M.J. Barlow married Annie McLendon on 27 May 1893 in Clarke County, Mississippi. Annie, born in March 1878 in Mississippi, was the daughter of homesteader Alfred McLendon, and his wife, Roseanna Porter (a.k.a. Cooley). In the 1900 census, M.J. Barlow is a minister, and his wife Annie is a farmer. Both are identified as renting farmland in Shubuta, Clarke, MS, and both are literate. They have three children, and the oldest one attends school and can read.
Malery Quitman Wells was born a last-generation slave in Mississippi. He was one month shy of fourteen years old when President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863.
Isham filed application #6899 on March 6, 1873 for 160 acres of land in Walthall County, Mississippi at the Land Office in Jackson, Hinds County, Mississippi for a fee of $14.65.
On March 5, 1881, under the Homestead Act of 1862, Harrison Duckworth filed a homestead entry for 80 acres of free federal land (Application No. 11078) with the Smith County, Mississippi Land Office.
Effie Hinton, a single woman, over the age of 21 applied for 36.04 acres of land under Homestead Act of 1862 on November 21, 1902 at the land office in Augusta, Perry County, Mississippi. She was issued application number 38181and paid the fee of $4.70.
Van Reiley (Rieley, Riley) filed his Homestead Application #18159 at the Jackson, Mississippi Land Office on February 22, 1888, for 79.16 acres of land located in Amite County, Mississippi. Van improved upon his homestead and received his Patent #9337 on May 11, 1895, under the name Van Reiley.
Like his father Jacob Ramsey, Boss homesteaded land in Toomsuba, Lauderdale County, Mississippi. But unlike Jacob who had many difficulties and took additional years to finalize his land patent, Boss systemically accomplished all patent requirements in a very timely manner.
Born enslaved, Calvin Caston filed Homestead Application #4260 on August 15, 1870 at the age of 35. Caston's claim was filed in Pike County, Mississippi at the Land Office in Jackson, Hinds County, Mississippi. He experienced life circumstances that caused a delay of 21 years before receiving the final patent for his 80 acre claim.
Downs filed homestead application #4313 on September 12, 1870, at the Land Office in Jackson, Mississippi. He applied for 120 acres of land in Pike County, Mississippi, for a fee of thirteen dollars.
Eli Hilson Sr. was born around 1820 in North Carolina and brought to Mississippi. He was enslaved to the Weathersby family of Amite County, Mississippi. After the abolishment of slavery, Hilson claimed his homestead on August 1, 1870 in Lincoln County, Mississippi.
