallons of ribbon cane syrup, the yield from one-half of an acre, and saved enough seed cane to plant this much another year; and nine bales of cotton which now stand under cover at his home, thus showing produced from thirty , following facts. acres worth approximately $1,175. His young turkeys this year were destroyed by the variments. He has 75 hens from which he sold eggs for $42. 

Jim has no merchant, gets no advances, makes no mortgages, and owes no debts. His motto is; Work and let the merchants do the rest. He land, about the poorest has used no fertilizers on his crops, at $7.50 per acre, and so far, simply works them,and leaves it. He has resided on natures to do the rest.

Every small farmer in the county can do as well, or better. And what a prosperous country we would have! How independent we would be of Wall Street and the rest of the world! And yet people tell us that we cannot raise corn here, that we must raise cotton alone!

Hoping these facts may prove to be a lesson of encouragement and a commendable example to some, at least, of the small farmers of this section, The facts are submitted forpublication.

Very respectfully yours,

W. W. QUARLES

 

Source:

The Selma Times-Journal
Selma, Alabama
27 Dec 1908, Sun • Page 1

Retrieved: Newspapers.com. December 26, 2019.

James “Jim” Fort Obituary

 

 

 

 

 

Source

The Selma Times-Journal
Selma, Alabama

12 Mar 1922, Sun  •  Page 5

Retrieved: Newspapers.com. December 26, 2019