What did Biddy Mason do for her community?
Mason also organized First A.M.E. Church, the oldest African American church in the city. She educated her children and with her wealth became a philanthropist to the entire Los Angeles community. Bridget “Biddy” Mason died in Los Angeles in 1891.
Who is Bridget Biddy Mason?
Bridget Biddy Mason (1818-1891) is an American Hero. Born enslaved, Mason became one of the first prominent citizens and landowners in Los Angeles in the 1850s and 1860s. She also founded the First African Methodist Episcopal Church in Los Angeles in 1872. Mason was born in Mississippi in 1818.
When did Biddy Mason get a tombstone?
On March 27, 1988, the mayor of L.A. and members of the church she founded held a ceremony, during which her grave was marked with a tombstone. Bridget “Biddy” Mason is associated with the Historic Resources Associated with African Americans in Los Angeles Multi-Property Submission (MPS).
What is Biddy Mason Day?
Archived from the original on May 6, 2014. Retrieved May 5, 2014. Thursday, November 16, 1989 was declared Biddy Mason Day and a memorial of her achievements was unveiled at the Broadway Spring Center located between Spring Street and Broadway at Third Street in Los Angeles.
See more
What was Biddy Mason's legacy?
She became a renowned philanthropist, co-founded the First African Methodist Episcopal Church, and continuously invested in the Black community. Today, Biddy is considered the “Grandmother of Los Angeles,” and her story has started to gain wider recognition.
How did Biddy Mason petition for freedom?
Enlisting his father in the effort, Owens rallied the local enforcement, along with a posse of vaqueros (cowboys), who together insisted that Mason and her people had a right to remain free and in California. That is how Biddy Mason came to petition a California judge to free herself and her children.
How did Biddy Mason became wealthy?
She built a wood-frame house that became a community hub and the meeting place of the First African Methodist Episcopal Church. She continued buying property and made shrewd deals, even though she never learned to read or write and signed her name with an elaborate X.
How did Biddy Mason help build California?
Ms. Mason, she said, had been born enslaved, won her freedom in a California court in the mid-1850s and eventually became a prominent downtown L.A. landowner — not to mention the growing metropolis's richest woman. She organized the city's First A.M.E. church and was a philanthropist.
What did Robert Smith try to do to Biddy Mason and her family?
He told Biddy and the others (thirteen slaves now), that they would be free once they arrived in Texas. In truth, Robert Smith had planned to sell all his slaves once they arrived in Texas for much-needed money, as Robert Smith was now broke. Biddy had to move fast if she wanted to gain freedom.
Where is Biddy Mason buried?
Evergreen Cemetery, Los Angeles, CABiddy Mason / Place of burialEvergreen Memorial Park & Crematory is a cemetery in the East Side neighborhood of Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, California. Evergreen has several prominent individuals of historical Southern California on its grounds. Wikipedia
Who was the father of Biddy Mason's children?
The fathers of her children are unknown, but some authors have speculated that Robert M. Smith likely fathered at least one of her children. A 25-year-old slave named Hannah worked with Biddy on the plantation; like Biddy, Hannah had three of her own children.
How old was Biddy Mason when she died?
72 years (1818–1891)Biddy Mason / Age at death
Where did Biddy Mason live in Los Angeles?
As a free woman, Mason settled in Los Angeles with her children and found work as a nurse and midwife. In 1866, she purchased a nearly one-acre site between present-day Broadway (then Fort Street) and Spring Street, between 3rd and 4th Streets. On this, the present location of the park, she built her homestead.
Did Biddy Mason have children?
Robynn: Biddy Mason was born into slavery on Aug. 15, 1818. She walked from Mississippi to Utah, then to Southern California, herding animals and tending to the needs of her slave master, all while caring for her three small children, Ellen, Anne and Harriet.
Did Biddy Mason go to school?
In 1818, on a plantation in Mississippi, Bridget 'Biddy' Mason was born. The plantation where she was born was owned by Robert Marion Smith and Rebecca Crosby Smith. Biddy was not educated formally but did learn the skills of a midwife from other slaves.
Where was Biddy Mason born?
Hancock County, GABiddy Mason / Place of birthHancock County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 9,429. The county seat is Sparta. The county was created on December 17, 1793, and named for John Hancock, a Founding Father of the American Revolution. Wikipedia
Did Biddy Mason have children?
Robynn: Biddy Mason was born into slavery on Aug. 15, 1818. She walked from Mississippi to Utah, then to Southern California, herding animals and tending to the needs of her slave master, all while caring for her three small children, Ellen, Anne and Harriet.
Where was Biddy Mason born?
Hancock County, GABiddy Mason / Place of birthHancock County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 9,429. The county seat is Sparta. The county was created on December 17, 1793, and named for John Hancock, a Founding Father of the American Revolution. Wikipedia
Who was Biddy Mason?
Mason was born in Mississippi in 1818. She was given the name Bridget without a surname, and was later nicknamed Biddy. She was owned by slaveholders in Georgia and South Carolina before being returned to Mississippi. Robert Marion Smith, her last owner, was a Mississippi Mormon convert. He decided to follow the call of the church and moved his family and enslaved persons to the West. There he would help establish a Mormon community in what would become Salt Lake City, Utah. At this time Utah was still a part of Mexico.
Who brought Mason to the Mormon community?
Ignoring Brigham Young’s warning that slavery was illegal in California, Smith brought Mason and other enslaved people to the new Mormon community. Along the way, Mason met Charles H. and Elizabeth Flake Rowan, a free black couple.
Who was Biddy Mason?
Biddy Mason. Biddy Mason (1818-1891) was a southern slave who become free after she moved with her masters to California. She built a career in Los Angeles as a nurse and a midwife, bought a piece of property, and used her business skills to become one of the wealthiest black women in the United States after the Civil War, ...
Where was Bridget Mason born?
Bridget Mason, known to everyone as "Biddy," was born into slavery on August 15, 1818. Her place of birth was probably Hancock County, Georgia , though some historians cite it as Mississippi. She was of mixed African American and Native American descent, but the names of her parents are unknown. As a slave child, she was separated from her parents and sold several times, working on plantations in Georgia, Mississippi, and South Carolina. She spent much of her childhood working on John Smithson's plantation in South Carolina, where she assisted the house servants and midwives. In 1836 Smithson gave the 18-year-old Mason, two other female house servants, and a blacksmith to his cousins, Robert Marion Smith and Rebecca (Crosby) Smith, as a wedding present.
Who was responsible for setting up camp each evening and packing up the next morning?
Mason was responsible for setting up camp each evening and packing up the next morning. Several children were born to slaves and white women during the trip, and Mason helped deliver them. When a group of Mormon pioneers left for San Bernardino, California, to establish a new settlement, Smith decided to join them.
Who was Bridget Biddy Mason?
Bridget “Biddy” Mason, born a slave in Mississippi in 1818, achieved financial success that enabled her to support her extended family for generations despite the fact that she was illiterate.
Who brought Mason to California?
Ignoring Brigham Young’s warning that slavery was illegal in California, Smith brought Mason and other enslaved people to the new community. Along the trek Mason met Charles H. and Elizabeth Flake Rowan, free blacks, who urged her to legally contest her slave status once she reached California, a free state.
What was Biddy Mason's role in the Westward Expansion?
A hidden gem in the period of westward expansion in United States history, Biddy Mason was a great example to all of society. Born a slave, she faced adversity at every turn, but became a free woman. With little help, she became a successful business woman, mother, and example to all. Her willingness to give to the needy is virtually unparalleled.
What did Biddy do on the journey?
The cattle they brought with them were herded by Biddy. When not herding cattle, she was to fix meals, perform any nursing necessary, and act as a midwife when needed. On top of all that, Biddy had three children - all daughters - that she provided for.
How much did Biddy buy her house for?
In a short amount of time, Biddy was financially secure. By 1866, she was able to purchase her own house on a large lot for $250. She was one of just a few women who owned land in Los Angeles. Eighteen years later, she sold off part of her land for $1,500. With her profits, she had a commercial building built, which she also managed. She continued to invest in real estate and earned a fortune for that period.
Who was Biddy's daughter?
After arriving in California, Biddy's daughter, Ellen, dated a free black man who was well aware of the rights of African Americans. The son of a successful businessman, Charles Owens assisted Biddy when she petitioned for her freedom to a California court. Earlier, Owens' father had notified the Los Angeles County Sheriff that Smith was keeping slaves illegally. Smith attempted to escape to Texas. The sheriff formed a posse, including Charles Owens, and captured Smith. In 1856, Biddy, along with her daughters, were granted their freedom.
Where did Brigham Young start his Mormon community?
Brigham Young had started another Mormon community in San Bernardino, California in 1851. Smith decided to move from Utah and join a caravan of 150 wagons. What Smith probably had not realized is California had become a state in 1850, and it was a free state. Possibly, he may have learned that most slave holders in California usually were left alone and not challenged for breaking the law. Regardless, all members of the Smith entourage moved.
Where did the Smiths take Biddy Mason?
Mason was forced to travel West with Robert and Rebecca Smith, slaveholders who had joined the Mormon migration to Utah. The Smiths eventually took Mason and her three children to San Bernardino in California. While California was supposedly a “free state,” Smith continued to hold them captive. Mason and her children befriended free blacks who alerted the local sheriff when the Smiths made plans to take Biddy and her daughters to Texas with them. The sheriff took Mason and her family into protective custody under a writ of habeas corpus.
Who is Grandma Mason?
She also co-founded and financed the First African Methodist Episcopal (FAME) Church, which is still going strong. Known as Grandma Mason, she died in 1891 and is honored through the Biddy Mason monument in downtown Los Angeles.
Who circumvented the racist testimonies laws?
According to the U.S. Constitution, all people have the right to due process, or agreed-upon legal methods, before being put in prison. Judge Benjamin Hayes circumvented racist testimony laws that prevented blacks from testifying against whites by interviewing Mason in his chambers.
Overview
Biddy Mason (August 15, 1818 – January 15, 1891) was an African-American nurse and a Californian real estate entrepreneur and philanthropist. She was one of the founders of the First African Methodist Episcopal Church in Los Angeles, California. Enslaved upon birth, she developed a variety of skills and developed knowledge of medicine, child care, and livestock care. A California court grant…
Early life
Biddy Mason was born into slavery reportedly on August 15, 1818, in Hancock County, Georgia, but her exact birthplace and birthdate are unknown. At an early age, she was taken from her parents and moved to the plantation of another slave owner. Although records during her youth are incomplete, she spent most of her time on a plantation owned by Robert Smithson.
During her teenage years, she learned domestic and agricultural skills. Additionally, she develop…
Relocations in 1847 and 1851
Missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon) proselytized in Mississippi. They taught Smith, his wife, and six children and they converted in 1847. Slaves were only allowed to be preached to and baptized with their master's permission, according to church policy. It is unknown whether Biddy was baptized.
Freedom
In 1856, Smith decided to move to the slave state of Texas and sell his slaves there. He told his slaves that they would be free in Texas. Biddy relayed her fears of being separated from her children and remaining a slave to two free black men: Charles Owens and Manuel Pepper. The men, including sheriffs and others, served Smith with a court order. A Los Angeles court heard the habeas corpus action regarding her freedom. Smith claimed that Biddy wanted to go to Texas. H…
Los Angeles
After becoming free, Mason and her daughters moved in with Robert Owens, the father of Charles Owens and a well-known Los Angeles businessman. Her daughter Ellen would eventually marry Charles Owens. Mason worked in Los Angeles as a nurse and midwife, delivering hundreds of babies during her career. Using her knowledge of herbal remedies, she risked her life to care for those affected by the smallpox epidemic in Los Angeles. One of her employers was the noted ph…
Family
Mason's daughter Ellen married Charles Owens and had two sons Robert Curry Owens (1859-1932) and Henry Louis Owens (1861-1893). For many decades, Robert Curry Owens was noted as the wealthiest Black man in Los Angeles. Henry L. Owens died in 1893. Later in life, Robert Curry Owens engaged in politics and real estate. He went on to own the Owens Block, a two-story brick building built on Broadway in the early 1890s that became the first Black-owned business buildin…
Legacy
Mason was fond of saying,
"If you hold your hand closed, nothing good can come in. The open hand is blessed, for it gives in abundance, even as it receives."
After Mason's death on January 15, 1891, she was buried in Evergreen Cemetery in the neighborhood of Boyle Heights. On March 27, 1988, in a ceremony atten…
See also
• History of the African Americans in Los Angeles
• History of slavery in California
• Mormonism and slavery
Lived as A Slave
Gained Freedom
Nurse, Midwife, Property Owner
Community Impact and Legacy
- Mason devoted much of her time and energy to religious and community works. She opened her homestead to needy people, and lines of people seeking her assistance often formed on Spring Street. She also donated money and land to schools, day care centers, grocery stores, and churches, and she visited jail inmates regularly. Mason did much to help wor...
Books
Periodicals
Online