William Delaney's Life After The Mississippi Storm

Married for 51 years, after the death of his beloved wife, Easter, Delaney lived alone, his disposition changed after the passing of his wife. Willie and Boles, Delaney’s grandsons, told the story of his disposition when delivering his meals, “we played on his porch it seemed to have bothered him, guess we were annoying”, sometimes grouchy, cantankerous, and often ill-tempered”. However, he seemed to take pleasure in directing his sons in their work and those who worked the fields, supervising what crops to plant, which animals to buy and sell, and often standing on his porch looking out surveying what he had accomplished. Surely, remembering that he had survived slavery, became a homeowner, acquired land, had a loving family and a faithful wife, these were accomplishments of a lifetime. His home on the hill faced northeast just above the land he so loved. On April 24, 1908 Delaney experienced what news reports hailed as the third worst tornado outbreak in the history of Mississippi. The storm traveled 150 miles through Louisiana and Mississippi. Damage at Poplar Hill was so extensive it took three days after the storm before his sons found Delaney. Suffering serious injuries from a tree crashing into the house and pinning Delaney down. Agitated and extremely angry with his sons for taking so long to get to him, his …show more content…
Large antebellum mansions were destroyed, and witnesses reported that areas along the Mississippi River resembled a "deserted battlefield". The tornado then struck the Church Hill area, killing 21 people in frail tenant homes before dissipating near Tillman.” This massive storm crossed Poplar Hill headed in the direction of Port