Dockery Farms, "Birthplace of the Delta Blues"
Introduction
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Dockery Farms is commonly referred to as the "birthplace of the blues."
Backstory and Context
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In its heyday, Dockery Farms essentially functioned as its own town. Founded in 1895 by William Alfred Dockery, the property eventually had its own elementary school, churches, post and telegraph offices, its own currency, resident doctor, railroad depot, ferry, Blacksmith shop, cotton gin, cemeteries, picnic grounds for the workers, and a commissary that sold dry goods, furniture, and groceries. At one time the property housed four hundred tenant workers and their families. Will Dockery often held concerts on the commissary porch and all-night picnics, where various blues artists performed. The property is listed on the Mississippi Blues Trail, as the possible "birthplace of the blues."
Sources
Birthplace of the Blues?, Mississippi Blues Trail. Accessed April 14th 2021. http://msbluestrail.org/blues-trail-markers/birthplace-of-the-blues.
https://www.bluesphotosbydonmcghee.com/Delta/MS-BLUES-TRAIL-MARKERS/