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Extinct Towns &
Villages of Attala County, Mississippi
Allen Springs- It was once known as Hudson,
and was named for James P. Allen, a lawyer who bought the land from Robert
Hudson soon after the Civil War. It was located on the Ethel to McCool Road near
the place that the Hudson Canal empties into the Yockanookany River. Allen
Springs School was an old building in 1894; in 1920 the school was moved two
miles northeast on the Ethel Road and called the Reynold's School. Soon
afterwards, it was consolidated with McCool. The Springs are still known today
as Allen Springs and are used for picnic purposes by the owners.
***
Annis-
Annis was located twenty miles north of Kosciusko on the West to
French Camp Road. Thad Bell had settled one-forth mile south of here in the
early 1830's. At Bell's crossing there was a water mill at one time. Bell sold
to Dr. Wiley Thornton, who had come here from Texas around 1877.
John T.
Short was a bachelor and one of the earliest settlers. He was from South
Carolina and he operated a horse gin in the 1840's and 1850's. A school teacher
by the name of Beal, who taught school at North Center in early days owned the
land adjoining the Short place.
John
Parkerson, on whose land the school was located and for whom it was named, lived
one-half mile northeast of Annis. This family settled before the Civil War but
by 1939 had no descendants living in the area.
Cal Brister settled in the
community before the Civil War. He married Addie
Ellington, daughter of Daniel Ellington of the
Rocky Point area. Cal operated a gin two miles
west of Annis. In 1878 it was converted into a
steam power gin and kept in operation for twenty
more years. In 1898 Si Brister, brother to Cal,
came to Annis, and the two brothers established a
store, gin and grist mill on Beal Branch near
where it drained into Zilpha Creek. Charlie
Brister, son of Isaiah and cousin to Cal for whom
he had worked, settled two miles east of the store
and gin. Annis Post Office ws established in 1903
and Charlie Brister was the Post Master. He had
erected a small building in his yard to serve as
the Post Office. It was named for Annis Guess,
wife of Lycurgus Gibson and was located on a Star
route from Kosciusko to Thrailkill in Montgomery
county. This route was carried by J. H.(Jack)
Tyler, and then by Henry Pugh until the Post
Office was discontinued for a rural route from
Vaiden around 1910. Parkerson Public School was
located one-half mile north of the Annis Post
Office. The nearest church was Friendship church
on the Montgomery-Attala county
line. ***
Antioch –
Antioch was formerly known as Allen Springs. The
first land belonged to Mr. Robert Hudson, who in
turn sold it to James P. Allen. Allen sold part of
the land three-forths of a mile northwest of the
Springs to Bell Jennings. Around 1890 a Mr.
Haygood bought the land and in 1894 it was
purchased by R. F. Wade. This land was later sold to
Steve Knox, a Negro who deeded the church lot to
the Trustees in 1919. Antioch Baptist Church was
located four and one-half miles south of McCool on
the road to Ethel. Fred Bloomsburg owned the land
on which Antioch Church was built. He owned many
acres of land and had many other timber interests
in the count. Near the church to the south lived
Dan Tims, an early educator having taught at Allen
Springs, Edgefield, Bear Creek and other schools
in the vicinity. There is no cemetery in Antioch;
but nearby are Edgefield, Harmony and Bowie's
Chapel.
John Blaine lived east of Bloomberg; around 1900.
D. L. Doty's home was west of Allen Springs. J. O.
(Bunk) Shrop lived west of the church and north of
the Doty place in the early 1890's and 1900. In
the 90's the Bloomberg acreage was purchased by
Andrew Cummins. J. A. Haynes moved west of the
Springs on part of the Allen place in 1894. Haynes
was a noted singer and a devoted church leader. A.
D. Adkison bought the John Blaine land in 1907. J.
M. Ray and Russell Ray were brothers and both
lived east of the Springs and west of the church
in the early 90's. Thomas J. Mayo lived east of
the Bloomberg place before 1900 and later sold to
H. T. Lansdale. ***
Archer-
Archer was once a suburb of Zama, was located
fifteen miles southeast of Kosciusko on the Center
and Zama road. It was so-named because it was
located on Archer Creek. A cross-tie yard had a
switch one-half mile west of Ayers School and Post
Office which was called Archer's Crossing. In 1939
there was a McMichael Negro School located
one-half mile west of the Archer-Zama Road.
Z. McMichael had settled here and the school
was named for him. There was also a Mt. Cana
Baptist Church and Cemetery located west of the
Zama Road.***
Attalaville – Attalaville
was
about one mile, “as the crow flies”, in a
southwesterly direction from Sallis, a station on
the Aberdeen branch of the Illinois Central
railroad. Mr. Harman says that old
Attalaville “was the pride of the neighborhood and
an ornament to the county; for it was the fairest
spot within her limits.” At the time of its
greatest prosperity (1850 –’60) it contained only
three residence, one store, a blacksmith shop, and
a wood shop, and a male and female academy.
The residences were occupied by three brothers,
Robert L., Silas H., and Simon S. Clark. The
homes of the first two citizens Robert L. and
Silas Clark, were large and beautiful two-story
buildings, costing perhaps five or six thousand
dollars each. The third residence, occupied
by the youngest of the three brothers, was less
pretentious. Silas H. Clark, the founder of
Attalaville, owned and controlled the store and
shops. His youngest brother was associated
with him in the mercantile business for a short
time. Besides his store and shops, S. H.
Clark owned and operated two large plantations and
was engaged in the commission business in new
Orleans, under the firm name of Thompson &
Clark. He built a turnpike and a bridge
across Big Black river on the road leading from
Attalaville to the town of Goodman. R. L.
Clark also owned and operated a large plantation
on Big Black river. He had a small
farm located near his home. Mr. S. S. Clark
had a small farm and operated a small
tannery. The building of the Mississippi
Central railroad (now the Illinois Central)
unquestionably affected the prosperity of
Attalaville, when the line ran outside the
availability of the village, but the fatal
blow to its existence was the death of its
founder, which sad event occurred some time during
the Civil War. The residence of R. L.
Clark, unoccupied until 1902, was
purchased and occupied by Mr. John Coleman
Ashley. Mr. Ashley lived there until his
deathwhen it was sold to a McCrory. The McCrorys
lived there until the home burned in the
1940s. The house of S. H. Clark is
unoccupied, though in a good state of
preservation. The house of S. S. Clark, or
what remains of it, is occupied by a family of
negroes. Mr. Ernest Peeler purchased the
Silas Clark home and removed the upper story. The
home was used as a tenant house until it
burned.
Not a vestige of the
store and shops and academy remains, save a small
mound, or hillock, which marks the site of the
store chimney. The Ashley family graveyard is
located in what used to be
Attalaville.**
Auris
was formed about 1888 on the
old Kosciusko to Vaiden road near Zilpha Creek
(about 1/2 mile). It was formerly known as Kelly's
Store. J. A. Kelly bought the land from Frank
Howard in 1875 and lived there until around 1904
when he sold the store to J. D. Musslewhite. Kelly
also operated a saw mill, gin and grist mill which
was mule-powered. Later J. P. Stevens also owned a
gin, saw mill and grist mills in the area. A
private school was taught in the neighborhood for
several years. There was a public school at North
Union Church from 1876 to 1900. North Union was a
building constructed for all denominations in the
community and used several years for a school as
well as a place of worship. It was located about
one and one-half miles from the Post Office of
Auris. There are two cemeteries in the area; North
Union Church and Old Mayo Burying Ground. Auris
has a namesake of which the county is very proud;
Miss Auris Pender, retired Baptist Missionary, was
named for the Auris Post Office.
***
Ayers was
named for John Ayers, planter and land owner. The
village was located at the forks of the
Center-Zama Road. Reverend Joseph Martin Brown, a
Baptist minister who lived about two and one-half
miles north of the present town of Zama, was one
of the earliest settlers of the Ayers community;
he helped to organize Ebenezer Church and served
as the first pastor. Rev. Brown is buried in the
church cemetery. When the Civil War began a number
of married citizens enlisted and served honorable.
Not one of these men lived to return home to their
families; namely; Wiley Lowery, Eli Ayers, Newton
Bance, John Perry, Jeptha Massey. The first
Confederate soldier that was buried at Ebenezer
Cemetery was Hosea Hoolingsworth; the second was
Jim Bates. Ebenezer Church was formed in 1850 and
was built of pine logs with wooden shutters. It
was used for private school purposes. The first
teacher was Thaddeus Wiggle. Ayers High School
existed from 1890 to 1919. In 1912
Ayers consisted of school,
store and Post Office which was used to accomodate
the residents of the area. T. D. Ray was the Post
Master. The main industry in the area was farming
and milling, but in 1897 Haywood Hollingsworth had
a wagon factory near Ayers; first class wagons of
all kinds were made there.***
Bluff Springs
– The old village of Bluff
Springs was situated in Attala county, one mile
east of Sallis. Magnus S. Teague and Colonel
Coffee were wealthy merchants of this place. At
the time of its greatest prosperity Bluff Springs
contained two stores, a drug store, a saloon, a
gin, a shoe shop, and a post office. It was at
this place that Bill Coffee was killed by two
masked men two years after the War between the
States. The war and later the Illinois Central
railroad caused the village to decay. Only one
dwelling now marks the site of the old
place.**
Burkettsville – The small village
of Burkettsville was situated seven miles north of
Kosciusko. During the time of its greatest
prosperity (1840-1850) it contained two stores, a
blacksmith shop, a large church and a camp ground.
Its most prominent citizens were Burkett Thompson,
G. W. Galloway, a merchant, and Dr. Cook, a
physician. The place was named for Burkett
Thompson, one of its most enterprising citizens.
The cause of its decay was the killing of Willis
Wingo by Marks, the leading merchant, who left the
country. Not a vestige of the village remains to
mark its former site.**
Bear Creek
-The first account of white
people coming to this part of central Mississippi
was in 1834 when Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Johnson and
their two small children and Jim Martin, a friend,
arrived from Tuscaloosa, Alabama in search of new
hunting grounds. Johnson was known to have said
that in the early days there were many hundreds of
wolfs in the portion of the county. These
newcomers settled about one-half mile west of Bear
Creek, a small stream which flows through the
community. In 1838 Mr. Henry Fancher and his wife,
Pamelia White Fancher, settled one mile north of
the Johnson home and near the same stream of
water. In 1841 Pharus and Eliza Landrum arrived in
the settlement from Pickens County, Alabama and
settled some two miles south of where the Bear
Creek Baptist Church is located today. Later they
moved to a point a mile east of the location and
near the Yockanookany River. Robert and Martha
Wade arrived in the Bear Creek community in August
1841; they had left Stone Mountain, Georgia in
January 1840 arriving at Multona Springs,
Mississippi in August. They had spent exactly one
year there before settling a short distance west
of the present church location. However, at this
early date there was no church, just as there were
no roads, towns or schools. About 1841 the
families of Bill Henry and Billy Lester arrived
from Georgia; being relatives of the Robert Wade
family. The community of Bear Creek was growing.
By 1850 other families had arrived; namely; Dave
Robinson, Middleton Pool, George Miller Carr, Asa
and Jacob Hearn and a Mr. Thrailkill.
In September of 1851 the Bear
Creek Missionary Baptist Church was organized with
the following charter members; Henry Fancher and
wife, Jack Davis and wife, Robert Wade and wife,
William Dotson, Mason Dotson, Sarah Dotson, Elmira
Dotson, Johnson Fancher and wife, Jeff Harris and
wife, Mrs. Martha Smith, Julian Smith, Mr. and
Mrs. Bennett, Isham Landrum and wife and John
Parish and wife. A short time after the church was
organized, Austin Greene Steward, an early
emigrant from Stone Mountain, Georgia area,
donated seven acres of land for the location of a
church and cemetery. The acreage is still being
used for that purpose. The oldest known grave in
the cemetery is that of Upton Miller, who was born
10 May 1808 and passed from this life on 1
November 1849. From this one can assume that a
graveyard had already been started before there
was an organized church on this particular spot.
Several other gravemarkers are dated in the early
1850's. All told it appears likely that there are
well over one thousand graves in the cemetery.
Through the years Bear Creel Baptist Church has
been the "Hub" of the area. A number of the
churches pastors are buried in the cemetery;
namely; Rev. W.H H. Fancher, Rev David M. Sims,
Rev. Jonathan W. Sims and Rev. Marcus Alonzo
"Lonnie" Carr. are all buried in Bear Creek
Cemetery. The Rev. W. H. H. Fancher served as the
pastor of the church from 1879 until the time of
his death in 1906, a span of twenty-seven
years.
In 1850 Henry Fancher was
operating a "horsepower" gin. Captain Middleton
Pool had a horse gin which burned after the Civil
War. Soon after the 1860's a Mr. Huffman had a gin
powered by horses and then later he had a steam
powered saw mill, gin and grist mill near the
church from 1885 to 1900. Billie Smith kept the
Post Office three miles west of Bear Creek.
Bear Creek Public School is
located on church grounds. The first building was
built of logs with a large fireplace and puncheon
benches. Later a better building was erected.
Unity School, two miles northwest, was established
later than Bear Creek to accomodate the children
locally. Dry Creek School, three miles northeast
of Bear Creek, was established after Unity. In
1900 a three room building was erected at Bear
Creek; Unity and Dry Creek were annexed forming
Bear Creek Consolidated District and
transportation was provided. This district was
later consolidated with McCool about the time of
the First World War. Fancher Creek Negro School
was located one mile north of Bear Creek on a
community road in 1939. Fancher Hill Baptist
Church was located at the school. Now all the
students attend Greenlee and Ethel
Schools. ***
Beech Springs
- is known as Chapel Hill
today. A ridge of hills which project into this
section from the northeast and which extend toward
the southwest forms a slope from which three small
streams run together to form the headwaters of
Zilpha Creek. Due to the hilly surface this
section was not settled as early as nearby
communities and was never as densely populated.
Beech Springs community was comprised chiefly of
small home owners. However, a small, one-teacher
school was established here soon after the Civil
War. The building was a small log house located in
the southern part of the community. The
subscription school was called "Popular Springs",
but, with the shifting of the population to the
north, the school was discontinued and in the late
1870's Beech Springs School was located two miles
further north. This site on the road to McCool was
selected for the location of a Methodist Episcopal
church. The first frame church building was
erected about 1880 and was named Chapel Hill. This
name was also given to the school. Chapel Hill
Church was first pastored by W. S. Lagrone, who
later became a Presiding Elder of the Durant
District, which included Attala County. Chapel
Hill Church was used for a time as a school until
a building could be erected for educational
purposes. In 1895 the church burned and another
built which was also used as a church and a
school. In 1910 the present church building was
constructed and is used regularly for worship
services. Beech Springs School was consolidated
with French Camp, Berea and Friendship and the
name changed to Chapel Hill. Miss Mary Hemphill
once taught there. By 1939 the Chapel Hill School
had been absorbed by the surrounding consolidated
schools which provided transportation for the
students.Located at some distance from any
industrial or commercial center, the people of the
area were self-sufficient.
B.A. Hubbert moved to Beech Springs from Alabama
around 1860 and located one mile southwest of the
later site of the church. One son, William Hubbert
was a Civil War veteran who continued to live in
the community. Another son, G. W. Hubbert lived in
the old Hubbert homestead until his death at an
advanced age. Tommy Eades moved to the community
about the same time as the Hubberts. J. A. Toler
moved to the community from another Attala County
locality and established Eades Post Office around
18956. He kept the Post Office until it was
replaced by a French Camp rural route in 1910. The
Eades Post Office was located two miles northeast
of Chapel Hill on a road which intersected the
McCool road and went on to French Camp. Miles
Casey was one the early settlers and lived two
miles north of the church on he
Montgomery County line. Later all the family moved
to Texas. R. B. Cook came into the area in the
90's and settled one mile west of the
church ***
Berea
is located on
the Natchez Trace Parkway about seventeen miles
north of Kosciusko on Cole's Creek. The terrain is
ideal for diversified farming as it is tableland
and bottomland; for Cole's Creek drains into the
Yockanookany River. It was here that General
Andrew Jackson camped on his way back to Tennessee
with his troops after the "Battle of New Orleans".
He and his men dug and built the old rock well
which in 1939 lay south of Berea Church and
cemetery.
Berea Baptist Church was
organized before the Civil War, and the first old
log church was built at that time two miles
southeast of the present church. Baptisms were
once performed in Cole's Creek. Berea School was
first taught in the old log church building. There
was also a Negro school located one and one-half
miles northwest of Berea on a community road. The
school was called White Plains; there was also a
White Plains Baptist Church and Cemetery.
Some of the early settlers in
the Berea area were: Green Turner and his brother,
Clinton, who came from Georgia. Joe Chapman was
one of the oldest settlers and donate d the land
for the second church. There were also William and
Lucy Cole of Tennessee, John T. Cartell, Jim
Ferguson and a Mr. Herring. ***
Beula
community was so-named for Beula Baptist Church
around 1879; at that time it was considered a part
of Old Rocky Point community across the line in
Leake County. William W. Horn, who was married to
Martha Leitia Riddell on 3 August 1854 in Lawrence
County, Tennessee settled here before the Civil
War. He was a member of the Masonic Lodge, as well
as a Condederate Soldier. Soon after the church
was organized around 1878, a picnic was held
there. Some of the young people started to dance
under the "brush arbor" which was used for
preaching services and speakings in the summer.
The religious men and women naturally objected;
Mr. Horn pretended to pull down the posts which
supported the arbor thus putting an end to the
frivolity.
Beula was located west of Paley Creek on the
county road going from Kosciusko to Carthage. The
church, which was established around 1878 was also
used as the school and was a log structure. The
first teacher was John F. Sullivant, who was
followed by Jime Wallace. There was no cemetery
and the community burials took place at Rocky
Point across the county line. Early business men
were Mr. Horn who had a horse gin and Mr. Emphraim
Dickens who ran a steam mill and gin. Some of the
early settlers included; Clinton Boyd, Jim A.
Bailey, John Wheat, Allen Owen and John Poole.
After the turn of the century some political
speakings were held at Beula. One in particular
was a Bukbi speaking, when the late Theodore G.
Bilbo was running for the highest office in the
State of Mississippi. He was to speak at Beula and
drove as close as he could in his car, at that
point the Dorsey brothers picked Bilbo up on their
shoulders and escorted him down to the crowd which
had gathered in expectation. Today nothing remains
of the Beula community but the abandoned Baptist
Church building. ***
Bluff
Springs was named for some springs
located nearby under a bluff. At the time of its
peak the village contained two stores, a drug
store, a saloon, a gin, a show shop and a Post
Office. It was founded by Magnus and Jane Davis
Teague, childhood sweethearts who ran away to
Huntsville, Alabama to be married. They were
married on 19 September 1822 and on horseback and
with four slaves they rode to Mississippi and
settled in Attala County. Because her wealthy
father disowned Jane for marrying Magnus, Teagued
vowed that within ten years he would match her
father "dollar for dollar and slave for slave". He
must have lived up to this vow, for, at the end of
the Civil War, Magnus Teague had four hundred
slaves to be freed. In 1833 Teague built a home
for his fourth daughter, Betty, when she married
Col. J. K. Coffey. They lived there until her
death in 1869. "Bluff Springs": is probably the
oldest house in Attala County and possibly in
central Mississippi which is still standing and
inhabited. Located near Sallis and Bluff Springs
Trading Post on the old Durant road the Southern
Gerogian Colonial home was restored to its
original beauty by Mr. and Mrs. Frank Austin and,
though it has changed hands several times, is
still a showplace for this section of the state.
Before the Civil War a
building to house a school and Masonic Lodge was
built near Bluff Springs. A church near the school
was called Bluff Springs; the land having been
deeded to the church by Teague. The church, at a
later date, being known as Long Creek Baptist
Church and now as Sallis Baptist Church. The old
Bluff Springs cemetery is now known as the Sallis
Cemetery. The Teague graveyard which is located
east of Bluff Springs is still used by descendants
of Magnus Teague. There is also a private Cummins
cemetery located north of the Coffey House. Teague
was an important man in this part of the county
and the state, having a ferry near Durant, a
distillery, a saw millm a grist mill, a Msonic
Lodge and school and other interests. The minutes
of Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church state that when
the church members were trying to raise money
during services to buy pews for the church, Teague
stood up and said, "I won $50 at a poker game but
you can have it, if you want it". The church accepted
it.
Col. Joseph
Kimbrel Coffey owned a store at Bluff Springs
which was built of logs. It was at this store that
his brother was murdered by two masked men just
after the Civil War. In 1939 there were only a few
of the logs remaining as evidence. William Brown
owned a steam saw mill just one mileeast of the
Sallis Depot and sawed the lumber in 1840 for the
Clark houses at Old Attalaville; Henry Burnly
operated the engine. In later years Captain John
B. Love ws in the mercantile business at Bluff
Springs, and it was from here that he volunteered
as a First Lieutenant of Company A, 15th
Mississippi Regiment. It was also from here that
the famous "Long Creek Rifles" were sent into
battle in the Civil War.
Teague's Ferry
was located four miles west and two miles south of
Sallis on the Big Black River, about halfway
between Old Sand Road and the present Highway 12.
It went straight from Bluff Springs to Durant. In
1857 a pike was built on the Kosciusko to Durant
road across the Big Black. In 1872 the Mississippi
Central Railroad was built by convict labor and
Sallis developed along the railroad. This caused
the decline of Bluff Springs.
F. M. Glass
settled near the village around 1845. He was a
member of the Mississippi Legislature in the
1880's and a member of the Mississippi
Constitutional Convention of 1890. William Allen
lived in the area before the Civil War and is
buried in the Sallis Cemetery. He had two sons,
Matt and Will Allen. Other early settlers were
John Sallis, Robert J. Woods, William Butler Loyd,
Enoch and Nancy Williams, the Ellingtons, Harmans
and Browns as well as the Blacks and Hendersons. A
little to the west, between Bluff Springs and the
Big Black, early settlers included William Rainey
and his sons, James C., David and William Rufus
and also John and Nancy Russell. ***
Bowie
Chapel is located two miles south of
McCool; the first location was two and one-half
miles southwest of the present site on the
community road from McCool to Plattsburg. It was
first established in 1860 and was removed to the
present location around 1905. The building was
remodeled in 1933 and the new cemetery started in
1937. Bowie Chapel was named for Guy and Hezekiah
and Rhodi Bowie, who had settled here long before
the Civil War. Many of their descendants still
live in the area. Bowie School was established
soon after 1900 and moved one one and one-half
miles south about 1920. In 1925 the school was
consolidated with McCool. It is most probably that
an earlier school had been taught in the churches.
Conley's Water Mill
on the Yockanookany River was used before the
Civil War. The Bowie brothers had an old horse
power gin which was converted soon after the Civil
War to steam power and operated until 1890. The
brothers were Elmer, Willie, Charlie and Bob
Bowie, sons of Robert Johnson Bowie and grandsons
of Hezekiah. Josiah Ramage lived two miles south
of the new church. He was settled there before the
Civil War. David Kerr was also a memeber of the
Bowie Chapel community.***
Bowlin
was located
sixteen miles west of Kosciusko and just five
miles east of Durant. It was bounded on the north
by Apookta Creek which divides it from Possumneck,
on the est by Springdale, on the south by Sallis
and on the west by the Big Black River. To get
there from Kosciusko one turns right off Highway
12 west just two miles east of Durant. Bowlin was
established around 1850 and the community was
named for Jack Bowlin, an early settler who was
buried at Pleasant Hill Cemetery. Bowlin Baptist
Church was organized around 1880 and is located on
the ridge near the slope to the Big Black River.
It is still an active church. The cemetery is
lcoated across the road from the church building.
Another cemetery in the area was the Rosamond
Graveyard which lies two miles north of the
church. Here are buried early settlers of Bowlin:
W. T. Wright, died 1859; his wife Aletha, died
1860; their daughter Jane; died 1855; Elisha Wade,
died 1851. This cemetery had been abandoned by
1939. A public school was located across the road
from the church, two hundred yards northeast. It
was there from the time public schools were first
established until after 1929 when Bowlin was
consolidated with Sallis.***
Burkettsville
was located
seven miles north of Kosciusko where the Vaiden
road crossed by the old Rockport road. A family
named Trawick was in the area as early as 1839. In
the summer of 1843 Micjah Webb wrote in his diary
that Frank Gentry, Mr. Clark and Burket Thompson
lived there as well. About this time, R. B. Webb
came from South Carolina and taught school from
1846 to 1851. He was also Sheriff of Attala County
in the 80's. During the time of greatest
prosperity for Burkettsville, from 1840 to 1850,
the community contained two stores, a blacksmith,
a large church and campground. Bethel Church was
built by Mr. T. S. Rosmond in 1846; the present
church building was erected in 1865. There are
several graveyards in the area besides the on at
Bethel, but there is none as well kept and as
peaceful looking. The Trawick Family graveyard is
across the creek about one and one-fourth miles
and another about one and one-half miles. Neither
of these cemeteries has ever been copied. Not to
far away is Macedonia which will be discussed
within its own community.
Among the early
settlers buried at Bethel are: John B. Taylor,
Friley Jones, Nelson Taylor, Williams Adams,
Joseph M. Weatherly, Mary Howard, James G. Clark,
Turner Price, John Thompson, Rev. L. B. Thompson,
James Talliafero McAfee, James Sweatt, John Murff,
Rev. S. Murff, Asa Jones, W. N. Stucky, James
Avery and Neil Morrison. Dr. George W. Galloway
practised medicine at Burkettsville. The Rosamonds
ran a flour mill. James T. Williams operated a
flour mill, grist mill and a cotton gin. The cause
of the decay of Burkettsville was the killing of
Willis Wingo by Marks, the leading merchant who
then left the country. Today nothing other than
the cemeteries remain to show that there was ever
such a village. ***
Cecil
was a post
office on Highway 35 which existed from 1895 to
1918. Miss Nettie Duncan was Post-mistress at one
time. She was a sister-in-law to Mr. A. F. Daniel
who is mentioned in other communities. The Daniels
Family and Miss Nettie are buried at Bethel
Methodist Church. The school near Cecil Post
Office was called Watson and was finally
consolidated with Carmack. It is hard to
distinquish Cecil from Carmack. Mr. Zack Brister
lived in the community for twenty-five or thirty
years. J. D. Carter moved into the Carmack
community and in 1900 bought a home near Cecil. In
1939 one of his sons, W. R. Carter owned and
operated a store and a mill three-fourths of a
mile south of the former Cecil Post Office
location. Another son, Ed Carter moved to
Kosciusko where he ran a store.***
Center
was so named
because it was located nearly in the geographic
center of the state. It is located on the old
Kosciusko to Edinburg road just two miles from
Lobutcha River. Some of the earliest settlers
were: Duncan Patterson, Ben Curran, Luke Turner,
Jasper Johnson, Isaac Peeler, James and John F.
Williams, W. D. Kelly and Griggs. There were
several doctors who practiced here over the years;
namely Dr. Collins, Dr. Richard Gantt, Dr. Crane
and Dr. James T. Crawley. George Wallace had a
scrapbook in which there was a record of a cyclone
which hit Center in 1884. It destroyed the house
of Mrs. Knox, one and one-half stores, and the
Masonic Lodge. One store belonged to Captain Knox
and the second to John Williams. Curran's Gin was
powered by horses; J. F. Williams had a tannery
from pre-Civil War to 1900. Emphraim Dickens
operated a saw mill, grist mill and cottom gin
from before the Civil Was to around 1888. William
Roberts had a cotton gin which burned down. Isaac
Peeler ran a saw mill. The Center Baptist Church
is known as the Isaac Peeler Memorial Chapel and
there is a church cemetery just across the road
from the church. Also in the neighborhood there
were two early graveyards, that of the Patterson
Family and the Jobe and Shields Family. Neither of
these have been used for many years. The graves of
Duncan T. Patterson and his wife, Elizabeth S.
Patterson are contained in this small family
burial place. Mr. Patterson was born 12 Oct 1812
and died 6 Mar 1862. Elizabeth was born 28 May
1822 and died 28 Oct 1874. Duncan Patterson was a
Mason and was believed to have operated an Academy
near Center. Additionally he owned a large
plantation and many slaves. Not far from the
family plot is a large negro cemetery. Since Mr.
Patterson passed away before the end of the Civil
War, at age fifty, it would have been left to his
wife to set the slaves free at the end of the war.
The Shields Cemetery was a considerably larger
cemetery with approximately twenty-five graves,
most of which are unmarked. The oldest marked
grave is that of an infant son of J. S. and N. C.
Shields that died in 1869. An M. M. Shields died
in Dec of 1912 and a J. A. Shields was buried
there in 1921. A Civil War soldier, F. H. Shields,
who served with Co. E 5th Miss Infantry is also
buried in the cemetery.
J. W. Bailey taught school at Center for many
years but there is no longer a school there today.
Center continued to serve as a voting precinct
after the Post Office was closed. ***
Center Point
was located five miles
northwest of Kosciusko on the West road and was
called by the Point to distinquish it from the
other Center. This community is near Apookta Creek
and was established around 1874 when James Simmons
settled there. John McMillan donated one acre for
school purposes. In 1889 there was built a small
box school. Five years later a frame house was
built on the same site. All denominations held
services there at the same time. Center Point
School was consolidated with Springdale in 1919.
The following persons were buried by the school
house; James M. Simmons, Nancy J. Simmons, Preston
Simmons and Zeddie Nordin. These graves are
enclosed by a fence and are in a pasture just
before you get to the Simmons home. Other early
settlers were: John McMillan and son, Bob Coleman,
John Byers and Rob Taylor. ***
Cunnahoma
lies about six miles southeast of Kosciusko and
was named for the Cunnahoma Creek. Early settlers
to this area of Attala County were William and
Allen Dodd, brothers who came here from Kentucky
at a very early date. F. H. D. Jennings from
Bolton, Hinds County, Mississippi was one of the
earliest settlers and built a log house on an
extensive plantation about one mile north of the
Cunnahoma School. The remains of this house which
had been repaired and altered over the years was
torn down a few years ago and a new modern house
replaced it. S. N. Gilland settled on a hill in
the area and this hill has always been known as
Gilliand's Hill.
Before the Civil
War there was a horse gin operated by William Ross
one mile from Cunnahoma Church. Jennings also had
a gin of the same kind before and after the war.
Even earlier there was an old water mill in
operation.
William Dodd and
Miss Ellen McNulty taught private schools before
the Civil War. The first public school, which was
taught in a log house, was established in the
early 1870's. John Riley was a schoolteacher in
this area; he was also elected Chancery Clerk in
the 1890's. A Union meeting place was made of the
schoolhouse and was used for worship by both
Baptists and Methodists. In 1939 there was no
organized church at Cunnahoma, although the
cemetery (spelled Conehoma), which was located at
the old school, is still in use by descendants of
the early settlers. ***
Dossville
is one of those
Line communities, half lying in Attala and half in
Leake county. It was named for the Doss family and
at one time was a thriving "metropolis" being
located at the crossroads, so to speak. There was
several stores, a post office, Masonic Lodge,
school and doctor's office. Line Baptist Church is
located just acrosss the Leake County line. Its
cemetery has served for many years for all the
surrounding communities. Knox, Nile, Barnes and
Singleton. In 1909 J. H. and Lena McKay deeded
acreage for the Dossville School and for a Woodman
of the World building. On 6 March 1917 the McKays
also deeded land for the Masonic Lodge, Barkley
Lodge #494, which stood until 1966 when it was
torn down. Now there is a cotton gin which is
owned by the Chipley family and a large General
store which is owned by Harvey and Electa Furr.
Mrs. Furr is a descendant of the Demp Doss family
for whom the town was named. Mrs. Julie Orr was
one of the last persons to run the post office
when it was abolished for a rural route from
Carthage. In checking the County Line cemetery
records, a list of the oldest markers was
compiled; Dr. James Riley Dodson, William H.
McGivney, James Lyman Chipley and his wife Susan
Emaline Thomas Chipley, Russell Orr, John T. Doss,
W. A. Kinlow, Elizabeth P. Hawthorn, J. R.
Collins, C. A. Collins, R. C. Coleman, B. F.
Wooten, Carr A. King, Amanda Pickle Mills, G. W.
Doss, N. A. Fox, George Teat, Dr. William Teat,
George James Hanna, Matthew Carpenter, J. H. McKay
and Corp. James P. Smith. ***
Doty
Springs was located on the Old
Wire road. This was a hilly section of land
drained by Bear Creek, which runs into Lobutcha
and then on into the Pearl River. Doty Springs was
bounded on the north by Harmony and Edgefield
churches, on the east by Rural Hill church, on the
southeast by East Macedonia and on the west by
Providence. The community was named for a large
spring on the land of one of the earliest
settlers. Doty Springs Baptist Church was in being
around 1850 and has had a continuous organization.
The first church house was built of long pine
poles with puncheon seats; later when sawed lumber
could be obtained, a frame building was erected.
The cemetery at the church has always been well
kept. Some of the earliest burials there were;
George W. Burchfield, died 16 January 1868; Joseph
Graham, died 22 June 1867; William G. Ray, died 13
April 1864; Louisa M. Ray, died September 1860;
Jane F., wife of Jesse Shumaker, died 3 June 1846;
Simon McNeal Ray, died 29 May 1852. In lieu of
other sources of information, a cemetery and its
markers can tell much about the history of any
area. Doty Springs Cemetery shows kinships,
heartbreak, was casualties and longevity of lives
as well as material things.
Doty Springs
subscription schools were first taught in the
church; a public school was established early and
continued until consolidated with Providence.
Early teachers were Richard McCool, I. P.
Lansdale, A. J. Johnson and T. J. Fowler. Mr
Fowler was born on 9 March 1849 in Lumpkin County,
Georgia and moved to Fayette County, Alabama in
1857, on to Pontotoc County, Mississippi in 1877
and down to Attala County in 1878. Mr. Fowler
never went to school until he was nine years old
in 1858. When he went to Military Springs Academy
in Lamar County in 1871, he was twenty two years
old and already married and the father of two
children. On January 6, 1868 he started teaching
and taught and went to school alternately. The
Fowlers settled near Carson Ridge in '78 but moved
to Doty Springs in 1882. T. J. Fowler was ordained
a Missionary Baptist preacher in May 1876 in
Fayette County, Alabama; he taught in private
schools and served as a preacher at the same time.
In 1889 Fowler was elected Superintendent of
Education for Attala County and served in that
capacity for a total of six years.
Guy Ray was an early
settler in the Doty Springs community; his son,
Rev. John Ray, became a prominent citizen, owning
a gine, grist mill and store. The mills were
operated by horse power until 1879 when steam
power was used. By 1939 there were no saw mills or
gins in the area. Joe Steed was manufacturing
brooms at the old Doty Springs. The very earliest
settlers were the Dotys; others were Guy and John
Ray, Jim Weems, W. W. Cummins, Jesse Massey, and
the Taylors, in addition to those names already
given from cemetery records.***
East
Macedonia was so called to
distinquish it from the Macedonia north of
Kosciusko. This commmunity was located eighteen
miles east of Kosciusko. Earlier it had been moved
from two miles west across Bear Creek. The terrain
was table and creek bottom land formed when small
branches ran into Bear Creek and on into Lobutcha
to the south. It was good average farming land. In
the early days B. F. Ray had a horse gin which
later was owned by W. O. C. Taylor and next by
Fletcher Taylor. As time passed it was converted
to steam power.
East Macedonia
Church was probably organized around 1845. the
first building was an old log house; even the logs
had been moved from across the creek in early
days. The community built a frame building in 1893
and a new building in 1939, located in an oak
grove. The cemetery has been in contiuous use ever
since the church was built, but the earliest
marker is that of Francis M. Ray, deceased 22
August 1872. However, the Kelly family graveyard
is about three miles aoutheast of East Macedonia
and many of the early settlers used it as a burial
place as early as 1858. It is supposed that there
was a Subscription school; howeverr, one of the
earliest public schools in the oounty was taught
at the church. About 1912 a separate school
building was erected on church grounds. When
Macedonia and Pansy were consolidated, the school
became known as Glendale.
Two families of
Masseys (not related) Thomas D. and Thomas J.
Massey settled here early and reared large
families. Other early residents were Sam Ray, Eli
Porter, Alf Moore, Sanford F. Jones, E. H. Watts
and W. O. C. Taylor.***
East
Union was settled by Daniel
McMillan about five miles northeast of Kosciusko.
He owned large tracts of land and many slaves. At
the time he settled there were still Indians
around. He turned his land and slaves out after
the Civil War. Daniel became blind and lived with
a niece until his death. Before the Civil War the
Lutherns built a church called East Union one mile
northeast of Marvin Chapel on the Wells road, not
a public road at the time. A school was also
taught for a time in this church building. After
the Civil War there were not enough Lutherans in
the community to carry on their work, so W. J.
Fondren, the last of his faith in the area, sold
the property to the Trustees of the Public School.
T. J. Porterwood was an early teacher. In 1910 the
school was discontinued and annexed to Greensboro.
In 1920 it was consolidated with the New Progress
School District. Another teach at the old East
Union School was H. E. Allen. East Union Cemetery,
located at the site of the old Lutheran church was
used for a community burial place until 1888. It
is located on land next to the home of J. B.
Adams, and though abandoned for a time, it is now
kept fairly clear. There is also a cemetery
located across the road from Marvin Chapel
Methodist Church which has been used continuously
since it started after the Civil War.
Johnnie Biggs
had a horse powered gin from before the Civil War
until 1885. Jack Biggs had a steam powered cotton
gin and grist mill which he operated until 1918.
Among other early residents were: Capt. P. G.
Stevens, Dr Edwards, Rev. William McWhorter,
Cagles, Westbrooks, Burrell Fullilove, Brunts,
Bells, Walkers, Pees, Banes (Baines), Wards,
Hines, and Millers.***
Edgefield
was located on
the edge of Hudson's field on a dividing ridge
lying between Yockanookany and Lobutcha rivers.
The road was known as the Kosciusko-Louisville
road. Bob Hudson owned three sections of land and
donated the acres for the church, which he built
in 1859 as an incentive to get the community
settled. The church was built of hand-hewn lumber,
cut with a broad aze. This old house stood until
1937 when a new building was erected. It was first
used as a school house and gathering place for the
community. Edgefield School was built in 1873 of
hewn logs and handsplit-out boards for ceilings
with hewn logs for seats. It had been moved from a
few miles away where it had previously been called
Turnipseed School. In 1939 another building was
erected with two rooms and two teachers. Early
settlers and supporters of Edgefield were Bob
Hudson, Major James P. Allen, Abemelic Ray, Dave
Knox, John Townsend, Wash Norris, Sam Blaine, B.
F. Mabry and D. W. Eakin.
***
Ethel
or the place
whereupon Ethel now stands was known in 1882 as
"Davis' old field." This land was then purchased
by a Mr. Lane and Mr. Charles Bell. Bell built a
residence and erected a steam mill upon his
portion of the land and Lane also made some
improvements of his section. This was all that
existed in this area until the coming of the
railroad. With the building of the Illinois
Central Railroad through Attala County in 1883, a
station was constructed and named for the daughter
of one of the railroad officials. Ethel came into
existence and a boom period commenced as town lots
were laid out. Among the first residents of the
new town was T. J. Middlebrook who was appointed
as Post Master. J. A. and Ella Brown opened the
first drugstore. The first storehouse was operated
by Charles Bell in 1883. Charles Rabern also
opened a mercantile business about this time. In
1884, Doctor J. S. Collins opened his practice of
medicine. Other doctors would follow; Dr. J. T.
Heald, Dr. W. R. Pope, Dr. W. S. Claitor, Dr. H.
H. Puryear and Dr. W. W. McBride.
Several miles
north of Ethel, area residents established the
Presbyterian Church at Stonewall. Stonewall
Cemetery was in use before the town of Ethel was
established. Although it was a Presbyterian
cemetery, many of the people in the area were
buried in the cemetery regardless of their
denomination.
For a time,
if someone inquired about the Ethel Cemetery they
would usually be referred to the Stonewall
Cemetery.
In 1887, a
schoolhouse was erected on the lot that would
later be occupied by the Masonic Hall Building.
The first teacher at the school was Rev. W. P.
McBryde. It was 1894 when the Methodist Church was
organized with the Rev. Parrott as pastor. The
Baptist Church was established in 1896 with the
Rev. John Ray as its first
pastor.
By 1897 Rev. John
Ray, Burris Ray, J. R. Riley and A. E. Gregory
were the principal merchants of Ethel.
Additionally, Mr. Claitor had a millinery shop, R.
J. Bell operated the steam mill and gin, E. M.
Gregory operated an axe-handle factory and steam
saw and planing machine amd these latter
enterprises constituted the leading manufacturers
of the town in the late 19th century. R. J. Bell
also owned a pear orchard that proved to be the
source of considerable revenue.
The town of Ethel was
incorporated in 1911. The first brick school
building was erected in 1916 with Mr. F. A. Elkin
as Principal. He was ably assisted by four
teachers.
In the late
1970's, Ethel with about six hundred inhabitants
was the second largest town in Attala
County.***
Forrest
was first
located one-half mile south of the old Wasson
Tanyard on the old Rockport Road. Forrest
community was rolling hills and good springs, as
heads of small branches of streams drain in three
directions into Hurricane Creek on one side and
into Scoobachitta and Zilpha on the other. It is
bounded on the north by Pilgrim's Rest, on the
east by Liberty Chapel, on the northwest by Shady
Grove and on the southwest by Pierce's Chapel.
This place was settled by John Henderson in 1836,
and in 1849 Planters Bank took over the property.
In 1860 it was sold to Robertson Sweatt. In 1869
the place was again sold for $2.50 in back taxes.
Like a bad penny which keeps turning up, the place
was again sold in 1896, this time to R. C. Reaves,
son-in-law of John Wasson, the same Reaves who
once served as Post Master of Wells.
Forrest Public School
was established as early as any other public
schools, in the early 1870's. It was abolished in
1905 with the students to attend Pierce's Chapel
School. In 1908 Forrest School was reestablished
and in 1916 was again abolished along with
Munson's and Pierce's Chapel for a consolidated
school. Again that same year (1916), the school
was reestablished, showing the determination of
the residents of Forrest to have their children
educated at home. For at least twenty years a
Sunday School was taught in the Forrest
Schoolhouse, for there was no church building at
Forrest. However, residents of the community
worshipped at Liberty Chapel Methodist Episcopal
Church four miles northeast and at Pilgrim's Rest
Church one and three-forths miles northeast.
Cemeteries at these two churches along with
McCord's Graveyard, located one and a half miles
southeast, served the community. One of the
earliest graves in the McCord Graveyard is that of
Isom Wilson's son buried in 1851. John Roberts was
buried there in 1863 and Anthony Peeler in 1865.
Reverend A. R. Hines settled early about one and a
half miles east of Wasson's Tanyard. Other early
settlers were: Kellys, Matt Crow, Browns, Adams,
Jones, and Crosbys. ***
Gladys
was located on
the Old Louisville Road near the Yockanookany
River and was formerly known as the Hanna
Plantation during the War between the North and
South. Andrew and Annie Hanna settled here long
before the war. They were a wealthy and cultured
family, owning much land and many slaves. They
educated their slaves, which was unusual at that
time. The family was nearly made extinct in 1863
by what is supposed to have been Spinal
Meningitis. Those that perished are buried on the
plantation in a family graveyard. About 1865
Elijah Grefory bought this land and operated a
store. During this time the Gregory Post Office
was established and Mr. Gregory donated a strip of
land to the railroad for the establishment of a
station, called Gregory's Station. S. B. McAdams
bought the land from Gregory and lived there
awhile before moving on to Arkansas. Dave Austin,
a former slave, who had taught the Negro School
and whose home joined the Gregory Plantation,
secured the Post Office and kept it for a few
years. At that time Jeptha J. Mauldin kept a
store, ran a mill and served as Postmaster. Later
he bought the Gregory Plantation.
This was surely
a "Timber Paradise" for most of the industry in
the area was involved with lumber. In 1890 Gregory
had a saw mill and an axe handle factory; in 1907
to 1910 McAdams ran a saw mill. From 1910 to 1912
Memphis capitalists, W. P. Pride and others,
operated a large saw mill in the area. Charlie
Higgins had a mill here from 1914 to 1916, when J.
J. Mauldin started in the mill business. Mauldin's
Mill ran until 1932. During the time that the
mills were in operation, there was a mill boarding
house. Some of the workers stayed in private
homes. There was a large boarding house for the
Negroes from 1912 to 1917.
Gladys Public
School was active from 1919 until 1932. The school
was established by Jeptha Mauldin and in 1932 was
consolidated with Ethel. Hanna Negro School was
located a half mile south of the Railroad Station
at Lenora Chapel Methodist Church. There is a
cemetery northeast of the church. Zion Pilgrim
Baptist Church was also in the same area***.
Glendale
was formed from
parts of East Macedonia, Doty Springs and Pansy
and was located sixteen miles east of Kosciusko on
the Old Wire Road. It was named Glendale because
the first school at Glendale was located in a glen
and because G. W. Landsdale was one of the early
settlers and community builders of this
neighborhood. Sam J. Owens, formerly principal of
the East Macedonia School, influenced the building
of the Glendale Consolidated School, named it and
became its first Principal in 1916. When the
building burned in 1931, its location was moved
two miles north on Old Wire Road and further
consolidated with other school districts. In 1939
Glendale had become an outstanding rural
Elementary School with four teachers for eight
grades; the High School students were transported
to Zama. Churches included in this area were
Pleasant Hill Primitive Baptist Church, Doty
Springs Baptist Church and East County Line.
Cemeteries are located at each church.
***
Hesterville
was formerly
known as Ayer's Shop, but this must not be
confused with the Ayers located in the
southeastern part of the county. Colonel Lansford
Ayers was a planter, woodworker and blacksmith.
Ayers Shop made plows, wagons and other
agricultural implements from before the Civil War
until 1875. Hesterville, is presently located on
Highway 35, the community was named for Green
Hester, who had a General Store and a Whiskey
Store. He was also the first Postmaster; the Post
Office was established in 1881. The mail was
started on a Star Route in 1889 and this carrier
was R. G. McCoy. In 1897 Frank Hudson was the
Postmaster, having served many years. Hastings G.
Plamer was the first settler and was a planter and
slave owner. . . the Masonic Hall was named for
him. The first school was held in Palmer Hall and
a Mrs. Carlisle was the teacher. There is no
longer a school there as the students attend the
Kosciusko Separate Schools. James Craft ran a
tanyard from 1872 until 1900; he manufactured
shoes and boots. Green Cagle had a water mill
which ginned cottom and ground meal. The Portwoods
were early settlers; Reverend Portwood was a
Baptist minister and Dr. J. H. Portwood practised
medicine in the community prior to moving to
Kosciusko.
Hesterville had
a Presbyterian Church. Today there is a Church of
Christ in Hesterville on the old Kosciusko to
Vaiden Road just past there the old Masonic Hall
stands. There are several cemeteries and
graveyards in the area. There are two Brister
cemeteries, the Williams' Graveyard and the Palmer
Graveyard on the top of the hill to the southwest
of the crossroads, overlooking Cummings Grocery.
***
Hughes
was short-lived; it was named for the E. E. Hughes
family. The community was located ten miles
northeast of Kosciusko on the West Station Road.
It was established in 1894 when Mrs. E. W. Hughes
moved here and was extinct by 1910. Mrs. Hughes
kept a store and was Postmistress of the Hughes
Post Office from 1896 to 1906. The Post Office was
then moved one and one-half miles east and kept by
Reverend W. P. Ratliff until 1908. Next R. F.
Campbell was Postmaster until a rural route from
West came through and Hughes Post Office was "no
more". A saw mill was operated near the Post
Office by Mr. Jim Hughes from 1904 until after the
Post Office was discontinued. Springdale Baptist
Church was located near Hughes Post Office.
***
Joplin
was named for
John Joplin who had moved into this area from the
New Hope community around 1870. It was located
nine and one-half miles southeast of Kosciusko
just a half mile off the Louisville Road. Joplin
established a saw mill, cotton gin and grist mill
which was run by steam and operated it until his
death in 1902. He brought in Burns and Gibbs,
white families to work at the mills. He bought his
land from the government and he later sold parts
of it to Negro families.
Joplin School
was established about 1880 and located one-fourth
mile north of the intersection of the Zama Road
and the Louisville Road. Mrs. Margaret Berry,
widow of Confederate Soldier John Berry, bought
the land on which the first school was built. The
school was later moved a fourth mile and a new
school built. O. M. Brown, Mrs. Berry's
son-in-law, lived there until 1919. Burns School,
which was about 45 years old, and Joplin were
consolidated in 1917; in 1919 there was a
consolidation with New Hope. There was no church
in the community but an old graveyard was found on
Mr. Joplin's land; it was of no size. No one knows
who was buried there before it was abandoned.
***
Joseph
was located ten miles
southwest of Kosciusko and four miles southwest of
McAdams. It was named for Mr. J. W. F. Guyton who
had moved there from a former home three-fourths
of a mile away around 1889. He and Charlie Morgan
established a saw mill, a gin and a store. Mr.
Guyton also kept the Post Office from 1894 until
it was combined into a rural route from Sallis.
Around 1904 a school was established at Joseph,
being called Bethel by some and Joseph by others.
In 1919 the school was consolidated with McAdams.
***
Keith
was located on
the Louisville Road about nine miles southeast of
Kosciusko and two and a half miles south of New
Hope Church. The Post Office was kept by Joe Keith
in the 1890's for a short period of time. When
Keith resigned, an office was established near
Joplin and called
Wambo.***
Knox, located eight miles
south of Kosciusko, was named for an early
educator and settler, David W. Knox. This
territory had good farming land, slightly rolling
with much creek-bottom land. The Knox community
was bounded on the south by the Attala County part
of the Dossville community, to the east by Nile,
on the west by the Yockanookany River and the
McVille settlement and to the north by Cunnahoma.
Bogue Phalia, Cunnahoma and Sockey creeks lie in,
or border on, this settlement. Joyce Sanders'
freat great grandfather, John C. Chipley settled
here before 1840, having come here from Hinds
County, Mississippi to help build the first brick
(rock) jail. He also built the second jail and
courhouse which was burned in 1858 by Morgan Ivey.
Chipley supervised the brick work on the third
building which was completed in 1861. Having been
indentured to a beickmason in Portland, Maine
after the death of his parents, from Cholera and
having stowed away on a boat which landed him in
New Orleans, John Chipley had made his way to
Hinds County, where his work so pleased the
sonstruction man that he was offered a job in
Attala County. He was the first brickmason in this
area. Mr. Tom King told me in 1967 that there was
still evidence on Sockey Creek where the clay was
dug and the bricks were baked. Charles Fletcher,
whose ancestors antebellum home still stands with
its four perfect chimneys, also said that John
Chipley made the bricks and built those chimneys;
Fletcher claimed that a written record exist that,
after competing a chimney, Chipley would lay a
twelve inch board across the top and stand on his
head.
The Fletchers were one of the earliest, if not the
earliest, settlers of this district. Captain L. D.
Fletcher lived seven miles east of Kosciusko and
fought in both the Mexican and the Civil War. His
land still belongs to his direct
descendants.
George Hanna had a horse-gin which had been in
operation before the Civil War; Nathaniel W. Hanna
operated a saw mill and grist mill from 1921 to
1925. They were descendants of Andrew Hanna, an
early settler in the county. Leonides (oney) Smith
ran a steam cotton gin and grist mill for fifty
years and a saw mill for ten years; he was the son
of Joyce's other great, great Grandfather, James
Smith. Lewis Pickle's Jug Factory was located in
the Knox School District immediately following the
Civil War. Mr. Pickle was a stone-ware
manufacturer, and for many years he supplied the
whole county with stone jugs, jars and other
wares. During the War, it was impossible to
purchase tableware, such as cups and saucers,
bowls, pitchers and plates. Mr. Pickle supplied
the wants of the people in manufacturing a very
good substitute at his factory.
An old log school building which had been moved
from another location was erected in the community
before the Civil War. This may have been the one
which Lewis Pickle had deeded to Carr King as a
school trustee on 22 October 1860. The deed was
for two acres to be used for school purposes. Soon
after the War between the states, a long, one-room
box building was erected; it had a stove at each
end of the room, thus providing for both
elementary and advanced pupils. David W. Knox was
Principal of this school for several years. It was
known as the Knox Academy. He influenced the
leaders of the community to build a better school
after the building was destroyed by fire. This was
one of the first public schools in a rural area of
Attala County. In 1895 N, T, Hanna gave land to
the Knox School Trustees. Around 1912 Knox School
was consolidated with Dossville, but in 1926 the
school was reestablished. One of the earlier
teachers was E. T. Morgan. Later the district was
transferred to Kosciusko with transportation being
provided for the children. Rayford Negro School
was located one-half mile from the old Knox School
on a community road, the road on which Attala
Memory Gardens is located. In 1939 it was a
progressive school with two teachers. Today the
school is no more, and the school children attend
Kosciusko schools.
Salem Methodist Church is now located on Highway
35 south of Kosciusko near the site of the Old
Knox School Building. Before the Civil War, Salem
Church was located further down on the
Leake-Attala line just in behind Deliddy Negro
Baptist Church and was known as South Union
Methodist Church. There was a cemetery there where
a number of Turnages are buried, the last being W.
B. Turnage, who desired to be buried there by his
children. His last child was buried there in 1875.
A split occurred in the church and a portion of
the members organized Salem and held services in
the schoolhouse until a church house was built in
1894. Nathan Sweatt made a deed gift to the
Methodist Church South on 10 January 1889. The
Salem Church building was burned by an arsonist in
January 1895 and the present building was then
erected. Salem is still an active church with some
thirty members, and there is a cemetery behind the
church where many of the old settlers rest. There
are also some graves across the road on the old
Hanna Place, now the home of J. A. Doty. The Dotys
keep the church and cemetery grounds cut and neat.
There is a Dodd Cemetery at the site of the old
William Dodd home just west of Davis' Store. The
land was deeded by William Dodd. Further down this
community road, past the Fletcher house, is the
Fletcher Graveyard, which is still in use. Thomas
J. Fletcher gave the land for this cemetery and
for the Slave Graveyard near it. In the general
area of the Knox community were early settlers;
James Smith, W. B. Turnage, carr King, James
Scott, Alex Noah, a Mr. Sweany, John Turnage, John
Chipley, James Polk Chipley, George Hanna and N.
W. Hanna. Many distinquished doctors, lawyers,
editors and educators are descendants of these
men. ***
Langley
was a Post
Office that existed for only two years. This Post
Office was located one mile west of Shady Grove
Church. Mr. J. B. Jackson was the Postmaster. The
exact timeframe for this Post Office has not been
ascertained. ***
Liberty
Chapel lies between Berea to the
northeast, Oak Ridge a little west of North and
McCool to the east. Liberty Chapel Church is
located about fifteen miles northeast of Kosciusko
on the Rockport Road near Black Creek and the
Natchez Trace.
The first settlers in
this area were four families from Georgia; the
John A. Wassons', the Kimbroughs', the Bridges',
and the family of Nathaniel and Elizabeth Hines.
They referred to the area as "Little Georgia".
James T. Mathis operated a shoe shop in the
community. The Old Phoenix Mills was located one
and a half miles east of Liberty Chapel on the
Rockport Road and was owned by Thompson and Joe
Kimbrough. The mill was powered by steam, even
before the Civil War, and was used to saw lumber
as well as grinding flour. A number of young men
indicated that they were from 'Phoenix Mills' when
filling out forms for service in the Confederate
States Army because, at that time, Phoenix Mills
was a designated Post Office. In 1866 the mill was
moved two or three miles away and became known as
Cook's Mill. James G. Riley was a well-to-do slave
owner and planter before the war. He also operated
a gin, driven by horse power before and during the
war. Ben Clark was an early settler and the father
of Dr. B. W. Clark of Bear Creek and McCool, where
he practiced medicine. W. J. Clark, an early
settler of Liberty Chapel, was the father of J. C.
Clark who was editor of the "Kosciusko Messenger"
during the 1880's. Zeke Veasey, and his brother
the Reverand Bill Veasey, were early settlers in
this area. The Rev. Bill Veasey was a Baptist
preacher and a teacher in the
community.
The Liberty
Chapel Methodist Church and Cemetery, which is
located on the Old Rockport Road, was organized
before the Civil War. The Brown Graveyard is about
one and a half miles southwest of Liberty Chapel
Methodist Church and the Riley Cemetery is about
the same distance north. A Masonic Hall occupied a
two story building with the first floor being used
for educational purposes and the upper floors
being used as a Masonic Hall. In 1875 a public
school was established. In 1908 Liberty Chapel was
made a separate district. About 1939 the Nash
Creek Negro School was organized one and a half
miles east of the site of the Old Phoenix Mills on
the Jake Veasey place.***
Liberty
Hill is a hilly section with two
small creeks; Panther and Beech, running through
the community. It is located three and a half
miles west of McCool and one and one-half miles
north of highway 12 East.
The Liberty Hill Methodist Church was organized
about 1850. Dr, James A. Carlisle donated five
acres for a school, church and cemetery. James G.
Carlisle was an early pastor. There have been at
least three buildings. The first one made of logs
was purchased by Leonard A. Winters for use as a
barn. The second was built after the Civil War and
the third in 1890.
Liberty Hill
Public School was active in early days but was
discontinued in 1927 for consolidation with
McCool. There was a horse gin there in early days
which was operated by L. A. Winters. A Mr. Irving
operated a business there from 1890 to 1895. Among
the early settlers were; Jimmie Hubbard, Si Boyd,
Stephen Boyette, Ezekiel Bridges, Bennett Proctor,
Jim Atterbury, Sam Lewis, Johnnie Harris, Jesse
Davis and Andrew
Seawright.***
Lily had
a Post Office located eleven miles north of
Kosciusko on the Vaiden road. It was established
around 1894 and extinct by 1904, when it was put
on a rural route from West Station. The Post
Office was located within three miles of three
churches. Sand Hill, Bethel and Macedonia, but was
closest to Sand Hill so was considered to be in
that community. Alexander F. Daniel went North
during the Civil War but returned afterwards to
run a store, a saw mill, a grist mill and a cotton
gin. His sister-in-law, Miss Loula Annette Duncan,
was the Postmistress for the ten years that Lily
existed. In 1920 Dr. C. O. Groves, Minister of the
First Presbyterian Church of Kosciusko, purchased
the Daniel home. In 1939 it was being rented by
Percy Rainey. There was a Daniel Graveyard located
one-fourth mile north of the Daniel
house.***
Macedonia
was formerly
called Rochester and was located seven and a half
miles northeast of Kosciusko near the site of the
Rochester Flour Mills on the Lower Greensboro
Road. In the late 1850's the Methodist worshipped
at Bethel and the Baptist at Macedonia. They were
Missionary Baptist. The first church at Macdonia
was built on the west side of the road with the
cemetery joinging it. The second box house
building was erected in 1881 on the opposite side
of the road. A third building, a good frame house,
was put up in 1900; at the same time a new school
house was built on the west side of the road,
joining the cemetery. There was a school called
Rochester Academy there from 1860 to 1868;
Macedonia Public School was taught in the church
from 1875 until 1894. When the new school was
built in 1900, it continued until consolidated
with the new Rochester Public School. It was all
consolidated with Shady Grove in 1938.
Zach Ratliff had an
old horse gin which was located one and a fourth
miles east of the church before 1861. He sold it
to Mr. Gaddy, who ran it until 1875 or 76. Joe
Weatherly ran a saw mill, cotton gin and grist
mill about 1880. He sold to George Lindsey, who
operated the enterprises until around 1895. Jim
Sweatt had a steam-powered saw mill, grist mill
and gin in the latter part of the 1890's.
A large majority of
the residents migrated to this community from
Hinds County, Mississippi; Nelson Taylor, Friley
Jones, Azck Ratliff, James Williams, Jim Sweatt,
his son-in-law Blackstone, Hyde, Bill Moore, Louis
Briant, Hull, Alf and Sam Barr. Other earlier
settlers were: Hodges, Bullard, W. W. Nash, J. L.
Morgan, J. W. Steen, Hyman, and George Columbus
Monroe, John Sweatt settled a half mile south of
the church before the Confederate War. Wash
Summerhill was a half mile south of Sweatt. Cape
was a fourth mile of Summerhill. The Campbell
brothers settled here from Georgia. Everything is
extinct now but the cemetery.
***
Marvin
Chapel was formerly known as
East Union and is located four and one-half miles
northeast of Kosciusko on the Greensboro Road and
the Natchez Trace. The church was named for Bishop
Marvin of the Methodist Conference. Marvin Chapel
Methodist Church was organized in 1876 on land
donated by J. A. Comfort. The people had been
having summer revivals under brush arbors. The
first pastor was T. A. S. Adams, an early Attala
County educator. The cemetery was established in
1888 when Lottie Brunt was buried there.
***
McAdams
community, as it is known today, was settled very
early; land records at the Courthouse list the
following as having been granted land in the area
by the United States Government in 1834: James M.
Jenkins, Allen Dodd, Wm Dodd, James Mallett and
wife, Axsa and William M. Jenkins and wife,
Lucinda. In 1835 grants were received by James
Simmons, Thomas Mc Gee, Thomas Coopwood, Henry I.
Pope, William Ayers, John T. Abernathy and wife,
Sarah, Anthony Winston, Daniel McBride, Isaac N.
Mallett, Richard Pace, Humerick Nichols, Ezekiel
Nash, Osamus L. Nash, Joseph Harris, Charles A.
Lacost, Solomon S. Pender, Gordon D. Boyd, Stephen
Stapleton, Job P. Weatherby, John M. Henry and
Alphronson Allen. The next year land was acquired
by: Hile Smith, Wli S. Thornton, Zachariah Rector,
James L. Martin, William Thompson, Sylvester
Pearl, Richard Ross, Elizabeth McNeil, Thomas J.
Wigley, John Y. Rainey, Thomas Warren, and John C.
Vaughn. In 1837 the records show that Silas
Elliott and John Eubanks moved, or bought land, in
the area. Hugh Montgomery purchased land in 1845
and Henry Musslewhite in 1849. Alexander Terry
became a land owner here in 1848. The year 1853
brought in James McAdory and 1854 was the year
that Henry B. Brown and Alexander Gowen appeared.
The 1850's offer proof of the estate of Joseph
Terry being administered by William S. Ross: these
years also being about the appearance of Andrew S.
McKinnon, Elisha Coleman, Samuel Coleman, Uriah W.
Thweatt, Lycurgus Brown, Matilda C. Herring,
Charles Fuller, Neil McKinnon and wife Janett who
bought the land of Elizabeth McNeil, John Craft,
James K. Coffey who had a Military Land Warrant,
William Sudduth, James Shelly, Elbert G. Thweatt,
James B. Ellington, and wife, Rebecca, and Charles
R. McNeal. John Wigley bought land in 1860, Lamkin
S. Terry bought from Samuel Coleman in 1866 and in
1869 John R. Ware appeared. Here we need to be
reminded that McAdams today covers a large
area...from Bluff Springs, Springdale, Pleasant
Ridge south to Sallis, Newport, Zemuly and on to
Kosciusko and Thomastown. As in previous
communities, it is hard to pinpoint a family to
just one area. The boundaries remain loose. We
must also remember that all persons acquiring land
did not necessarily live on it. There were many
"speculators", some like Dodds, Gordon B. Boyd,
Sylvester Pearl and Joseph Coffey, who lived in
other areas of the county, and some who never came
to Attala County to live, but had agents to look
after their interests. There are many descendants
of the early settlers still living in the McAdams
community today. Samuel Coleman, Thomas P. Terry
and Uriah Thweatt were still citizens of McAdams
in 1896. Tom Terry served several terms as both
Justice of the Peace and as Constable and could
still walk six miles into Kosciusko in spite of
his years. Uriah Thweatt was a veteran of the
Mexican War and had lived in his home for almost
fifty years. "Uncle Sam" Coleman was the oldest
inhabitant of the community in 1896, being a
self-sufficient and diversified farmer. Another
inhabitant at that time was Jeptha McAdams. A mile
or so north of present McAdams was Kelly's
Crossing, where Tom Yates was postmaster for many,
many years.
McAdams has
always had a good school program; early schools
were located in the outlying areas of McAdams. In
1913 the McAdams Consolidated School took in Mill
Creek, Sudduth and Hurrican Schools. In 1916
Bailey and Smyrna were moved into the McAdams
District. Also in 1916 the Attala County
Supervisors decided to have an Agricultural High
School at McAdams. In 1918 Edith Winborn, Miss
Charlie Carter, Mrs. Annie Laurie Fowler and
Professor and Mrs. W. E. Thompson were teachers at
McAdams. The 'Kosciusko Herald' for 22 August 1919
carried the following article: "The County
Agricultural High School located at McAdams
"
McAdams will open on Monday, September the first.
Prominent speakers are expected and all are
cordially invited. Our dormitory is being
furnished and we are ready to care for all who may
come. F. L. McCue, Principal." From the same
newspaper for 5 September 1919 we find that
Professor W. W. Thompson, under whose untiring
efforts the Consolidated School was built up and
the High School was established, gave a brief
history of the movement. Sixty boarding students
were admitted; the dormitory was overflowing and
neighbors took the excess of students into their
homes. On 16 April 1920 the 'Star Ledger' tells of
the Commencement Exercises and lists the
Graduates; Emmett Montague, Dick Bell, Louis
Gregory, Everett Hight, Edward Jenkins, Arden
Langdon, Nan Long, Vivian Richardson, Newt Mills,
Marie Poole, Alice Sanders, Eva Tyler, Henry
Toler, Maggie Mitchell, Victor Allen, Oreagon
Dees, John Dubard, Arbie Flannagan, Elmer Adcock,
Lora Ivey, Hugh Joplin, Bessie Miller and John
Murff. In 1921 part of the Natchez Trace School
was moved to McAdams and in 1933 all the rest came
into the school system. Since that time others
have joined; the most recent being the Attala part
of Thomastown and part of the Sallis area. McAdams
still has an excellent school system.
There
have only been three Postmistresses in the life of
McAdams; Mrs. Louis (Pattie) Gowan, Mrs. Lamar
(Ellen) Gowan and Mrs. Roy (Bernice) Bennett. The
Post Office used to be in the Gowan Store by the
railroad but there is now a new Post Office on
Highway 12, next to Mitchell's Grocery.
McAdams
has both a Baptist Church and a Methodist Church
on the same street near the High School. The
Hurricane Baptist Church is situated between
McAdams and Kosciusko. The Hurrican Cemetery is
located on the Old Durant Highway while the church
is on the new Highway 12. The Coleman Cemetery in
McAdams is the burial place for many of the early
settlers. ***
McCool
was, at one
time, one of the fastest growing towns in the
County. It was named for the Honorable James F.
McCool, who was hired in 1882 to secure the
railroad right of way through Attala County. Lots
were sold in 1883. A Post Office was established
in the fall of 1883 with Charles W. Thompson as
Postmaster and John W. Ball as assistant. L. A.
Ball operated a store. There were four saloons
opened about this time. Construction of a church
and school soon followed. Mrs. Halfacre opened a
hotel. F. C. Robinson opened a store and the Ward
Brothers opened a Photographic Gallery. The town
of McCool was incorporated in 1884 with the
following individuals serving as the newly
installed officials: Mayor Charles W. Thompson;
Aldermen J. W. Ball, A. F. Ball and Frank C.
Robinson; Marshall T. P. Quarles; Treasurer Reuben
Hunt.
By 1885 McCool
boasted sixty houses, eleven stores and a
population of two hundred souls and a Baptist,
Methodist and Presbyterian churches. Other
individuals that were active in commerce in McCool
about this time were: S. C. Conley, General
Merchandising; E. Hughston, General Store; Alex
Spears, Blacksmith Shop; L. A. Winters, Merchant;
Will Brown, ran the train depot and was the
telegraph operator; Dr. B. W. Clark and R.J.
Clark, Drug Store; W. W. Searight, owned the
"Cleveland House"; Mabry and Boswell owned a
store; W. G. Beauchamp, proprietor of the Star
Hotel.
McCool's
business district suffered three separate fires.
The first was in 1885, the second in 1903 and the
third in 1907. Each time the business section was
nearly destroyed and each time, it was rebuilt.
McCool prospered until
the decline of cotton and the total desolation of
the timber trade. With these events, the town
stopped growing and gradually a steady downward
decline began.***
McVille-This Yockanookany
River community was settled very soon after the
county was opened-up to settlement by the removal
of the Choctaws. The rich soil of the river
bottomland and the location on the Natchez Trace
was an attraction for many rich slaveowners. The
earliest known white settlers to live here were
the Dobbs, Glasses, Iveys and Easts, but they
moved on and left nothing of permanence to remind
us that they had passed this way. This community
comprises a strip of territory about three miles
wide and seven miles long. Lying west of, and
immediately along, the Yockanookany River this
strip was first known as Yockanookany; it was
named for the Baptist Church which was founded
around 1842. On the northern edge of the community
on the exact spot of the home of C. A. Ballard in
1936, there was once located a Spanish Trading
Post. Many Spanish coins were found at this
location in the past. A Trader told Mr. Owen
Sanders that, at the time he started his Trading
Post, he was the only white-skinned man between
the Tombigbee settlements and Mt. Salus, now
Clinton. There was also an Indian Arrowhead
Factory when the McMillian and Sanders families
settled in the early 1840's. This factory, as well
as a large burial ground for the Indians, were
located on the McMillan land, just one-half mile
east of the McVille store. Early settlers, many of
whom have direct descendants living here today,
were: Col. Enoch Sanders, who sold to J. T.
McKinnon and moved to Kosciusko; Mrs. Mary Burt,
whose father was Dr. Foreman, on of the earliest
physicians of the area, lived just south of Enoch
Sanders; Owen Sanders; Alsey Atkinson operated a
stagecoach inn here; Mrs. Anne Sanders owned a
small farm adjoining the Atkinson place on the
west; To the south was the home of Andrew
Searight, a raiser of fine stock and the
proverbial honest man; next was the farm of David
Sanders, being later owned by John Dear and Mrs.
Nancy Isaacs; William and John McMillan, related
to the Sanders' family, settled almost in the
center of the area. John died during the Civil War
and William became known as the father of the
sidows and orphans of the post-war period;
Jefferson Riley was the wealthiest man ever to
live in this section, owning over one hundred
field hands; after this comes the John Nash house,
better known today as the Sevier House. Out in the
western edge we find a group of Georgians, the
Cooks, Robys, Davis and Beauchamps. They were
wealthy and cultured people and identified with
every move for upbuilding their community. Dr.
Frederick Zollicoffer, a Swiss Baron, extensive
planter and slave holder, introduced mule-raising
to this section.
Religious activities were centered around the
Baptist Church. This church was one of the first
organized by the Baptist Demomination. It was
first a log house with a fireplace; next the
church was replaced by a one-roomed plank
building. It is now a large church with a large
sanctuary and several Sunday School rooms. There
are several cemeteries for the use of McVille; the
one at the church, the McMillan, or Isaacs,
Graveyard and the Dear Cemetery. There is also a
cemetery just across the road from the rear of the
Sevier Home.
After the establishment of Planter's Academy, the
community acquired that name and was so known for
almost fifty years. Before the organization of the
Academy, the children were taught in their private
homes. Planters' Academy was organized several
years before the Civil War. No man was even
considered for Superintendent of this school
unless he was a graduate of the Universary of
Virginia, or one of the leading New England
Colleges. This facility gave a course of study
that compared favorably with that given by Junior
Colleges in the 1930's. Consequent to the many
hardships that fell on the South after the War,
the Academy was abandoned, and this area had to
depend on make-shift four month schools for
educating their youth. Today there is no school at
McVille. There is the church and one store.
***
Mullenville
was located
nineteen miles southeast of Kosciusko on the
Madison County Line. It was named for Will
McMullen, who bought lots and built house and
store and secured a Post Office in 1906. He later
sold it to John Spain. The following is from an
interview with Mrs. J. W. Bailey in 1939: "Dr. J.
W. Bailey moved to Mullenville in 1909 and we
lived there for two years. At that time it was a
thickly populated community of mostly small home
owners. Most of the community lay in Madsion
County. Governor McWillie's old home at Kirkwood
was only a few miles away. The plantation
belonging to Dr. Albin was about two miles from
Mullenville, even though at that time he was
practicing in St. Louis. His son had come to
manage the father's farm, had fallen in love and
married a little country girl and took her back to
St. Louis. At this time Ulysses McDaniel ran the
store, and the one-teacher Line School was taught
by Miss Hattie." The last person who lived in the
house at Mullenville was John Wilson.
***
Multona
Springs was located three miles west
of Liberty Hill Church on the Rockport Road
between Liberty Hill and Liberty Chapel. Mr. Bob
Harris, a pioneer citizen, operated a store here
before the Civil War. He hauled goods to Multona
Springs from New Orleans and Yazoo City. For a
time, their was a Post Office at Multona Springs
as well. ***
Munson
was named for
Dr. Henry Munson who was one of Attala County's
earliest settlers, coming here from Evans Mills,
New York. He was already practicing medicine in
Kosciusko when his youngest brother Samuel arrived
in 1837. In 1845 Sam Munson married Ann Buchanan
Anderson and in 1860 built her a fine home three
miles east of Kosciusko on the old Knox Road. This
community became known as Munson and the
Yockanookany River crossing just below the
antebellum home as Munson's Crossing. For years
this area of the community was a paradise for
hunting and fishing. The Munson family lived in
the very beautiful house for over ninety years,
moving into Kosciusko in the early 1950's. Early
on 13 June 1975 the pre-Civil War building went up
in flames, the victim of an arsonist. In 1890 to
1919 the Munsons operated a saw mill, a grist mill
and a cotton gin. In 1880 Dr. I. A. Herring moved
near the railroad crossing, but he had his Dentist
office in town. Munson School was established
about 1919. New Progress School District was
established in 1924 and Munson was included.
Buffalo School, Church and Cemetery for Negroes
was located two miles northeast on Highway 12.
At
one time many industries are located on the
original 868 acres of lnad that at one time
belonged to the Munson family; namely, Sheller
Globe, a Drive-in Theater, the Moose Lodge (on the
old home site), pulpwood yards and nurseries.
***
New
Hope was named for the church
which was organized in 1859 and was located eight
miles east of Kosciusko. The Yockanookany River
bounds the community on the northeast; small
creeks running into the river make good farming
land. Williamsville lies southwest and the former
Joplin community is to the south. Early settlers
raised wheat, which they took to a flour mill
nearby. A Mr. Thompson, who lived north of New
Hope, also ground wheat. From an interview with
Mr. E. W. Dean in the late 1930's, Miss Ruby
Haynes wrote: "Up to the time I was fifteen,
people carded, spun and wove their own clothes.
Some wore cloth for sale. Steve Rimmer bought
jeans from my mother after he went into business
in Kosciusko." From the gravestone, we find Eswin
W. Dean to have been born in 1862. He and other
members of his family are interred in the
Brooks-Rimmer-Dean Cemetery on Highway 14 East.
John Joplin had a sawmill and grist mill here in
1865 but moved it to Joplin in 1880. Captain Henry
Jamison had a horse gin before the Civil War and
operated it until about 1865. Other such mills and
gins were run by Manzy Jamison, Sam Peeler and
Josuha Brooks at about the same time.
An old log
school house, located two and a half miles south
of the present site of New Hope Church, was used
before the Civil War. Peeler School, a
subscription school and located in a box house a
half mile northwest of the present church, was
taught by G. C. McCool and was in session for two
months in the winter and two months in the summer.
New Hope Public School, established before 1880,
was located on a community road one and a half
miles north of the present site; it was moved to
the location of the new church around 1910 and was
consolidated with Williamsville in 1938. At the
location of the New Hope School is a negro
graveyard. New Garden Public School for Negroes
was located six and one-half miles from Kosciusko
on the Louisville Road as was the Mount Vernon
Baptist Church. New Hope Baptist Church was
located two miles north of its present location in
1859; the church was moved in 1910. New Hope
Cemetery, formerly known as the Claiton Graveyard,
is located at the present church building.
Early settlers of the
New Hope community were: Jamisons, Claitors,
Deans, Boyettes, Brooks, McCools, O'Briants,
Rimmers, Whites, Pressleys and Davises. you will
find descendants of all still living in, or near,
the New Hope area.
NEW
PORT-The village of New Port is
located a few miles west of Bolatusha Creek. In
1812 Mrs. Rutherford and her son Franklin came
into this part of Mississippi, crossing the
Yockanookany River, nearly opposite where McVille
would someday be, and settled near the Indian
Village of Bolatusha, thus becoming the first
white settler in this area. After Mississippi was
admitted into the Union of States in 1817, and
particularly after Attala was organized as a
county in 1833, the Governement opened Indian land
in this area to homesteaders. On land just south
of where New Port would be established, a Stephen
R. Wilson homesteaded land in Township 12 Range 4
East as early as 1831. In the general vicinity of
what would become New Port, Joseph Wilson
homesteaded in February 1840. Franklin Rutherford
was granted a patent in February 1841 as was a
William F. Rutherford. Benjamin and Thomas Frasier
also homesteaded in February, 1841; Mr. Jeremiah
Ellington and Mr. Washington Ellington also filed
for land in February 1841. Jeremiah filed on seven
parcels while Washington filed on four parcels of
land. In December, 1840 William L. Wilson filed a
homestead claim. Mr. Asbury Wilson homesteaded in
the area in 1847, Mr. Steven N. Chennault
purchased a homestead in September, 1848 and Mr.
Robert McMillan was issued a land patent in
December 1849.
In 1854 the village of
New Port could be found at the cross-roads of the
Kosciusko and Goodman Roads and the Thomastown and
Sallis Road. This same year, ownership of the land
began to change. John Waugh owned the section, or
lots, where New Port became a town. At this time
Robert McMillan operated a store on the Waugh
property on the east side of the Sallis road. By
1869 Mr. Waugh had a store down on the Thomastown
Road at the top of the hill. Both of these stores
were built of rough lumber. In 1869 the first move
was made to develop New Port; John Waugh sold
seven acres to Samuel Martin and Martin sold part
to H. K. Barwick. They then worked together and
sold five business lots in order as named: William
F. Drennan, Samuel Martin, H. K. Barwick, James E.
Harmon and James W. Simmons. In 1871 Waugh sold
Dr. Kendall some land and Kendall got the original
McMillan store in the deal. By this time, two
other stores had been built south of the Dr.
Kendall property. Harmon and Stingley operating
the one in the corner and J. H. Buster and Brown
the other. Other owners of stores in the 1870's
were J. K. Roby, James Meek, Maddox and Hazlett.
Also in 1871 Fannie Stebbin bought a lot which she
later sold to Mrs. Emma Pearce. The school house
for this thriving town was located just north of
this lot. Mrs. Pearce sold her land to John
Simmons in 1874 and he had also owned a small lot
adjoinging the Pearce land. Somewhere on this land
was situated a Cabinet Shop, which built China
Cabinets. Other newcomers were; M. F. Harris, B.
D. Redmond, David Hemingway and wife Mary. The
Hemingways built a small house in the sideyard for
a New Port Post Office. Mrs. Mary Catchings
Hemingway appears to have been the only
Postmistress that New Port ever had, as the Post
Office was discontinued after 1904. Mr. David M.
Hemingway owned and operated a water mill on
Seneasha Creek to grind the meal used in the
surrounding area. Between 1871 and 1900 there were
twenty-one stores in operation in New Port. There
were two doctors, namely, Dr. Kendall and Dr.
Love. There was a Brick Kiln, a Cotton Buying
Platform and a Blacksmith Shop.
By 1898 lots of
changes had taken place; the railroad was
destroyed and stopped by the outbreak of the Civil
War. When it was rebuilt, the route was changed
and the line went six miles north of New Port and
through Sallis. The once booming little village of
New Port began to disappear, and in 1898 there was
only one store being operated. Today there are two
stores in the New Port community. The Salem
Methodist Church is also still there after all
these years. There was a school in the late 1800's
just northwest of the Hemingway home and Post
Office. Three of the teachers of this school were
Sally Commander, Annie Commander and Violet
Hartness, all unmarried ladies. The New Port
School burned in 1910 and the rest of the term was
taught in the Doctor's office. Before the next
school term, a new building was erected on the
west side of the George Hutchinson place. Some of
the teachers in this school house were Ab.
Sanders, Mary Gober, Beulah Neaves, Mamie White
and Elizabeth White. This building also burned in
the 1920's and the next one was built on Dave
Hutchinson's place. School was held here until
March 1932 and the last teacher was Miss Louise
Hutchinson. New Port was consolidated with McAdams
in 1932. ***
Newtonville
was a small
community located twelve miles east of Kosciusko
on the Old Wire Road; it was also just two miles
east of Doty Springs. It is not clear when
Newtonville came into being or exactly when it
ceased to exist. There is a reference to
Newtonville in an article in the Kosciusko
newspaper dated 11 November 1876 and another in
September 1879 when James F. McCool praised the
Tabernacle Methodist Revival. At this time the
McCools were still in Newtonville. Nothing more
can be said for Newtonville other than that the
community is
extinct***
.
Nile
was, of course, named for
Judge Niles. The community was located ten miles
southeast of Kosciusko. Two Lewis brothers, Oscar
and Jim, were the first landowners in this
community, having one hundred and sixty acres of
land under their ownership. They sold Jake Pickle
eighty acres in 1878, when he and Miss Nannie Doss
were married. The Lewises had built a small log
cabin in which the Pickles started their
housekeeping. The only other families there at
that time were Bailey Oliver, Tom Evans, John
Atkinson and Green Wells. Later settlers were:
Jasper Sanders of Winston County and his sons, Ode
and Rufe; Lazarus, Emmett and Walter Summers;
James Polk, Lyman Chipley and Jim Bailey. Most of
these early settlers still have descendants living
in the Nile area. Reverend Sam Easom established
the Nile Post Office and then sold it to Jim
Mills, who kept it for five or six years. Mills
sold to Oscar Stevens, who ran it until it was
discontinued about 1915. It was replaced with a
rural route from Dossville. Stevens also owned a
store, which was bought by Ode Sanders; this store
is still being operated today by Rhetta May
Sanders (1970's) and her brother, Arthur.
Line School on
the Attala-Leake County line was the first school
in the area; being located one and a half miles
southwest on the Dossville-Center Road.
Established around 1875 it was discontinued in
1909 when the Nile School was organized. In 1915
Beula and Cunnahoma Schools were consolidated with
Nile; in 1928 Nile moved into the Barnes District
in Leake County.
The earliest and
nearest church was Beula which was located one and
one-half miles northeast of Nile School. There was
no cemetery in Nile prior to 1924. The Nile Church
of Christ was organized around 1924 and services
were first held in the schoolhouse. After the
school was moved, a church building was erected
and in the late 1930's a cemetery was established.
Other cemeteries used by the community were Rocky
Point and County Line Baptist Churches...both in
Leake County. ***
North
Center- was twenty-two miles north of
Kosciusko and one mile south of Montgomery County
on the Vaiden-French Camp Road. It was called
Center before the Civil War, when the first house
was built one mile west. The house was a box house
with hewn stick chimney; in the 1870's the house
was moved one mile south and became a Public
School and was called North Center, to distinquish
from the Center south of Kosciusko. The school
remained this way until 1919 when it was
incorporated with Friendship District. Alex Amason
taught here. In 1935 part of the District was
transferred to Carmack.
Mitchell's Mill
was the first voting precinct and was located near
Zilpha. William Riley Briscoe had a sawmill, gin
and grist mill located near the second location of
North Center School. He is claimed by both North
Center and Zilpha communities. Dudley W. Harvey,
an early settler, was a chairmaker. John Curtis of
Boydston, Virginia moved to the area in 1834; he
was the father of William and Howell Curtis, who
helped organize Friendship Methodist Church. The
Curtis property including the Family Cemetery was
later purchased by W. I. Canon, who deeded one
acre of land for use as a cemetery to the trustees
of Friendship Church on 3 July 1913. Martin Van
Buren Tyler settled in the community near the old
schoolhouse in 1854. Andrew Jackson Strahan
settled one and a fourth miles from the school. E.
C. Brister settled a half mile from the location
of the school and he ran a store, sawmill and gin.
Other early settlers were Billie Smith, Joe
Campbell, Austin Harvey, Kennedy Bailey, Emphraim
Cannon and Lige Ellis. These people stayed put.
All members of the church are descendants of the
charter members, except the two Lower
families.***
Oakland
was a thriving
community between 1840 and 1870. Located eleven
miles northwest of Kosciusko at the crossroads
with the Old Rockport Road, it was settled about
1838. Oakland was extinct by 1900. Lumber was
first cut by handpower with a ripsaw by the Guess
family. There was also a grocery store, tin shop,
blacksmith shop and a saloon in the community. An
unsuccessful attempt was made to operate a
watermill on the creek. A small school was
established here in the 1840's. After the Civil
War a public school was kept up for several years.
Zebediah Guess moved here in 1835 and the Guess
Graveyard is three-fourths of a mile southwest of
the extinct Oakland School. Other early settlers
were Isaac Ellard, Thomas Land, William Teague,
Rigbys, Praters, Stovalls, Sweany and Cagle.
Cagle's Mill was located two miles east of
Oakland.
The old settlers
were pleasure-loving people, who raffled off
beeves and other products. They would pick a
target to shoot at, and the best shot won the
beef. Goose pullings were a popular amusement; a
live goose, or gander, was selected, its head and
neck plucked and greased and then hanged from the
limb of a tree by its feet. This tree would have
to be close to the road and the goose hung at just
the right height to be reached from horseback. The
contestants rode horseback down the road, pulling
the neck as they passed. Later, singings and
parties became popular. In the years that the
W.P.A. History was being written, Miss Ruby Hayes
wrote that "the land is growing up in pasture and
timber. None of the old residences can now be
found". ***
Oak Ridge
lies on a ridge
extending north and south, about fifteen miles
north of Kosciusko. The Oak Ridge Church is
located on this ridge which lies between branches
of Zilpha Creek. Oak Ridge is bounded on the north
by Montgomery County, the northeast by the Chapel
Hill Community, on the southwest by Liberty Chapel
and to the south is Shady Grove. According to the
Federal census Elder Joel N. Harvey was in Attala
County prior to 1840. He, his son Jasper Harvey
and his nephew Elder Louis Harvey were early
ministers to Oak Ridge Church. Jasper was also a
coroner and Ranger. Thomas Black owned several
hundred acres of Lnad; David and William Toole
were moneylenders before the Civil War. Other
early settlers were; Hal Pullin, Anderson Hubbard,
Thomas Holland, William Crossley and Coleman
Leonard. Soon after the War Captain J. F. Peeler
operated a gin and grist mill in the area. It was
waterpowered and changed to steam in 1900. Joe
Simpson and sons, James and Jones, settled after
the Civil War, as did J. S. Steen, W. A. Barr,
Thomas Townsend and W. Lafayette Bowles.
Oak Ridge School was
established in the 1870's and in 1939 was
consolidated with Shady Grove with part going to
the Friendship School and the Attala-Montgomery
line. Oak Ridge Primitive Baptist Church has had
three buildings with the third burning in 1939.
Oak Ridge Christian Church was organized around
1924, and in 1939 was holding services in the
former schoolhouse. Oak Ridge Cemetery is located
at Oak Ridge Church today.
A Post Office
called Tolerton was established in the early
eighties. It was named for the John Toler family,
who were also early pioneers. S. L. Heath kept the
Post Office in a side room of his house for ten or
twelve years. After it was discontinued, an office
was established at Wasson's Store and called
Creek. Before the Civil War the voting precinct
was called Burk's Box, but around 1899, was
changed to Peeler's Mill. It is still called that
today. ***
Pansy has
had two locations; the first one mile south of the
Old Wire Road and the second was located one and a
half miles south of the Kosciusko to Louisville
road and approximately sixteen miles east of
Kosciusko. The name was selected from a list of
names, which had been sent in by Doss C. Ray; this
was a name selected to be sent in by Ray's five
year old daughter Sallie. It was chosen as the
name for the Post Office because there was no
other by that name in the state. this was in 1899
and this Post Office was run there until 1907 when
the Post Office was moved a half mile south. At
this time Miss Ethel Ray became the Post Mistress;
she later married Allen Massey. Mr. Taylor
Reynolds and his family kept the Post Office for
awhile after the Masseys. In 1912 the Pansy Post
Office was discontinued for a rural route from
Ethel. Pansy School was located a fourth mile from
the Post Office and was established in 1908. Later
it was discontinued for consolidation with a
larger school. ***
Pilgrim's
Rest was located thirteen miles
north of Kosciusko and seven miles northwest of
Ethel on a community road. The community was
settled years before the War between the States.
The date of the organization of Pilgrim's Rest
Baptist Church is uncertain. The earliest date of
death on a marker in the church cemetery is that
of Leonard Rice, who died in April 1857. This fact
proves that the community was in existence at
least that early.
Ben Clark had a
horse-powered gin, located one and a half miles
southeast of the church; it was in operation
before, and during, the Civil War. Early
personalities were: Elisha Toler, Ezekiel Veasy,
William Veasy, Tom Beach, Leonard Rice, James
Brunt, A. J. S. Monk, Edmund Kirk and Coleman
Leonard. There was no recorded school in the
community, so far as can be determined. Shady
Grove was three miles west, Liberty Chapel was two
and a half miles east, Oak Ridge was four and a
half miles north, Forrest was two and one-half
miles southwest and Stonewall was three or four
miles south.***
Pilgrim's
Rest School was located two miles north
of Zama. It was established before 1887 and is now
extinct. The school was located on Kyle Creek,
being a branch of Lobutcha River. There was a
school here, but in 1905 Ayres and Pilgrim's Rest
schools were consolidated. The Protestant
Methodist held their services in the
schoolhouse.
There was an old
water mill near the schoolhouse, and it was used
to run a gin and grist mill by Samuel Ray, one of
the earliest settlers of the area. James Brown was
living here in 1855 as was an officer in the
Confederate Army during the War. James' brother
Judson Brown was also an early resident; so were
the Thrashers, Norris and Mangrums.
After Zama began
to grow and operate as a lumber town, many of the
land owners sold out their interests and moved
into town. In 1939 Sam Peeler owned all the land
in the immdediate area and was permitting it to
grow up in timber. All the old homes were deserted
and falling down. ***
Plantation
was located five
and a half miles east of Kosciusko on the railroad
and on the Yockanookany River. It was so named
because of the large plantation of James F.
McCool, which was used as a Flag Stop on the
railroad. Mr. Alford had a saw mill there for five
or six years; after it was shut down, the Flag
Stop was discontinued. Plantation School was
closed in 1937 and Plantation Church was moved to
old Highway 12 around 1938.***
Pleasant
Ridge Community was first
settled around 1837 and was located just a few
miles north of the present Highway 12 west of
McAdams. It can be reached by turning right at any
of the Sallis intersections after passing Bluff
Springs Trading Post. Apookta Creek is the
division line between Pleasant Ridge and
Springdale communities. The church was organized
on 25 May 1847, according to church records, but
"old timers" contend it was started in 1837 and
the One hundredth anniversary was observed in
1937. The original building was a log structure
located about three miles north of the present
church. The story goes that the logs from the
original structure were used as sleepers when the
new church was built around 1877. This is when S.
J. and Martha Ann Russell deeded six acres and
also two acres to include the springs and pool to
Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church. The church, so
named because it was built on a ridge and
surrounded by beautiful shade trees, is still
active.
Pleasant Ridge was
settled by many industrious people. Turpin Atwood
had a factory which manufactured gin stands,
ginned cotton, ground flour and meal. It was run
first by water and then a large steam boiler with
two flues was installed at the mill, which was
still in operation in 1874. Cain's Mill was a gin
and grist mill which was built in 1842. It was
water-powered and was the origin of Cain;s Lake.
All of the dirt being hauled out with
wheelbarrows. In more recent years the lake has
been known as Crawley's Lake. On the old Durant
highway south of the creek there was a water grist
mill with an overshot wheel. Records show that the
first owner was named Teakle and the second was
Stovall. Mr. A. J. Campbell and Mr Webb Hughes has
a sawmill, grist mill and gin from approximately
1865 to 1895. Mr. Ed Hughes built a horse gin,
sawmill and grist mill soon after the Civil War;
he converted them to water-power from 1885 til
1895. H. J. Weeks had a steam sawmill, grist mill
and gin. When Breathwitt put in a big sawmill
here, Weeks sold out. This mill operated for about
four years, or until 1919 when all the timber in
the community was used up. Jim McAdams had a
steam-powered sawmill and gin. Needless to say,
that with all the gins and mills, there must have
been a lot of cotton, wheat and corn being grown
in this area of the county.
Jim Dodd settled near
the Steeds and worked as a foreman in Atwood's
Factory. Jack Spear from North Carolina was here
very early as a foreman of slaves. Charlie England
was one of the early settlers. Mr. J. C. Temple
ran a store one mile north of the old Durant Sand
Road. It was kept first in his house. In 1900 he
secured a Post Office and later built a separate
building for the store and Post Office. The name
that Mr. Temple suggested was not accepted because
there was already a Post Office by that name in
the state. It is not known what his original
choice was. However, Temple then suggested
"Earlyville" because "we have to get up early".
The Earlyville Post Office was kept here until
1906 when it was discontinued for a Sallis rural
route. J. C. Temple invented a spraygun for use in
painting bridges, house tops and barns; afterwards
he moved to Greenwood to supervise the painting of
bridges and other structures. His father Mr. A. F.
Temple had moved to the community in the 1870's.
Besides the Pleasant
Ridge Baptist Church cemetery, there was also a
Morgan Graveyard, which was located two miles east
of the church. There is also a negro church and
cemetery near the Pleasant Ridge Church. Bethlehem
School and Cemetery were also nearby.
A subscription school
taught by Mr. Haddick and called Haddick's School
was established soon after the War between the
States. It was built of logs and had a huge
fireplace and wooden shutters. Benches were split
logs with pegged legs. There was no blackboard and
slates were used for all written work. Pleasant
Ridge Public School came into being in 1874 and
was situated one mile east of Pleasant Ridge
Church. The school was a box building and judged
fairly good for the time. The first teacher was
Ovie Edmond. This school had seven different
locations...one building was moved five times and
there were two other new buildings. Mr. G. W.
Gunter suggested that "the school be put on wheels
so it would be easily moved". The final location
was east of Earlyville Post Office and for a while
a good eight-month school was conducted with M. G.
Campbell as Principal. But progress caused it to
be consolidated with McAdams in 1928.
Other early settlers
to Pleasant Ridge not before mentioned were Amos
Richardson, Sam Teague, Joe Yates, Reverend Benton
McAdams, and A. G. Noah, who was appointed sheriff
and then elected for two terms. G. W. Gunter came
to Attala County around 1840 as a hog-drover,
helping drive a large drove of hogs from
Fayetteville, Tennessee to Natchez. He went back
to Tennessee, accompanied by A. G. Noah, to kidnap
the two children of his deceased sister from their
alcoholic father. One of these little girls, who
was brought back on a pillow, was later married to
William Campbell. ***
Possumneck-The small village of
Possumneck is located in the western part of
Attala County. This unusual community is a neck of
land which lies between Big Black River on the
west, Sharkey Creek on the east, Sharkey and
Apookta Creeks on the south and Rocky Point on the
north. The early settlers came from the Carolinas,
Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee. There are no
definite records as to when these people first
began to migrate to this area, but land grant
records show that in June 1835 Duncan McMillan,
Elisha Sharp, Anthony Winston and Byran Whitehead
acquired acreage; in 1847 a Mr. White acquired
nearly two hundred acres. Olive C. Woods and
Thomas Anderson purchased land in the Indian
Reservations. During this period Robert Cade lived
in the community and served as Sheriff of Attala
County from 1839 to 1845. Prior to 1847 the area
was commonly known as "The Neck", taking its name
from the shape of the land.
Before the War between
the States there was a place on the Big Black
River bluff known as Rockport. This was where
travelers crossed the river. Some of the travelers
continued on westward, and some came to buy slaves
at an auction which was held just across the
river. Sometimes floodwaters forced the travelers
to camp and wait for the waters to recede. At one
time there were several stores at Rockport,
including a saloon. A famous race track called
Bucksnort was built here. To pass away time the
men played poker, bet on the horse races, gambled
on anything and sometimes fought just for the fun
of it. This caused the place to be known as the
"Dark Corner" of the county. It is assumed that it
was here the community got its start. These people
liked a good time and nearly every weekend there
would be a social gathering, or square dance at
the log schoolhouse or in some home. From all the
reports of the "Old Timers" some of these parties
were rough and wild. Outsiders were not welcomed;
many times these visitors were rudely and roughly
shown the way out of the "Neck".
W. M. Herod was
living in the northern part of the community about
this time, and he was known as "King Herod".
During a term of court in Attala County a case was
called up before the Judge which involved some of
the boys from "The Neck". King Herod was referred
to and the Judge asked what he was King of. The
witness replied, "Oh, Judge, you know the Neck
where we catch all them possums". The Judge gave a
laugh and replied, "Oh, yes, King of Possumneck".
Thus was originated in 1847 the name of
Possumneck.
Soon after the Civil
War many new people came to possumneck to make
their homes. Among these were: Felix Cade, John
Evans, J. W. Dean, Robert Rigby, J. M. and M. M.
White, E. A. Love, J. W. Seawright, Samuel,
Nathan, Levi and John Murff. Alfred, John W. and
Thomas Guyton, Lawrence Cherry, E. A. Ercanback,
J. M. Weeks and J. C. Alexander. In 1875 Allen
Rhodes Weeks and his brother John came from the
Soringdale community to build their homes. These
homes are still standing today. In the late 1880's
the Weeks brothers built and operated a saw mill,
grist mill and cotton gin. John Weeks did not like
the mill business, so he went back to farming. His
oldest son, Joseph Allen Weeks, joined the uncle
in the mills. The Possumneck store was built for a
Mr. Cochran to run, but by 1890 Allen and Joe
Weeks bought the business from Cochran as they
needed the availability of supplies for the mill
workers. For years the store operated under the
name of A. R. Weeks and Company. It was in this
store that the Possumneck Post Office was
established on 18 October 1893 with Joseph Allen
Weeks as Postmaster and his sister Emma as
Assistant Postmistress. The Post Office was closed
on 14 September 1905 and replaced by a rural route
from West Station. In the late 1920's W. A. Henley
came to work in the store and in 1934 bought the
store business. The store was closed in May 1966.
Possumneck has become
widely known because of the outstanding Tennessee
Walking horses which are trained and shown from
the Possumneck Stables. In late 1940 this unique
enterprise was started when the Charlie Maddoxs
bought their first brood mare; her colt proved to
be a real show horse by the name of Governor
Wright. The stables were named the Joe Annis
Stables for the niece and nephew of Mrs. Maddox.
Jimmy Holloway came to the stables as trainer in
1954 and in 1971 he bought the stables and
additional land in Possumneck. Jimmy trained
horses for other people at the Holloway Stables.
. People from all over the United States
visited there, and a sign outside the stable read,
"Visitors are always welcome". He died in 2011 and
his son, Randy, sold the
residence
The first school house
was also used as a meeting house for the people of
Possumneck; this house was made of hand-hewn logs.
The school's location was moved many times. Once
close to Smyrna and once was known as North West
School. Miss Bettye Ayers was one of the teachers
in the late1800's and Mrs. Whit Weeks taught there
in the early 1900's.
Unity Baptist Church
was built in 1885; the old wooden building was
replaced in 1954 with a brick house. This church
was built by local men with no indebtedness
against it. The community has give cemeteries:
Smyrna, Unity, Guess, Thornton and Armstrong.
Possumneck citizens are proud of their community;
the place that has excited the curiousity of every
one that hears the name,
Possumneck.***
ROCHESTER
MILL -
The mill at
Rochester Mill was built in 1848 by William B.
Thompson, T. S. Rosamond, Charles Clark and Sam
Rosamond. The engine was fired by Jim McMillan, a
slave whose master had hired him to the mill for
that purpose. His master was probably Daniel
McMillan, an early settler of this area. At one
time Jim fired the engine forty days and nights in
succession, reminiscent of the Great Flood of
Noah's day. This was during the Civil War; Jim was
a very effecient engineer and, it seems, no one
else could be found to take his place.He thought
he could do the firing and take a nap between
fifings, but it caused his nerves to crack. He
could not go to sleep, and it required two
doctors, G. W. Galloway and another, to finally
put him to sleep. The boiler was a fifty
horsepower with two flues. It had been hauled from
Yazoo City. Each flu was ten feet, or more, long
and eighteen inches in diameter. The engine was
governed by what is termed a "butterfly". Wood was
used for fuel, and a wagon load of ten foot poles
was required to fire it.
There
were lumber mills, flour mills, a grist mill,
cotton gin, carding mill and bedsheet factory
located at Rochester. A Mr. Holly operated a grist
and flour mill here and in the 1850's Rochester
Mill was such a boom town that it even had a
hotel. The community of Rochester Mill was located
near the old Kosciusko to Greensboro Road. There
were two large springs which formed the headwaters
of Taylor Creek, running Scoobichitta into Zilpha
and on into the Big Black
River.***
Rocky Point –
The little village of Rocky
Point was situated twelve miles northwest of
Kosciusko on the old Rockport Road. The old
Rockport Road crossed the Big Black River at a
bluff which was called Rockport. Sharkey Creek
runs through this little community and Apookta
Creek runs in to Big Black. It was a hilly flint
rock section which had its beginnings in a tanyard
which was erected in 1842 by Armstrong and Black.
Sources indicate that at one time, "twenty-one
head of cattle were exempt from taxation, hence
the farmers always had a number of beeves to
butcher. The hides were tanned on shares, or
exchanged for leather. Many of the farmers knew as
well how to make a shoe as how to run a furrow.
The tannery was sold in 1843 to Benjamin F. Rowe,
who erected a home and a store. In the same year a
jew by the name of Marks sold goods in this store,
and then Bartain Evans ran the store for a while.
About this time a Post Office was established at
Rocky Point. In 1847 Williamson McAdory bought the
store and the surrounding farms. In 1850 Cooke and
Thweatt were issued a license to sell liquor at
this place. Rocky Point then became a popular
place for marksmen; many shooting matches were
held here. It was also the "muster ground" for the
county for many years.
Other industries
at Rocky Point over the years included the
following: Jim Shanks and Jim Richberg had a
tanyard. They made fine leather boots and saddles.
They made shoes by taking orders and they, most
likely, furnished leather for the Confederate
Army. They had sale houses for the distribution of
their goods, and the tanyard was still in
operation as late as the 1890's. Jim Cade has a
horse gin before Dr. Land bought it and converted
it into steam. Matt Rigby and Williamson McAdory
operated gins in the community for a few years
before the Civil War. J. W. Ratliff operated a
steam gin and mill around 1908.
Dr. Riley taught
the very first recorded school. Thomas Guyton
taught school in Smith's School near Rocky Point
before 1867 when he married. A house for an
Academy was built and high school was taught in
the early 1870's by Bob Cochran. The first
schoolhouse was constructed of logs with a huge
fireplace, which used logs eight feet long as
fuel. Out of the fire one day ran a long
rattlesnake which frightened the girls. The boys
could not succeed in killing the snake; they only
made it mad. So the teacher went outside, got a
small stick and killed the snake. School
continued! Public School was moved to Hesterville
in 1920.
No church was ever organized
in this community. Graveyards that had been used
in the early days were the Wiley Green and the
Kimes Graveyards. Neither were still in use by
1939; however, there was and is a negro church and
cemetery there. ***
Rutherford
was a very
rugged and broken country and was named for the
Rutherford family. Mr. Frank Rutherford moved into
the community in 1879; he had four sons and three
daughters, and all made their homes there. The
community was formed around 1904 from parts of the
New Port and Zemuly School Districts. It was
located on the old New Port to Thomastown Road,
being located fifteen miles southwest of
Kosciusko. It was one and a half miles southeast
of New Port and one and a half miles southwest of
Zemuly. The community of Rutherford was only a
half mile from the northwest corner of Leake
County.
A small public school
was established around 1912 for the convenience of
the Rutherford children. This school had been
located across the line in Leake County and called
Fisher School but was moved into Attala, while the
Leake side of the district transferred to Venitia
Grove School. The Rutherfords had constructed a
small house for the school, and when it was
destroyed, an old dwelling was used for the school
until the lack of children caused it to be closed
sown. The old dwelling was said to have been used
as a cow barn. A Pentecostal Church organized
since then, and located about two hundred yards
from the site of the school, was called Cow Barn
Church.
Cemeteries used
by the residents of Rutherford were the McLean and
Salem Cemeteries which are located near New Port.
***
Sallis-
Twelve miles
west of Kosciusko in the western part of Attala
County is located the town of Sallis. Sallis, as a
town, was not established until the building of
the railroad in 1870. The community that was to
become Sallis was first settled by Dr. J. G.
Sallis in 1848. Before the creation of the town of
Sallis several communities were established
nearby, namely the communities of Attalaville,
Bluff Springs and New
Port.
In 1840 a
Baptist Church was built in Bluff Springs and was
originally known as the Bluff Springs Baptist
Church, and then renamed the Long Creek Church.
The nine charter members were Henry and Ally
Brown, James and Mary Smith, John G. and Marshall
Ashley, James Simmons, W. H. Terry and Mary
Teague. Reverand W. N. Nash was the first pastor
of the newly formed church. This church would, in
time, become the Sallis Baptist
Church.
In the 1870 Dr.
Sallis donated land for the construcion of a depot
and utilizing convict labor, the construction of
the Mississippi Central Railroad was begun. With
the coming of the railroad changes began to take
place. The locating of the town on the railroad
had its advantages and disadvantages. The
convenience of transportation was welcomed by
some. On the other hand, the three thriving
communities of Attalaville, Bluff Springs and New
Port were, as a consequence, by-passed by the rail
line, and in a relatively short time, had wasted
away. These small outlying communities tended to
move in toward the railroad and the consolidation
formed the town, which was named Sallis for the
Sallis family.
By 1872 Sallis had become
the shipping center of a large cotton production
which had formerly been taken overland to be
shipped from Yazoo City, or Manchester, as it was
known in earlier days.
With the increase in the population it became
necessary to form a government and the
community of Sallis was incorporated as the town
of Sallis. The main street of town was called
Lloyd Street after the beloved Baptist preacher,
William Butler Lloyd. The street fronting on the
railroad tracks was called Front Street. At that
time, Sallis consisted of twelve or more General
Stores, a Blacksmith Shop and Livery Stable. With
the decline of cotton and timber, Sallis too, like
its former neighboring communities, would begin to
fade a little from its former
glory.***
Sand Hill
was probably
settled around 1885. It is located about twelve
miles north of Kosciusko and a few miles east of
Highway 35. It is bound on the north by Carmack,
on the east by Macedonia, on the south by
Hesterville and on the west by North Union. The
father of A. F. Daniel operated a horse gin here
very early and A. F. Daniel operated a steam saw
mill, grist mill and gin. Dr. Robert Smith had a
harse gin before the Civil War. Hock Brister lived
in the community until 1900 when he moved to
Texas. The Turnbulls came into the Sand Hill
community from Georgia; they later changed their
name to Trimble. Ira Greer and Tom Singleton and
Gabe Conner moved into the area about 1886. Conner
was Chancery Clerk of Attala County in 1893 for
one term. William Perry Rigby moved into the area
in 1889, lived here for thirty-two years and
served as Justice of the Peace. Dr. Rufus Heald
lived on mile south of Sand Hill at the
crossroads, having moved here in 1898, for twelve
years. Mr. Joe Smith, who was reared in Sand Hill,
was a religious leader. Andy Wiltshire lived here
for ten years, from 1899 to 1909, and ran a store.
Reverend T. L. Oakes, a Methodist minister with a
reputation as a singer, lived here in the Sand
Hill community for forty years before his death in
1939. Jim Downs moved into the community in 1898;
John Alexander lived here for thirty or forty
years. There were also Penders, Hodges, Thorntons,
Weavers, Monroes, Crows and many others. Sand Hill
and New Salem Churches serve the area for worship
and funeral needs.
***
Shady
Grove-There were so many little
Post Offices, churches and schools that it is
difficult to draw any clear and distinct borders
for the community of Shady Grove. There was Wells,
Langley, Sims and Liberty Chapel. So many of the
early settlers have been claimed by too many other
communities. Wasson's Tanyard was established
after 1852 between Liberty Chapel Church and the
Shady Grove Church; it lay between the homes of
John A. and Eliza B. Copeland Wasson and their
oldest son, William John Wasson. The owner and
operator was William John Wasson, who was a
tanner, a schoolteacher, a farmer, a Methodist and
a Mason. In his tanyard raw hides were tanned and
made into shoes and other leather products. In
1870 the Wassons also established a steam-powered
saw mill, grist mill and cotton gin. On 8 December
1874 a boiler in the tanyard exploded, killing the
owner. For three years his father-in-law, John
Toler operated the tanyard. W. J. Wasson had
established a Post Office before 1870; it was kept
there until 1877, when John Toler moved it a mile
north to near the Rockport Road. Toler resigned in
1878 and Amos Allen was Postmaster from 78' to
1890 with the location on the Greensboro Road. In
1906 it was discontinued for a Rural route.
Newton Copeland
Wasson, brother to William John Wasson, was
engaged in many varied enterprises. He was a
traveling circuit Preacher, a farmer, as well as a
saw mill and cotton gin owner. He had three sons
who made preachers and a daughter who was a
Missionary. He was the first Wasson to be buried
at Shady Grove Methodist Church. His parents and
other family having been laid to rest at Liberty
Chapel.
Other early settlers gleaned
from the tombstones in the Shady Grove Cemetery
are: N. G. Almon, whose wife, Anna was buried
there in 1877; Hohn H. Boyett, whod died in 1878;
Elisha Treadway lost his wife Mary C. in 1879; as
did David Dees lose his Sarah E. in 1880; Reverend
Newton Copeland Wasson was buried in November
1883; Lou Sims Wilson, John W. Ryals and Taulula
Alsworth in 1884; Turner S. Price in 1890; J. H.
Toler in 91' and Cornelia Alice Sweatt in
1895.
As
industries closed and schools were consolidated,
people began to move away; the migration from
farms to town began in earnest. Today there
remains the Methodist Church and Cemetery and the
Community House. For awhile a few years back there
was a store with a Bookmobile Stop. The Community
Club is one of the best in the county and keeps
Shady Grove from "dying on the vine", as have so
many others in "yesteryears". (note: this was
penned in the 1970's time-frame.)
***
Shrock
is located in
the extreme southwestern corner of Attala County,
about seven miles from Goodman and eight miles
from Pickens. Crossing the Big Black River swamps
and heading south, the scenery begins to change
gradually from the low flat bottom lands to hilly
red clay hills covered with hardwood and pine
trees. In this region, the view is not too
different from the mountain foothills, and has the
same beauty of high ridges and fascinating
hollows. The roads have not gashed through the
countryside but rather have flowed with it, not
making for the fastest travel but certainly for
the most interesting and beautiful. The face of
the country seems to have changed little from the
time Captain Joseph K. Shrock rode into it in the
1850's with his wife Caroline Fitler and their six
children. He purchased twelve hundred acres of
land, built a house and reared his family; and in
so doing, established the community of
Shrock.
During the dark
and stormy days of the Civil War, he built the
Shrock Methodist Church, giving the land and the
building to the Methodist Conference. The church
stands as a landmark today, and still has an
active congregation. In 1962, the 100th
Anniversary of Shrock Church was a very special
event. Surrounded by a community of needy people,
during the War between the States, the Shrock
grist mill was the means of relieving a lot of
suffering. This mill also supplied meal for the
Yankee Soldiers. Having a practical knowledge of
physic, Joseph Kilpatrick Shrock ministered to the
physical needs of the community where medical help
could not be obtained. He was respectfully known
as Captain Shrock. In 1865 he built a general
merchandise and drugstore with two sons as
partners; Hal Fletcher Shrock and William Fitler
Shrock. Will was a pharmacist, educated in
Pughkeepsie, New York. It was at this store that
Mrs. Ellen Marshall Ratcliff Jordan bought the
medicines which she used in her "Midwifery". Ellen
Jordan is buried in the Shrock Cemetery, where the
H. H. Schrock family lie. There must be a
connection as Absalem J. Ratcliff, her first
husband, was listed in the H. H. Shrock household
in the 1860 Leake County census. As a conservative
Democrat, Joseph Shrock represented Attala County
in the Mississippi Legislature in 1875 and 1876.
He was a charter Mason. His wife preceded him in
death in 1882 and he died at Shrock in 1897. His
six children spent most of their mature life in
Attala County.
On 7 April 1888,
William Fitler Shrock applied for location of a
Post Office which was established at Shrock on 8
May 1888 with W. F. Shrock as Postmaster. He would
be the only Postmaster to serve the community. The
Post Office was discontinued in 1911, having
served a community of approximately 2,000 persons
listed on the first application. Among those
having lived in the Shrock community were the
Riley's, the Dr. Covington's, the McAtee's, the
Terry's, the Parker's, the Mabry's, the Hearst's,
the Allen's, the Clower's, tje Carson's, the
Thomas', the Ousley's, the Fitler's, the Burden's,
the Smith's, the Hanna's, the Simpson's, the
Holly's, the Mitchell's, the Burwell's, the
Donald's, the Fleming's, the Hemingways's, the
Paulette's, the Branch's, the Dickerson's, and the
Williams'. Millard Fillmore Williams was a first
rate schoolteacher and taught in this area until
his death. His widow, Ella Colton Williams,
married C. T. Dickerson and Shrock became their
home. The community still boast of the renoun
personage of Dr. Blance Colton Williams being from
Shrock. Also, author Wirt Williams Jr.
Many descendants
of the early settlers live around Shrock today.
Mrs. Ellis Arnold is the daughter of the late John
Burwell. The Suggs Mabry family is another of the
old families. Others are the Porter's, the Noel
Covington's and the McCrory's. Joe Burden is the
descendant of the late Will Burden. Mr. McDaniel
is a grandson of the Clower's. At Senasha we find
the Smithson's who are descendants of the Parkers
and Allens. Judge John F. Allen was Circuit Judge
for Attala for many years and was known for his
fair and impartial verdicets. His wife was Miss
Nannie Parker and was a Past Grand Worthy Matron
of the Order of Eastern Star for the State of
Mississippi. "Miss Nannie" was the daughter of
Elijah B. and Eudora Roper Parker, who celebrated
their Golden Wedding Anniversary on 19 December
1916. Present with them on this occasion was Harry
and Elvira Stewart, married fifty years, and
William amd Martha Herrin, married almost fifty
years. Living in the old Allen home is Eudora
Allen Smithson; nearby is the modern home of Pat
Smithson, who is the great grandson of the
judge.
Joe Shrock, Jr.,
now deceased, was the last Shrock still
living in the community; his home being one of the
two original Shrock homes. It was at this
home that his mother, Lula Williams Shrock,
decorated the huge natural tree each Christmas;
people came from many miles to see it. This house
is over a hundred years old and was approriately
named "Oak Trees" because of the huge oaks that
surround it. It was from "Oak Trees" that Mrs.
Shrock wrote the news for the Star Herald for sixty
years. It stands on a hilltop in front of the old
store house.
At the intersection
of three roads, nestled in one of the hollows of
Shrock, the old store still stands. It has been a
voting precinct throught the years. It only comes
alive on voting days. The grist mill and the
cotton gin are gone. A little further down the
tree covered road is the second of the two Shrock
homes; it is owned by members of the Shrock family
and has been restored to its former classic
Pillared style. Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Bunch live
there now.
The Shrock
children attended a private school, which Captain
Shrock built at the same time as the church. The
daughters went from this one-room school to
Grenada Cllege and ole I.I. & C., now
Mississippi University for Women and became
teachers.
This is Shrock. A
place of fond memories, a place to call home for
the Yesterday generations, a joy for those Today
people and a hope for those Tommorrows. "Shrock
still survives, but has seen better days". The
Senasha Creek still flows, and overflows.
***
Sims
was located
about two miles south of Shady Grove around 1900.
The Post Office is not extinct. The Post Office at
Sims was first kept by Oscar Johnson, who
mysteriously disappeared and supposed to have been
murdered. The the offcie was moved a short
diatance to the home of George Toler and kept by
him until 1902, when he sold out and moved away.
The next location of the Sims Post Office was
about two miles south, and the Postmistress was
Mrs. Sue Collins, who after one year decided the
job was too much for her so she gave it up. The
final location was at the intersection of the
Rockport and Greensboro roads at the home of Dick
Reeves. Reeves kept the Post Office until it was
discontinued for a rural route from Kosciusko.
***
Smyrna
is located on
Paley Creek on the Center Road. The community was
named for the Smyrna Presbyterian Church. The
earliest grave marker in the church cemetery is
that of Joseph C. Graham, buried in April 1869.
Other Grahams seem to be the earliest people to
have been buried there. S. N. Graham died 3
December 1885; W. C. Graham died 12 May 1890; both
have Masonic emblems on their tombstones. John L.
Graham, son of S. N. and E. Graham, died 25 August
1883, aged 26 years, 9 months and 16 days. This is
the burying place of the Chennaults; Stephen N.
was born on 17 January 1818 and died 3 December
1881; his wife, Charity Allen was born Valentine's
Day of 1827 and died February 1913. There were
many other Chennault descendants and their
relations. Thomas Woodson Conn born in 1853 and
died in 1934 lies with both his wives; Mollie S.
Channault, wife of Thomas was born in 1858 and
died in 1901 and Maggie Pickle Conn born in 1871
and died in 1914. Here lies Elias Phillips and his
wife, Mary. Elias taught school in the first
public school at Smyrna which was located in the
Smyrna Church in 1875. Before this there had been
a private school taught by Mr. Council Scoggins.
This may have been Cooper's Institute, but this
could not be confirmed. There was a Col. F. C.
Cooper who served in the Confederate Army and who
is buried in the Smyrna Cemetery. Others who lived
and died here are: Jesse Ferguson, Willie Furr,
Elias Simmons, James B. Owen, Irvin Owen, G. W.
Furr, John R. Pinckard and James Wilson
Gilliand.
Jerusalem
Baptist Church was organized in 1849 with the
Reverend W. W. Nash as the pastor. In the minutes
of the church of April 1850 it states: "Jerusalem
Church is to be thirty feet square of hewn, or
split logs, raftered and covered with three feet
boards. It is to have two windows, two doors, or
more is necessary, seats amd a pulpit. Brother
Garner M. Dotson is appointed to oversee the work,
which is to be finished by August." William W.
Pettit deeded the property, where the present
church is located, in 1891. There are five
generations of the Pettit Family active in
Jerusalem Church today.
A Methodist Church
was organized in the Presbyterian Church building.
In 1901 a church house of their own was erected,
but around 1936 the congregation was absorbed by
other denominations and the building was
removed.
Industry in the
Smyrna Community did not vary greatly from that in
other parts of the county. The Parker Brothers had
a gin run by horse power; later, Phillips and
Chennault operated a gin which was discontinued
around 1855. The Pettits' gin was of a similar
kind. Grom 1895 until after 1939 the Chennault's
steam-powered mill and gin was in operation.
Other teachers
in the community were Mr. A. R. Reynolds, Mrs.
Ellen Phillips Shumaker and Miss Bettie Ratliff at
Smyrna and Mrs. Mary Phillips, kin of Elias was
once a teacher at Jerusalem. In later years the
schools were consolidated with Williamsville and
with Barnes over the Leake County line. Family
names in Smyrna Community from 1850 until 1900
were; Bell, Boyett, Brooks, Chennault, Culpepper,
Day, Dickens, Dodd, Doss, Dulin, Fletcher,
Franklin, Gregory, Hollingsworth, Horne, Jamison,
Hohnson, Kershaw, Lawran (Lawrence), McAdams,
McClain, McClanahan, McCool, Newlin, O'Briant,
Peeler, Pettigrew, Pettit, Proctor, Quarles,
Reynolds, Sills, Taliaferro, Wheat, Wilson and
Wilkerson. These go in conjunction with those
already named. ***
Smyrna
#2-This Smyrna was located about
fouteen miles northwest of Kosciusko just north of
Highway 14. Established long before the Civil War,
the community has been all but extinct since 1930.
Smyrna was a hilly community with a small stream
known as Smyrna Branch. Big Black River was known
as Smyrna's west boundary. Smyrna was once a
prosperous and populous area. Some of the most
important families in the county hae once lived
here; Squire Hyman, William Gordon, D. T. Guyton,
John Evans, F. E. Cagle, Bob Cagle, Joe Cade, Col
Davis, J. A. Campbell, Joe and Richard Cross. Wash
Ammon had a small steam saw mill one mile
northwest of Smyrna before the Civil War. D. H.
Rhyne operated a saw mill at the same place from
1920 to 1930. In the eighties there was a Garner's
Gin about three miles north of Smyrna.
Smyrna Methodist
Church was established long before the Civil War
and was one of the oldest in the county.
Gravestones tell us some of the first to be buried
here. Campmeetings used to be held here. Smyrna
Graveyard is located at the site of theold church
and is still being used today. There is an unnamed
burying ground on the old Cade Place two and a
half miles north of here, and the Old Hyman
Graveyard is a helf mile west of Smyrna Cemetery.
Two miles east of here on the Harvey Thornton old
homeplace is the Thornton Graveyard. The church
was discontinued before a school was established,
so the building was repaired and used as a school
around 1908. In 1920 it was consoldiated with
Possumneck. ***
Springdale
lies in a
rolling hilly section which slopes to Apookta
Creek, along which lies very good bottom land. To
the west lies Possumneck, to the south is Pleasant
Ridge, to the east was Center Point and to the
north and northeast for several miles lies a
broken hilly, thinly settled section, which was
so-named because of the several good springs in
the area, located some ten miles northwest of
Kosciusko.
A box type school was
built here about 1868, being used for both
education and salvation purposes. A public school
was established about eleven miles from Kosciusko,
moved a mile and rebuilt in 1898. This two-room
school was used until 1920, when the school was
moved another mile closer to Kosciusko on the
public road. In 1928 the school was discontinued
and the students transferred to Kosciusko.
Gallilee Public School for Negroes was located
about two miles northeast of Springdale Baptist
Church in 1939. Mount Zion Negro Church and School
was located on the West Road about six miles from
the county seat.
Springdale
Methodist Church was probably organized earlier
than the Baptist, but both denominations
worshipped in the school house for several years.
When the Farmer's Grange was organized in the
community in 1874, the Grangers helped to build
the Methodist Church, a two-story building with
worship on the lower floor and Grange meetings on
the upper. Captain Dave Love donated land for the
church and cemetery, which lies just south of
Highway 14 about two miles west of the present day
Baptist Church, behind the Dean home. The
Methodist disontinued worship services prior to
1939 because there were not enough of their faith
in the community to support the church.
Springdale
Baptist Church was organized in 1868 at the
location of the Springs at the old schoolhouse.
Later, a church house was built at the Springs; it
burned in 1931. The schoolhouse was still being
used as a Baptist Church in 1939, but since that
time a new modern brick has been erected, along
with a nice pastorium.
Henry Musslewhite
donated land in the eastern part of the community
for the Musslewhite Graveyard. It is
well kept and has always been used by the other
families in the Springdale Community.
Reverend Jimmie
Scott, Primitive Baptist Minister and Pastor of
Scott Creek Labanon Church across Apookta Creek,
lived near Springdale in the early days of the
county and sold the land to Capt. Love. Henry
Musslewhite had a small water mill in the early
days of settlement. Zack Ratliff bought his land
early from a Mr. Wingo who had lived there. A
bridge, built before the Civil War of hand hewn
white oak timber, was the only bridge in the
section and was called Wingo Bridge.
In early 2011
tornados tore through Springdale. Springdale
Cemetery was virtually
destroyed***
.
Steele
was located one and one half miles east of McCool.
The railroad station at Steel was in Attala County
while Beulah Church and School were in Choctaw
County. The community was located on the Aberdeen
Branch of the Illinois Central Railroad, on the
Ackerman public road and on the Yockanookany
River. It was named for the Steele family. Henry
Steele and his wife, Sarah Catherine Grigg Steele
of South Carolina settled in the area around 1840
and the community of Steele grew around their
plantation.
Other early settlers
in this area of the county were; John Lane and his
wife and Carlisle Black, his wife, Betsy Pool
Black and their children. Milton Black (Carlisle's
brother) and his wife Fannie A. Winters Black and
their family accompanied Carlisle to Mississippi
from Alabama (1842), but settled further north in
the Bear Creek area. Middleton Pool, Betsy Pool
Black's brother would in time join his sister in
migration to Attala. He and his family removed
from their home in Pickens County, Alabama to
Noxubee County, Mississippi in the 1840's and then
on to Attala in the 1850's.
Beula Baptist Church,
located east of Steele, is on the Choctaw County
side of the Steele community and was organized
just before the outbreak of the Civil War. Charter
members of the church were John and Elizabeth
Bowie, Henry and Sarah Catherine Steele, Carlisle
and Elizabeth "Betsy" Black, Milton L. Black (son
of Carlisle Black), and his wife, Narcissa E.
Black, George Edleman and wife, Newton Reagan and
wife, and John Brown and his wife.
An early Masonic
Lodge, originally known as the S. C. Conley Lodge
#283, was chartered on January 26, 1866 and met in
Conley's Mill half way between Steele and McCool.
The first installed officers were; S. C. Conley,
Worshipful Master; Milton L. Black, Senior Warden;
John McKnight, Junior Warden; Robert J. Bowie,
Senior Deacon; J. J. Bishop, Junior Deacon; and
Amzi Weeks, Tiler. At some point the lodge became
known as the McCool Masonic Lodge #283. In 1927 a
new two story lodge was constructed and meetings
were held there on a regular basis. If the lodge
still existed it would be celebrating its 136th
year.
Many of the
early settlers to this area were buried in the
Beulah Cemetery except for the Brown's who moved
to Kosciusko and Milton and Fannie Black who are
buried at Bear Creek. ***
Tabernacle
was founded before 1840. Tabernacle located five
miles southeast of Ethel, is part of the Old
Turkey Creek Community. It was named by Stephen
Rone. The terrain is rolling hills with small
streams providing good land. Bounded on the north
by Turkey Creek and Carson Ridge, on the southeast
by the Providence Community, on the east by Doty
Springs and on the west by New Hope. Louis
Pressley, with sons, Tom, Charlie and Levi, had a
water mill before the Civil War. Tom Burchfield
kept fine horses and had dogs trained to find
runaway slaves. Isaac Rone and brother, J. S. Rone
came from South Carolina in 1869; they ran a saw
mill, gin and grist mill, which was first water
and then steam driven. These mills in operation
from 1876 to 1933 were claimed by both Carson
Ridge and Tabernacle communities. Amos Wheeless
had an old horse gin in the seventies and
eighties, which later changed to steam. In the
1870's A. G. Lowery came in a wagon from Alabama,
bought virgin timber, stayed sixteen years and
left with $25,000 clear. In 1897 Lloyd Rone had a
Shingle Manufactory on Turkey Creek; it turned out
many thousands of heart-pine shingles every
day.
In searching the
gravestones of the Tabernacle Cemetery it can be
determined that these individuals were among the
early settlers: M. R. Ballard, born in Franklin
County, Georgia in 1820 and died in Attala County,
Mississippi in 1889; Isaac S. Rone, died in 1892
and his wife in 1887; Stephen Burkes born in 1831
and died in 1892; John W. Burkes, born in 1826 and
died in 1907; Samuel J. Russell and John Plyler,
both Confederate Soldiers; William Hiram Akins,
born in 1829 and died in 1903; L. Vina Laney Akins
died in 1894. Much can be learned about any
community by searching the tombstone
records. ***
Tank
was located five
miles east of Kosciusko on the Ethel Road. The
Tank School was a very early school and was taught
first by E. A. P. Lucas. It was taught secondly by
W. W. Sinclair. Sinclair came here around 1850
from South Carolina and then went to Browning
School to teach after 1875. Tank Church was a
Primitive Baptist one. They had a good building.
The Grangers also met there. The church was
discontinued around 1875. The cemetery in back of
the Old Tank Church was where most of the early
families buried. Some of the earliest settlers
were R. M. (Gum) Williams, J. K. Lanbkin, Green
Browning, Murdock Baine and Ben
Rook.***
Thompson
was located on
Turkey Creek about fifteen miles east of Kosciusko
on the Ethel to Louisville Road. Providence bounds
it on the north. Carson Ridge on the west,
Edgefield on the east and Doty Springs on the
south.It was established around 1970 and was named
for the Elisha Thompson Family, which orginated in
Georgia but came here in 1866 from Illinois.
Sherrill Thompson settled near Eisha's home on a
place with good, clear springs. In 1939 this water
was still being used and was known as Sherrill's
Springs. Other important settlers with descendants
still living in the county are Robert P. F. Doty,
John Aiken, G. W. McCool, Sr., the Middlebrooks
and the Donaldsons.
Thompson Public
School, established in 1880 was taught
continuously for over sixty years. Harmony Baptist
Church was first located in the Thompson School
building. The church house wa erected around 1885.
Cemeteries are located at Harmony Church and at
Donaldson's Graveyard one and a half miles
southeast of Ethel. ***
Valena
– The village of Valena was situated on
Big Black river, on the western part of a
plantation formerly owned by Silas H. Clark.
It was a regular stopping place for flatboats from
other points on the Big Black. The first
sawmill in Attala county was built at this
place. The village had two or three stores,
a blacksmith shop, and a grog shop at the time of
its great prosperity. As all of the citizens
of this place are probably dead, the writer could
gather but few facts concerning its
history.
Concerning this place Mr
Harman writes as follows:
“I
can do no more than give you its location, as its
birth and death occurred before my memory of
passing events began. None to whom I ever
applied for information relative to it, was able
to enlighten me. As it was years ago that I
sought this information, it would be utterly
futile to prosecute an inquiry of that nature now;
for I doubt if there is one in a hundred of the
inhabitants who live in the neighborhood of its
site knows that there once existed such a
village. The vestige of the village having
disappeared years ago. I recollect when I
first saw the place, when I was a boy, one
solitary roofless old log house, well on the road
to total decay, marked its site. The site of
the village is about eight miles southwest
(approximately) of Attalaville and about one and
one-half miles east of southeast (approcimately)
of Goodman.”**
**Extract taken fromPublication of the
Mississippi Historical
Society,
By the Mississippi Historical Society, Edited by
Franklin L. Riley, Secretary, Volume V, Oxford,
Mississippi, 1902, pgs 317-320, from chapter
entitled “Extinct Towns and Villages of
Mississippi” byFranklin L. Riley
Submitted by Debora Reese
*** "Kosciusko - Attala
History", Chapter 18 (by Joyce Williams
Sanders), published by the Attala
Historical Society in the late 1970s.
Submitted by Lisa Goss Owens
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