Those who are the descendents of slaves have a particularly difficult time researching their genealogy. I have received several inquiries from folks about the slaves owned by the McGehee family, so I’ve set up this page with all the slave information that I can find. If anyone else in the family has any information on the McGehee family slaves, please be sure to let me know so that we can add it to this page and help them in their search for their ancestors.
McGehee sawmill in Alabama. Center – Clarence Clay McGehee,
My great-great grandparents (Samuel Clay McGehee, who died in 1860) owned at least one slave that we know of. He was known as “Uncle Henry”. It was common practice to refer to slaves as “Uncle” or “Aunt”, giving them the status of semi-family. Uncle Henry had a son named Dave Wilson, who continued working for the family long after slavery had ended. Dave Wilson is shown here in this photo on the far left side. The tall man in the center is my grandfather, Clarence Clay McGehee.
Slave graves in the McGehee family cemetery
These slave graves are in the McGehee family cemetery in Clay County, Alabama. Any names on the graves have long-since disappeared.