ating ▁yellow ▁fe ver ▁ep ide m ics ▁which ▁resulted ▁in ▁dram atic ▁dep op ulation ▁in ▁the ▁city . ▁With ▁property ▁de valu ed , ▁Church ▁bought ▁numerous ▁business es ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁und e velop ed ▁land , ▁with ▁the ▁long - term ▁view ▁of ▁their ▁appreci ation ▁as ▁the ▁city ▁recovered . ▁He ▁built ▁his ▁great ▁wealth ▁on ▁this ▁real ▁estate . ▁He ▁purchased ▁the ▁first ▁$ 1 , 0 0 0 ▁municipal ▁bond ▁to ▁help ▁the ▁city ▁recover ▁from ▁bank rupt cy ▁after ▁it ▁was ▁reduced ▁to ▁a ▁Tax ing ▁District . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁ ▁Robert ▁Re ed ▁Church ▁was ▁born ▁a ▁slave ▁in ▁ 1 8 3 9 ▁in ▁Hol ly ▁Spr ings , ▁Mississippi , ▁as ▁the ▁son ▁of ▁Em m eline , ▁a ▁black ▁American ▁Indian ▁woman ▁from ▁Virginia . ▁His ▁mother ▁was ▁a ▁slave ▁and ▁his ▁father ▁was ▁Captain ▁Charles ▁B . ▁Church , ▁a ▁white ▁steam ship ▁owner ▁from ▁Virginia ▁who ▁operated ▁along ▁the ▁Mississippi ▁River . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁family ▁accounts , ▁Em m eline ▁was ▁the ▁daughter ▁of ▁an ▁ens la ved ▁" Mal ay " ▁Mal ag asy ▁prin cess ▁and ▁of ▁a ▁white ▁plan ter ▁from ▁Lyn ch burg . ▁ ▁Robert ' s ▁mother ▁Em m eline ▁died ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 1 , ▁when ▁he ▁was ▁ 1 2 . ▁His ▁father ▁Captain ▁Church ▁began ▁taking ▁Robert ▁along ▁on ▁his ▁river ▁jour ne ys ▁to ▁and ▁from ▁New ▁Orleans . ▁The ▁youth ▁worked ▁as ▁the ▁ste