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and Malvina Stanford, WIDOW.” With this, we know Jesse Cameron was alive in 1865 and died that year or early 1866. Pauline also told us that Jesse was a farmer and raised cattle.
Jesse’s descendants were fairly certain that he was of the Baptist faith because most, if not all, of his children were Baptist. Mr. Charles E. Reyer of the Ford’s Creek Community, south of Baxterville, Mississippi, told us that the Cameron home site was located in southeastern Marion County, Mississippi (now the northern part of Pearl River County), Section 5, Township 1 South, and Range 16 West. Mr. Reyer was a life-long pulpwood cutter in Marion County and very familiar with the land. He is a Cameron descendant and was told by his older relatives where the “old” Cameron home was located.
Mr. Reyer said the home was on Hobolochitto Creek (start of the West Hobolochitto Creek near the Lamar County, Mississippi line) near the Tack Stanford road, or about 6 miles south of Baxterville, Mississippi, but in Pearl River County. It should be noted that this home was only about a mile south of where John Stanford made his home. John Stanford was Jesse Cameron’s father-in-law, and he is covered in our John Stanford Family research paper. This connection can be seen in the 1850 and 1860 Marion County censuses. This land is currently a pine tree plantation owned by the Weyerhaeuser Corporation. The 1860 Marion County, Mississippi census shows Jesse Cameron living at “Columbia Post Office” leading some people to believe Columbia was his place of residence. The fact is, everybody in the 1860 Marion County census was listed with this same address!
When Jesse Cameron first settled in Marion County, Mississippi, his 1828 tax record showed he had 160 acres on the “Pearl River,” indicating he probably purchased this land in 1827. In 1829 Jesse still had this 160 acres and was now living near Hugh Cameron who had 220 acres - no other Camerons were listed in 1829, and these were the only 2 Camerons listed for the 1830 tax year. In 1831, Jesse Cameron was the only Cameron paying property taxes in Marion County, and this record states he was living on “Pushapatappa Creek.” This creek starts in Walthall County, Mississippi, and runs south, ending in the Pearl River. It should be noted that Walthall County was carved out of Marion County in 1910. During these early years, the Ford families also made their homes along the Pearl River in the area where the city of Columbia is new located.
In 1834 and 1835, no Camerons are listed on the tax rolls of Marion County. Then, in 1836 and 1837 Jesse is listed with only 60 acres with no location given. In 1838 and 1839, he is still listed with only 60 acres, and now showing up is Alexander Cameron with 180 acres. This would suggest that Jesse Cameron relocated around 1834 to the location where Mr. Reyer told us that Jesse Cameron once lived.
A very helpful source in the research of this Cameron family was Mr. George O. Cameron. In 1973 at the age of 76, we interviewed him several times, and he was of excellent memory. While he was a resident of Meridian, Mississippi, he was raised in Kiln, Mississippi, and still owned a home there. He was a grandson of John W. Cameron and Nancy Waters, and a great-grandson of Elizabeth “Betsy” Cameron and Henry Deschamps - John and Elizabeth were brother and sister. George remembers his grandmother, Nancy Waters Cameron, very well, and they often discussed the older generations of Camerons. George knew more about these Camerons than any person we interviewed, and from documented information we have, his stories were very accurate.
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