Our neighbors with the White County Historical Society have unveiled a historical marker commemorating the history of the area known as The Colony and the founding families of Mount Olive/Bedford Chapel.

The marker, which was unveiled on July 21, 2023, is located at the Mt. Olive/Bedford Chapel Cemetery at 371 Manning Road in the Mount Vernon area.

According to a news release, Bedford Chapel is one of the last remaining signs of the area between Rose Bud and Mount Vernon known as The Colony.

In 1856, a plantation owner named James Dupriest moved his family and enterprises from Atlanta, Ga., to 850 acres near Mount Vernon. James, a slave owner, was known as a “kind and respected gentleman who treated his laborers fairly.”

After the Civil War ended and slaves became freed men and women, James sent word to Atlanta that former slaves were welcome to come work as sharecroppers on the White County plantation. Over time, more than 100 freed men and women from Atlanta made the journey on foot to settle in The Colony and start a new life.

The White County Historical Society thanks the Mount Olive/Bedford Chapel Cemetery Association for “their work and research that have made this marker possible.”

–photos by Leroy Blair, with permission from White County Historical Society | ARGENWEB.net