[MISSISSIPPI]. 1919 document ref. purchase of Panther Burn Plantation signed by LeRoy Percy.  

A group of 3 typed documents dealing with the purchase of Panther Burn Plantation, comprising:

PERCY, LeRoy (1869-1929). Typed letter signed ("LeRoy Percy"), addressed to Mr. W.S. Jones, Vicksburg, MS. Greenville, MS, 26 May 1919. 1 page, 10 1/2 x 8 in. "Law Offices of Percy & Percy" letterhead. -- MCLAURIN (?), R.L. Typed letter with "copy" ink stamp and stamped signature ("R.L. McLaurin?"), addressed to Senator Leroy Percy, Greenville, MS. 26 May 1919. 1 page, 10 3/4 x 8 1/2 in. -- Typed document addressed to, "the Merchants National Bank of Vicksburg, Mississippi." 1 page, 14 x 8 1/2 in. In part: "This is to advise you that, whereas, the agreement for the sale of Panther Burn Plantation executed by Fannie W. Johnson to us, held by you, provides for the payment of $400,000.00 cash, and execution of notes and trust deed securing the balance, 'plus any amounts expended up to the delivery of the property in advances to tenants upon the Plantation'..."

LeRoy Percy was a prominent Mississippi attorney, politician, and planter from the me Percy family that produced southern writers Walker Percy and Alexander Percy. LeRoy owned a significant amount of land in the Mississippi Delta, eventually controlling plantations comprising more than 20,000 acres. As such, he relied upon the inexpensive labor of African Americans in the region, and took measures to make the area hospitable to them, including supporting African Americans in societal leadership roles and supporting their schools. He also notably opposed the Ku Klux Klan, citing their overt racism. Though he saw himself as a paternalistic figure for his employees, some argue that the control he exerted over their lives, including dictating where they could and could not shop, revealed a more complicated relationship.

Panther Burn was a well-known cotton plantation in Sharkey County, Mississippi.

Property from a 35-Year Collection from the Southern United States

This lot is located in Cincinnati.