Saul Wheat of St. Helena Parish, Louisiana

Melisa Wheat Richardson
& husband Alexander Richardson

Saul Wheat was born in St. Helena, Louisiana in 1875. He was married to Corrine Wheat. They were the parents of Booker, Rosa, Beatrice, Melissa, Bernice, Myrtle, Bertha, Henry, Roy, Mattie and Hattie.

Saul passed away on September 5, 1954 in Independence, Louisiana at the age of seventy-nine. After carefully examining the Freedmen Bureau records, I came across a labor contract for Saul Wheat. I wanted to share the record with my cousins who are Wheat-Harrell's and Wheat-Richardson.

The Harrell family married twice in the Wheat family. My maternal great uncle Palmer and Manila McCoy's daughter Doris Harrell married Henry Wheat. Theodore Harrell who was also my maternal great uncle married Rosa Wheat. One of Saul and Corrine's daughter Melisa Wheat married Alexander Richardson, my maternal grandmother's brother.

Freedmen Labor Contract- Saul Wheat

The contract states that Saul entered into a labor contract with Marin Henry on Jan 1st, 1866. Also on the labor contract was Abraham Bickham 42, Susan 30, Nathan 17, Tom 144, Sandy 12, Anna 10, Rayford 4, Emma 6, Martha 2, and Saul Wheat was 24 years old. Looks like they were farming 60 acres of land for which Bickham agrees to pay 4 bales of cotton weighing 170 lbs furnish himself.

Henry Wheat

Its not very clear what Saul's relationship was to Abraham Bickham. Its is clear that Abraham was the man in charge of the land and labor contract agreement. Once the Wheat family left St. Helena, Louisiana., they settled in a small town called Amite. My maternal great grandmother Emma Mead Harrell purchase land right next the Wheat family. The land still remains in both families until this very day.

Yellow Water Baptist Church in Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana

Yellow Water Baptist Church

Yellow Water Baptist Church is located on Fred Clark Rd in Tangipahoa Parish. The church is said to be at least one hundred years old. Fred Clark Rd was named for Fred Clark, son of Benjamin and Jane Clark.

Benjamin Clark was the brother of Caroline Clark Kimble-Daniels, who was once married to Walter Kimble. Milton Miller affectionately known as "Uncle Joe" who is eighty two years old. Uncle Joe said the church was also the school for colored children. It was the very first school that he attended as a young child. He  recalled his grandmother walking him to school.

One of the things he wanted the family to know is both wives of Walter Kimble; Caroline Clark and Janie Battie raised their families together.  Uncle Joe was blessed to have two grandmothers and he called them both grandma.

Behind the Yellow Water Baptist Church is the Clark Family Cemetery were many of the Clark family members are buried, including Caroline Clark Kimble-Daniels and to his knowledge at least one of the her three children with Walter. They could get to the burial because of high grass and wild brushes.

Source: Milton "Uncle Joe" Miller & Kimble Family-Louisiana

My Maternal 3rd Great Grandfather Robert Harrell Freedmen's Bureau Records

Alexander Harrell, the son of Robert Harrell

A couple of months ago, my friend, colleague and Blog Talk Radio Show host Bernice Alexander Bennett called me with great news. She located my maternal 3rd great grandfather, Robert Harrell and his family in the Freedmen's Bureau Records Labor Contract for St. Helena Parish. I knew that they were sharecroppers, but I had no idea who's plantation or place they sharecropped on. Bernice and I have ancestral lineage that connects both of us to St. Helena and Livingston Parishes, Louisiana.

My mother kept this photograph of Alexander Harrell hanging up in her home before Hurricane Katrina. Years earlier she let me take it to the local printing shop to have copies made. It was one of the photographs she lost during the hurricane. It was a good thing I made copies of the photograph.

I was excited and filled with joy just knowing that piece of the puzzle has been solved. The record listed his names, his wife and children and the name of the woman they leased the land from. The following information is found on the record:

Date: February 27, 1866

Location: Saint Helena Parish

Leasor: Eliza Andrews

Contract with Sandy Lee 25, Robert Harrell 42, Darkis Harrell 30, Delia Boy 18, Aleck Harrell, Anna Harrell 8, Ciller Drandy 64 dependent, Charley Boyd 2. All of the above are family with the exception of Sandy Lee. They are to received quarters and food. School clause omitted. Sandy are to receive as compensated one third of one fifth of the entire crop.

Robert Harrell for himself and family to receive two fifth of the entire crop raised. Food and medical attendance to be furnished the laborers by Eliza Andrew at cost price, the amount of which to be deducted from their respective shares. Contract to commence Feb 27, 1866 and end Dec 1866.

• Louisiana, Freedmen's Bur...Office Records, 1865-1872
• Amite City (assistant sup...b assistant commissioner)