American Acorns

Stories

At the Gloster post office: Jennie Davis Faust Ligon

Jennie Ligon ran a business long before she ran a post office. At twenty-one she opened a shop for ladies' hats and dress goods. Fourteen years later she was appointed postmaster of a Mississippi railroad town, and she held the office through three presidential commissions.

The Ladies Bazaar, 1883-1888

In March 1883 the Southern Herald of Liberty, Mississippi, announced that "Mrs. Jennie D. Ligon will open the Ladies Bazar, in the new Ligon store," with ladies' hats and bonnets, children's hats, dress goods, fancy goods and trimmings. Confirmed Her weekly advertisement, signed "Mrs. Jennie D. Ligon, Liberty, March 10, 1883," offered a dressmaking department "under the management of Mrs. M. J. Faust," wedding trousseaux as a specialty, and "a large and comfortable private room for ladies in the rear of the Bazaar." Confirmed The dressmaker was probably her mother, Margaret Jane (Longmire) Faust, whose name matches; no record says so directly. Likely

Newspaper advertisement headed In the New Ligon Store, listing ladies' hats and bonnets, dress goods and trimmings, a dressmaking department under Mrs. M. J. Faust, and signed Mrs. Jennie D. Ligon, Liberty, March 10, 1883
Her advertisement in the Southern Herald, Liberty, Mississippi, 24 March 1883, p. 3 (Library of Congress, Chronicling America).

In September 1883 she and her husband, W. O. Ligon, went to New Orleans to buy a full stock of dry goods, notions and millinery. Confirmed By February 1884 the "new Ladies Bazaar" was trading at Gloster City, the new railroad town, selling "at a small profit on cash." Confirmed In 1886 she advertised herself as its "Proprietress," opened a "Ladies' Parlor" at the store, and let readers know she would show her goods "whether you wish to buy or not." Confirmed Advertisements of 1887 and 1888 for "J. D. Ligon, Dealer in General Merchandise" were probably hers too, but local items of the same years call the Gloster merchant Ligon "he," so who ran which Ligon business then is not settled. Likely

These advertisements are the nearest thing to her voice that survives, and they are business copy published under her name, not proof of her own writing.

Postmaster at Gloster, 1898-1913

On 8 March 1898 Jennie D. Ligon was appointed postmaster at Gloster, succeeding Holloway H. Ratcliff; the Southern Herald reported it ten days later. Confirmed On 1 January 1901 Gloster became a presidential post office, and on 31 January 1901 the United States Senate confirmed her. Confirmed She was reappointed in 1905 and again in 1909. Confirmed

Newspaper item headed Nominations Confirmed, Washington, January 31, listing postmasters, including Mississippi: Jennie D. Ligon, Gloster
Birmingham Age-Herald, 1 February 1901, p. 2 (Library of Congress, Chronicling America).

The Official Register of the United States shows the office growing. Her pay rose from $1,000 a year in 1901 to $1,500 by 1907. Confirmed In 1907 the register lists her staff as Emmons Ligon, assistant postmaster, Robt Ligon, clerk, and a rural carrier; in 1909 and 1911 Percy Ligon was her assistant, with three rural carriers. Confirmed Emmons, Robert and Percy were the names of three of her five sons, so these were probably her sons; the register does not say. Likely

Register entry: Gloster, Amite: Ligon, Mrs Jennie D, PM $1500; Ligon, Emmons, AsstPM $264; Ligon, Robt, Clk $240; Kellogg, Chas B, RD $900
The Gloster office in the Official Register of the United States, 1907, vol. 2, p. 261 (Internet Archive).

Her last commission expired on 1 March 1913. On 1 May 1913 the Senate received the nomination of Ollie O. Conerly as postmaster at Gloster "in place of Jennie D. Ligon," and he was appointed on 16 May. Confirmed When she actually handed over the office is not known, and no source examined says why she was not reappointed. Unconfirmed

What is not known

No portrait of Jennie has been identified, and no letter or words of her own beyond her store's advertising. Where the Gloster post office stood during her years there is not known. Her husband's memorial gives his death as 1929, and the 1930 census lists her as a widow at Gloster. The family tree gives her death as 27 August 1934, but no death record, obituary or memorial has been found. Unconfirmed

Sources