John Phillips

Quick Facts

Significance:

Alabama Homesteader

Place of Birth:

Alabama, USA

Date of Birth:

About 1838

Place of Death:

Unknown

Date of Death:

Unknown

John Phillips was listed as a witness on homestead applications of Austin Roberts, Crowell Berry, Harry Edings, and Ephram Smith. It was apparent that a group of individuals were supporting each other as they claimed and improved their land during the late 1880’s in Coffee County, Alabama. A search on the Bureau of Land Management site revealed that John Phillips also became a homesteader in 1892.

According to the Homestead Affidavit dated September 15, 1885, John was unable to appear at the District Land Office, so his initial filing was at the Office of the Judge of the Court of Probate in Coffee County for Application #17186. He reported that he first settled on his 159.75 acres on July 30, 1878. His land was located at the SW ¼ of NE ¼, SE ¼ of NW ¼ and NW ¼ of SE ¼ , NE ¼ of SW ¼ Sec. 14, Twp 3N of Range 20E. 

According to the Claimant Affidavit, John indicated that the purpose of his settlement was made for his exclusive use and benefit. He built a single room dwelling, a corn crib, and a smoke house valued at $200. The affidavit was signed with John’s mark of an “X” and B.M. Stevens, Judge of the Court of Probate. On the same day, John’s application was certified by Thomas J. Scott, Register at the Damascus post office. His required $14 filing fee was acknowledged by A.A. Mabson, Receiver in the Montgomery Receiver’s Office.

As part of the proof process, a posting was placed in the Coffee County Watchman indicating John Phillips’ intention to make final proof supporting his claim of the land. It ran once a week, for six consecutive weeks starting on January 2, 1892. In the posting the names of four witnesses were provided who could confirm his continuous residency and cultivation of the land. The witnesses were Harry Eddings, Crowell Berry, Henry Flowers, and Handy Terry, all of Leverett, Alabama.

On February 23, 1892, John submitted his claimant testimony. He confirmed that he was 54 years old and a native born citizen of the U.S., born in Alabama. He established residence about September 20, 1884 and began building around Oct. 1, 1884. His homestead included four dwellings, a smokehouse, 2 corn cribs, one stable, one cotton house. He indicated that sixty acres had been cleared and the value was given as $500.

He reported that his wife and six children lived with him continuously on the land, without any absence from the original date of staking his claim. He reported that he raised an average of 40 acres for seven seasons and that the land had only been used for farming. This testimony was signed by his “X” mark before the Clerk of the Circuit Court, W.H. Hawkins.

There is an obvious difference in settlement dates provided in the land entry records. The initial date of settlement provided during the application process on September 15, 1885 was given as July 30,1878. That date differed from the claimant statement information recorded on February 23, 1892 in answer to the questions, “When was your house built…and when did you establish actual residence?” The response was “on or about the 20th of Sept. 1884” (house built) and “on or about the 1st of Oct.1884” (establish actual residency).

Two of his witnesses provided testimony to confirm improvements, continuous residency and crop cultivation on February 23, 1892. Harry Eddings, age 47 and Crowell Berry, age 30, both affirmed all that John had stated regarding his settlement and improvements to his land. Both witnesses provided their mark of “X” confirming their statements.

After John submitted his final affidavit to the Montgomery Land Office on February 23, 1892 along with his witness testimonies. On March 5, 1892, a final fee of four dollars was paid as the balance required by law for entry of the homestead located at  SW ¼ of NE ¼, SE ¼ of NW ¼ and NW ¼ of SE ¼ , NE ¼ of SW ¼ Sec. 14, Twp 3N of Range 20E. The final certificate #11068 was issued at the Montgomery Land Office by J.H. Bingham, Register which entitled John to receive the land patent for his homestead. The patent was issued on June 10, 1892.

Whatever the initial settlement date for John and his family, eight to fourteen years earlier, he had successfully achieved the goal of land ownership. For all that he, his family, other ancestors and neighbors sacrificed to establish their place in the community, I honor each of them for their strength, fortitude and persistence.

By the time of the 1900 Census, John was absent from the household. It’s unclear if he was deceased or living in another location. Extensive search of various records resulted in no findings. In 1900, the Phillips household consisted of his wife, Eliza Phillips, listed as married for 33 years and head of household. Also in the household was a 15 year old daughter, 12 year old son, 24 year old married son, his 22 year old wife, and their one year old baby. Eliza’s occupation was listed as a farmer. Although it was recorded that she owned her farm, it was recorded as mortgaged.

John Phillips was one of a large community of Black homesteaders, many who were formerly enslaved. Some had migrated from Pike County following the end of the Civil War but some had already been living in Coffee County, like the Phillips family. A more comprehensive history of this community, including John’s expanded story will be told in a future compilation along with other Black ancestors and neighbors who acquired land through the homestead process. 

Patent Details - BLM GLO Records

Contributed by: Mary K. Clark, Ph.D. 

Dr. Mary K. Clark
Photo Credit: Dr. Clark

More about the Contributor: Dr. Mary K. Clark was raised in rural Millington, Michigan, near Flint. She considers herself a fact teller rather than a storyteller. Her nonfiction stories are based on lived experiences and memories that have been collected in over 30 years of journal writing. She retired as a higher education administrator after over 30 years in various university leadership positions in Michigan. She earned a B.A. in Fashion Merchandising from Bowling Green State University, an M.A. in Counseling from Wayne State University, and a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from the University of Toledo. Dr. Clark has served as a Michigan state-appointed AARP volunteer since 2014. She also serves as a national AARP Volunteer Facilitation & Training Team (VFTT) member where she develops and presents specialized volunteer-led training throughout the U.S. She enjoys gardening, traveling, painting, and doing genealogy and family history research.