A history of Mississippi : from the discovery of the great river, Part 50

Author: Lowry, Robert, 1830-1910; McCardle, William H
Publication date: 1891
Publisher: Jackson, Miss. : R.H. Henry & Co.
Number of Pages: 674


USA > Mississippi > A history of Mississippi : from the discovery of the great river > Part 50


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).


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B. F. McWhorter, W. T. Holmes.


B. A. Rogers, C. F. Bowls, J. W. Willis, D. Alsup.


J. L. Morphis, J. M. Burton, B. F. Mc- Whorter.


C. B. Mitchell, S. H. Wood.


C. B. Mitchell, S H. Wood.


C. R. Wharton.


Thomas Stockstill. Gilbert G. Horton, B. F. McWhorter.


Jas. Gordon, Jeff. Wilson.


Jeff Wilson, C. S. Robertson.


W. W. Finley, N. M. Berry.


Jeff. Wilson, Z. M. Stevens.


T. J. Crawford, Jas. Gordon.


C. B. Mitchell, M. L. Henry.


S. H. Pitts, Jeff D. Potter.


PRENTISS COUNTY


Was established April 7th, 1870, and named in memory of Sar- gent S. Prentiss, the distinguished lawyer, statesman and peer- less orator of Mississippi. It was formed out of territory taken from Tishomingo, and the act creating it provided for an equita- ble distribution of the school and other county funds, and that the new county should pay its proportion of the then existing debt of Tishomingo.


The names of the first settlers in what is now known as Pren- tiss county appear in the record of those in Tishomingo. The first State Senator from the county was Governor J. M. Stone, and the first Representative in the Lower House, Hugh M. Street, who was elected Speaker.


36


562


HISTORY OF MISSISSIPPI.


Prentiss is an excellent county of lands and the people fairly prosperous.


The princial towns in the county are Booneville, the county site, Beulah, Baldwyn, Old Cairo, Ema, Carrollsville, Marietta, Hickory Plains, and Hazel Dell.


The streams of this county form the headwaters of the Tom- bigbee river, among which are Rigs, Brown, Hurricane and Twenty Mile creeks.


The Mobile and Ohio Railroad traverses the county from north to south.


Prentiss has 56,030 acres of cleared land ; average value per acre, $3.72. Total value, including incorporated towns, $291,- 674.


The population as shown by the census returns of 1890_ Whites, 10,767 ; colored, 2,912 ; total, 13,679.


SENATORS.


REPRESENTATIVES.


1872-73 John M. Stone.


Hugh M. Street, C. B. Curlee.


1874-75 John M. Stone.


Hugh M. Street, J. L. Reese.


1876 John M. Stone.


Hugh M. Street, W. I. Gibson.


1877-78 John D. Bills.


Hugh M. Street, W. I. Gibson.


1880 John D. Bills.


Turner Bynum, W. H. Reese.


1882 F. M. Boone.


B. A. P. Selman, W. H. Reese.


1884 F. M. Boone.


B. A. P. Selman, T. H. Underwood.


1886 F. M. Boone.


B A. P. Selman, J. P. Carraway.


1888 F. M. Boone.


E. Alexander, H. H. Ray.


1890 C. Kendrick.


E. Alexander, W. Y. Baker.


CHAPTER XXXII.


QUITMAN COUNTY


W AS established February 1st, 1877, and named in memory of Governor John A. Quitman. By the terms of the act, authority was conferred on the Governor to appoint county officers who were to hold their respective offices until their suc- cessors were elected and qualified.


Quitman being a new county, its history and the names of the pioneers who first located in the territory now comprising it is interwoven and to be found in the counties out of which it was formed, Coahoma, Tallahatchie and Panola, mainly out of the former.


The towns in the county are Belen, the county site, and Marks.


The streams are the Coldwater river, which runs through the center of the county from north to south, Hopson's and Opossum bayous and Indian creek.


Quitman county has 10,277 acres of cleared lands ; average value per acre, $11.23 ; total value, including incorporated towns, $119,059.


The population as shown by the census report of 1890-whites, 888; colored, 2,397 ; total, 3,285.


SENATORS.


REPRESENTATIVES.


1878


James B. Perkins.


1880


W. J. Nelson.


1882 G. W. Gayles.


T. C. Furgeson.


1884-'86 John J. Gage.


L. Marks.


1888 J. N. McLeod.


J. A. Reed.


1890 J. N. McLeod.


J. A. Cooper.


RANKIN COUNTY


Was established February 4th, 1828, and was named in memory of Christopher Rankin. It was formed out of that portion of Hinds county lying east of Pearl river.


John Brown, William Steen and Elijah Gentry were appointed


564


HISTORY OF MISSISSIPPI.


commissioners to locate the county town and contract for the building of a court-house and jail.


The town was named Brandon, in honor of Governor Gerard C. Brandon, and became famous in an early day as the domicile of the Brandon Bank.


Among the early settlers of the county were Isaac B. Norrell, who has two sons now residing in the county, Jesse S. Nor- rell, the present venerable County Treasurer, approaching his eightieth year, and Thomas Norrell, who has served the county in the Legislature ; William Steen, Robert Steen, Silas Steen, who was probably the first sheriff of the county ; John R. Enochs, Archie Laird, John George, the Webbs, Thomas Bird, Simon Williams, Joel Lewis, Henson Williams, John Rankin, Wright Fore, Daniel Fore, Joseph Bennett, for a number of years Chan- cery Clerk, and subsequently State Senator ; Robert Wofford, R. G. Crozier, General T. J. Coffee, who served as State Senator ; Washington Coffee, Dr. Samuel M. Puckett, James Neely, W. Jones, Beasly Campbell, Wiley R. Parker, who was probably the first Clerk of the Circuit Court ; John Griffith, the Purvis',. Nehemiah Magee. A few years later, were Col. William H. Shel- ton, (president of the famous Brandon Bank), Dr. S. C. Farrar, who was an eminent physician, and subsequently enjoyed an ex- tensive and lucrative practice in the city of Jackson, was the. father of Mrs. Hunter, the wife of the distinguished divine, Rev. Dr. John Hunter, of Jackson; Joseph A. Furgeson, who served the county acceptably for many years as circuit clerk, and is still living at the advanced age of eighty-four years ; Major Robert Maxey, who for more than a third of a century was a leading and successful merchant ; he left a large family of chil- dren, some of whom still reside in the county ; one son, Thomas Shelton Maxey, is now a Judge of the United States Court in the State of Texas, appointed by President Cleveland. Judge Maxey is an able jurist, a cultured gentleman, and wears the judi- cial ermine with credit to himself and honor to the Lone Star State; Daniel W. Wilkinson, the grandfather of the young men, Daniel W. and Guy Wilkinson, merchants in the city of Jack- son ; Henry F. Shelton, for long years a merchant and subse- quently sheriff of the county ; Wm. C. Harper and Andrew Harper, twin brothers, the former a lawyer of distinguished ability and scholarly attainments. His widow, now eighty-three years of age, lives at the old homestead, and a son, Captain Wm. A. Harper, and a daughter, Mrs. Livingston Mims, reside in At-


565


HISTORY OF MISSISSIPPI.


lanta, Georgia, both of whom are persons of rare culture and ex- tensive information ; Dr. Wm. Reber, a physician of marked in- telligence, who has a number of descendants in the vicinity ; Drew Fitzhugh, who served the county as Chancery Clerk for a number of years, and the father of the able and worthy President of the Whitworth Female College, Lewis T. Fitzhugh, referred to else- where ; John B. Burke, James Gardener, Rufus Hardy, Andrew King, Dr. Jno. W. King, who served as Speaker of the House of Representatives ; Thomas S. White, who represented the county in the Legislature, and left surviving him three sons, the eldest of whom, Dr. Henry White, is a prominent physician, practicing his profession in Brandon ; John S. Gooch, Z. P. Wardell, Wm. Cooper, Richard Cooper, who served twelve years as District Attorney ; Rev. Hiram Jones, a Baptist minister widely known and greatly respected for his Christian virtues; was the father of W. H. Jones, a former member of the Legislature from Smith county, and the late Jesse Jones, clerk of the courts of that county, and the step-father of Sol. Dobson, the present worthy and efficient sheriff of Rankin county ; Starling Jones, Jere- miah Russell, John and Ehpraim Russell, the Rhodes', embrac- ing a large family-two of whom, of the younger members, Lewis D. and Samuel P. Rhodes, filled acceptably the office of sheriff of the county ; the Myers', Kersh's, and Colliers', large families that settled in the eastern part of the county ; Captain Seymour, A. P. Miller, who accumulated a large fortune-father of Charles C. Miller, a prominent lawyer of the city of Meridian, and George Miller, who resides on the old homestead ; Joseph Hudnall, who made a comfortable fortune previous to the war ; Isaac Alexander, L. W. Petrie, Alexander McDonald, who served as Probate Judge ; Col. John S. Hobson, a gentleman of comfortable fortune, who served the county many years as Presi- dent of the Board of Supervisors; Col. Richard Hobson, subse- quently a leading merchant in Jackson ; B. F. H. Lamb, (for forty years depot agent at Brandon) ; Gabriel Shelton, Frank Lynch, Judge James Finley, the father of Col. Luke Finley, a distin- guished lawyer in the city of Memphis, and Hon. Geo. P. Finley, a prominent lawyer in the city of Galveston, Texas ; Dr. John A. Pearson, Dr. M. W. Phillips, W. M. Laban, and Washington Taylor, Tidus Lane, Captain Thomas Shelton, John B. Lewis, who represented the county in the Legislature; Dr. French, Lewis Batte, William H. Batte, who served the county in the Legislature ; the Ross', F. H. C. Dent, David Williams, William


566


HISTORY OF MISSISSIPPI.


Denson, George N. Langford, Sr., and his son Judge George N. Langford.


Brandon, the county site, is among, if not the very highest point from Vicksburg, via Jackson, to Montgomery, Alabama, and unsurpassed in point of health.


Brandon was for years the terminus of the Vicksburg and Meridian railroad, and the trading point for several adjacent counties, during which time it was by far the most important commercial point in the eastern counties.


It has always maintained and supported a superior female school. The Brandon Female College has for a quarter of a century been presided over by Miss Frank Johnston, who is one of the most thorough educators in the State. She has devoted her life to teaching, and it may be said without disparagement to others, that she has, in the pursuit of her profession contributed more largely to the intelligence and culture of the vicinity than any other person that could be mentioned.


The towns in the county are Brandon, the county site, Steens Creek, Cato, Pelahatchie, Fannin and Armstead.


The principal streams are Pearl river, Steens, Mountain, Campbells, Purvis, Richland, 'Tumbalo, Pelahatchie, Funny- gusha and Red Cane creeks.


The Vicksburg and Meridian railroad runs through the county from east to west.


The lands of the county average well, and by good cultiva- tion give generous yields.


There are 124,711 acres of cleared land in Rankin county, the average value of which, as rendered to the assessor, is $3.91 per acre. Total value of cleared lands, including incorporated towns, $618,773.


The population of this county as shown by the census report of 1890 : whites, 7,454 ; colored, 10,467 ; total, 17,921.


SENATORS.


REPRESENTATIVES.


1829 Henry W. Vick.


Alexander Chisholm.


1830 Henty W. Vick.


Nehemiah McGee.


1831 Jas. F. Trotter.


Thos. J. Coffee.


1833 Geo. Higgason.


N. G. Howard.


1835 Stephen Cocke.


N. G. Howard.


1836 Stephen Cocke.


Thos. J. Coffee, Dr. J. W. King.


1838-'39 Thos. J. Coffee.


1840-'41 T. J. Coffee.


1842-'43 Geo. T. Swann.


1844 Geo. T. Swann.


1846 Geo. T. Swann.


1848-'50 Dr. I. V. Hodges.


T. P. Ware.


Robert Maxey, Elisha Stephens.


Dr. S. C. Farrar, J. Y. McNabb. Francis J. Lynch.


1837 Thos. J. Coffee.


Sam'l M. Puckett, Dr. J. W. King.


Dr. Jno. W. King, Samuel M. Puckett.


Daniel Fore, Samuel M. Puckett.


567


HISTORY OF MISSISSIPPI.


1852 Joseph Bennett.


Thos. S. White.


1854 Joseph Bennett.


Joseph M. Jayne.


1856-'57 B F. Reynolds.


Joseph M. Jayne.


H. R. Ware.


1861-'62 I. M. Quinn.


1865 Robert Lowry. .


. 1866 Robert Lowry.


1867 Jesse Ellis.


1870 Joseph Bennett, Chas. Cald- well.


Thos. S. Maxey, G. N. Langford.


1871 Joseph Bennett, Chas. Cald- G. N. Langford, Thos. J. Catchings. well.


1872-'73 Joseph Bennett, Charles Robert Lowry, Dr. S. D. Robbins. Caldwell.


1874-'75 Joseph Bennett, Charles J. W. McFarland, Wilson Hicks. Caldwell.


1876-'77 Amos. R. Johnston, J. Francis T. Gayden, Joseph M. Jayne, Jr. L. McCaskill.


1878 W. A. Montgomery, J. L. Pat Henry, S. W. Robinson. McCask ill.


A. J. McLaurin, T. N. Norrell.


1882 Wm. Ratliff, Jas. D. Stew- art.


Wm. Buchanan, J. D. W. Duckworth.


1884 Jas. S. Eaton.


1886 Wm. Buchanan.


1888 Wm. Bachanan.


1890 Dr. J. H. Hill.


Jno. Russell, Jno. R. Enochs.


Jno. Russell, W. O. Norrell. L. H. Babb, Henry L. Jackson.


Pat Henry, W. A. Loflin.


SCOTT COUNTY


Was established December 23d, 1833, and was so named in honor of Governor Abram M. Scott. The commissioners appointed to organize the county were John J. Smith, Gilbert D. Gore, James S. Jolly, Samuel Hawthorn, Morgan McAfee, F. Carr, Joe Bogan, John R. Dunn, D. W. Hopkins, Sr., John P. Smith, Robert Laird, James Boykin and James Furlow.


The following persons were appointed by said commissioners members of the board of police : John Dunn, James Russell, Wade H: Holland, Stephen Berry and Jeremiah B. White. The board met on the 7th day of April, 1834, and organized by elect- ing John Dunn, president, and Stephen Berry, clerk pro tem.


The first election held in the county was on the 18th and 19th of April, 1834. John Smith was elected sheriff, and Nicholas Finley, clerk. The first probate judge was Wm. Ricks. The first county site was Berryville, three miles south of Forest.


Volney E. Howard, a gentleman of varied accomplishments, by profession a lawyer, a native of Maine, was the second mem- ber of the Legislature from Scott county. After the adjourn-


1858 B. F. Reynolds.


1859-'60-'61 I. M. Quinn.


H. R. Ware, Duncan McRae.


W. C. Harper, W. H. Batte.


W. K. Easterling, Geo. W. Brooks.


W. K. Easterling, Geo. W. Brooks.


1880 Wm. Ratlift, Jas. D. Stew- art.


568


HISTORY OF MISSISSIPPI.


ment of that body, he remained at Jackson, and in connection with his brother, Bainbridge Howard, purchased the Mississip- pian and edited that journal for some time. Owing to political differences he became involved in a duel with Joseph Boschell, a bright man and journalist, in which the latter was seriously wounded. For similar cause he fought a duel with ex-Governor Runnels and was himself seriously wounded. Mr. Howard filled the position of law reporter with credit to himself and honor to the State. He left Mississippi long years ago and located in Texas, from which State he was elected to Congress. Subse- quently he removed to California, where he became prominent and distinguished as a lawyer, and where he died last year.


The following were among the early settlers of the county, to-wit: Major R. W. Roberts, who is remembered as a prominent and worthy citizen, and elected to Congress before the formation of Congressional Districts ; John J. Smith, Landon Butler, Dun- can Smith, George D. Keahey, S. J. Denson, Stephen Berry, Jonathan Summers, Alfred Eastland, Abner Lack, Meshack Pat- rick, Joseph Hunt, William Ricks, J. B. White, J. M. Finley, Cullen C. Coward, Thomas Segreath, Gabe Fields, Thomas Slay, Isaac Carr ; the late A. B. Smith, familiarly known as "Dick Smith," son of John J. Smith, was the first white child born in Scott county ; he was regarded by his professional brethren as an excellent criminal and land lawyer ; was the father-in-law of Col. Thomas B. Graham, who is now, and has been, for fourteen years, chancellor of the eighth chancery district.


The county site was established in 1836 at Hillsboro, which was well located, and grew to be a prosperous, thrifty little town. The courthouse remained there for thirty years, when it was removed to Forest on the Vicksburg andMeridian Rail- road, which is a trading point for a considerable area of country.


In addition to the towns mentioned in the county, there are Morton, Lake and Harpersville ; the two first are immediately on the Vicksburg and Meridian Railroad, and do a very satisfactory mercantile business. Harpersville is especially noted for its educational facilities ; it does now, and has for years, maintained a most excellent school, which is liberally patronized by the people of the surrounding country.


The principal streams in the county are Strong and Leaf rivers ; Tuscalameta, Tala Bogue, Nutuckala, Shockala and Coffee Bogue creeks.


569


HISTORY OF MISSISSIPPI.


The Vicksburg and Meridian Railroad runs through the county about twenty-five miles.


The bottom and prairie lands produce well, and the hill lands by fertilization give remuncrative crops. The people are con- tented and prosperous.


Scott county has 42,238 acres of cleared land; the average value per acre as rendered to the assessor, is $5.38. Total value of cleared lands, including incorporated towns, is $305,164.


The population of this county as shown by the census report of 1890 : Whites, 6,917 ; colored, 4,700 ; total, 11,617.


SENATORS.


REPRESENTATIVES.


IS35 IS36


IS37 Oliver C. Dease.


1838 Oliver C. Dease.


IS39 Oliver C. Dea-e.


Robert W. Roberts.


IS40 John C Thomas.


Robert W. Roberts.


1841 John C. Thomas.


Robert W. Boberts.


1842 John C. Thomas.


Robert W. Roberts.


IS43 John C. Thomas.


Robert W. Roberts.


1844 Simeon R. Adams.


John J. Smith.


IS46 Simeon R. Adams.


A. H. Metcalf.


IS48 O. R. Singleton. -


A. H. Metcalf.


1850 O. R. Singleton. .


A. H. Metcalf.


1852 O. R. Singleton.


David R. Jones.


IS54 Wm. Mc Willie.


S. J. Smith.


1856 S. J. Denson.


S. J. Smith.


I857 S. J. Denson.


IS58 S. J Denson.


1859 J. R. Davis.


David R. Jones.


David R. Jones.


Mathew Lyle.


Thomas B. Graham.


John G. Owens.


John Gaddis.


IS74-'75 T. B. Graham.


J. G. Crecelius.


Green B. Huddleston.


Green B. Huddleston.


A. C. Farmer.


Mathew Lyle.


Mathew Lyle.


Joseph H Beeman.


Joseph H. Beeman.


Joseph H. Beeman.


Joseph H. Beeman


SIMPSON COUNTY


Was established January 23d, 1824, named in memory of the late Hon. Josiah Simpson. Westville, the county site, was named in honor of Col. Cato West.


By an act of the Legislature approved February 1st, 1825, the


.


1865-'66-'67 Mathew Lyle.


1870-'71 Thomas J Hardy. I872-'73 John Watts.


1876 T B. Graham.


1877 H. C. McCabe.


1878 Asa R. Carter.


1880 Asa R. Carter.


1882 Thomas Keith.


1884 Thomas Keith.


1886 R. P. Austin.


ISSS R. P. Austin.


IS90 A. M Byrd.


Jeremiah B. White.


Volney E. Howard.


John Dunn.


Robert W. Roberts.


E. Rush Buckner.


J. W. Wofford.


1860-'61 J. R. Davis. IS61-'62 Oliver A. Luckett.


570


HISTORY OF MISSISSIPPI.


place designated for holding courts in the county was the house of William Gibson.


On the 27th of January, 1827, Westville was declared the per- manent county site, and that the several courts of record should thereafter be held in said town, at such place as the sheriff should provide until a courthouse could be erected.


Among the first settlers of the county was a man by the name of Vaughn, for whom Vaughn's creek was named. He was fol- lowed soon after by the Briggs family, one of whom, James Briggs, was at an carly day elected sheriff of the county ; his wife survived him, and lived to be nearly one hundred years of age ; she was the great-grandmother of A. J. Raglan and Mrs. J. I. Bishop, who now reside in the county ; James McDuff, a man of thrift and energy, built the first mill on Vaughn's creek ; Jacob Keen and Elder James Powell, a highly esteemed Baptist minis- ter, lived near the location made by Mr. Vaughn ; Beasly Camp- bell was an early settler, for whom Campbell's Creek was named ; he was the grandfather of Dr. Noah Gibson, who still resides in the county, and of Mrs. Dr. Wm. Finch, now a resident of Texas. The lands on and adjacent to Campbell's Creek now support a thrifty and industrious population, among whom are some of the descendants of the early settlers, notably, the Sinclairs, Colquo- hoons and others ; Pipkin Smith was among the first settlers on Silver Creek, nearly seventy years ago, and although within fifty miles never visited the State capital; Tobias Smith, German Berry, Rev. James Murray, Eli Myers, Jeremiah Fortenberry, Isaac Fortenberry, Willis and Wilson Huekaby, James M. Dam- pier, who was a member of the Legislature for several terms ; Henry Beasly, Lewis Hollyfield, Elbert and Gilbert Shivers, John P. Toler, Isaac Newsom, E. Downs, at one time probate judge of the county ; Wm. Gates, Wm. Drummonds, Joseph Lane, Levi Banks, M. A. Banks, who served the county some years as clerk, and also in both branches of the Legislature, resided near this stream. Prior to the organization of the county John Berry, the ancestor of many of that name in Simpson, settled on Silver Creek, also James Bogan, Rev. Frances Walker, W. T. Brown, Owen Weathersby and Stephen Gardner ; Phillip Magee, who has numerous descendants now in the county, located at an early day on Good Water Creek; John Price, Benjamin Thornton, Archie McCullom, D. A. McLaurin, J. C. McLaurin and James Lee and the McIntyres were among the first settlers on Bowie. John Graves, Joseph Carr, Duncan McLaurin and Jacob Grubbs


571


HISTORY OF MISSISSIPPI.


were early settlers on Skiffa. John McElhaney, Eggleston Overby, father of Peter Overby and the late Geo. W. O. Overby, and Abram Cook, opened farms on Rocky Creek.


The first settlers on Strong River were David Bishop, father of Jas. I. Bishop, now a merchant in Westville, and others in the county ; John Phillips, the Alfords, David Quinn. Jas. Mc- Caskill, Jas. Taylor, the Lees, William May, who served the county as probate judge, and whose son, Albert Q. May, has served several terms as sheriff and clerk of the county, and was a popular candidate in 1889 for State Treasurer; Jas. May, Bed- ford Gates, Rheasa Kennedy ; the Ponders, the Laytons, David Womack, Brewster Jayne, L. C. Gibson, T. J. Perkins, Lewis Harper, Alex McNair, father of Hon. John E. McNair, who was for a number of years circuit judge of the district, and the father of Hon. Alex. C. McNair, member of the Legislature from Lincoln, and R. W. McNair, present sheriff of Lincoln county ; Peter Hubbard, Eli Smith, John Gregory, Nathan Bush, Matthew Thomas, Templeton Tullis, Wm. Hayes, Asa Miller, Nathaniel Goff and Dempsey Touchstone, the latter the father of G. P. Touchstone, who served acceptably as probate judge of the county, and has reached his three score years and ten, and is much beloved by the people of the county. The Judge's father built the first gin in the county. John Richardson erected the first mill on Limestone Creek. The Barlows, Barbers, Jonathan Bass, Edward Brown and Thos. Hilton.


Stephen Tullis was sheriff when the county was organized, and was succeeded by Daniel S. Farrington. C. K. Brown was one of the first clerks. Brewster H. Jayne was among the first probate judges, and represented the county in 1838 and 1839. J. R. Mendenhall, who served the county as probate judge and one term in the Legislature. Franklin E. Plummer was the first lawyer who located in Westville and the third Representative of the county, and was afterwards a Representative in Congress ; Gideon Ryals and John Hayes, the Suttons, the Durrs, Albrit- tons, Mangums, Pattersons and Moores were among the early settlers, as was Hon. Green Fenn, who served acceptably as probate judge, and was highly respected in the county.


J. K. Stratton was a native of Massachusetts and made his ad- vent into Simpson as a shoemaker. He was successful at his trade and devoted such time as he could spare to the study of law, was admitted to the bar and did a reasonably good practice. He subsequently was a candidate for district attorney, but was


572


HISTORY OF MISSISSIPPI.


defeated by O. F. McCarty. He enlisted in the Mexican war, and afterwards went to California, where he accumulated a comforta- ble fortune.


Fifty-five years ago the county was represented by Alex. Mc- Caskill, the father of Hon. Jas. L. McCaskill, who held the rank of captain in the Confederate army, and after the war was a candidate for and elected Secretary of State on the State ticket headed by Governor B. G. Humphreys. The Democratic ticket -succeeded in defeating the objectionable constitution, and as a consequence the several candidates did not get the offices to which they were respectively elected. Capt. McCaskill was afterwards one of the Senators from Rankin and Hinds, and later, under President Cleveland's administration, United States Con- sul to the city of Dublin in Ireland. Alexander was also the father of Lawrence W. McCaskill, who served the county a number of years as clerk.


Later, J. L. Mendenhall, a brother of Judge Mendenhall, came to the county. He was for a number of years clerk of the courts, and four years State Senator, and a delegate to the Constitu- tional Convention of 1890.


The towns of the county other than Westville are Harrisville and Jaynesville.


The principal streams are Pearl and Strong rivers, Bowie, Okatoma, Vaughn, Banks, Mill, Royal, Sellars, White Oak, Brown, Clear, Campbell, Dabbs, Sanders, Big Lime, Good Water and Silver Creeks.


The water power is most excellent, and will be utilized for factories and mills when railroad facilities are afforded, which is hoped will be in the near future.


The river and creek lands are productive and the pine lands reasonably good.


There are 37,991 acres of cleared land in Simpson, the average value of which, as rendered to the assessor, is $3.22 per acre ; total value of cleared lands, including the towns in the county, $122,540.




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