Sandy Grant [Gullah Informant]

The settlement of Harris Neck, McIntosh County, Georgia, began when on September 2, 1865, Margaret M. Harris donated her land to Robert Dolegal (the name is also spelled as Delegal and Denegal), who she had formerly enslaved. According to Mrs. Harris' will, she had raised Robert and trusted him to take care of her and her mentally disabled son Bright Harris until their death in exchange for the lands. Mrs. Harris appears in the 1850 Census slave schedule as being the enslaver of 59 individuals. In the 1860 Census slave schedule, she appears as the enslaver of 66 persons. Robert Dolegal must have sold parcels of his land immediately after he took possession of it. In the Census of 1870, there were 87 African American households and 21 white households in Harris Neck.

Sandy Grant was born at Harris Neck around 1876, the son of Alexander (Sandy) and Frances (Fannie) Grant. Alexander was an early settler of Harris Neck. Sandy Grant married Lizzie McIntosh on January 21, 1902. They had at least one son named Harry and later in life raised several nephews and nieces. Sandy Grant owned his farm at Harris Neck, which was worth $200.00 in 1930. Both Sandy and Lizzie had been able to attend two years of school when they were children. We have no information about Lizzie's passing. Sandy died in 1961 in his 80s. Thus he was alive and most likely witnessed when Harris Neck was destroyed to build a military airport. The residents were given two weeks to move out. On July 27, 1942, all the community's houses were bulldozed and burned down.