Olen Lovell Burrage

Olen Lovell Burrage (March 16, 1930 – March 15, 2013) was a native Mississippian and businessman. He was linked to the murders of Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner who were murdered in June 1964. The bodies of the Civil Rights workers were buried in an earthen dam owned by Burrage.

Olen Lovell Burrage
Olen Lovell Burrage Mugshot; Late 1964.
Born(1930-03-16)March 16, 1930
Neshoba County, Mississippi
DiedMarch 15, 2013(2013-03-15) (aged 82)
Anderson Regional Medical Center in Meridian, Mississippi
NationalityAmerican
OccupationBusinessman
Spouse(s)Ruth Audine Clark

Background

Burrage was born in Neshoba County, Mississippi, on March 16, 1930.[1] He served in the United States Marine Corps during the 1950s.[1] He was honorably discharged and later started Burrage Trucking, Inc.[1] Burrage sold his trucking company in 1990 and dabbled in cattle farming and timberland resources.[1] He was a Shriner, Mason, and a deacon at a Baptist church.[1]

Burrage lived most of his life in Mississippi except when he lived in Houston, Texas, working as a bus driver.[1] Burrage owned a large amount of land in Neshoba County.

Freedom Summer Murders

In the afternoon of June 21, 1964, Chaney, Goodman, & 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 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.

Burrage's Dam

Burrage was developing a cattle farm, named the Old Jolly Farm, on Highway 21 which was a few miles southwest of Philadelphia.[2] Burrage hired Herman Tucker to build a dam.[2] Tucker was a part-time driver for Burrage, and Tucker owned two Caterpillar bulldozers.[2]

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."[3]

Arrest

In December 1964, Burrage 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 the base.

Legacy

Burrage died in 2013. The local newspaper, The Neshoba Democrat, did not mention his Freedom Summer Murders involvement in Burrage's obituary.

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See also

References
  1. "Olen Lavell Burrage Sr". The Neshoba Democrat. March 20, 2013.
  2. Cagin, Seth; Philip Dray (1988). "June 21, 1964". We Are Not Afraid. Bantam Books. p. 55.
  3. Cagin, Seth; Philip Dray (1988). "June 21, 1964". We Are Not Afraid. Bantam Books. p. 341.
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