A Place To Live
Calvin Caston is
enumerated in the Pike County Federal August 12, 1870 census. In
the 1870 census, familial relationships are not identified but the
individuals listed with him all have the same surname. I have listed the
family members in previous blogs. Interestingly, post-Civil War most
black people with the Caston surname lived in nearby Amite County. I have
not been able to connect Calvin Caston to that county. The Bureau of Land
Management is a source of information concerning land patents and homesteads in
the United States. Calvin a farmer applied for a homestead in Pike
County, Mississippi on August 15, 1870. His application was for 80
acres.
The homestead process to obtain land consisted of filing an application, improving the land, and filing a deed of title. The homesteader had to live on the land for 5 years, improve the land by planting crops and build a dwelling 12 by 14 size. Proof of residency had to be established before the deed was issued. Calvin's homestead records give an insight into his life and family. He had life circumstances that cause a long delay in receiving title to the land. He did not receive a title deed for 21 years until August 19, 1891. More to be discussed.
------ The Tree Gardener
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