Object Details
- Creator
- Turner, Lorenzo Dow, 1890-1972
- Collection Creator
- Turner, Lorenzo Dow, 1890-1972
- Place
- Georgia
- United States
- United States of America -- Georgia -- Raccon Bluff
- Topic
- African American women
- African Americans
- Creator
- Turner, Lorenzo Dow, 1890-1972
- Culture
- Gullahs
- See more items in
- Lorenzo Dow Turner Papers
- Lorenzo Dow Turner Papers / Series 5: Photographs, circa 1890–1974 / 5.4.3: Research: United States of America / Sea Islands off the coasts of South Carolina and Georgia
- Biographical
- Katie Groverner [Grovernor] Brown was born on Sapelo Island in McIntosh County, Georgia, on June 10, 1853, to John and Corten Groverner [Grover, Grovernor]. Her mother's grandfather was Bilali Muhamad, a Muslim man who was enslaved by the Spalding family. Bilali wrote a famous document in Arabic, which is known as the "Bilali Diary." During the Civil War, the island was abandoned by its white population. In 1865, General William T. Sherman had issued an order that the Sea Islands' lands, including Sapelo, should be given to the recently freed African American population. Nevertheless, the order was never implemented. By 1871 a consortium of three African American men, which included John Groverner, Katie's father, bought 1,000 acres from the former white owner's heirs and created the settlement of Raccoon Bluff. Katie grew up there attending school until fifth grade. She married Ben Brown on August 7, 1877, and had at least four children. Dr. Turner described her as being very intelligent and serious, if somewhat reticent when he interviewed her. Katie Brown passed away on November 19, 1940, and was buried at Behavior Cemetery, Sapelo Island.
- Extent
- 1 Item (photographic print , black and white, 3.5 x 2.5 inches)
- Date
- 1933 July-August
- Custodial History
- The Lorenzo Dow Turner papers were donated to the Anacostia Community Museum in 2003 by Professor Turner's widow, Lois Turner Williams. Additional materials were donated in the spring of 2010 by Mrs. Turner Williams.
- Archival Repository
- Anacostia Community Museum Archives
- Identifier
- ACMA.06-017, Item ACMA PH2003.7064.309
- Type
- Archival materials
- Photographic prints
- Collection Citation
- Lorenzo Dow Turner papers,Anacostia Community Museum Archives, Smithsonian Institution, gift of Lois Turner Williams.
- Genre/Form
- Photographic prints
- Scope and Contents
- Lorenzo Dow Turner took this image while doing research in the Sea Islands off the coast of South Carolina and Georgia between 1931 and 1933.
- Collection Restrictions
- Use of the materials requires an appointment. Please contact the archivist to make an appointment: ACMarchives@si.edu.
- Record ID
- ebl-1610065913378-1610065917812-0
