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mcc-jrr_511-026
Jordan - Lanier Cemetery, 51-1 Summary Report, page 26
son-in-law, James W. Allen purchased 39 acres of adjoining land as the SW/4 of the NE/4 of the same section on June 20, 1844. Rev. Allen (a clergyman of the Methodist Episcopal faith) had already purchased 39 acres as the NE/4 of the NE/4 on June 6, 1843 in the same section. Of course, Rev. Lanier had died during 1840, before James W. Allen purchased these lands. On February 2, 1818, when lands west of the old Chickasaw Indian Boundary line were first available for legal purchase, William Lanier bought 482 acres west of the boundary line in Section 4 of T5S-R1W. Likewise, on that same date was purchased under the name William D. Lanier 165 acres as the NE/4 of S5-T5S-R1W. William's brother Thomas purchased on the same day the north half of the SE/4 and the SE/4 of the SE/4 plus the SW/4 of the SW/4 of the same section, adjoining William's land. William D. Lanier additionally bought 81 acres as the E/2 of the NW/4 of Section 7, T5S-R1W on July 25, 1831. Mary Lanier is recorded as the original purchaser of the adjoining W/2 of the NW/4 (81 acres) of the same Section 7 on February 6, 1832. Reverend William's daughter Mary had married Henry Jordan in 1821, and she died on January 10, 1830, so this purchaser could not have been Rev. William's daughter. The relationship is not known, but Mary is also recorded as buying 80 acres as the E/2 of the NE/4 of Section 12 in T5S-R2W on the same date as above. These two parcels of land purchased by Mary Lanier were adjacent, located just over half a mile southwest of the Isaac and Burwell C. Lanier family cemetery (and the associated “colored” cemetery) that is half a mile west of Dodd Road and a mile and a half south of Martin Road. It is thought that the Laniers buried in the family cemetery mentioned immediately above were the brothers of William and their families. There are many land records of these closely related Laniers buying Government lands on what is now arsenal property. It is even possible that the William D. Lanier who bought lands in the 1830s was a nephew of Rev. William Lanier, rather than the Reverend himself. In any case, the Laniers purchased a significant portion of the arsenal lands as original owners. Written by John P. Rankin, July 14, 2002; revised December 13, 2002 26 - (2045)