gabriel napolean whitehead
1852-1920
Life Story
Early Life and Family
Gabriel Napolean Whitehead, often referred to as Gabe, was born around 1852 in Mississippi to Samuel Whitehead, Sr. (1822–?) and Margaret Whitehead (1818–?). He was part of the first generation of Whiteheads to come of age during Reconstruction. His brother, Andrew Dowel Whitehead, Sr., would later also become associated with railroad labor and the Lawrence community of Newton County.
Railroad Employment and the 1874 Shooting Incident
Gabe was employed at the Vicksburg and Meridian Railroad machine shops as a blacksmith’s helper. Railroad work during this period offered one of the few steady wage opportunities available to Black men in Mississippi.
While working at the blacksmith shop, Gabe was involved in an altercation with a man identified as Joe Whitehead. A newspaper report states that Gabe was shot in the thigh during the dispute. Although the wound was painful, it was not considered serious. The relationship between Gabe and Joe Whitehead has not been verified; Joe may have been a sibling or close kin. His brother, Andrew Dowel Whitehead, Sr., was also working for the railroad at the time, indicating that the Whitehead family had established itself within this industrial labor network.
Marriage and Children
By 1880, Gabriel was living in Jackson, Hinds County, Mississippi, where he was married to Josephine Kelly (1862-?) in Scott County on February 14, 1879. The couple had one known daughter, Mary Whitehead (born 1876).
In addition to their biological child, Gabriel and Josephine also raised two adopted sons: James Billinger (born 1896) and Swanson Billinger (born 1902). Their household reflects the extended kinship traditions common in Black communities of the period, where family bonds often extended beyond bloodlines.
Return to Newton County
By 1900, Gabriel and his family had relocated to Newton County, Mississippi. There, he worked as a farmer in the Lawrence community. Like many African American men of his generation, Gabe moved between wage labor and agriculture, ultimately settling into rural land-based work that provided greater stability and connection to community life.
Death and Burial
Gabriel Napolean Whitehead passed away on August 27, 1920, in the Lawrence community of Newton County from heart disease. He is laid to rest at Union Chapel United Methodist Church.
His life reflects the resilience of a Reconstruction-era generation—men who navigated industrial labor, racial tension, family responsibility, and rural community building while laying foundations for future generations of the Whitehead family in Newton County.
Resting Place
Union Chapel United Methodist Church
Photos/Albums
Sources
- 1870 Federal Census
- 1880 Federal Census
- 1900 Federal Census
- 1910 Federal Census
- 1920 Federal Census
- U.S., Find a Grave® Index, 1600s-Current
- Mississippi, U.S., Compiled Marriage Index, 1776-1935
- Mississippi, U.S., Index to Deaths, 1912-1943
- The Vicksburg Herald, One Negro Shot by Another, Tue, Sep 15, 1874 ·Page 4
- U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995
- The Newton Record, Whitehead Reunion, Wed, Aug 20, 1975 ·Page 20
Leave a Reply