A Southern Duke Family
The Duke family is where my roots begin. My grandmother was Caroline Elizabeth Duke (also featured in "MY Grandmother's Husbands") .
She was born in Arkansas, but how long her family was there is beyond my knowledge as most of the children were born in Mississippi as well as both parents. I do not know why the family was in Arkansas during those two years.
RECENT UPDATE: While reviewing my grandmother's delayed birth certificate, I realized it said "Imminence Plantation" as place of birth. While googling this information I came across the website for Lakeport Plantation in Lake Village, Chicot County, Arkansas. You can see that here. I asked some advice from The Barefoot Genealogist - Crista Cowan, who said, try writing them because maybe they came across info while researching their own history.
That led me to write Blake Wintory, Ph.D., Assistant Director of Lakeport Plantation. He confirmed that "Eminence" plantation was one of the several owned by the same man. He and I wrote back and forth over several days sharing information including a letter my grandmother wrote talking about her grandfather's home and experiences growing up. While doing so, I recalled my great grandfather's WWI draft record. (that was the year after my grandmother was born and a year before her brother was born). On the card it says Farm Foreman for Holland Delta Co, Redleaf, AR. - Blake confirmed Redleaf was one of the other plantations next door to Eminence Plantation. Though neither he nor I can figure out how Luther Duke was foreman. They have letters and a history of the place and know several of the names who were foreman at the time. So the mystery is only partially solved. We can say though, that the man named Jeff Duke, playmate of his father was not from that plantation area but from the Pontotoc, Mississippi area where they lived.
In the middle of the topic was an entry in a book about Importing Italians for labor, giving them a type of coupon for land on the plantation property, but before they could get the land, the owner died. During that time, is exactly when and where my Italians came to America. They settled in that same area. I can only imagine that perhaps, another mystery is unfolding that may directly coincide with Redleaf and Eminence plantation history. We may never know for sure. But the search continues!
She was the first born child of six children to Luther Lee Duke Sr and Caroline Elizabeth Billingsley.
She was born in Arkansas, but how long her family was there is beyond my knowledge as most of the children were born in Mississippi as well as both parents. I do not know why the family was in Arkansas during those two years.
RECENT UPDATE: While reviewing my grandmother's delayed birth certificate, I realized it said "Imminence Plantation" as place of birth. While googling this information I came across the website for Lakeport Plantation in Lake Village, Chicot County, Arkansas. You can see that here. I asked some advice from The Barefoot Genealogist - Crista Cowan, who said, try writing them because maybe they came across info while researching their own history.
That led me to write Blake Wintory, Ph.D., Assistant Director of Lakeport Plantation. He confirmed that "Eminence" plantation was one of the several owned by the same man. He and I wrote back and forth over several days sharing information including a letter my grandmother wrote talking about her grandfather's home and experiences growing up. While doing so, I recalled my great grandfather's WWI draft record. (that was the year after my grandmother was born and a year before her brother was born). On the card it says Farm Foreman for Holland Delta Co, Redleaf, AR. - Blake confirmed Redleaf was one of the other plantations next door to Eminence Plantation. Though neither he nor I can figure out how Luther Duke was foreman. They have letters and a history of the place and know several of the names who were foreman at the time. So the mystery is only partially solved. We can say though, that the man named Jeff Duke, playmate of his father was not from that plantation area but from the Pontotoc, Mississippi area where they lived.
In the middle of the topic was an entry in a book about Importing Italians for labor, giving them a type of coupon for land on the plantation property, but before they could get the land, the owner died. During that time, is exactly when and where my Italians came to America. They settled in that same area. I can only imagine that perhaps, another mystery is unfolding that may directly coincide with Redleaf and Eminence plantation history. We may never know for sure. But the search continues!
She was the first born child of six children to Luther Lee Duke Sr and Caroline Elizabeth Billingsley.
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