Last updated: November 22, 2021
Person
Sailor Allen
Quick Facts
Significance:
Mississippi Homesteader
Place of Birth:
Mississippi
Date of Birth:
about 1823
Sailor Allen was born in about 1826 in Amite County, Mississippi. According to the 1870 United States Federal Census, he was a farm laborer. He married Louisa, who was born in about 1835 in Kentucky, in 1850 in Amite County, Mississippi. Sailor and Louisa had two children living in the house: Isadore Allen and Eli Allen.
Sailor submitted his Homestead Application # 4237 on August 1, 1870 at the Homestead Land Office in Jackson, Mississippi. Sailor couldn’t write but made his (x) mark and paid a $7.00 filing fee.
During the required period as a homesteader, Sailor cleared, plowed, and fenced about sixty acres of land. He built one dwelling house, kitchen, smokehouse, corn crib, cotton house, and shop.
The final proof required witnesses and listed were Adam Harmp and Robert Easley. On August 25th, 1876 they both attested that they had known Sailor Allen for fifteen years, and he was the head of his family consisting of his wife and one child. Both witnesses could not read or write, and also made their (x) mark on the Final Proof Required Under Homestead Act document. This document also stated that the witness and claimant were prevented from physically attending the Land Office by reason of great distance and want of means.
On December 9, 1880, Sailor made it to the Receiver’s Office in Jackson, Mississippi to finish up the final proof and pay the two dollar fee required by law. He was finally granted Homestead Certificate #1979 on January 12, 1882 for Section number twenty-five, in Township No. 2 North of Range No. 5 East, containing 80.40 acres of land.
According to the 1900 United States Federal Census both of Sailor’s parents were from Africa. He and his wife Louisa had been married for fifty years. Sailor was still farming at the age of seventy-two and his home was free of a mortgage. In his household were his nephew Allen Clines and niece Sarah Allen. Sailor also listed Sarah Amacker as a servant. When Sailor died in Amite County, Mississippi in July 1918, he had a small estate consisting of 190 acres of land.
~ contributed by Eric Williams, descendant of Sailor Allen and Dr. Antoinette Harrell
More about the contributors:
Eric Williams is a descendant from Allen branches and shared a lot with Harrell about his family history. Harrell and Williams spent several days researching the Allen family in Amite County Courthouse. They found several land records in the probate inventory.
Dr. Antoinette Harrell is a renowned genealogist and local historian with an emphasis in African American history in Tangipahoa & St. Helena, Louisiana 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.