Celebration of Black History Month – Bridget Mason – Installment I

Born August 15, 1818 in Mississippi, as a slave on a plantation owed by Robert Marion Smith and Rebecca Crosby Smith.  Ms. Mason gave birth to three daughters, Ellen, Ann and Harriet, who some felt were all fathered by the plantation owner, Smith. 

In 1847 Smith converted to the Mormon faith and decided to move to Utah Territory along with his household and all his slaves.  This would be a treacherous two-thousand- mile cross country trip.  Biddy would be responsible for herding of cattle, preparing meals, midwife duties, tending to the sick / affirmed and her own children. 

In 1848 the Smith household headed west to the new Mormon “City of Saints” neat the Great Salt Lake in covered wagons leaving a trail of dust, mud, sweat and tears. 

In 1851 Master Smith decided to move the household again to the city of San Bernardino in California, where Brigham Young (leader of the Mormon faith) was staring a new community.  Its obvious that Smith was not aware that slavery was forbidden in the state of California since its admission into the Union in 1850. 

Bridget Mason had been born into slavery and had been a slave all her life.  Even though, Biddy could not read or write, once she found out that she could petition for the freedom of herself and her daughters, she set out to start the wheels turning. 

1855 – Mrs Smith decides to move the household once again this time to Texas (a non free state) a sheriff rode to the rescue and took the Smith’s inventory of slaves into custody to prevent their leaving.  Ms. Mason petitioned for her tiny family’s freedom in the court of Judge Benjamin Hayes in Los Angeles.  In 1856 Judge Hayes ruled all the slaves of Robert Marion Smith, “free forever to work for themselves and live in peace” .

Now free Biddy needed a job and a home.  Businessman, Robert Owens and his wife offered a place for Bridget’s family to stay until they got on their feet in exchange for work.  Judge Hayes and a Dr. Griffin also provided employment for Ms. Mason.  Dr. Griffin paid Biddy Mason $2.50 a day,  and for the next ten years the Mason family lived frugally and due to this had saved $250.00 and bought a home on Spring Street, (now the center of business in downtown Los Angeles) Ms. Mason became the first black woman to own land in Los Angeles.