In 19th-century Alabama, as one of many tales goes, a freed slave made a living selling pies to her neighbors. During a time when pecans and other nuts were hard to come by, she made a sugar pie, combining eggs, sugar, flour or cornmeal, butter, and spices or citrus to cut the sweetness. Asked what kind of pie she had made, the woman replied, “Oh it’s jes’ pie.” And so, supposedly, the name “Chess Pie” was coined. Lisa Donovan, Washington Post, 2018
 
We don't know if this is where the name really came from but we do know these are some delicious, old-fashioned pies!