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Anderson McKnight |
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Born on March 10, 1882, 1884, or 1886 (three different sources) somewhere in Louisiana, Anderson McKnight may have been the third child of Alfred and Ollie McKnight. It is assumed that he followed Alfred McKnight to Arkansas after 1900. He married Ida Doss, daughter of Frank Doss and Anna Perry, on January 14, 1905 at Cypress Fork (Emerson), Arkansas.
At first in order for him to own his land and keep the peace (racial harassment) he had to work extra hard. Not only he had to farm his own land, but he also had to help farm a "White man's" land. It was the way politics worked in the early 1900s.
Anderson McKnight was considered to the Godfather of the McKnights. He was the first McKnight to establish a solid financial background for his family. He owned the most land of the McKnights, owned updated farming equipment, and made money other than growing and selling corn and cotton (farming). He owned equipment that the "White Folks" were not able to afford and he was able to rented it out.
On Sundays after church, he would cook and sell fish that he caught on someone else's land. His grandchildren, nieces, nephews, great nieces, and great nephews would nickname him "Uncle Fun", because he loved to barbeque goat meat for the kids.
After his death, the family mysteriously became in debt. His son Obie McKnight was put head of the family and was able to pay off the debt by selling a small part of Anderson's land and majority of the farming equipement.
According to all people who were interview, Anderson McKnight was a strong, hard working, good man.. |
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Only known picture of Anderson McKnight, outside a court house in Louisiana |
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An Anderson Story |
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One day a "white man" was found murdered, in his car, in a river. Anderson's cousin, "Funny" Glover was scared by someone into telling the law that it was Anderson and his good friend Son Clayton who had killed this man. According to a family member, they were taken from their home and thrown in jail. While in jail, Anderson and his cousin were routinely beaten in order to obtain a murder confession. This went on for over a year. Throughout the months, Anderson's cousin wanted the both of them to confess in order to stop the beatings. Anderson said that they could beat him forever, but he was not going to confess to a murder he did not commit. Luckily somehow, the real murderer ultimately confessed, freeing Anderson and his cousin. |
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Born on March 10, 1882 or 84 somewhere in Louisiana. |
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Died on December 21, 1947 in Emerson, Arkansas |
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Anderson McKnight and Wife Ida Doss at Pine Hill Cemetery C.M.E. in Emerson, Arkansas |
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