Calvin Caston & The Courthouse

Calvin Caston homestead took many years to establish a title to the land. It was not totally clear to me what  impediments  prevented him obtaining his land.  When I searched his homestead documents, one of reasons became clear why there was a delay.  The  Pike County courthouse burned down in 1882. The following is documentation:

Transcription:

The State of Mississippi

Pike County

I A. P. Sparkman Clerk of the Circuit Court in and for said County and State hereby that the cause for not forwarding the Final Proof of Calvin Caston was my inability to secure blanks #369 and that said proof was forwarded as soon as I received said blanks. I further certify that Calvin Caston Homestead Prcht #4260 was destroyed by fire in the Courthouse in 1882 and that he has never obtained a duplicate.

Gurr under my hand and official

 seal this 24th day of May A.D. 1889

The documents that were destroyed in the 1882 fire where important over a hundred years ago as they are in genealogical research today.

----- The Tree Gardener

Calvin Caston Homestead Part 2

Homestead Witnesses

Calvin Caston had to have two witnesses for final proof  to complete his homestead application.  His two witnesses Tom Brumfield  35 years old and Joe McEwin 40 years old  gave testimony in Magnolia March 16, 1889. They both lived at Walkers Bridge, Mississippi . 

Calvin Caston documentation of homestead witnesses Tom Brumfield & Joe McEwen

Tom Brumfield testimony solidified his connection to Calvin Caston. He gives brief information about himself in question 2 stating  his present occupation is farmer not employed by anyone since January, 1872.  Question 4  asks how far from the residence of claimant on same tract do you reside and how long have you lived there?  "1/2 mile have lived there 3 years. before that lived have lived in the same neighborhood."  Question 6 he states he has known Calvin Caston "all his life .(Calvin Caston) has lived on his claim 17 years ...."  
 Question 19 asks the claimant's actual residence and how often he was seen him upon the land. Tom states " I live in sight of claimants house, see his family on the land nearly every day know he has lived there .... "

First page of Tom Brumfield testimony for Calvin Caston's homestead 

Joe McEwin and Andrew Johnson lived near the claimant was testimony also given by Tom Brumfield.

Joe McEwin in his testimony states he is a farmer. Question 4 How far from the said claimant on said tract do you reside, do you reside and how long have you lived there? " 1/4 mile have lived there 9 years." In question 6 he says that he has know Calvin Caston  for 17 years.

First page of testimony of Joe McEwen for Calvin Caston's homestead

Joe describes that Calvin has cultivated 50 acres of land planting cotton, peas and potatoes with unknown value. Question 22 asked Give the size, construction, and material of claimant's house on said tract, and state the same is habitable during all seasons of the year. Ans. "18 x 22 ft big house with kitchen. is habitable all seasons of the year." 
Question 28  Does claimant , with his family, reside an said land as the present time? You will explain how you know he has resided there, as you heretofore stated. "They do. I live in sight of claimant house see him his  family on the land nearly every day, know he has lived on the land ...."

Calvin Caston witnesses testimony verified his residence from 1872 to 1889. There are additional rules that must be satisfied prior to the homesteader receiving title to the land  which include a thirty day published notice of  intention of  final proof  and an officer authorized to take final proof.

The published notice of final proof was made in the Magnolia Gazette newspaper.  In the notice, the name of the homesteader Calvin Caston, a description of the land (Sec. 22 T 2. N R. 9 E) and the name of the witnesses Henry S. Brummels, David Walker, Joe McEwin and Tom Brumfield all of Walkers Bridge, P. O. Pike Co. Miss. are given.  I do not have the witness testimony of  Henry S. Brummels and David Walker.

Calvin Caston finally received his homestead June 11, 1889.

 ----The Tree Gardener

Calvin Caston

  What happen to Rosann and Elvira Caston?

At the 2010 Caston-Brumfield family reunion, descendants of Calvin Caston were present. There were several of his children's descendants that were not represented Rosann, Elvira, Eliza, Jessie and Monroe. Through research of the family homestead I was able to determine what happen to Rosann and Elvira.

In the request for the reinstatement of the homestead made by Calvin Caston,  the affidavit mentions that an adult daughter died and he had three children who lived on the land and were dependent upon him.  Who was the adult daughter who died? Who were the dependent children?
Calvin Caston's children attended school in Pike County.   The enrolled children Jesse, Adiline and Monroe are enumerated in the 1885 school census record.  These children are probably the referred dependent children in the homestead  reinstatement affidavit.  There names are near the bottom of the page.

"Mississippi, Enumeration of Educable Children, 1850-1892; 1908-1957," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1-14208-41161-22?cc=1856425 : accessed 28 July 2015), Pike > 1885 > image 7 of 178; Government Records, Jackson.

Hollis Caston* was child of Calvin and Liddie Caston but he was not born until May 19, 1889 and therefore would not be one of the children mentioned in the affidavit. 

In the 1870 Federal Census for Pike County, Mississippi there are three female children enumerated with Calvin Caston.  It is assumed that his daughters are Elvira 17 years old, Rosann 15 years old and Adiline 3 years old. The 1870 census does not identify family relationships.

Adline was 17 years old and living at home in 1885.  Her  descendants  have been located and identified in family reunions.  Rosann and Elvira would have been 30 and 32 years old in 1885.  I began to look for Rosann and Elvira.
I looked for Elvira on the website Family Search. I had previously  associated Elvira with the surname Brumfield and was unable to locate her.  I then used the surname Caston and found the following. 

  A death certificate of Earnest Thomas born May 14, 1888 in Mississippi who lived 39 years in Beaumont, Jefferson County, Texas was found in the search. His father is listed as Jeff Thomas and mother Elvira Caston.  I wondered if I found my Elvira Caston. I decided to look for more information concerning Earnest Thomas and Jeff Thomas. Searching military records I located Earnest Thomas. 

"United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/KZZG-QGY : accessed 28 July 2015), Earnest Thomas, 1917-1918; citing Allen Parish, Louisiana, United States, NARA microfilm publication M1509 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,653,578.

"United States World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XP5F-GYS : accessed 28 July 2015), Earnest Thomas, 1942; citing NARA microfilm publication M1936, M1937, M1939, M1951, M1962, M1964, M1986, M2090, and M2097 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

I found his World War I and World War II registration cards. His date of birth is listed as May 14, 1888 at Walker Bridge, Mississippi. Walker's Bridge, Mississippi is in Pike County the location of Calvin Caston's homestead.  Is Earnest Thomas the son of Elvira Caston and grandson of Calvin Caston?   

I looked on the census records to see if I could locate Elvira Caston and Jeff Thomas. As a researcher of genealogy, I made the most common mistake not using various spellings of names. After careful review I found them in the 1880 federal Pike county census. I have looked at this census record many times and never notice that the household enumerated before Calvin Caston is Thomas Jefferson, wife Alvira Jefferson, child Horace and child Calvin.   The census taker had recorded the family's names incorrectly.  Thomas Jefferson is Jeff Thomas, Alvira Jefferson is Elvira Caston Thomas and Horace Jefferson is Horace Thomas and Calvin Jefferson is Calvin Thomas.  I have copied a portion of the 188o census

Elvira Thomas was enumerated in Pike County census in 1920 worked in the box factory and 1930  as a laundress  on her premises.

Elvira Caston house number family number 598/612 Year: 1920; Census Place: Beat 2, Pike, Mississippi; Roll: T625_891;
Page: 30B; Enumeration District: 102; Image: 744

Elvira Thomas House number and Family number  97/104 1930; Census Place: Beat 2, Pike, Mississippi; Roll: 1162; Page: 4B
; Enumeration District: 0004; Image:723.0; FHL microfilm: 2340897

 Earnest Thomas was born in 1888 and his mother was Elvira Caston Thomas.  Elvira Thomas was found in the 1920 and 1930 census she therefore did not die before 1885.  Rosann Caston must have been the adult daughter who died and was mentioned in the affidavit. I have not been able to find the cause of death.

* Hollis Caston was enumerated in the 1900 Pike County, Mississippi  Federal census as a child of Calvin Caston. He was not a child of Calvin but a grandchild.  Updated May 7, 2022

----- The Tree Gardener

Calvin Caston Where's the Proof ? Part 2

Part 2

Calvin Caston filed a homestead application August 15, 1870.  He built housing, planted crops and paid taxes on the property. In May 28, 1880 his homestead was cancelled.  

Homestead Application number 4260 at top of form

Calvin failed to provide final proof of his homestead. Several events occurred which prevented the submission of final proof.  On February 24, 1885, Calvin Caston made a sworn affidavit to the circuit court clerk of Pike County, Mississippi to reinstate his homestead. I have attempted to try to transcribe a portion of the affidavit:

Calvin Caston Request for Homestead Reinstatement

  

" ... at the time he should have made final proof on the said homestead he had a death in his family (can't decipher) a grown daughter and that he was confined to bed with a long spell of (can't decipher). That soon after he learned that his Htd was cancelled he came before the clerk of the court and petitioned the United states Land Department to reinstate him in (can't decipher) Homestead. That said petition was lost or miscarried on its way to Jackson.   That being uneducated and ignorant of the law he did not know what else to do.  That he has paid the taxes on the land several years and he thought in doing so he was doing his duty as a law abiding citizen and that in doing so

 Calvin Caston Request for Homestead Reinstatement and signature

it would give him the right to hold the same.  That he has lived on said land thirteen years and has made crops that many seasons.  He raised cotton, corn peas, potatoes in the land contracted in said Homestead that has erected on said land the following improvements  to with dwelling house, corn crib, stables (can't decipher) has sixty acres of the said in cultivation.  That his improvements that he has erected in said land is worth about three hundred dollars.  That he has completed with the same in the settlement and cultivation of said Homestead as faithfully as his extremely limited knowledge of the same enabled to do.  The premises considered he prays the United States department to reinstate him in said Homestead and permit him to make final proof on same as it is his only chance for a home for himself now in old age and his three children dependant upon him for a home in which to live."

"Sworn to and subscribed this                   his

24th day of Febry AD 1885"             Calvin X Caston

                                                                         mark

Calvin Caston homestead was reinstated April 4, 1885.

----- The Tree Gardener

Calvin Caston Where's The Proof ? Part 1

PART 1

In obtaining a deed for homestead property it was necessary to establish residency and improvement of the land. Calvin Caston and family have been identified in the 1870 and 1880 population federal census living in Pike County, Mississippi.  In the 1870 federal census, Calvin Caston occupation is listed as a farm hand who can't read or write. The value of his personal property is $100.00. One hundred dollars in 1870 is the equivalent of $1,769.55 in 2015. There is no value listed for real estate. Let's keep in mind that the 1870 census information was taken days before he filed his homestead application. The 1880 federal census does not list real estate or personal property value.

The census of agriculture is collected the same year as the decennial population census. I have located Calvin Caston in the non-population 1880 agricultural census for Pike County, Mississippi. This census identifies the inventory of the farm assets land improvements.

A portion of the 1880 Federal Agriculture Census for Pike County, Mississippi
 Calvin Caston is first name listed

This is a small chart of some of the information for Calvin Caston property on the 1880 Agricultural census. The 2015 monetary values have been included on the chart.

Name	Rents for Fixed Money Rental	Acres of Land Tiled	Value of Farming Implements and Machinery	Value of Live Stock	Estimated Value of All Farm Productions for 1879
Calvin Caston	1	74	$15 (1880)	165 (1880)	400 (1880)
			$335.28  (2015)	$3688.11  (2015)	$8940.88  (2015)

Calvin Caston was also  taxpayer for his property in Pike County.  I was able to locate a copy of the 1881 tax. On the tax form, a column to identify the individual's  residence for previous year is printed but not recorded for any of the individuals listed. 

"Mississippi, State Archives, Various Records, 1820-1951," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-21942-40530-1?cc=1919687&wc=9B48-3TY:211910201,212012101 : accessed 9 July 2015), Pike > County tax rolls 1881-1886, Box 3752 > image 4 of 400; Mississippi Department of Archvies and History, Jackson.

Enlarged image of 1881 tax record Calvin Caston listed 5th from the bottom

Summary of 1881 Taxes with 2015 valuation

Name      Number of   Value of    Number of     Value of    Number of      Value of         Total of        Aggregate State

Calvin      Cattle           Cattle        Horses           Horses      Carriages         Carriages      Valuation           Tax

Caston        2                30                 1                   35                 1                  10                    75                    22.5

  2015                          $670.00                          $782.33                               $223.52         $1676.41           $491.75

These documents establish Calvin Caston as a resident, taxpayer, and landowner who improved his property.

-----The Tree Gardener

Calvin Caston Homestead Part 1

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