Hi Gang: One of my ancestors, Thomas Wright Beck, came from Belfast, Ireland in 1817, landing in New Orleans. His parents and other siblings followed in 1822. They traveled to Jefferson Co., MS and Tensas Parish, LA and set up homes there. Through my research and that of several cousins, here's the information I have below. I would love to find out more information and even pictures of what the plantations looked like. In 1860, the Census shows the real estate value at $52,000 and his personal property valued at $59,000 and his wife's at $62,000. How sad that after the civil war, this diminished and the 1870 census shows them with $200 ! The names of plantations for them listed I have found are: Belleview (near Rodney, MS) Forrest Vale or Oakwood The Thomas Beck home (formerly Dick Herbert Place...or thought to be) and plantation was left to Mrs. Mamie Cox, who, in turn, left it to her sons, Robert and John Cox. Later it was purchased by Salvo Piazza, who sold it to the Felts Brothers, Albert and Jeff. The plantation consists, approximately, of two hundred and eight acres. The Felts purchased one hundred and ninety-one acres; seventeen acres had been sold to Littleton Henry by Mrs. Beck. The Felts use the plantation, principally, for raising cattle and hunting. From "Mississippi-Louisiana Border Country: A History of Rodney, MS, St. Joseph, LA., and Environs". Revised 2nd edition by Marit T. Logan, Claitor's Publishing Division, Baton Rouge, LA., 1970 and 1980, p. 204-205. Thomas W. Beck shown in Jefferson Co., MS in 1840 & 1850, in Tensas Parish, LA in 1860 & 1870, and back in Jefferson Co., in 1880. Lived on a plantation named Belleview near Rodney in the northwest corner of Jefferson county, MS, which was directly across the Mississippi River from St. Joseph, Tensas Parish, LA and went back and forth between these two places. April 13, 2000 "It seems that our ancestor, Thomas W. Beck, who immigrated to the US with his father, married well when he married his second wife. It seems that they lived in Mississippi at a place called Rodney (another place called Belleview is frequently mentioned in old records) on the Mississippi River across from St. Joseph, LA. Most of the Rodney area was consumed by the collapsing banks of the River and they sought lands across the river in Louisiana. Through some kind of connection with Oakland College in Claiborne Co., MS, he borrowed money and acquired a large plantation named or known as Forrest Vale or Oakwood in Tensas Parish, LA. After the Civil War, he apparently struggled for several years before conveying the lands he acquired to his mortgagee, Oakland College. He subsequently declared bankruptcy. Oakwood College became Alcorn College and is now called Alcorn State University and its students are now basically black. 1850 MS Jefferson county Census shows Thomas Wright Beck lived on a plantation named Belleview near Rodney in the northwest corner of Jefferson county which was directly across the Mississippi River from St. Joseph, Tensas Parish, LA. 1860-1870 lives in Waterproof, Tensas Parish, LA 02 Nov 1868 T.W.Beck agreement A. Beck & Oakland College Tensas Parish, LA Book G Pages 97-100 Thomas W. Beck To Agreement MRS. A. BECK (1868) Know all men by these presents, That by virtue of and in accordance with the letter and spirit of a certain agreement held by and made to THOMAS W. BECK of the Parish of Tensas & State of Louisiana and dated in said Parish & state the 16th day of May, A. D. 1867---by and between GEORGE M. EDGAR, Treasurer of Oakland College, a Seminary of learning situate in Claiborne County & state of Mississippi the Party of the first part and t he said THOS. W. BECK aforewritten being the party of the second part wherein said act of agreement and in the second section .........of full authority is given and power to the said BECK to bargain sell and deliver any part of the whole of certain lands and tenements situate and lying in the said Parish and state aforementioned and known as FORREST VALE or OAKWOOD PLANTATION conveyed by said BECK and WIFE to said party of the first part of ..........date with said act, said authority and power to continue & be in effect at any or all times between the 1st day of January A. D. 1868 and the 1st day of January 1878---upon the condition that the payments made or to be made by the purchaser in consideration of said sale shall be paid or made to the said Treasurer of his successor in office to be placed to the credit of and part of redemption of said lands until finally paid up as so first section of said act, and further when said payments are fully made as designated in any written agreement between said BECK and a purchaser of any part of said lands to the said party of the first part, or his successor in office these & forthwith he is bound to make the said purchases a good and sufficient title. Hereto to his or her hers & assigns for the proof of all and each of the powers set forth herein. Reference is made to the Said act of Agreement between ..... parties as Recorded in Book & page at the Record office in St. Joseph. Now be it known to all men that by virtue of and the authority and power given as recited herein & before written by said act of Agreement to which reference is had, I the said BECK the party of the second part therein has entered into the following act of Agreement, wherein I the said THOS. W. BECK become the party of the first part and MRS. AREEATA BECK the party of the second part, both of the Parish of Tensas and State of Louisiana on the day and date herein after written--In which the said THOS W. BECK, for himself and making the said J. M. Edgar--Treasurer of Oakland College or his successor in office a party to this act have bargained, sold, granted and delivered and by these presents do grant bargain sell & deliver to the said MRS. A. BECK her heirs and assigns the party of the second part in and for the consideration & conditions as set forth hereafter in this act---- Two certain lots or fractional parts of sections of said land so described above, one of which lost being known & described as the East half of South East quarter of Section Twenty two--the other lot as being the west half of South West quarter of Section Twenty six both together containing one hundred and sixty acres of land be the same more or less and all in Township Ten and Range Eleven north of Red River----- Now the consideration and conditions of said sale & purchase as agreed upon by the said first and second parties aforenamed are: First: That inasmuch as these lands are now exposed and liable to annual overflow from the River waters entering through the broken levees at Ms Kemper and elsewhere and consequently cannot be cultivated with profit until protected by the building up and repairing of same that the party of the first part agrees and conditions with the said party of the second part, that she shall keep possession of and use for her own benefit the said lots of land until the said levees are built up and repaired, protecting same from overflow on the condition and consideration only that she the said party of the second part her heirs or assigns pay the state and parish Taxes levied on said lots from and after the 1 Jan’y 1869 and secondly that on the first day of January that follow Twelve months after the completion and building up or final repairing of said levees, so that said lands shall not be exposed to overflow--then and at such date in period of Time, she the said party of the second part her heirs or assigns, shall well and truly pay our to the said Treasurer of Oakland College as, aforewritten the sum of Four hundred dollars in lawful currency of these United States and annually thereafter a like sum of Four hundred Dollars, until the full amount of purchase of said lands are finally paid and receipts given for credits thus made to be applied to the redemption of said lands, and when so paid say the full amount of Sixteen Hundred Dollars shall be in full consideration of said purchase by said party of the second part as well also of the sum of One Dollar to me in hand paid at the signing & sealing of these presents which when said conditions are fully complied with and the consideration of sales fully carried out and accomplished then the said GEORGE M. EDGAR, Treasurer of Oakland College will in accordance with the spirit of his act of agreement fully binding on him or his successor in Office, be required and under penalty of damage, if refusing or neglecting to make a good and sufficient title for said lands to the party of the second park her heirs or assigns.,------ In testimony wherof each of said party have hereto attached our names & seals in Tensas Parish & State of Louisiana this 2nd day of November A. D. Eighteen Hundred & sixty eight. THOMAS W. BECK seal accepted AREEATTA BECK seal Witnesses to signing & sealing H. B. Barr, C. W. Elliott, R. Beck Before me, the undersigned Recorder and Notary public, in and for said Parish and State duly commissioned and qualified personally came and appeared RICHARD BECK to me known who is one of the subscribing witnesses to the annexed instrument of writing, who, being duly sworn ...........and says, that he saw the parties mentioned therein sign the same as their act and deed, for the purposes therein mentioned & expressed. That he and the other names attached thereto signed the same as witnesses, and that they all signed the same in the presences of each other, on the day and date therein written. R. BECK Sworn to and subscribed before me, this 21 day of October 1869 THOS W. CASTLEMAN, Recorder Recorded Oct 21st 1869 Paraphrasing this transaction: "Previous deeds to Richard and James N. Beck (28 Feb 1859) and one to Samuel A. Beck were made to convey land and slaves to them in renunciation by them of any inheritance from their father’s estate. It is thought that the sons subsequently reconveyed this land to their father who conveyed it to Oakland College for the loan made to him to buy the property in the first place." Thoughts and facts: Letter written to James N. Beck by Thomas W. Beck is dated 04 May 1868, while this agreement was entered into on 02 Nov 1868. Looks like Thos. W. was getting his debts taken care of before he left for Noxubee Co. MS. Of course, he is still living in Waterproof in the 1870 Census. Notice that in this transaction, Thomas W. Beck is claiming both plantations, Forrest Vale which in the 1860 census is listed as belonging to Richard Beck (Son of Thomas) and Aaron Register (father-in-law of Richard Beck) as well as Oakwood, which is listed as belonging to Thomas W, Beck and Samuel A. Beck (Son of Thomas). Lisa Cotten