A new historical marker was unveiled in downtown Vicksburg on Thursday morning, Oct. 17. The marker was dedicated to Dabney and Dabney, the oldest privately owned law firm in the State of Mississippi.

Dabney and Dabney started in West Virginia in 1794. In 1835, owner Lee Dabney moved the business to Raymond, Miss.

Mississippi had been a state for only 18 years when the law firm moved from Virginia to Mississippi. In 1885 the law firm was moved to Vicksburg. Lucius Dabney joined the family business in 1949.

William “Brother” Rogers from the Mississippi Department of Archives and History spoke at the event.

“If I’m not mistaken, if (Lucius Dabney) was still alive, this would be the year he turned 100,” Rogers said. “That’s six generations of legal intelligence and advice being given from 1794 to 2022. I did the math on that. 228 years of continuous family ownership of the same law firm. If that’s not significant history, I don’t know what is.”

Rogers speculated on what the law firm must have meant to the community.

“What I thought about when I thought about this family was I thought, ‘think of all the people who were helped. Think of all the people who needed help, and looked to this family for help,’” Rogers said. “Then think about this community. Think about involvement in church. Think about involvement in civic clubs. Think about involvement in volunteerism. Just think about involvement in the school system. Think about the impact that is made from that kind of continuous service, not only in the law firm, but in the community as well. So this marquee is well deserved. And on behalf of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, congratulations.”

Another speaker at the event was the Honorable Vicki Roach Barnes, Senior Chancellor for the Ninth Judicial District, who worked with Lucius Dabney Jr. professionally.

“When I came to Vicksburg in 1977 as a practicing attorney, my first impression of Lucius Dabney Jr. was of a true southern gentleman,” Barnes said. “As an attorney, even when we were on opposite sides of a lawsuit, he was always courteous, well-prepared, and a true southern gentleman.”

In 1961, the business was moved to its location on Walnut Street, where the historical marker can now be found. This was the location it remained until 2022

Barnes also mentioned Dabney Jr.’s tendency to encourage and lend advice to younger attorneys.

“He was always eager to help young lawyers in any way he could. Lucius was not selfish in his practice of law,” she said. “He was always available for anyone who needed his help. His clients were treated like family.”

The new historical marker is located at 1515 Walnut Street in downtown Vicksburg.