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I stared at the plaque and the four blue gum trees, all that is left of the House of Mystery at 1661 Octavia Street. I heard an icy cold whisper. "Resurrect Me" she said. In stolen moments, I dig through the mislabeled miscellany of a life scattered. At the height of her success in San Francisco in the 1870’s, Mary Ellen Pleasant was worth over $30 million in 1875 dollars. According to her autobiography (Part One - Part Two was never published) she was born on August 19th, 1814 in Philadelphia. Her father was Louis Alexander Williams, a native Kanaka and Mary Ellen, a full blooded African from Louisiana. In 1835, she married a Cuban tobacco grower, James W. Smith, in Boston. He died in 1844 at their plantation in Charles Town, Virginia. A few years later, she married JJ Plaissance, the grandson of Henri Christophe, black emperor of Haiti, and they had a girl, Lizzie. They spent time in New Orleans with Marie Laveau, but were forced to flee upon threat of discovery of their Underground Railroad activities. She came to California on a ship that also carried a young Scotsman, Thomas Bell. In 1857, when Mary Ellen met back up with Thomas Bell, she owned three laundries, a saloon, and investments in the Athenaeum, Dennis and Brown Livery Stables and various other black-run businesses. She contributed $30,000 to John Brown, the new leader in the fight against slavery. A handwritten note was found on John Brown after he was arrested for the raid on Harper’s Ferry. It said: “The axe is laid at the root of the tree. When the first blow is struck, there will be more money and help. - MEP” After her business partner, Thomas Bell died in a fall, his widow, Theresa Clingan Bell, who had always resented Mary Ellen, set about destroying her reputation and taking title to her assets. She was forced to leave the mansion she had built at 1661 Octavia Street, and died in the small apartment of Olive Sherwood in 1904, nearly penniless. Her last request was that her tombstone should read “She was a friend of John Brown’s”, and there in Tulocay Cemetery in Napa where she was buried, that is indeed what appears on her grave marker.
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The gravesite of Entrepreneur and Abolitionist Mary Ellen Pleasant in Tulocay Cemetery in Napa, California. Photo taken by CGTripp in 2010.
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Designed and built in 1875 by Mary Ellen Pleasant, this mansion at 1661 Octavia Street at the top of Nob Hill was stately and beautiful.
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In her autobiography, Mary Ellen objected strenuously to her insulting nickname saying "I am Mammy to no one". Only the first installment of two was ever published, in a publication long since out of print. The first article is published in January of 1902, by Mary Ellen's friend, Samuel P. Davis of Nevada.
Page 5 of the Pandex of the Press Memoirs and Autobiography published January 1902
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"The history of her life is given very nearly as it came from her lips. It is full of originality, quaint philosophy and a rare insight into human nature and human motives. Those who know her best will agree in saying that no human being ever read motive with more certainty or pierced the mask of hypocrisy more quickly than she. Coupled with this was a kindness of disposition and genial humor which makes one of the most interesting character studies of the century." - Sam Davis " I have been accused of many things, and under the load of accusation I have held my tongue. I have never been given to explaining away lies, and you can't explain away the truth..."
I was born on the nineteenth day of August, 1814. Some people have reported that I was born in slavery, but as a matter of fact I was born in Philadelphia, at number 9 Barley Street. My parents, as nearly as I know, must have been a strange mixture. My father was a native Kanaka and my mother a full-blooded Louisiana negress.Both were of large frame, but I think I must have got my physical strength from my father, who was, like most of his race, a giant in frame. His name was Louis Alexander Williams. He was a man of great intelligence and had a fair education, judging from his letters. He was a commercial man and imported silks from India. He imported other things, but his main business was silk. My mother's name was Mary, and I was named after her, but I recall very little about her. I don’t think she was as well educated as my father, for I don't remember that she ever wrote me any letters. When I was about six years of age, I was sent to Nantucket, Mass., to live with a Quaker woman named Hussey. I never knew why I was sent there, and about all I know is that my first recollections of life dated from Nantucket. |
| 1902_01_pandexofthepress_mep_autobiography.pdf |
San Francisco Call January 13, 1904: Her epitaph is written. Tombstone of M. Pleasant will express her loyalty to the Hero of Harpers Ferry. Tribute to John Brown. Remains of woman who gave him financial assistance are borne to resting place.
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The remains of "Mammy" Pleasant, who died early Monday morning at the home of Lyman M. Sherwood on Filbert street will rest to-night under the soil of the little cemetery in the town of Napa, to which her body was taken this morning. One of the last requests of Mrs. Pleasant was that there be placed above her grave a tombstone bearing her name, age, nativity and the words: "She was a friend of John Brown."
One of the many interesting stories of her eventful career told by Mrs. Pleasant was her experiences during the exciting times preceding the outbreak of the Civil War. With the money inherited from her first husband she had come to California and was here in 1858, when the first stories of John Brown's efforts to free the slaves of the South were conveyed to San Francisco. Being in full sympathy with the movement she conceived the idea of lending her financial assistance to the undertaking, and April 5, 1858, found her eastward bound with a $30,000 United States Treasury draft, which had been procured for her through the aid of Robert Swain, John W. Coleman and William Alvord. Reaching Boston Mrs. Pleasant arranged for a meeting with John Brown in Windsor, Canada. Before leaving Boston Mrs. Pleasant had her draft exchanged for Canadian paper, which she converted into coin and finally turned this over to Brown after a conference in Canada, at which it was agreed between them that he should not strike a blow for the freedom of the negroes until she had journeyed to the South and aroused the feeling of rebellion among her people. Disguised as a jockey she proceeded to the South and was engaged in her part of the plot when she was startled by the news that Brown had already made his raid on Harpers Ferry and had been captured. Learning that the authorities were in pursuit of Brown's accomplices Mrs. Pleasant immediately fled to New York and after remaining in hiding for some time assumed another name and made her way back to CaliforniaWhen Brown was captured, there was found on his person a letter reading: "The ax is laid at the root of the tree. When the first blow is struck there will be more money to help." The message was signed "W. E. P." For months the authorities vainly searched for the author of this message. In later years it developed that Mrs. Pleasant had written the letter, but in signing it she had made her first initial, "M," look like a "W." Mrs. Pleasant always blamed Brown for hastening his attack at Harpers Ferry, which she claimed cost her in all over $40,000. Among her effects are letters and documents bearing upon the historical event in which she secretly played an important part. |
A long interview and thorough story of Mary Ellen Pleasant's life up to the date of publication by the San Francisco Examiner on October 13, 1895 below:
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From the transcript available below:
.. Her experiences in this city and State since her arrival In San Francisco on January 15, 1849, would form one of the most interesting volumes that California has ever known. Safely locked in her loyal breast are the secret histories of many of the prominent families of the coast. She has supplied the ladder upon which more than one proud woman and ambitious man have climbed to wealth and social position. Her purse - for she has been for years a wealthy woman - has ever been open to aid the needy and unfortunate. The greatest joy of her busy life has been the knowledge that she was able to carry cheer to the homes of the humble and hopes to the hearths of those ambitious ones whom she knew needed a hand to help them. Neither creed, color, sex nor condition in life ever had meaning for her when her interest had been once awakened. Her deeds of charity are as numerous as the grey hairs in her proud old head... ...She subsequently kept a boarding house in which many prominent people lived. Newton Booth was a guest of "Mammy" when elected Governor. He had great affection for her, and one of his last requests was that she should be present at his funeral. When he died in Sacramento not long ago a dispatch was sent Mrs. Pleasance, and she went to the capital and followed the remains to the grave. A very interesting part of her career was her visit to Canada in 1858 to meet John Brown, the "Liberator," whose soul is marching on. "Mammy" was an ardent Abolitionist, and she determined to assist Brown. She met him at Chatham, Canada West, over the line, and gave him a purse of gold she had taken from California. Brown used the money in the cause. "Mammy" never saw him again, but she wrote him two letters from Chatham to Portsmouth, Va. These letters were found on Brown when he was captured at Harper's Ferry. |
A full interview with Mary Ellen Pleasant published in the San Francisco Call Dec. 29, 1901
"Between you and me, I don't care anything about it, but they shan't do it — they shan't nickname me at my age. If he didn't have better sense he should have had better manners. It just rouses my Kanaka blood."
A photo of Queen Emma of Hawaii from 1865 is NOT the young Mary Ellen Pleasant, as claimed by Helen Holdredge. The facts are laid out in the article below.
San Francisco Call October 17, 1892
The Fatal Fall of Capitalist Thomas Bell DOWN A FLIGHT OF STAIRS. While Moving About His Home in the Darkness He Took the Wrong Door... Thomas Bell of the firm of Thomas Bell & Co., commission merchants, died suddenly at his residence, 1661 Octavia street, at 1:30 o'clock yesterday morning, from injuries he received three hours before his death. Mr. Bell has been an invalid for several weeks....
The Fatal Fall of Capitalist Thomas Bell DOWN A FLIGHT OF STAIRS. While Moving About His Home in the Darkness He Took the Wrong Door... Thomas Bell of the firm of Thomas Bell & Co., commission merchants, died suddenly at his residence, 1661 Octavia street, at 1:30 o'clock yesterday morning, from injuries he received three hours before his death. Mr. Bell has been an invalid for several weeks....
Further research in order by date of publication:
| 1865_04_lizzie_smith_marries_rberryphillips.tiff |
1870 Federal Census showing MEP and JJ - she runs a Boarding House and is worth $15,000. One of her boarders is Newton Booth, California's next governor.
| 1871_08_11_daily_alta_cal_a_slander_refuted.pdf |
1875 San Francisco City Directory showing MEP and JJ living at Geneva Cottage/Hog Farm. At the intersection of Geneva and San Jose Roads.
1880 Census with MEP living at 1661 Octavia with Thomas Bell, who is now married to Teresa Clingan Hooey Bell. MEP's profession is listed as Servant/Housekeeper, but she was so much more.
An Orphan's Millions from Oakland Tribune January 1881 - a close look at Teresa Bell's background
| 1884_08_13_daily_alta_cal_tyler_still_talking_mep_praised.pdf |
| 1885_02_10_sacramento_daily_union_californians_at_new_orleans..pdf |
| 1886_06__29_daily_alta_cal_g._w._tylers_trial.pdf |
1890's Mary Ellen Pleasant Address Book selected pages courtesy of SF Public Library, Helen Holdridge Collection
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| 1895_07_18_sfcall_the_colored_pioneers.pdf |
1896 Two original letters from Mary Ellen Pleasant from her biography file at the Bancroft Library in Berkeley and transcription. I believe the first one was dictated - the handwriting from the second letter more closely resembles examples in the Helen Holdridge files at San Francisco Public Library - History Room.
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| 1897_09_23_sacramento_daily_union_the_hawaiian_treaty_and_mepleasant.pdf |
| 1897_10_07_sfcall_mrs_pleasant_is_good_and_mad.pdf |
| 1898_03_27_sfcall_mepleasant_insolvent_forcing_her_to_the_wall.pdf |
| 1899_07_09_sfchron_queen_of_the_voodoos.pdf |
| 1900_06_denverpost_mammypleasantbankrupt.pdf |
| 1904_01_12_sfexaminer_mammy_pleasant_will_work_weird_spells_no_more.pdf |
| 1904_01_16_sfcall_leaves_estate_to_sherwoods.pdf |
| 1905_05_19_sfcall_teresabell_offers_site_for_lowell_high_school.pdf |
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| 1923_sfchron_they_are_not_my_children_mrs_bell_said.pdf |
| 1940s_negro_world_digest_she_was_a_friend_of_john_brown_by_earl_conrad.pdf |
| 2010_12_by_jean_libby_mep_at_tulocay_john_brown_the_abolitionist_blog.pdf |
| 2011_06_27_marker_for_mother_of_civil_rights_in_california_-_sfgate.pdf |