In 1986 Lafayette County Mississippi celebrated the 150th year of it's

founding. To commemorate this Sesquicentennial, it published the history of the

county in a very thick book entitled, "Lafayette County Heritage".

This history listed every known Caucasian family that had lived there in the

past 150 years. There was information on a few African Americans also.

The index listed one Hardy McGlaun spelled (McGloun) in a section of the

county called Dogtown. There had once been a church there called Old Shilo. Of

the early settlers buried at Old Shilo Cemetery was a McGlaun. The article stated

that there is an old slave cemetery back of the Shilo Cemetery and it is still visited

by descendents. Hardy McGlaun married an Eleanor H. Patton who was born in

1809 in Georgia. It is not certain where he was born or when he came to Lafayette

County. He appeared in the 1850 census as being forty-one years of age at that time.

The community of Lafayette Springs, which was the birthplace of our

ancestors, is stated to have begun about 1840 and is located east of Oxford near the

Pontotoc County line. It is reported to have had it's beginning as a waystop for

settlers coming and going from Lafayette County to the land office which was

located in the town of Pontotoc.

In the early days there were several springs in the area producing different

kinds of mineral water. People came from afar to drink the water for health

reasons. In order to accommodate the people coming to the area to drink the water,

a 27 room hotel was built in the 1860's. It was later demolished and the lumber

used for homes. Among the early settlers was a John Grisham who was a Civil War

Veteran. The area had an active KKK in the late 1800's.

Lafayette Springs at one time had, in addition to the hotel, a fine school

building, seven or eight stores, businesses, a cotton gin, Masonic Hall, Post Office

and three churches. Today it has one store, a garage, one church and a number of

homes. The Post Office closed in 1978.

In the 1860 Slave Enumeration Schedule of Lafayette County, Hardy

McGlaun is listed as having six slave houses and 35 slaves ranging in age from eight

months to fifty years old. He owned 800 acres of land valued at $6,000.00. Most of

the surnames in the county were English but there were many Scotch settlers, which

probably accounts for the presence of a considerable number of Scotch names.

Some spellings found in the census were, McGlann, McGlaun, McGlown, McGlaum,

McGlone, McGlawn, McGlaum.

As the census taker often had to write what they thought they heard,

relatives of a person might have different spellings of the same name. Note that the

spelling on the marriage license is McGlaun, but the first name is spelled Lewis but

has also appeared as Louis in a census report.

The census of 1910 shows Louis to have been born in Virginia as well as his

mother and father. Therefore his origipal name could have been something other

than McGlaun if he was sold. Louvicy and her parents were born in Mississippi.

The Civil War ended in 1865 and that same December when they were both

17 they applied for a marriage license. As a $200.00 bond was required at the time

of marriage the wedding did not take place until the following December.. This was

the law in Mississippi at the time in case the wedding didn't take place. I don't

know when this law was repealed but my grandfather Green had to pay $200.00 for

his first marriage. Note: on the marriage application that Louis' bride's name was

Louvicy. This has been consistent throughout the census data.

The county clerk who furnished this copy of Louis and Louvicy's marriage

record wrote that this was the first recorded marriage in the county. of freed men

and women as far as she could discern.

In 1869 Louis paid $1.40 in state taxes. $1.00 for being a male and $.40 for

owning a dog. Most McGlauns were farmers. Green became a minister and

officiated at his brother Jerry's marriage in 1903. Rob was an exception also as he

worked for the Illinois Central Railroad.

One of the most interesting things about Black Genealogy is the names.

Fewer than 10% of the population owned slaves and none or very few of our

ancestors remembered or gave themselves African names. When you look at the list

of names of early settlers you find our names. I thought that Green was an odd

name but my grandfather was not the only Green.

Clinton's name was Clinton Lawshee McGlaun there was a white Lewis M.

Lawshee with 540 acres of land. Others are P.B. Barringer, W.H. Caruthers, J.J.,

L.C. and W. Higginbotham, J.W. Holland, Henry and S.M. Ivy, J. Kilgore, M.M.

and A.H. Pegues, J.F. Rutledge, Taylor, Threkeld and many Williams.