Looking for My Great Grandfather (Columbus, Mississippi)

I have heard my grandfather talk about hearing stories regarding his father since I was a little girl and I am now 42 years old. My grandfather is in his nineties. He also passed the story to his sons who are now in their seventies.The story is not a detailed one. All we have ever heard is that our great grandfather was the first Black man to own his own store in Columbus, Mississippi. He owned a store in the 1930's and the 1940's which I would think is a huge accomplishment for Columbus, Mississippi during those times.

Not Knowing His Father Really Hurt

He doesn't talk about it much, but whenever my grandfather tells the story of his father there is a certain sadness in his eyes that neither of us really address when we are talking. He has never stated that it hurt him per se, but he always wanted to know his father. His mother, an African American woman also from Columbus, Mississippi, told him that his father's name was Farris Moore, and that he was the first black man to own his own store in Columbus. One day, in the mid 1940's my grandfather traveled to Columbus, Mississippi, to set eyes on his dad for the first time. According to him, he went looking for him in a local store, and someone said to him :

"There ya daddy right ova dare."

He has not really said much about the visit. All he really tells us is that he met his father and that was it. He does go on to tell us that his father was not the owner, but that he was only a worker. He never saw his father again. The year was 1945....he thinks.