African American Entrepreneurs

African American Entrepreneurs. . Between 1870 and 1880, Virginia City's African American population was small compared to other minorities such as the Chinese. African American freighter Jack "Jarret" Taylor was in town as early as 1866, Sarah Bickford arrived in January 1871, and Minerva Coggswell came sometime in the 1870s. The 1880 census listed Minerva as a thirty-five year old home-owning widow living with her sister Parthenia Sneed and boarder Jack Taylor. Minerva and Parthenia operated a restaurant in this area of Wallace Street in the late 1870s and took in laundry at Minerva's home on Jackson Street. According to an 1879 advertisement in the Madisonian the sister's restaurant was, "Five Doors below the Wells Fargo's Exp's Office Wallace Street." Minerva Coggswell died in 1894 and Jack Taylor then purchased her home at auction. Parthenia married and moved to Butte prior to her sister's death. , Probate records offer details into the live of Minerva Coggswell. Possessions in her estate included numerous bedsteads, springs, three mirrors, five pillows, ten comforters, one blanket, and two additional mattresses. She also had a washing machine, three bird cages, and several lamps. , In 2009, with funding from the Ford Foundation, the National Trust for Historic Preservation awarded Montana Heritage Commission (MHC) a Partnership in Scholarship Grant to conduct research into the lives of Virginia City's African American residents. This research conducted by MHC staff, public history faculty and students from Washington State University and University of Wisconsin Eau-Claire added great depth to the knowledge of Virginia City's African American community.