Overview

Location

This plantation was surely on Services Island in Jefferson County, MS. The island is located in north west Jefferson County at the Mississippi River. It is probably accessed from Southside/Ashland Road.

A map showing Services Island at land coordinate T9N-R2W is on-line at the County Highway Maps at the MS Department of Transportation website at: www.gomdot.com

Date Constructed/ Founded

not determined

Associated Surnames

Hunt, Servis

Historical notes

This plantation is listed as one of the 25 belonging to David Hunt. According to Mark Twain's book "Life on the Mississippi," plantations that were right on the Mississippi River were some of the most valuable ones. However, the River was constantly changing its course. When this happened a planter could suddenly find that his plantation was out on an island in the River, which also meant that it had just lost about three fourths of its value. Even worse, the plantation could be swallowed up by the River entirely.

David Servis was from New Jersey. He opened a blacksmith shop at Church Hill. Later, he managed Woodlawn Plantation for David Hunt. Hunt formed a partnership with Mr. Servis and helped him buy Ashland Plantation. Ashland Plantation was right beside Services Island (where Servis Island Plantation surely was located). Thus, David Hunt probably sold Servis Island Plantation to David Servis.

Associated Slave Workplaces

David Hunt's other nearby plantations are detailed at the following link: Woodlawn Plantation MS

Associated Free Persons

• David Hunt - owner
• David Servis - probably bought the plantation from David Hunt or was his partner in this plantation

Associated Enslaved Persons

• From the 1860 Federal Slave Schedule, Jefferson Co. Transcribed by Tom Blake, 386 slaves - HUNT, David, Police Dist. 4, page 60B. (These 386 slaves would have been spread across the several plantations that David Hunt owned in Jefferson Co. - see Woodlawn Plantation MS}

Research Leads and Plantation Records

• none reported yet

Miscellaneous Information

• none

References

• Harnett T. Kane, Natchez on the Mississippi, (New York: Bonanza Books, 1947) 179.

Users Researching This Workplace

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