Special Thanks:
- Jean Denton-Thompson; Each year I continue with this research, I am continually reminded of what a path was laid for me by my ancestors, and it comes from people like you. You are more than my amazing first cousin once removed (I can hear you saying “FIRST COUSIN!!! **Laughs**) I love you SO much and cannot imagine doing this with anyone else! Here’s to North Carolina and more microfilm!

- Grace Parker, Alice Thompson, Freddy George, Jr. and Freddy George, Sr.; for food, photos, lodging, support and most of all, love and laughs. Thank you for the tours, the education, and the conversation. We are truly blessed to call you family!

- Gene and Cassandra Rosby; for food, photos, lodging, support and most of all, love and laughs. We are truly appreciative of all that you did for us while we were away from our families. You made Baton Rouge feel like we never left home and were definitely with family. We will spend the next year losing the weight of all that eating!

- Robert and Cinderella Nervis; for food, lodging, support and most of all, love and laughs. You two are gems and are definitely an asset to Lake Providence! We are still laughing with you all, literally!
- Florence Atlas; for the tour of the land, the pecans, the greens, the company and your graciousness! You are one of a kind and the family’s griot with rights all your own!

- Carl and Allene Rosby, and family - for the great food, photos and laughs. Your family is awesome and it's talents will live long beyond your lives! You all are a true testament to what King Atlas and Rachel Day hoped we’d all be! Hope the fruit flies are doing well and that there are more dramatic track meet pictures to come!

- Brian Sr., Brian Jr. and Marissa Parker - for making a part of your trip to New Orleans a part of our trip there! Thanks for the shrimp, crawfish and education about bugs and creepy crawly things!

- My best friend Genevieve for the travel voucher!!! Let me know when you get your beignet mix and the magnet! Apologize to Brian for me about the pralines!

Summation of Research - 2007 Research Trip - 02/17/07 to 03/03/07
Louisiana State Library – Baton Rouge, LA
1. Copies of Newspaper Articles
06/17/1961 – Louisiana Weekly featuring Jean Thompson
05/25/1961 – New Orleans Times-Picayune featuring Jean Thompson
05/27/1961 – New Orleans Times-Picayune featuring Jean Thompson

2. Copies of Land Ownership Map
a. 1860 Carroll Parish, LA – Plotted out land owned by King Atlas, Jr., Louis Bareford/Balfour Atlas, Sr., and Hood Lane Corporation

Louisiana State Archives – Baton Rouge, LA
1. Copies of Death Certificates
a. John Atlas, Sr.
b. Sabina (Williams) Atlas
c. Eliza (Atlas) Rosby
d. Albert Marshall, Sr.
e. Susie (Lee) Atlas
f. William Abner Hearns, Sr. (Hearns)
g. Alice Hearns (Hearn)
h. William Russell
i. Alice (Smith) Franklin (nee Tucker, Jacks)
j. Clora (Evans) Atlas (nee Williams, Lee, Marshall)
k. Thomas Atlas, Sr.
l. King Atlas, Jr.
m. Sarah (Hewlett) Atlas
n. Rachel (Atlas) Hearns
o. Annie Mae Thompson

2. Copies of 1880 US Agricultural Schedules
a. King Atlas, Sr.
b. Louis Ates (Believed to be a relative)

Tax Assessors Records – Louisiana State Archives – Baton Rouge, LA and East Carroll Parish Clerk of Court - Lake Providence, LA
Family Members Found: King Atlas, Sr., King Atlas, Jr., John Atlas, Sr., Andrew Atlas, William Steven Atlas, Sr., Rachel Atlas (Hearns/Hearn), Louis Bareford/Balfour Atlas, Sr., Thomas Atlas, Sr.
Possible Family Members Found – Simon Atlas, London Atlas
1. 1873- 1875
2. 1877-1878
3. 1880-1881
4. 1883-1884
5. 1886-1880
6. 1899
7. 1908-1909
8. 1912

West Feliciana Parish Clerk of Court – Saint Francisville, LA
1. Conveyance Records Documented
a. Typewritten – 13
2. Sheriff Sales Records Documented
a. Typewritten - 10

East Carroll Parish Clerk of Court - Lake Providence, LA
1. Conveyance Records Documented
a. Handwritten – 10
b. Typewritten/Documented for Later Research – 11

2. Marriages Documented
a. Typewritten – 29

3. Mortgage Records Documented
a. Typewritten/Documented for Later Research – 34

4. Succession Records Documented
a. Typewritten – 3

Discoveries:
- Based on tax assessors records, King Atlas, Sr. died between 1890 and 1895

- Based on East Carroll Parish Conveyance Records, Williams was the maiden name of Sabina who married John Atlas, Sr.

- Based on West Feliciana Parish Conveyance Records, Hewlett was the maiden name of Sarah who married William Steven Atlas, Sr. William Steven Atlas, Sr. was deceased before 1917, as per these records. In addition, discovered siblings of Sarah (Hewlett) Atlas based on the same conveyance records. This establishes another tie to West Feliciana Parish.

- Based on East Carroll Parish Conveyance Records, Charles Campbell was married to Sabina Atlas (Cooper), daughter of John Atlas, Sr. and Sabina Williams.

- All maiden names of the wives of King Atlas, Sr. and Rachel Day have been discovered and documented.

- Louis/Lewis Carson, husband of Caroline Carson, was not in the Confederacy during the Civil War. During the trip to the Louisiana State Archives, it was uncovered that he fought for the Union. The NARA website will be used to get a copy of his pension file

- Based on her death certificate, Clora (Williams, Lee, Marshall) Atlas maiden name was Evans. Her father is listed as Moses Evans and her mother is listed as Susie Evans. The informant was her son in law/stepson Louis Bareford/Balfour Atlas, Sr.

- Discovered Priscilla Balfour, living in Saint Francisville, LA. Free woman of color with the last name Balfour. Could not locate any other records on her. Further research required.Feliciana Parish Conveyance Records - David Austen (deceased) to Priscilla Balfour (a free woman of colour) – 01/31/1835 transaction, recorded 02/06/1835 – Book E, Page 341 – For the sum of $705, sixty feet on Royal Street and run back 180 feet but certainly 120 feet of lot 10 in square 17, the same lot purchased at the probate sale of Wm Wyse, deceased, by Joseph Beruard and transferred from Beraurd to William Hunstock and purchased by David Austen from Hunstock. Priscilla Balfour could not read or write. Sheriff’s record of transfer from David Austen to Priscilla Balfour in Book E, Page 343.

- Carroll Parish Conveyance Records - John B. Byrne to Wm. L. Balfour, Book B, Page 294-295 – November 13, 1841 property sold, recorded December 9, 1841. John B. Byrne and his wife sold to William L. Balfour a plantation in the parish of Carroll, LA composed of lots of land as follows: lots 71, 72, 73, 74 and 75, township 22, range 12 east, and lot number 30, township 21, range 13 east also sections 76 and 77. Township 22, range 12 east in the said parish of Carroll in the State of Louisiana, with the improvements, utensils, stock and all other things on said land together with 29 negro slaves for the some of $40,000. Purchase made in New Orleans, LA.Names of the slaves: Caph?, Eliza, James, Margarite, Turner, Mary Jane, Maria Allen, Heamit Sevarlles, Charles (her son), Isaac (her son), Fountam, Charles Seipis/Serpis, Daniel Lewis, Emaline (child of Rosetta), Tom, Caroline, Betty, Rosetta Butler, Marie Jackson, Maria Jackson and child, Sarah Cragge, Maria Grandein/Granderson?, Ann Grace Robinson, Henry Henderson, Henry Waddell, Eliza B. Stewart, Sarah Ann, Priscilla (child of Sarah Cragge) and Jordan (child of Rosetta)

Second list of slaves on page 157:
Caph?, Eliza, Jim (could be James above), Rosetta Butler, Margarett, Turner, Maria Jackson, Mary Jane (her child) and her other child then aged one year, Ann, Maria Allen, Sarah Cragge, Harriet Sevallis, Maria Grandison, Charles (her son), Ann Grace Robinson, Isaac (her son), Henry Henderson, Fountain, Henry Waddell, Charles Scipio, Eliza B. Stewart, Daniel, Sarah Ann, Lewis (her child), Priscilla (child of Sarah C. Cragge), Emaline (child of Rosetta), Jordan (child of Rosetta and Tom).

William L. Balfour, and his estate, owned and operated Eyrie/Balfour Plantation from 1841 until 1865.

- Photos Taken: 300+

Where To Go From Here:
- None of these slaves in the Book B, Page 294 -295 have names of earliest traceable ancestors. This supports the hypothesis that William L. Balfour purchased the earliest traceable ancestors in North Carolina and moved them during his move to Louisiana in 1820 or purchased them while in Mississippi and transported them to Eyrie Plantation

- No transactions noting sales of slaves to William Balfour or his son William L. Balfour in Feliciana/West Feliciana Parish, LA. Notation made of 13 slaves auctioned off when mortgage was defaulted; names of slaves: Peter, Polly, Castell, Castell, Tony, Anthony, Moses, Cillie/Ciller?, Rose and her children Isabel, Lenye and John (who was born since the seizure of all slaves); none had any names matching the names of ancestors

- Find records for and/or visit Edgecombe County, NC prior to William Balfour’s departure. It is possible that he purchased King Atlas, Sr. or Rachel Day there and then transported them to Louisiana, then Mississippi and then back to Louisiana to Eyrie Plantation.

- Continue search for records in East Carroll Parish, LA for ancestors and relatives and their records.

- Find records for and/or visit Bolivar County, MS, where Fallback Plantation was located to see if the purchase of King Atlas, Sr. and/or Rachel Day was performed there.

- Continue searching through Madison County, MS records to see if the purchase of King Atlas, Sr. and/or Rachel Day was performed there.

My birthday...and NOLA...

I had a great birthday yesterday. I had at least seven people sing me Happy Birthday. No one could sing real well, but it was appreciated nonetheless.

We started the day off touring the Lower 9th Ward. I didn't get a chance to see it last year because I didn't come for the New Orleans leg of the trip, but I imagine that I missed nothing since nothing has been done. You would not believe the state things are in. It looks like a warzone. There is hardly anyone down there and all they are doing is demolishing houses. I praise God that during the time I was down there, I didn't see any homes that has bodies in them at one point or another. We went by all three of Grace's houses first. The first one I had already seen, but the last two I hadn't. They had torn down one of the last two, and the second one was still standing, in the same condition. The house next door had actually moved so far that it was touching the second house and about to topel it over. The streets are ridiculous in their condition.

From there, we went to 1931 Tupelo Street. This is where my great aunt, uncle and hosts of cousins use to live. That house is still standing, but it needs to be gutted. The damage was so bad, that there are no street signs, so people have spray painted the street names onto electric poles so you know where you are going. There was also a note on the street that noted the intersection of Tupelo and Johnson streets. After that, we headed to my family's previous address before Tupelo, on Louisa Street. That house was still standing too, and it's amazing that it was considering that it was built in 1945. The houses around it were in horrible condition though.

One thing that I thought was amazing is how the churches in the area, that we saw, were still standing. One in particular blew my mind. It's my cousin Gene's sister church in New Orleans. That building didn't even look like it had been nearly covered with water. That is a testament to the amount of prayer that is there.

Across the street from Gene's sister church was the recreation center that was named after my great aunt and uncle. They were involved in a lot of community activities through the group S.O.U.L., which was started in their kitchen. The building is closed, but they have set up a temporary fire station there. It's nothing but a portable building. We talked to a retired New Orleans Fire Fighter who is volunteering through LSU to provide counseling services to the fire fighters in the area. He said it's needed because of all the changes they and their families are facing.

From there, we headed to the French Quarter. We went to Cafe Du Monde. As many times as I had been to New Orleans, I had never eaten there. We got beignets and iced coffee. Jean then tipped this street band to play and sing happy birthday to me. They even included my name. I was embarassed, but happy. The beignets were great and I bought a couple of boxes to bring home with me. I also purchased a mug for church family and another magnet for my best friends and myself.

Later, we went to the Cheesecake Bistro for dinner and then headed to Best Buy. Jean got me a bluetooth for my new phone, that I have yet to purchase. She gets worried about me driving and being on my cell phone.

After that, we headed back to the Quarter. Earlier, we had tried to go to this black art store that I love on Bourbon Street but it was closed. They have been open for over 30 years and have some of the best prints I've ever seen. Fortunately, I called there and they had opened. So when we went back, I purchased two prints and five postcards. Jean picked up some prints and post cards.

Today, Jean was supposed to leave, but volunteered to get bumped to a flight tomorrow. She got a $400 voucher for doing so. So, after that, the both of us have travelled here for $10!!!! God is SO good!!!

I leave tomorrow and I'm sort of sad about it, although I miss my friends, church family and a special person. It means I have to get back to the grind, and not be in semi-retirement anymore. :(