Charles Jedediah Wall Owned Oak Grove Plantation in Gillsburg, Mississippi

Charles Jedeiah Walsl owned Oak Grove Plantation on which Gillsburg, Mississippi was established. Charles was born on June 27, 1797 in Beaufort District, South Carolina  and died in Amite County, Mississippi.  A woman named Irene Foster had a daughter with Charles. Their daughter was named Minerva Walls.

According to the 1840 United States Federal Census, he owned eight enslaved people. He filed a patent on seventy-six point thirty six acres on November 10, 1840. 

Luther Calvin Taplin a Native of Amite County, Mississippi

Luther Calvin Taplin

Luther was born in  1909  in Amite County and, although he is only twenty-three year old (1938), is principal of Lawrence County Training School for Negroes. His early education was received at Liberty, and late he went to to Tougaloo, Mississippi.  Hi is especially gifted is singing spiritual and folk songs and had traveled over the state giving progress of his music to both while and colored He is a valued member of the color race. 

Reprint from the Source Material for Mississippi History, Amite County Volume III "Part Two" Compiled by State-Wide Historical  Research Project. Susie V. Powell, Supervisor

Richard A. Taplin a Native of Amite County, Mississippi

Clarion Ledger
November 20, 1932

Son of William and Alice M. Statum Taplin, was  born near Liberty in Amite County, twenty-seven years ago in 1904. After finishing school in Liberty, he entered Piney Woods Academy in Piney Woods, Mississippi. While attending school he and a group of Negro singers, toured the state, singing folk and spiritual songs. He also composed poetry, some of which has been published. 

He was a retired educator, a teacher of education. He was farmer in Amite County, a manager of Utopian Home Housing Authority and a dean of men of men at Piney Woods School. 

The Ole Berwick Store Outside of Liberty, Mississippi

This is a photograph of a store in Amite County, Mississippi. Several years ago when Mr. Leon Dunn was living he told me and his niece Paulette about the store. He said the black men would gather at this store  early in the morning waiting for trucks to pick them up for farm work. Mr. Leon Dunn said his father Theodore Dunn was a logger who owned his own truck. This store was located in the Berwick community in Amite County, Mississippi. The store was ran and operated by Wallace and Mamie Jackson.

Bates School Named in Honor of an Early Black Settler Ephraim Europe Bates

Ephraim Europe Bates was born in 1834 in Amite County, Mississippi. He died in 1910 in Amite County, Mississippi. The school for African American children went from first grade to six grade and was named in honor of Ephraim Europe Bates.  The school was established in 1880. The  old school was built on five acres of land and was less than five miles form the new school. The school had as many as 700-800 students. The Bates family donated the land for the school.

According the 1900 United States Census Europe was married to Eliza Jackson Bates. He had a three stepchildren living in the house with him; Willie, Albert, and Mary Green. Two grandchildren; Dewy and Ewy Bates. They weren't twin, there is a big age cap between the two grandsons.

Europe was married twice; first to Vicey and secondly to Eliza. Listed on the 1870 United States Federal Census is his wife Vicey and children; Sallie, Howell and Ellen Bates. Although their daughter Susan Bates was listed on this census, she was their daughter.  On this census they had his named spelled as Ephraim Bates. 

He was issued a patent on 165.64 acres of land on Sept 1883 in Amite County, Mississippi.

Sarah Webb the Daughter of an Enslaved Woman

Sarah Webb

Sarah was born in 1870 in Amite County, Mississippi. She died in 1947 and is buried in Liberty Missionary Baptist Cemetery. She was married twice; once to Owen Bates and secondly to Thomas Webb. Sarah was a farm laborer. 

Sarah Webb of Liberty, tells of a wedding she attended" "Yes'a, I was right there the Miss Janie married, and every little nigger on the place was settin' there. O' that was a great weddin' yes Ma'am. a great weddin! After she was married, I remember seeing her and Ms. Scott comes the steps. Mr. Henry, her father has a gin, and he had cotton begging' spread from the top of the steps on out too the table under the trees. Her feet never touched the ground. They had a grand dinner that day.

"You know they had plank fences in those days, Miss, and us little niggers were all lined up over the fence close to the table, and Miss Mary fed us through the cracks, and I ain't never like cheese and crackers since, I ate so much that day. 

James Westbrook Was Born a Slave in 1850 in Amite County, Mississippi

James Westbrook

t's very hard to read some of the writing of some authors who have no respect in their writing for African-American people. An example of how the author described James Westbrook as an "Old Slave" born on January 11, 1850.  Degrading people who are human being is very disrespectful.

James was born to David and Phillis Westbrook in Amite County, Mississippi. According the 1870 United States Federal Census, James was a farm laborer.