The community of Gee’s Bend sits at the bend of the Alabama River. In 1816, Joseph Gee moved 18 enslaved Black people from North Carolina to Gee’s Bend to work his cotton plantation. Thirty years later in 1845, a relative of Joseph Gee, Mark Pettway, took ownership of both the enslaved Black people and the land. He walked his 100 enslaved workers from North Carolina to Gee's Bend. Using today’s roads, that journey is over 700 miles.  When the enslaved workers were emancipated in 1865, many of them stayed in the area to become tenant farmers and sharecroppers on the Pettway family land. To this day, you can find many Pettway family surnames of the Black residents of Gee’s Bend even though they may not be related.

In 1900, the Pettway family sells the land to Adrian Van de Graff who waived rents for the people of Gee’s Bend.
As the Great Depression hits in 1929, the residents of Gee’s Bend are plunged further into poverty. Three years later, the white owner of the only area store dies. His family collects on the debts of the credit he gave to the residents of Gee’s Bend taking whatever they deem valuable. Gee’s Bend becomes one of the most impoverished communities in the entire country.
Two years later in 1937, the Van de Graff family sells the land to the federal government which forms the cooperative called Gee’s Bend Farm Inc. This is the first time the residents have an opportunity to buy the land on which they have worked for generations.

In 1949 a U.S. Post Office was established and the name of the town was changed to Boykin against the wishes of the residents. In the 1960s, a local dam flooded most of the fertile soil and ferry service was terminated further isolating the area and its residents. The flood and removal of ferry service also served to make it more difficult for residents to travel to cast their votes and access services.

But today’s Gee’s Bend is still home to quilters and produces an annual Airing of the Quilts Festival that includes workshops and tours. Please visit Geesbend.org for plans for their 2024 festival.