Forgotten Towns & Villages of Claiborne County, Mississippi

Extract taken from Publication of the Mississippi Historical Society, By the Mississippi Historical Society, Edited by Franklin L. Riley, Secretary, Volume V, Oxford, Mississippi, 1902, pgs 329 - 330, from chapter entitled “Extinct Towns and Villages of Mississippi” by Franklin L. Riley

Grand Gulf [1]– The town of Grand Gulf received its name from the great whirlpool, or gulf, formed by the striking of the current of the river against a great rock.  Flat-boats were often caught in this gulf and held for a day or two, unless pulled out by steamboats.  The course of the river finally changed to the westward and left Grand Gulf to die.

The Grand Gulf Advertiser was a weekly paper, published at this place in the 30’s.  A file of this paper for the years 1835 to 1839 is in the Library of the University of Mississippi.

As late as 1858 or ‘9 Grand Gulf was a town of 1,000 or 1,500 inhabitants.  It was for years an important business place, being the shipping point for Port Gibson, which was ten or twelve miles to the southeast.  In order to facilitate communication between these two towns the Port Gibson and Grand Gulf railroad was built at an early date.  The wharf at Grand Gulf was crowded with cotton from Copiah, Hinds, and Claiborne counties.  This place was incorporated by the Legislature in February, 1833.  Other facts, referring especially to the charter of this town bear the dates December 1833 and 1848.

Brandywine[2] – The village of Brandywine was situated in Claiborne county about twenty miles southeast of Port Gibson.  From 1830 to 1838 this place contained five business houses and salons and a hotel with thirty-two rooms for guest who visited the springs of their health.  The proprietor of the hotel was called “General Nichols”.  Early in the 30’s this place was a very popular health resort for people from different parts of Mississippi and Louisiana.  Among the large number of citizens living near this place were the Bridges, who removed there from North Carolina in 1828.

The popularity of Brandywine springs as a health resort began to wane early in the 40’s and this sealed the fate of the village.  The present Brandywine consists of a church, a store, and post office, and a few other buildings.

Buckland[3] – The town of Buckland was situated in the southwest part of Claiborne county.  By 1836 this place had almost disappeared, only three or four houses being left to mark its former site.  Certain topographical changes having rendered it difficult of access, its business was transferred to the south side of the bayou which extends along the southern boundary of Claiborne county, where the town of Rodney sprang up.