Our Research

| Primary Locations (After the Civil War) |  

Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, LA; Oak Grove, West Carroll Parish, LA; various locations across the United States.

| Primary Locations (Before the Civil War) |  

Port Gibson, Claiborne County, MS; Saint Francisville, West Feliciana Parish, LA

Image from ""A Place to Remember" by Georgia Payne
Durham Pinkson (1976)"

| Primary Surnames |
Atlas, Baker, Facen, Jackson, Lucas, Marshall, Nervis, Rosby, Russell, Thompson

| Additional Information |

Origins of the Atlas surname, in reference to its existence in East Carroll Parish, LA are unknown, but oral history has traced it to King Atlas, Sr.  As the father of all Atlas family descendants, to date, King Atlas, Sr. has over 2,100 descendants dispersed between 22 US states and the several countries worldwide.

"In 1810, a male child was born on a plantation in the state of GEORGIA. He was given the name of KING.” John Atlas, 1985

King Atlas, Sr. was born between 1809 and 1810 in either Georgia or Alabama based on 1870 and 1880 US Census records.  He was a farmer. King is believed to have been born a slave.  In 1808, the importation of slaves was banned in the United States, although slaves were smuggled into the US illegally for the next 50 years. King was the first generation of his immediate family born in America with parents born in 1792 or prior based upon him stating his father was of foreign birth on the 1870 US Census. A genealogical DNA test has revealed that King, Sr.’s father was Cameroonian descent, specifically, the Bamileke tribe, along the Gold or Western coast of Africa. 

Most slaves that were imported into the United States came from the western portion of Africa, sometimes landing in South America before being brought to the North American continent.  Major hubs of slave importation were in places such as Charleston, SC and New Orleans, LA.  As per the 1860 US Census, there were nearly 4 million slaves in the United States. 

“Between the years of 1805 and 1820, a female child was born on a plantation in the state of VIRGINIA. She was given the name of RACHAEL”. John Atlas, 1985

Rachel Day’s date of birth has been speculated to be between 1790 and 1820 based on 1870 and 1880 US Census records.  She was believed to have been born in either Virginia or Alabama and was a field hand. As with King, little is known about Rachel Day and her ancestors, although it has been confirmed that Rachel and some of her relatives that ended up in East Carroll Parish, LA were slaves of William Lovett Balfour in Madison County, MS. Rachel was also probably the first or second generation of her family born in America with parents born in 1774 or prior. 

“During the early 1840's, King and Rachael were enslaved by the same plantation owner. The plantation was located in the Parish of "Carroll," (now East Carroll) in the city of Lake Providence, in the state of Louisiana.  It was during this time that King and Rachael began their family.  They begot six children that were all born before the Emancipation Proclamation.”  John Atlas, 1985

What is known is that the children of King Atlas, Sr. are King Jr., John, Andrew, William Steven, Sarah and Thomas.  Documentation for nearly all of their children has been obtained except for that which verifies Thomas’ existence.  

It is possible that King, Sr. had more than one wife as a slave.  The death certificate of his son Andrew states that Andrew’s parents are King Atlas, born in Alabama, and Mary Dugan, born in Alabama.  Efforts to locate information on Mary Dugan are continual.  Mary probably was born a slave and died as one as well. 

For more of this narrative, including photos, census and deed records, please visit this link and pick up on page 2.