Last updated: November 21, 2021
Person
Laban Brock
Laban Brock, a young, black man filed his Homestead application No. 8305 for 82.93 acres in Washington Parish in the New Orleans Land office on September 22, 1884.
Brock first appears in the written record in the 1880 United States Census. At that time, he was living with his father Andrew Brock, stepmother Julia Anne (Bankston) Brock, and his siblings (Julia, Louis, Nathaniel, Rachel, and Oscar). Also in the household were his stepmother’s siblings, Jane and Bailey Bankston.
He soon moved out of his family home. Brock indicated in his homestead application that he lived with “William Brock in Mississippi” before making his claim. This may have been William Brock, a white man living in Pike County, Mississippi at the time. It is likely that William Brock was related to or was himself the enslaver of Laban’s family.
After filing his claim Laban Brock made significant improvements to his land in the fall of 1884. Within a few months he built a house, a smokehouse, a stable and crib, created a garden, and cleared six acres. The house was 16x16 foot and constructed of pine logs and lumber with two doors, a chimney, and a gallery.
Brock began living in on the claim on January 1,1885. He planted six acres of crops his first year. Each year he added more acres until twenty acres were cultivated. Laban Brock raised cotton, corn, and potatoes on the farm.
A notice was published in the Franklin New Area newspaper to announce that Laban would submit his final claim for the homestead land. It began on October 16, 1889 and ran for six consecutive weeks. Several people from Washington Parish were ready to testify on his behalf: Josiah Brumfield, Willis Brumfield, Jordan Lee, and Green Andrews. The two who provided testimony were Willis Brumfield and Jordan Lee.
On January 16, 1887, Laban Brock married Elizabeth Conerly. By December 1889, they had two young daughters. At that time his farm animals included one horse, two oxen, two cattle, twelve hogs and twenty-four chickens. He also owned a variety of farm implements: five plows, two harrows, three hoes, and two axes.
Brock submitted his final affidavit for the homestead by signing his X on December 4th, 1889. Upon satisfying all the requirements, Laban Brock successfully obtained the Homestead Patent certificate # 3926 for 82.93 acres of land in Washington Parish, Louisiana on June 25,1892.
In the 1900 US Census, Laban was listed as a 39-year-old farmer who owned his own land. He had been married for 13 years with seven children. His household was full of young girls: Corene (12), Lula (10), Sylvia (8), Minnie (6), Julia (5), Rachel (4), and Caroline (1).
Elizabeth Brock passed away on April 29, 1921 and Laban continued to live on the land well into the 1930’s.
~Contributed by Dr. Antionette Harrell
About the Contributor:
Dr. Antoinette Harrell is a Historian and Genealogist who specialized in research in the Florida Parishes of Louisiana. Dr. Harrell is committed to researching and documenting the untold stories of African Americans in the Louisiana Florida Parishes. For the past twenty years, she had researched the subject of peonage and modern-day slavery in sixteen states. Her peonage research was featured on VICE.
Dr. Harrell is the producer of Nurturing Our Root Genealogy Educational Talk Show. She was appointed as Honorary Attorney General for her dedicated commitment in documenting the study of genealogy in 2003 in the State of Louisiana. Her research has been featured in many media publications, TV News, and radio programs nationally and internationally, including People Magazine.
Dr. Harrell received the Living Legacy ASALH Award in 2014 for documentary film productions. She is a community activist and organizer in Louisiana. Dr. Harrell has donated to the East Baton Rouge Library 590 African American Funeral Programs from Louisiana Florida Parishes for scanning and to be placed on their website for genealogy research.
Notes from the Dr. Harrell
Laban impressed me a great deal because he applied for this land at a young age and demonstrated his determination to comply with each and every step required of him to become a landowner. His great granddaughter Pasty Zanders Johnson is so proud of her paternal great grandfather. Patsy’s father Labron is the grandson of Laban through his mother’s lineage.
Sources:
- 1880 United States Federal Census, Edward Dykes, Washington Parish, Louisiana.
- 1900 United States Federal Census, Ward 2, Washington Parish, Louisiana.
- 1910 United States Federal Census, Ward 2, Washington Parish, Louisiana.
- 1920 United States Federal Census, Ward 2, Washington Parish, Louisiana.
- Louisiana, U.S., Statewide Death Index, 1819-1964.
- Homestead Final Certificates. Record Group 49: Records of the Bureau of Land Management. National Archives and Records Administration. (pages will be added in albums)
- Patent Details - BLM GLO Records – 82.93 acre Homestead (Application #8305, Certificate #3926)
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