Our Unique Stories

george adkins

1857-aft. 1910

Life Story

Early Life in Post-Emancipation Mississippi

George Adkins was born in November 1857 or 1858 in Mississippi, during the final years of slavery. In the 1870 Census, he appears as George Atkins, age 12, living in Beat 4, Neshoba County, Mississippi, near the Philadelphia post office.

He was the son of Thomas Atkins (age 53) and Frances (Fannie) Lewis Atkins (b. 1840). The household included multiple siblings: Mitchell, Henry, Frances, Amy, Andrew Johnson., Alfred, William, Liza, Grant and Jesse. In 1870 and 1880, George is listed as unable to read or write — a reflection of the educational deprivation experienced by formerly enslaved families during Reconstruction.

By 1880, the family had relocated to Beat 4, Newton County, Mississippi. George, then age 22, remained in his parents’ household, working as a farm laborer.

It is between 1880 and 1900 that the family surname begins appearing as Adkins instead of Atkins, a common phonetic variation in census recording.

Marriage and Establishing His Own Household

George married Sallie Thompson around 1881. By 1900, he appears as head of his own household in Beat 4, Newton County.

The 1900 Census records:

  • Occupation: Farmer
  • Literacy: Able to read and write
  • Property: Owned his farm (mortgaged)
  • Years Married: 19

This transition is significant. A man listed as illiterate in 1880 appears in 1900 able to read and write and as a property-owning farmer. That progression reflects determination and post-Reconstruction Black advancement in rural Mississippi.

George and Sallie built a large household that included:

Economic Position and Agricultural Life

By 1910, George was still head of household in Newton County. He was listed as a Farmer (Employer) on a general farm.

However, a subtle shift appears in the records:

  • 1900: Owned farm (mortgaged)
  • 1910: Renting farm

This change may reflect broader agricultural instability in the early 20th century, including debt cycles and crop fluctuations that affected many Black farmers in Mississippi.

Even so, George remained economically active and literate by 1910 — a noteworthy progression from his earlier records.

From Atkins to Adkins

One of the most important genealogical details in George’s records is the surname evolution.

  • 1870 & 1880: Atkins
  • 1900 & 1910: Adkins

The shift likely reflects phonetic spelling by census enumerators rather than a formal name change. This variation is common in Southern records and can obscure family continuity if not carefully traced.

The documentation confirms that George Atkins of Neshoba County is the same man later recorded as George Adkins of Newton County.

Parents

Father: Thomas (Tom) Atkins
Born: c. 1817–1820, Mississippi
Occupation: Farmer

Mother: Frances “Fannie” Atkins
Born: c. 1833-1840, Mississippi

By 1900, George’s parents’ birthplaces were recorded as:

  • Father: South Carolina
  • Mother: North Carolina

This suggests a deeper pre-Civil War migration pattern that may connect the Adkins line to enslaved families originating in the Carolinas.

Legacy and Unknown Burial

George Adkins appears in the 1910 Census at age 53. His death date and burial location are currently unknown.

He represents a transitional generation:

  • Born enslaved or at the very edge of emancipation
  • Raised during Reconstruction
  • Became a literate landholding farmer
  • Headed a large rural household
  • Fathered children who bridged agriculture and early industrial labor

Through his son Garfield Adkins and daughter Emma Adkins Wash, his lineage continued into the 20th century.

George’s life traces the arc of Black rural resilience in Newton County — from Reconstruction uncertainty to agricultural stability.

Resting Place

Unknown

Photos/Albums

Sources

  • 1870 – 1910 Federal Censuses
  • U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007

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