My article on Bluff City Savings Bank, the first and only black-owned bank in Natchez, Miss.

It appears in the July/Aug 2023 issue of Natchez Magazine

I’m happy to share my latest piece of writing on African American history in Natchez. This effort resulted in many pleasant surprises. Throughout the process, as I sought to discover the location of Bluff City Savings Bank, I stumbled upon quite a few gems that shed light on the bank’s founders and on the history of the bank itself. I must admit, however, that I was surprised to learn that the bank existed for only a few years and that it only closed after the failure of a local white bank, which affected all of the local banks at the time.

Grateful acknowledgments are made to Mimi Miller, executive director emerita of Historic Natchez Foundation, for her knowledge, research, and overall support.

The Article

When Eric Berry purchased the Natchez Manor Bed & Breakfast in 2019, he didn't know that he' d also acquired a piece of African American history. The former NFL football player learned recently that the back section of the Manor, a new addition, is resting on the actual site of the Bluff City Savings Bank -- the first black-owned bank in Natchez.

Natchez Manor is located at 600 Franklin St. The historical site to its rear, on which its property lies, faces North Union Street. The site includes the area that was once home to the office of Dr. John Bowman Banks, Natchez's first black physician. Dr. Banks' office was located next to Bluff City, where he also served as bank president.

To read the full article, visit here or follow this link:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/372279676_'THIS_HISTORY_IS_IMPORTANT'_Remembering_the_Bluff_City_Savings_Bank

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