Gee's Bend in Wilcox County, on the edge of Alabama's Black Belt, is a block of land enclosed on three sides by a massive bend in the Alabama River. Although only seven miles from Camden, it was isolated because crossing the river depended on a makeshift ferry that operated only when weather permitted. The first recorded white resident there was Joseph Gee, a planter from Halifax, North Carolina, who arrived in 1816, established a plantation, and named the place for himself. When he died in 1824, he left 47 black slaves. His nephews Sterling and Charles Gee came from North Carolina hoping to inherit the estate; Sterling inherited the family estate in North Carolina and returned there, while Charles became manager of the Gee's Bend plantation. Local legend holds that the Gees operated a slave trading business at the Bend between Alabama and North Carolina. In the late 1920s and early 1930s, Alabama's governor brought projects to help the community, including a community-operated store or co-op. After poor community management and a temporary closing, Roman and Eddie Pettway, with three other stockholders, turned the co-op into the "World Trade Center" of Gee's Bend, supplying groceries, shoes, clothing, beef, and credit. After buying out the other stockholders, Roman Pettway prepared his granddaughter Tinnie to operate the store, which became known as Boykin Mercantile Store. After returning from Connecticut, Tinnie worked as a daycare director for 17 years before becoming the store's manager, and she gained acclaim as one of the famed Quilters of Gee's Bend and the area's first published author. The store on this site is the original structure Roman Pettway built on his family land and left as a legacy for the Gee's Bend community.