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coyt (coit) evans

1889-1968

Life Story

Birth and Family Background

Coyt Edward Evans—also spelled Coit Evans in contemporary records—was born on October 28, 1889, in Newton County, Mississippi, to Samuel Evans (1852–1920), also referred to as Sam and Sena Rebecca Evans, also recorded as Senie Evans (1848–1914). He grew up in a rural farming household during the post-Reconstruction era, when African American families relied heavily on land, kinship networks, and church institutions for stability and survival.

His family played a significant role in local religious life. Notably, his mother donated land for the establishment of Pilgrim Grove Presbyterian Church, anchoring the Evans family within one of the area’s enduring Black congregations.

Education and Early Work

Coyt completed the fourth grade of elementary school, a level of education typical for African American children in rural Mississippi during the early twentieth century. From a young age, he worked as a farm laborer on the home farm, contributing to the family’s agricultural livelihood.

By 1920, census records list him as a laborer at a sawmill, reflecting the pattern of seasonal and industrial labor that many Black men pursued to supplement farm income.

Marriage and Children

Coyt married Leila “Lela” Evans, and together they raised a family in Newton County. Children known from this union include:

Through his children, Coyt became the patriarch of multiple extended family lines that remained rooted in Newton County and later spread to urban centers through migration.

Legal Challenges During the Prohibition Era

During the Prohibition era, Coyt Evans encountered legal difficulties related to liquor laws. Newspaper accounts from the early 1920s document his arrest and conviction for operating a small distillery near his home, with the case resulting in a guilty plea and a sentence that included incarceration.

These incidents must be understood within the broader historical context of Prohibition enforcement in rural Mississippi, where liquor laws were often enforced unevenly and disproportionately impacted African American laborers. For many families facing limited economic opportunities, informal or illicit work sometimes became a means of survival. Despite this episode, Coyt continued his life as a laborer and remained part of the Newton County community.

Later Life

In later years, Coyt returned fully to agricultural and labor work, maintaining ties to his family, church, and community. His life reflects both the hardships and resilience common to African American men of his generation—marked by labor, responsibility, and perseverance amid restrictive social and economic conditions.

Death and Burial

Coyt (Coit) Edward Evans passed away on April 3, 1968, in Newton County, Mississippi. He was laid to rest at Saint John Missionary Baptist Church Graveyard, joining other members of the Evans family whose lives collectively tell the story of land, labor, faith, and endurance in the Newton County Black community.

Sidebar: Prohibition Enforcement in Newton County, Mississippi

During the Prohibition era (1920–1933), the enforcement of liquor laws in Newton County reflected broader patterns seen across rural Mississippi—marked by selective policing, economic tension, and racial inequality. Although the manufacture and sale of alcohol were outlawed nationwide, enforcement was inconsistent and often concentrated in rural Black communities.

For many African American families, especially farm laborers and sawmill workers, economic survival was precarious. Seasonal work, low wages, and limited access to land ownership meant that informal economies sometimes filled the gap. Small-scale distilling—often referred to locally as “home stills”—was one such activity, providing either supplemental income or barter value in cash-poor communities.

Court records and newspaper accounts from Newton County show that Black defendants were frequently arrested, fined, or imprisoned, while enforcement against white residents was less visible in the public record. Raids were commonly conducted by a combination of local law officers and federal prohibition agents, and convictions often resulted in steep fines or sentences to the state penitentiary, even for small operations.

Importantly, involvement in liquor law violations did not necessarily define an individual’s standing within the community. Many men who faced Prohibition-related charges remained active church members, family providers, and laborers both before and after their convictions. These cases illustrate how criminal records from this period often reflect structural hardship rather than moral failure.

In Newton County, Prohibition enforcement offers historians a lens into:

  • The economic pressures faced by rural Black families
  • The unequal application of the law
  • The resilience of individuals who continued to work, worship, and raise families despite legal setbacks

This context helps situate figures like Coyt (Coit) Edward Evans not as anomalies, but as participants in a broader historical reality shaped by limited opportunity and uneven justice.

Resting Place

Saint John Missionary Baptist Church Graveyard

Photos/Albums

Coyt Edward Evans
Coyt Edward Evans, 1889-1968

Sources

  • 1900 Federal Census
  • 1910 Federal Census
  • 1920 Federal Census
  • 1930 Federal Census
  • 1940 Federal Census
  • 1950 Federal Census
  • U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current
  • The Newton Record, State vs. Coit Evans: Distilling, Thu, Sep 04, 1924 ·Page 1
  • The Newton Record, Arrested on Charge of Violating Liquor Law, Thu, Oct 25, 1923 ·Page 1
  • U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014
  • U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918

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