Jefferson County, Alabama
In one of the most racially dangerous areas in the United States, one piece of land can allow a family to support itself for generations.
Timeline
Pre-Emancipation
William McCord was a slave owner that moved to Alabama from Georgia between 1850 and 1860 after inheriting slaves and property. Prior to this he was very poor. He was married to Martha McCord and they owned 14 slaves. Milus McCord, his sister Martha, and their parents Thomas and Sofa were among these 14 slaves.
At this time Alabama, and the country as a whole, were in an extremely unstable political climate which eventually lead to the civil war. Prior to this the area's economy, which relied on slave labor, had been growing steadily.
Emancipation - 1910
Following emancipation, Thomas McCord received a land grant to farm on in Jefferson County. He used this land to support his wife, Sofa, and their 5 young children. After receiving the land they went on to have 5 more children by 1880.
During this time many free black people in the south were making economic, social, and political progress in the period known as reconstruction. Much of this progress didn't reach Jefferson County which remained one of the most dangerous places for black people in the country. Groups such as the KKK terrorized southern blacks, and they were extremely prominent in Alabama. Jefferson County had more lynchings than any other place in the United States.
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The 1890 census was destroyed in a fire which leaves us with little information about Thomas McCord from 1880 to his death. It is known that he was able to purchase more land in Jefferson County and some in Dadeville County. By 1900 his son Milus McCord had become head of the household. He, his wife, and their 7 children (6 daughters) moved to Dadeville County (then called Tallapoosa County).
Milus McCord's Land Record - 1865-1869
1910- 1935
By 1910 many of Milus' children had become adults. As they matured, some decided to stay in Alabama and others went north in search of better opportunity during the Great Migration. Census records show that Milus' daughters that stayed all lived on the same block in Jefferson County, 66th Street South. This is because Milus McCord gave all of his daughters land in Jefferson County when they came of age. He did this so that they would never be dependent on their husbands according to his granddaughter Mildred who was born in Jefferson County in 1912 and remained there well into the 21st century. Milus' children lived on their land until the government took it in order to construct Interstate 20.
Like the rest of the country, Jefferson County was hurt by the effects of the Great Depression. When President Roosevelt introduced the New Deal, Alabama attempted to implement it in ways that didn't benefit their large black population. The construction of interstate 20 is an example of this. The Alabama state highway director was a prominent member of the KKK. The state strategically planned the highway to be built through predominately black communities, and they proceeded to destroy many communities that had developed and even thrived in the area.
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Milus McCord and Emma Hicks (1920s)
1935- Present
Karen, Joseph, Milus Charles, Margaret,
William Curtis, and Milus Moddis - Late 50s
Riverdale Junior High - Bronx, NY 1966
Jefferson County remained one of the most racist places in the country throughout the 1900s. The area played a prominent role during the civil rights movement. It was the site of events like Martin Luther King Jr's letter from Birmingham Jail and the 16th Street Baptist Church Bombing terrorist attack.
As recently as 2013 school districts throughout the county attempted to implement rules that would have brought back segregation in the school system. In 2011, the county filed for bankruptcy following several failed sewer constructions.
Milus and Emma went on to have two more sons, Milus Moddis and Hardin McCord. Milus Moddis grew up to join the United States Armed Force before moving to New York and working at the post office until he retired. Here he met his wife Margaret Wallace and they raised their 5 children, Joseph, Milus Charles, William Curtis, Karen, and Margaret Juanita, in The Saint Mary's Projects in The Bronx. Karen was part of the first integrating class in the New York City School District.
In the 1970s, Karen moved to, and still lives in, California and became a professor. She was later joined by her parents and siblings, except for Joesph who had moved to Chicago where he served the community until his death in 2020. Milus Moddis and Margaret lived the rest of their lives in Fairfield, California where their grandchildren attended Armijo High School. Milus Charles and William Curtis eventually returned to the south where they still reside. Margaret Juanita, who was still an adolescent when they relocated, grew up to work for Solano County for over thirty years before retiring in 2022. She has two children. Satrice and HT.
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