Cesar Davis Account
Archival ID: omhi-tal-1924-cesar-davis-01
Why This Document Matters
This 1924 record for Cesar Davis is an “economic footprint” of a Black Mingo family. In the 1920s, ledger entries like this itemized the very cost of survival. Beyond just numbers, these pages track the purchase of essential commodities: meat (fatback), meal, flour, and molasses for the table, as well as guano (fertilizer), seed, and “mule hire” for the fields. These records reveal the thin margins families lived on—where the cost of a pair of shoes or a bag of salt was weighed against the projected value of the autumn cotton or tobacco crop.
For the Davis family, this confirms their continued presence and labor in Williamsburg County. It highlights the “Furnishing System,” where credit was extended for daily needs, proving how families like the Davises successfully managed a household economy in an era of systemic financial challenge.
Notice the frequent entries for “cash advanced” or “merchandise.” These often represent the only available currency for families, used to pay for medical care, burial expenses, or essential winter clothing.
