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40-753: Burrage was born in Neshoba County , Mississippi, on March 16, 1930 to Leon Lavelle Burrage and Sudie Elizabeth Burrage . He served in the United States Marine Corps as a truck mechanic during the 1950s. He was honorably discharged and later started Burrage Trucking, Inc. In 1956 Burrage bought a farm in Neshoba County. By 1964 Burrage owned 250 acres having acquired several additional tracts of land where he grew corn and raised cattle. Burrage sold his trucking business in 1990 and dabbled in cattle farming and timberland resources for

80-614: A missing persons case, their disappearance provoked national outrage and contributed significantly to the July enactment of the Civil Rights Act by President Johnson . The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians (MBCI), a federally recognized tribe, is based here and has developed one of the largest casino complexes in the state on their reservation, the Pearl River Resort . At the time of European encounter, this

120-470: A dam to create a pond for watering livestock. Tucker was a part-time truck driver for Burrage, and owned two Caterpillar bulldozers. Sometime before the murders, Burrage remarked about the "invasion" of Civil Rights workers coming to Mississippi. Burrage allegedly proclaimed that, "Hell, I've got a dam that'll hold a hundred of them." After being indicted by a federal grand jury in December 1964, Burrage

160-560: A legal clerk for the [late] former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark , the lawyer who secured his parole". In 1967, the US government went to trial, charging ten men with conspiracy to deprive the three murdered men of their civil rights under the Enforcement Act of 1870 , the only federal law then applying to the case. The jury convicted seven men, including Deputy Sheriff Price, and three were acquitted, including Edgar Ray Killen ,

200-444: A liaison with other CORE members. On June 21, 1964, Chaney and fellow civil rights workers Michael Schwerner and Andrew Goodman were killed near the town of Philadelphia, Mississippi . They were investigating the burning of Mt. Zion Methodist Church, which had been a site for a CORE Freedom School. In the wake of Schwerner and Chaney's voter registration rallies, parishioners had been beaten by Ku Klux Klan members. They accused

240-715: A private, majority-white high school. In 1969, Ben joined the Black Panther Party and Black Liberation Army . In 1970, he went to Florida with two friends to buy guns; the two friends killed three white men in South Carolina and Florida, and Chaney was also convicted of murder in Florida. Chaney served 13 years and, after gaining parole, founded the James Earl Chaney Foundation in his brother's honor. Starting in 1985, he worked "as

280-471: A special project. They conducted additional research and created a documentary about their work. Their documentary, produced for the National History Day contest, presented important new evidence and compelling reasons for reopening the case. They obtained a taped interview with Edgar Ray Killen , who had been acquitted in the first trial. He had been an outspoken white supremacist nicknamed

320-623: Is known as the site of the lynching murder of three young activists in July 1964 during Freedom Summer in Mississippi, a period of education and a voter registration drive to prepare African Americans for voting. The three young men, two from the North, disappeared at a time of heightened violence, and they became the subjects of a state and FBI search. White supremacists were found to have murdered three civil rights activists : James Cheney, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner near Philadelphia ,

360-620: The Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) in Meridian. He organized voter education classes, introduced CORE workers to local church leaders, and helped CORE workers get around the counties. In 1964, he met with leaders of the Mt. Nebo Baptist Church to gain their support for letting Michael Schwerner , CORE's local leader, come to address the church members, to encourage them to use the church for voter education and registration. Chaney also acted as

400-644: The Neshoba County Fair and harness horse races . It is home of the Williams Brothers Store, which has been in operation since the early 1900s. In June 1964, civil rights workers James Chaney , Andrew Goodman , and Michael Schwerner were chased down, tortured, and murdered by members of the Ku Klux Klan . They were buried in an earthen dam on private property off of Highway 21; Goodman was still alive. Initially treated as

440-463: The "Preacher". The interview helped convince the State to reopen an investigation into the murders. In 2005, the state charged Killen in the murders of the three activists; he was the only one of six living suspects to be charged. When the trial opened on January 7, 2005, Killen pleaded " Not guilty ". Evidence was presented that he had supervised the murders. Not sure that Killen intended in advance for

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480-471: The 1988 movie Mississippi Burning . In 1980, Ronald Reagan launched his presidential campaign at the Neshoba County Fair to deliver a speech on economic policy and refer to states' rights . He was believed by some to be referring to southern conservative values, in an area associated with the 1964 murders and at a time when the Republican Party was attracting more white conservatives from

520-611: The Choctaw who remained in the state continued to identify as Choctaw. They lived in relatively distinct communities and reorganized in the 1930s, gaining federal recognition as the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians . Even in the 1970s, eighty percent of their people continued to speak Choctaw. The white-dominated state legislature passed a new constitution in 1890, that effectively disenfranchised most freedmen and other non-whites, such as Native Americans. This exclusion

560-538: The Democratic Party. According to the U.S. Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 572 square miles (1,480 km ), of which 570 square miles (1,500 km ) is land and 1.5 square miles (3.9 km ) (0.3%) is water. As of the 2020 United States Census , there were 29,087 people, 10,657 households, and 7,184 families residing in the county. As of the census of 2000, there were 28,684 people, 10,694 households, and 7,742 families residing in

600-586: The activists to be killed by the Klan, the jury found him guilty of three counts of manslaughter on June 20, 2005, and he was sentenced to 60 years in prison—20 years for each count, to be served consecutively. Believing there are other men involved in his brother's death who should be charged as accomplices to murder, as Killen was, Ben Chaney has said: "I'm not as sad as I was. But I'm still angry". The murders of James Chaney, Michael Schwerner, and Andrew Goodman outside of Philadelphia, Mississippi, being pivotal to

640-429: The age of 18 living with them, 52.50% were married couples living together, 15.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.60% were non-families. 24.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.11. In the county, the population was spread out, with 28.20% under

680-467: The age of 18, 9.00% from 18 to 24, 27.00% from 25 to 44, 21.60% from 45 to 64, and 14.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 91.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.30 males. The median income for a household in the county was $ 28,300, and the median income for a family was $ 33,439. Males had a median income of $ 28,112 versus $ 19,882 for females. The per capita income for

720-642: The assassination of Medgar Evers in Jackson, Mississippi, the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham, Alabama, and the murder of Vernon Dahmer in his Mississippi home. He developed new evidence about the civil rights murders, found new witnesses, and pressured the State to prosecute. It began an investigation in the early years of the 2000s. In 2004, Barry Bradford, an Illinois high school teacher, and his three students, Allison Nichols, Sarah Siegel, and Brittany Saltiel, joined Mitchell's efforts in

760-420: The base where he was photographed and fingerprinted. At trial, Burrage who did not live on the farm where the bodies were found, insisted that he knew nothing about the killings of the three civil rights workers found buried on his property. Family members and friends corroborated his alibi that he was at home and at church on the night of the murders and he was acquitted in 1967. Burrage died on March 15, 2013,

800-523: The county seat. During the investigation , searchers found the bodies of eight other young black men in nearby locations. Deputy Sheriff Cecil Price was implicated and charged with being part of the group that lynched the three young men and buried them in an earthen dam 15 miles northeast of Philadelphia . Outrage over the crime contributed to congressional passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965. The crime and decades-long legal aftermath of investigation and trials inspired

840-414: The county was $ 14,964. About 17.90% of families and 21.00% of the population were below the poverty line , including 27.20% of those under age 18 and 22.00% of those age 65 or over. School districts include: Choctaw Tribal School System maintains Bogue Chitto Elementary School, Pearl River Elementary School, Tucker Elementary School, Choctaw Central Middle School, and Choctaw Central High School in

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880-609: The county. 32°45′N 89°07′W  /  32.75°N 89.12°W  / 32.75; -89.12 James Chaney James Earl Chaney (May 30, 1943 – June 21, 1964) was an American civil rights activist. He was one of three Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) civil rights workers killed in Philadelphia, Mississippi , by members of the Ku Klux Klan on June 21, 1964. The others were Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner from New York City . James Chaney

920-418: The county. The population density was 50 people per square mile (19 people/km ). There were 11,980 housing units at an average density of 21 units per square mile (8.1 units/km ). The racial makeup of the county was 65.50% White , 19.33% Black or African American , 13.80% Native American , 0.19% Asian , 0.02% Pacific Islander , 0.34% from other races , and 0.81% from two or more races. 1.16% of

960-406: The day before his 83th birthday. The local newspaper, The Neshoba Democrat , did not mention Burrage's implication in the murders in his obituary. Neshoba County, Mississippi Neshoba County is a county located in the central part of the U.S. state of Mississippi . As of the 2020 census , the population was 29,087. Its county seat is Philadelphia . The county is known for

1000-912: The events of the Freedom Summer and the Civil Rights Movement as a whole, is referred to in Alice Walker’s Meridian, which was published in 1976. It is referred to as being a deciding factor for not just the SNICK movement within the state of Mississippi, but for main characters Truman and Lynne to settle on going to Mississippi to further advocate for the movement. It was considered “the worst place in America for black people'' (Walker, 136) at this time, and as such required extensive effort to improve. Alice Walker’s Meridian, while following fictional characters, refers to key moments of

1040-551: The former Ku Klux Klan organizer who had planned and directed the murders. Over the years, activists had called for the state to prosecute the murderers. The journalist Jerry Mitchell , an award-winning investigative reporter for the Jackson Clarion-Ledger , had discovered new evidence and written extensively about the case for six years. Mitchell had earned renown for helping secure convictions in several other high-profile Civil Rights Era murder cases, including

1080-762: The national civil rights organization, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People , founded in 1909. They were suspended for a week from the segregated high school, because the principal feared the reaction of the all-white school board. After high school, Chaney started as a plasterer's apprentice in a trade union. In 1962, Chaney participated in a Freedom Ride from Tennessee to Greenville, Mississippi , and in another from Greenville to Meridian. He and his younger brother participated in other nonviolent demonstrations, as well. James Chaney started volunteering in late 1963, and joined

1120-485: The population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 28.6% identified as of American ancestry, 8.8% as Irish and 6.1% as English , according to Census 2000 . Those who identify as having " American " ancestry are predominantly of English descent, but have ancestors who came to the US so long ago that they identify simply as American. 88.7% spoke English and 10.2% Choctaw as their first language. There were 10,694 households, out of which 34.90% had children under

1160-628: The press had ignored previous murders and disappearances of blacks in the area, but had highlighted this case because two white men from New York had gone missing. She said she believed that if only Chaney were missing, the case would not have received nearly as much attention. After the funeral of their older son, the Chaneys left Mississippi because of death threats. Helped by the Goodman and Schwerner families, and other supporters, they moved to New York City, where Chaney's younger brother Ben attended

1200-536: The remainder of his life. He was a Shriner, Mason, and a deacon at a Baptist church. Burrage lived most of his life in Mississippi except when he briefly lived in Houston, Texas , working as a bus driver. In the afternoon of June 21, 1964, James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, & Michael Schwerner arrived at Longdale to inspect the burned out church in Neshoba County. They left Longdale around 3 p.m. They were to be in Meridian by 4 p.m. that day. The fastest route to Meridian

1240-461: The sheriff's deputy, Cecil Price , of stopping their caravan and forcing the deacons to kneel in the headlights of their own cars, while white men beat them with rifle butts. The same klansmen who beat them were also identified as having burned the church. Price arrested Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner for an alleged traffic violation and took them to the Neshoba County jail. They were released that evening, without being allowed to telephone anyone. On

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1280-690: The team received a tip that led them to Burrage's farm. During the investigation it emerged that members of the local White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan , the Neshoba County Sheriff's Office, and the Philadelphia Police Department were involved in the incident. In 1964 Burrage was developing a cattle farm on a tract of land he had purchased known as the Old Jolly Farm on Highway 21 a few miles southwest of Philadelphia. Burrage hired Herman Tucker to build

1320-475: The three men was initially investigated as a missing persons case. The civil rights workers' burnt-out car was found near a swamp three days after their disappearance. An extensive search of the area was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), local and state authorities, and four hundred United States Navy sailors. The three men's bodies were not discovered until two months later, when

1360-501: The way back to Meridian, they were stopped by patrol lights and two carloads of Ku Klux Klan members on Highway 19, then taken in Price's car to another remote rural road. The men approached then shot and killed Schwerner, then Goodman, both with one shot in the heart and finally Chaney with three shots, after severely beating him. They buried the young men in an earthen dam nearby. The men's bodies remained undiscovered for 44 days. The FBI

1400-564: Was born the eldest son of Fannie Lee and Ben Chaney, Sr. His brother Ben was nine years younger, born in 1952. He also had three sisters, Barbara, Janice, and Julia. His parents separated for a time when James was young. James attended Catholic school for the first nine grades, and was a member of St Joseph Catholic Church in Meridian, Mississippi . At the age of 15 as a high school student, he and some of his classmates began wearing paper badges reading " NAACP ", to mark their support for

1440-485: Was brought into the case by John Doar, the Department of Justice representative in Mississippi monitoring the situation during Freedom Summer. The missing civil rights workers became a major national story, especially coming on top of other events as civil rights workers were active across Mississippi in a voter registration drive. Schwerner's widow Rita, who also worked for CORE in Meridian, expressed indignation that

1480-507: Was maintained well into the 20th century, but activists in the 1960s increasingly worked to restore voting rights throughout the state. At various times, 76 post offices were established within the county. Around the turn of the 20th century, 40 small post offices were operating at the same time. By 1971, only the post offices in Philadelphia and Neshoba were still operational. Today, only the one in Philadelphia remains. Neshoba County

1520-688: Was part of the territory of the historic Choctaw people , who occupied most of what later was defined as Mississippi. Under President Andrew Jackson , the United States conducted Indian removal in the 1830s in the Southeast, and most of the Choctaw were removed to west of the Mississippi River, to land in Indian Territory , now part of Oklahoma. Neshoba was founded by European American settlers in 1833. Descendants of

1560-655: Was placed under arrest by the Federal Bureau of Investigation for violation of Title 18, Section 241, United States Code. He was officially arrested at 8:27 a.m., December 4, 1964, and transported via Highway 16 out of Philadelphia, Mississippi east to DeKalb, Mississippi and south from DeKalb on Highway 39 to the Naval Auxiliary Air Station, Meridian, Mississippi where he was taken to the Bachelor Officers Quarters on

1600-605: Was through Philadelphia. At the fork of Beacon & Main Street, their station wagon sustained a flat tire. It is possible that a shot was fired at the station wagon's tire. Rainey's home was near the Beacon & Main Street fork. Deputy Cecil Price soon arrived and escorted them to the county jail. Price released the trio as soon as the longest day of the year became night which was about 10 p.m. The three were last seen heading south along Highway 19 toward Meridian. The disappearance of

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