Mckinney-Reaves Family History
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McKinney-Reaves Family History Jackie McKinney Microsoft 201 PROLOGUE Lindy was sitting on the front porch of her paternal grandparents’ home. A rather good looking dark-skinned young man rode up on his horse. Lindy thought, “Um maybe I can get me a boyfriend.” As soon as her mind finished processing the thought; the young man dismounted his horse and greeted Lindy by her first name. Surprised that the stranger knew her name, Lindy immediately greeted him back. Suddenly the screen door swung opened. It was Lindy’s aunt. She looked at Lindy and said, “Lindy this is your brother Jimmy.” 2 INTRODUCTION When Lindy’s aunt told her that Jimmy was her brother, Lindy dismissed the notion of finding a suitable boyfriend. The preceding prologue is a true story. For a split second, Lindy thought the young man would make her a perfect mate. Fate intervened and thwarted that incestuous relationship. Our mission is clear; we must work diligently to ensure that our descendants know as many of their relatives as possible. We must also ensure that our descendants somewhat understand the history of their ancestors. This is the purpose of this foundational document. However, this genealogical work contains numerous errors. The reunion committee apologizes for those errors. We have labored to produce a guide, a tool by which each of you can use as a starting document to assist in the future production of a more accurate history of the Reaves and McKinney families. This historical narrative starts in the year 1865. It then moves backward to the year 1816. After which, it resumes its forward pace. Because this document is also a living history; it has no termination date. Please take this document home; make the necessary corrections and then start your own personal research into the background histories of the Reeves and McKinney families. It is the intent of this committee to correct as much erroneous information as possible. Therefore, if any information does not accord to the reader’s knowledge please contact the reunion committee. 3 1861-1865 U.S. CIVIL WAR In 1865, the U.S. Civil War ended. Union troops from the North were stationed in the South to protect the lives of newly freed slaves. Many Northerners recognizing an opportunity to make money jumped at the opportunity to be a part of the South’s provisional government. These transplanted entrepreneurs were excited at the possibility of rebuilding the South’s economic systems. As such, they wasted little time rushing to the South. Many of these transplants headed up the South’s Freedman Bureau. The Freedman Bureau was a governmental agency created to oversee the affairs of freed slaves. It was within this strange mixture of politics, greed, poverty, and fear that the newly freed slaves were forced to etch out their existence. This confluence was also where Edmond Reaves Sr. and Emily Reeves found themselves living. 1870 U.S. CENSUS Per the 1870 Census, Edmond Reaves Sr. lived in Township 17, Range 3 of Carroll County, Mississippi. (Note that in 1870, land from Carroll County was used to create the counties of Montgomery, Leflore, and Grenada Counties). The census taker recorded Edmond Sr age as being 54. That age is an estimate. It serves as a starting point to constructing the period in which Edmond Sr. might have been born. Using the age of 54, Edmond Sr might have been born between 1816 and 1820. In the 1870 Census, he is listed as being the head of the household. That household included a wife by the name of Emily. The census taker recorded her as being 45 years old. As with Edmond Sr’s age; Emily’s age is an estimate figure. If Emily was 45, she would have been born between 1825 and 1829. Edmond Sr’s household included five children: Larna, the spelling is probably wrong and the name might be Laura (22) whose birth would have been around 1845; Hiram (21) whose birth would have been around 1826. 4 Edmond is recorded as being 14 years old. His birth would have been around 1856. Harriet is recorded as being 4 years old. Her birth would have been around 1864, and Emily, the youngest child, was recorded as being 2. That means she was probably born around 1868. As previously stated, the recorded ages are only guides. The Freedman Bureau had no official records or methods to officially document the ages of the newly freed slaves. Prior to 1870 Mississippi listed the names of the slave owner only. The owners listed their slaves by sex and by number only. For example: Mr. John Riggins: Slaves: Males: 25 and Females: 25. Normally, employees for the Freedmen Bureau used their eyes to guess at the ages of freedmen and their children. 1880 CENSUS Ten years later, the 1880 Census reported that Edmond Reaves Sr and Emily Reaves were still residing in Blackhawk, Mississippi. At the time, Edmond was listed as being 60 years old and Emily was recorded as being 58 years old. Both were listed as being mulattoes. The term mulatto was used to classify an African American who was light skinned and or who had a parent who was white. That means that Edmond Sr and Emily both were descendants of white parentage. In 1880, Edmond and Emily’s household included additional family members who were not their biological children: A female, whose name is hard to decipher, and whose kinship to Edmond Reaves Sr and Emily Reaves is unknown. This female was recorded as being a 26-year old field hand. The children’s names listed beneath her name are believed to be her children. They are: Julia (10); Emily (5); Hiram (3) and James (1). Also, included in Edmond Sr’s household were: Edmond Reaves Jr (28) and his wife, Ella Reaves (25). 5 Their children were: Robert (6); William (5); Elizabeth (2) and John (who was recorded as being an infant relative). Additionally, Edmond Sr’s household included the names of two young boys. One of the young boys was named Louis (8); he is listed as being a cousin and Edmond (3) who is also listed as being a cousin. In the Reeves family, the name Edmond was used continuously. With little care ascribed to accurately documenting the ages and names of African Americans, the practice of naming relatives after their ancestors makes it difficult to identify the appropriate individual. But at the same times, it points back to a shared bloodline, a bloodline that left identifying marks for future investigation. EDMOND REAVES JR & ELLA (DELLA WILLIAMS) REAVES On June 7, 1873, in the northern district of Carroll County, Mississippi, Burl Reaves and his brother, Edmond Reaves Jr, signed a marriage bond in the amount of $250.00. After signing the bond, Edmond Reaves Jr. was legally permitted to marry Ella (Della) Williams. According www.familysearch.org Ella Williams’ mother was named Polly Williams. Polly was born in October of 1825. The 1900 U.S. Census listed Polly as giving birth to eight children; however, at the time of the 1900 Census, only three of Polly’s eight children were living. The names of Polly’s two daughters were: Ella Williams and Harriett Williams. The name of the third child was not provided. Polly’s granddaughter, Ella Harris, 13 at the time, was recorded as being a member of the household of Polly and Edmond Reaves Jr. Per the 1900 Census, the physical location of Polly Williams and Edmond Reaves’ household was in Beat 3 (part of all territory South of Coila Creek) Black Hawk town, Carroll, Mississippi, United States). The 1900 census listed Polly as being from South Carolina. Both of Polly’s parents are listed as being from South Carolina as well. There is no information on Polly Williams’ husband. 6 Likewise, there is no information on whether Polly Williams had any siblings. It is highly likely that she did. According to the 1880 census report, Polly Williams, Ella Williams, and Harriett Williams lived in Beat 5, Grenada County, Mississippi. Ella is recorded as being (1) and Harriett is listed as being (10). Unfortunately, these ages do not correspond to other census statistical information. For instance, the 1900 U.S. Census report listed Polly as being 75 years old. That listing cites Polly as being born in 1825. If that is the case, in 1880 Polly would have been 55 years old. Ella Williams, Polly’s younger daughter, married Edmond Reeves on June 7, 1873. However, the 1880 U.S. Census list Ella as being a one-year old infant. The point is, it is extremely difficult to reconcile head of household statistical information. It is likely that in 1900, Polly Williams was a 75-year old single Black woman, who along with her 47-year old daughter, Ella Williams, and her 13-year old granddaughter, Ella Harris, resided in Carroll County, Mississippi. The household they resided in was headed by Edmond Reaves Jr. There is no evidence of when or where Ella Williams met Edmond Reaves Jr. Yet, the chronological records indicate that Edmond Sr and Emily, Edmond’s biological parents, were both slaves. Census records indicate that both, Emily, and Edmond, were from the state of Georgia. It is not known where Edmond Sr met his wife, Emily. Perhaps they met in Georgia. Yet the possibility also exists that they met in route to the state of Mississippi. There is also exist the possibility that Edmond Sr and Emily met and married after their arrival in Mississippi. At any rate, all their children are recorded as being from Mississippi.