Strange Alabama- Gee’s Bend

Boykin, Alabama, informally known as Gee's Bend, has experienced some of Alabama's richest history which has ultimately led to more than a few marvelous pieces of art.

Gee's Bend was given this nickname after a cotton plantation owner named Joseph Gee bought 18 slaves to the area in order to plant and sow his crops. Even after the plantation was handed down through family and finally sold to a man named Mark Pettaway, the slaves remained apart of the property. After the Civil War, the freed slaves took the name Pettaway after their previous owner and founded an all-black community.

Cut off from surrounding communities on three sides by the Alabama River, these Pettaway's preserved their communities culture for almost 100 years including the women's hobby of quilt making.

Today, the quilts and quilt makers of Gee's Bend have received high praises from museums, fashion designers, and even Oprah herself. Their intricate and beautiful designs have captured the hearts of many and truly have become treasures of the Black Belt.