Aldridge Plantation
A.J. Aldridge was a native Mississippian, having lived on a farm all his life except for the few years he spent in Greenville. In 1872 he came to Greenville with $1.25 in his pocket which constituted his entire cash assets. He worked as a bookkeeper at a modest salary for 7 years and when he had saved enough money to “pitch a crop,” he returned to the plantation and was a cotton-grower the rest of his life.
By 1904, he was cultivating about 1500 acres in cotton, all of which he rented out entirely to negro tenants. Over time, he acquired more land and eventually the family operated several farms generally located around Arcola, Deer Creek District, near Greenville. Estill (Capitola Plantation) and Wilmot (Suitsme Plantation) were two of the larger places.
A.J. was suceeded by his sons R.N. & J.H. Aldridge. In the 1930s the Aldridge Plantations began to mechanize. On the J.H. Aldridge Plantation, from 1927 to 1937 a total of 160 cropper families were replaced by 30 day labor families, 22 tractors, 13 four-row cultivators and a few other tractor attachments such as planters, harrows, discs, etc.
In June and early July 1937 Dorothea Lange took these dramatic photographs on the J.H. Aldridge Plantation (Suitsme), a 4,000-acre cotton farm in Washington County, Mississippi. [Apparently she took no photographs at the R.N. Aldridge Plantation (Capitola)].
Each photo in a gallery shows slightly compressed on your display. To view one full size, just click on it. Then you'll see it full size and from there you can operate as a slide show if you prefer.
By 1904, he was cultivating about 1500 acres in cotton, all of which he rented out entirely to negro tenants. Over time, he acquired more land and eventually the family operated several farms generally located around Arcola, Deer Creek District, near Greenville. Estill (Capitola Plantation) and Wilmot (Suitsme Plantation) were two of the larger places.
A.J. was suceeded by his sons R.N. & J.H. Aldridge. In the 1930s the Aldridge Plantations began to mechanize. On the J.H. Aldridge Plantation, from 1927 to 1937 a total of 160 cropper families were replaced by 30 day labor families, 22 tractors, 13 four-row cultivators and a few other tractor attachments such as planters, harrows, discs, etc.
In June and early July 1937 Dorothea Lange took these dramatic photographs on the J.H. Aldridge Plantation (Suitsme), a 4,000-acre cotton farm in Washington County, Mississippi. [Apparently she took no photographs at the R.N. Aldridge Plantation (Capitola)].
Each photo in a gallery shows slightly compressed on your display. To view one full size, just click on it. Then you'll see it full size and from there you can operate as a slide show if you prefer.
The term riding boss carried over from the antebellum plantations; he was a mounted field foreman.
