randall mitchell
1873-aft. 1940
Life Story
A Foundation of Land, Family, and Endurance
Early Life and Marriage
Randall Mitchell was born in Mississippi in the autumn of 1873, with his World War I draft registration card giving the specific date of October 6, 1873. Coming of age in the post-Reconstruction South, Randall established himself early as a literate and capable young man.
In 1899, at approximately twenty-one years old, he married Rosie Beal. By the time the 1900 U.S. Census was recorded in Beat 4, Newton County, the couple had begun building their family, with their infant son Lee, just four months old.
Notably, Randall was already a landowner, holding his farm free and clear—a remarkable achievement for a young Black man in Mississippi at the turn of the twentieth century.
Building a Legacy and Household
The first decade of the 1900s marked rapid expansion for the Mitchell family. By 1910, Randall (recorded as “Randie”) and Rosa were raising a large household of children: Glover, David, Carpy, Rosa, Wyatt, Randie Jr., Sidney (S.G.), and Arthur.
Randall was listed as an employer on a general farm, suggesting he not only worked his land but also managed labor—an indicator of both scale and stability within his agricultural operation.
In 1918, tragedy reshaped the household. Records indicate that Rosa passed away during this period, leaving Randall a widower responsible for a large family. By 1920, he remained on his farm with children ranging in age from early childhood to young adulthood.
During these years, Randall also registered for the World War I draft, where he was described as a man of medium height and build, with dark eyes and black hair.
Later Years and Second Marriage
By 1930, Randall had remarried, taking Corena (Corean) Adams as his wife. His household remained active and multigenerational, with younger children—including Robert, Viola, and Ora Lee—still at home as older children established lives of their own.
The 1940 census provides a final detailed glimpse into Randall’s later life. At 69 years old, he was still actively working his farm, reporting 38 hours of labor in a single week. His home, valued at $150, stood not only as a residence but as a center of family continuity.
Living with him were his wife, adult daughters, and grandchildren, including Willie and infant J.C., demonstrating the enduring role he played as a patriarch across generations.
Summary of Character
Across five decades of records, Randall Mitchell emerges as a figure of remarkable stability and persistence. While census records occasionally varied in reporting his literacy—likely reflecting inconsistencies in enumeration—his identity as a landowning farmer remained constant from 1900 through 1940.
He successfully navigated the shifting realities of the post-Reconstruction South, the Jim Crow era, and the early twentieth century, maintaining land, raising a large family, and anchoring multiple generations in Newton County.
His life stands as a testament to the quiet but powerful legacy of Black landownership, family continuity, and resilience.
Family Summary
| Relation | Name(s) |
|---|---|
| Spouses | Rose (Rosa) Beal (m. 1899); Corena/Corine Adams (m. c. 1923) |
| Sons | Lee, Glover, David (Holcum), Kipy (Coupy), Wyatt, Randall Jr., Sidney, Arthur, James Lee, Robert |
| Daughters | Rosa, Viola, Ora Lee |
| Key Traits | Career farmer; lifelong Newton County resident; multigenerational landowner |
Resting Place
Unknown
Photos/Albums
Sources
- U.S. World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917–1918, Randall Mitchell, Newton County, Mississippi; Selective Service System Records.
- Estimated from 1900 U.S. Census marital duration; 1900 U.S. Census, Newton County, Mississippi, Beat 4, household of Randall Mitchell; National Archives microfilm publication T623.
- 1900 U.S. Census, Newton County, Mississippi, Beat 4, household of Randall Mitchell; National Archives microfilm publication T623.
- 1910 U.S. Census, Newton County, Mississippi, Beat 4, household of “Randie” Mitchell; National Archives microfilm publication T624.
- 1920 U.S. Census, Newton County, Mississippi, Beat 4, household of Randall Mitchell; National Archives microfilm publication T625.
- 1930 U.S. Census, Newton County, Mississippi, Beat 4, household of Randall Mitchell; National Archives microfilm publication T626.
- 1940 U.S. Census, Newton County, Mississippi, Beat 4, household of Randall Mitchell; National Archives microfilm publication T627.
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