Biographical and historical memoirs of Mississippi, embracing an authentic and comprehensive account of the chief events in the history of the state and a record of the lives of many of the most worthy and illustrious families and individuals, Vol. II, Part 31

Author: Goodspeed Brothers
Publication date: 1891
Publisher: Chicago, Goodspeed
Number of Pages: 1314

USA > Mississippi > Biographical and historical memoirs of Mississippi, embracing an authentic and comprehensive account of the chief events in the history of the state and a record of the lives of many of the most worthy and illustrious families and individuals, Vol. II > Part 31

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Whitfield, Salem and Montgomery are other towns in Oktibbeha county.

Hazlehurst, the seat of justice of Copiah county, is favorably located a little east of the center of the county and has a population of one thousand five hundred and fifteen. It is a station on the Illinois Central railway, has much business activity and commands a good trade.

There is perhaps no point on the line of the Illinois Central railroad of more interest to the agricultural and farming communities than Wesson, Miss. (population two thousand), the point at which the celebrated Mississippi mills are located. This cotton and woolen manu- factory employs a large number of hands, furnishing not only work for many men and women, but it necessarily creates a local demand for all kinds of farm produce which is felt in all that section of country. We quote from an address of Gen. A. M. West, of Holly Springs, delivered before the international exhibition at Philadelphia, Penn., July 10, 1878, the fol- lowing concerning the great enterprise at Wesson: "In 1847 Col. J. M. Wesson, of Geor-

MILL

OFFICE

GIN

MISSISSIPPI MILLS.

The beginning in 1871. Incorporated by special Act of the Legislature.

MISSISSIPPI MILLS MILL NO.2

MISSISSIPPI MILL

MUL NO L.

1.t.

1.1.2

Deedt

FAPRESSE

BALCALL

WESSON

MISSISSIPPI MILLS, WESSON, MISSISSIPPI.

Manufacturers of Cotton and Woolen Goods.

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MEMOIRS OF MISSISSIPPI;

gia, organized a company for manufacturing cotton and woolen goods, cornmeal and flour, and located in the same year in Mississippi, and commenced operations in 1848. This enterprise was eminently successful. It commenced with a capital of $50,000, and within a few years increased the same to $300,000. It was destroyed by the Federal army in 1864. Colonel Wesson, encouraged by previous success, located, after the war, in a vast pine forest in Copiah county, and named the place Wesson, and entered at once upon the erection of suitable factory buildings, which he soon furnished with machinery and put into operation. These mills were destroyed by fire and were then rebuilt by Mr. E. Richardson." The further history of this great industrial enterprise is given elsewhere in this volume. Quite a large town is growing up around the mills. There is a demand for all the goods they can make, and they are unable to keep up with orders for styles. Large sales are made in the Western states, in New York, and what is better they have a large local and home patronage; thus demonstrating that cotton can be more economically manufactured in the immediate vicinity of its production than elsewhere.

The town of Wesson has never had a saloon, deeds for the lots containing a clause which prohibits forever the sale of intoxicating liquors on them. There are three white churches, Methodist, Baptist and Presbyterian, all handsome structures, and one colored church, though the population is made up almost exclusively of white people, there being not more than a score of negroes living within the corporate limits.

The town is well supplied with water for protection from fire through the public spirit of the mill company in placing fire plugs at convenient points, the supply coming through the company's pumps at a creek and reservoir a mile distant. There are lodges of Masons, Odd Fellows, Knights of Honor and other like organizations. The banking business of the place is transacted through the Mississippi mills. The town raised $10,000 bonus and the site to secure the location of the state female college which, however, went to Columbus, not- withstanding Wesson was the home of one thousand four hundred young ladies, drawn thither from various counties by the prospect of employment in the mills. There is a large and successful free school in session the entire year, besides several private schools.

Wesson was visited on April 22, 1883, by a cyclone, the most destructive ever known in the state. Its track was one-fourth of a mile wide and thirty miles long, sweeping away in its course two towns, Beauregard and Georgetown-Wesson, however, suffering severely. The storm cloud came from the southwest, at about three o'clock in the afternoon, and with a frightful roar carried away houses, trees, fences, human beings, and all manner of debris in indescribable confusion. There were one hundred and ninety persons wounded and seventy- six killed, while hundreds were left homeless and destitute. An associate society of Red Cross for Copiah county was formed at Wesson, and over five hundred and fifty destitute people received aid in this vicinity, exclusive of aid given by agents of the society along the track of the storm. The society received and disbursed $7,943, exclusive of large supplies of food and clothing.

Other towns in this county are Crystal Springs and Beauregard. Crystal Springs has a population of one thousand one hundred and twenty-five, and is a flourishing station on the Illinois Central railroad. It is a well built and handsome place, widely known for its exten. sive garden truck and fruit- growing interests. Beauregard, on the same railway line, has a population of six hundred and three. It was almost totally destroyed by a cyclone in 1883 and has been only partially rebuilt.

Hazlehurst lodge No. 25, A. F. & A. M., consolidated in 1870 with Gallatin lodge No. 25, has twenty-six members, and D. B. Low is worshipful master. Quitman lodge, A. F. &

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A. M., is located at Rockport postoffice, near Pearl river, and has twenty-nine members, its worshipful master being M. D. L. Crawford. Charles Scott lodge No. 136, A. F. & A. M., is located east of Crystal Springs. J. M. Wesson lodge No. 317, of Wesson, has sixty-seven members, and Miles Cannon is worshipful master.

Copiah lodge No. 1422, Knights of Honor, was organized in 1879. Its first dictator was Judge T. E. Cooper. It now has about sixty-six members and Hon. Geo. L. Dodds is dictator. Excelsior lodge No. 365, Knights and Ladies of Honor, of which Capt. J. L. Ard is protector, has about thirty-five members. There is a Knights of Pythias lodge in the county known as Copiah lodge No. 60. Signal Assembly No. 5739 Knights of Labor, has a goodly membership, and there is a lodge of A. L. of H. The following lodges are located at Crystal Springs: Knights of Pythias No. 21, established about 1880, which has about fifty- one members. Knights of Honor No. 1420, established about 1879, and has about one hundred and five members. At Wesson are Harmony lodge Knights of Honor No. 1851, a Knights and Ladies of Honor lodge, an I. O. O. F. lodge, and a Good Templars lodge.

West Point, the seat of justice of Clay county, on the Illinois Central & Mobile & Ohio railroads, has a population of twenty-two hundred, and is a trading point of growing importance. West Point has a fine brick public school building. Its churches are as follows: Missionary Baptist, Christian, Methodist, Cumberland Presbyterian, Old School Presbyterian and the Protestant Episcopal. The Baptists were the first to organize here. Secret societies are represented thus: Cannon lodge No. 159, A. F. & A. M., of which Moses Jordan was the first worshipful master, and J. H. Shipman is the present one, and which has surrendered its charter twice, and been twice revived; Star lodge No. 84, I. O. O. F., established January 1869, with W. J. Howell as noble grand, and of which Tol. Hobbler is present noble grand; West Point lodge No. 527, Knights of Honor, organized March, 1877, with nine members, J. H. Shipman first dictator, and now having one hundred and sixty-one members. West Point lodge No. 224, Knights and Ladies of Honor, which was organized January, 1880, with thirty-four members, I. W. Foster first protector, and now has sixty-one members; Fred Daggett being protector. Prairie lodge No. 42, Knights of Pythias, which was organ- ized in June, 1885, with W. E. Motford as chancellor commander, and Security lodge No. 254, Knights of the Golden Rule.

Tibbee, Palo Alto and Siloam are several small towns in this county.

The village of Abbott is situated near the geographical center of Clay county, eleven miles northwest from West Point, the county seat, and eight miles from Muldon on the Mo- bile & Ohio railroad, which is the nearest railroad point. That a railway will be built here at an early day seems probable. There has been a line surveyed from Muldon station, and an excellent route, affording easy grades and but few bridges, has been located. It is believed that the Mobile & Ohio railroad company will recognize the necessity of building this important branch soon. When it is borne in mind that at least two-thirds of the twenty thousand bales of cotton annually shipped from West Point come from the country around and naturally tributary to Abbott, some idea of the importance of a feeder into this district becomes apparent.

At present the population of Abbott scarcely reaches two hundred. There are three mer- cantile houses doing an annual business of $35,000, a saddlery and harness shop, a wagon shop and blacksmith shop, gristmill and gin. There is also a double daily mail.

Abbott was named in honor of Capt. F. M. Abbott, its founder, a native of the state of Pennsylvania, who located here immediately subsequent to the war, has since that time devoted

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himself to making a home worthy of the name, and to proving by living witnesses that not only can a Northern man live, be respected and prosper here, but also that improved modes of farming and diversified agriculture can be carried on as successfully, and even carried to a higher point of perfection, than in any of the Northern or Eastern states.

Winona, the county seat of Montgomery county, is situated on the Illinois Central rail- road, at its intersection with the Richmond & Danville road, two hundred and seventy-one miles from New Orleans and two hundred and seventy-nine from Cairo. It has a population of twenty-one hundred people, contains between twenty and thirty substantial stores, and does a trade of over half a million dollars a year. Winona has a good bank with ample cap- ital, which moves the extensive cotton business of the town, which amounts to over two thou- sand bales yearly, the bulk of which goes East.

Winona is said to be the name given by an Indian chief to his first-born female child. The building of what is now the Illinois Central railroad caused a small town to spring into existence within two miles of Middleton, then the educational center of Mississippi. The new town was christened Winona, and it soon distanced its older neighbor. Middleton is now a place of the past; its famous schools have been scattered over the state, but Winona lives and grows. Winona has two banks. Its railroad facilities make it a very desirable location for mills and factories of any kind, and such enterprises would receive great encour- agement and support in the town. At present there are here two carriage and wagon facto- ries and a gristmill. A compress has been talked of, and will soon be built if it has not been already. Among the other institutions of Winona is the rifle corps, of which it is justly proud, an exceedingly well-drilled body. The town also has a brass band and a capacious public hall.

Winona is in no respect lacking in educational facilities. There are three very well organized public schools, largely attended. Two private academies of a high order are also located here. Winona is in the mineral district in which Duck Hill is the most conspicuous point, and must profit by the general development of the district, some of its capitalists being interested in Duck Hill's mineral land company.

Winona has the following named churches: Methodist Episcopal, Presbyterian, Baptist and Christian, all strong of membership and having good houses of worship; and Methodist, Baptist and Presbyterian colored congregations all have adequate buildings. Here are two Masonic lodges, one of white men, the other of blacks. The business buildings in Winona are mostly of brick, and with few exceptions they are large and in every way creditable to their owners and to the town. The Winona Times is published by Walter N. Hurt. It is in its ninth volume, in size a five column quarto. The Winona Democrat was published for a time under that name and was afterward known as the Advocate.

Duck Hill is the name given to a pleasant little town in Montgomery county, and situated on the Illinois Central railroad between Winona and Grenada, at a distance of two hundred and eighty-two miles from New Orleans, ninety-nine miles from Jackson, and two hundred and sixty-eight miles from Cairo, Ill. Duck Hill lies in one of the most beautiful valleys in the state, which extends for miles up to the road. Near the town towers the real hill called after the Indian chieftain Duck, while on either side, for miles up the valley, and running back for miles on ridges-on either side lie the hills lately discovered to be rich in ores. Almost within a stone's throw of the town in its rear there appears to be a solid mountain of iron. Professor Johnson, the well-known United States geologist, has distinctly located these ores. A strong company of local and outside capitalists has been formed under a state charter to purchase and to operate these mineral lands,

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Other towns in Montgomery county are Lodi, Mayfield, Sawyers and Kilmichael.

Tupelo, the seat of justice of Lee county, is a town of one thousand five hundred and twenty-five inhabitants, at the junction of the Kansas City, Memphis & Birmingham and Mobile & Ohio railroads, two of the greatest trunk line railways on the continent. During the past three years over one hundred new residences, about fifteen elegant brick store- houses, four factories, and a number of other substantial improvements were made. The trade has been largely increased, and prosperity is evidenced on every hand. The citizens are wideawake, enterprising and progressive. They intend that Tupelo shall, with her superior advantages, be the leading cotton and manufacturing town in northeast Mississippi. With a $15,000 public schoolbuilding, a splendidly equipped operahouse, three excellent hotels, five factories, two solid firms of cotton buyers, a number of the wealthiest merchants in the state, an immense cotton compress and cotton warehouse, a fine dairy farm, and one of the richest agricultural sections on the globe to support the town, there seems no reason to. doubt that their expectations will be realized. The cash cotton buyers, representing eastern mills, Liverpool and Manchester, England, located in Tupelo, have the means to pur- chase all the cotton produced in the state of Mississippi, and are determined to handle large quantities of the fleecy staple in this section of the state if the highest cash prices will buy. The leading merchants, Messrs. Clark, Hood & Co., J. J. Rogers, Greener Bros. & Co., F. Elliott, and others, purchase all the cotton brought to Tupelo by wagons, and sell it to the exclusive cotton buyers representing the Eastern mills.

Besides its commercial advantages, Tupelo is one of the healthiest places of its size in the state. Within her limits are twenty-seven sparkling and free-flowing artesian wells, pro- viding pure water. Tupelo has one splendid banking institution-B. C. Clark, president; John Clark, vice president; H. A. Kincannon, cashier, T. M. Clark, assistant cashier. Its capital stock is $80,000, and deposits about $100,000.

Tupelo has to-day one thousand five hundred and twenty-five people, seven churches, thirty business firms, two splendid hotels, one $15,000 schoolbuilding, two jewelers, one fur- niture factory, one spoke factory, one livery stable, one fine operahouse, one photograph gal- lery, one tin shop, five superior physicians, one extensive dairy, twelve lawyers, two meat markets, four painters, six brickyards, one cotton compress, two first-class railroads, two newspapers, one bank, six boardinghouses, one colored school, one ice factory, one chair factory, one broom factory, two barber shops, three blacksmith shops, one excellent bakery, one small graveyard, three firms of exclusive cotton buyers, thirty-seven artesian wells, twenty-five brick masons, one bakery and lunchhouse, a number of contractors and builders, fifty mechanics, one large cotton warehouse.

An institution that will add much to Tupelo's prosperity is the handsome two-story brick public schoolbuilding now in course of erection in Freeman's grove at West End. This building will be a monument to the progressive spirit of its enterprising citizens for years to come. The old schoolhouse was incapable of accommodating the pupils of the town.

Tupelo lodge No. 318, A. F. & A. M., was organized in 1869 with twenty members. Royal Arch chapter No. 7 has forty-three members, the Royal Arch commandery fifty-one members, the local organization of Knights of the Golden Rule has fifteen members.

Tupelo Methodist Church South was organized in 1868, with about twenty members, with Rev. Mr. Plummer as pastor. A frame house, 40x60 feet, was built in 1872, on Church street. The church has about one hundred members. Rev. A. G. Augustus is pastor. The Presbyterian church of Tupelo has a membership of eighty-five, and a fine brick house of worship. It is in charge of Rev. G. H. Steen, pastor, formerly of Okolona, Miss. The Cum-

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berland Presbyterian church has a membership of sixty and a good frame house. The pastor is Rev. T. H. Padgett, from Bowling Green, Ky., who began his ministerial career in Missis- sippi, and subsequently continued it for a time in Missouri.

The Baptist church of Tupelo, Miss., was organized August 19, 1850, at a place called Hickory Grove, then Pontotoc county, in a loghouse about three miles west of its present site, by Elders E. Smith, C. C. Malon and Elijah Moore, with eleven members. Elder E. Smith was the first pastor chosen, and served the church until 1853. J. O. R. Word first church clerk. At the December meeting 1850, B. Jenkins, Burrell Jackson and Robert Fears were chosen deacons. In 1851 the Hickory Grove Baptist church was admitted into the Chickasaw association. The membership of the church increased gradually under the pastorate of Elder E. Smith until 1853, when he was succeeded by Elder A. L. Stovall. In 1853 the congregation built a uice frame meetinghouse a short distance from the old loghouse in which they organ- ized. The church increased her membership rapidly under the ministrations of Elder Stovall, and in connection with a few other churches organized the Judson association in October, 1853. The membership of Hickory Grove continued to increase, and in eight years from her organization numbered one hundred and sixty-three members, eighty-seven having been received by baptism.

December, 1859, Elder A. L. Stovall resigned the pastoral care of the church, after having served them faithfully and acceptably for six years, and Elder William Young succeeded him as pastor, and continued in charge until the breaking out of the Civil war, in 1861. At night, on April 4, 1860, the Hickory Grove church house was fired by an incendiary, and burned down. In August, following, the church decided in conference to build a new house of wor- ship, and selected Tupelo for its location, since which time it has been known as the Tupelo Baptist church. Elder A. L. Stovall was again called to the pastorate of the church in Octo- ber, 1861, and continued to serve them as pastor continuously, except the year 1866, up to the time of his death, which occurred July 4, 1872. From the year 1872 to April, 1891, the following pastors have supplied the Tupelo Baptist church: G. W. Potter, J. T. Freeman, J. T. Christian, of Kentucky; then J. T. Freeman, L. R. Burress, J. L. Tumage, J. R. Sum- ner and S. G. Cooper, the present pastor.

Saltillo, Lee county, is a place of two hundred and fifty, and a station on the Mobile & Ohio railroad. It was settled by James Kyle, but little business was done there until after the completion of the railroad. After the county was organized the first grand jury met here previous to meeting at Tupelo.

The town has five church organizations. The Presbyterian church was organized about 1850, the Methodist church in 1868, the Baptist church in the early seventies. These three denominations had a union church erected about 1875. The Christian church owns a build- ing valued at $1,000, erected in 1876. The Catholic church has an adequate building.

Saltillo was incorporated about ten years ago. James Heidleberg was its first mayor. The present incumbent of the office is J. D. Barton. The town has seven stores and a gin and a sawmill. There is here a good public school, of three departments, with an average attendance of ninety. Saltillo lodge No. 294, A. F. & A. M., was organized in 1868, and has a membership of fifteen.

The growing village of Nettleton was named in honor of George H. Nettleton, the Kan- sas City railroad magnate, and is situated in Lee and Monroe counties, about half in each county, on the Kansas City, Memphis & Birmingham railroad. It was laid out in the fall of 1887. Dr. M. M. Davis & Co. built the first storehouse. Soon after another was built by

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Mullens, Frances & Co. The town now has two churches and two more are being built. The Nettleton Hardwood Manufacturing company, organized in 1890 with a capital of $50,- 000, has an extensive sawmill with a capacity of forty thousand feet per day, which gives employment to eighty hands. Providence college, situated near by, was charterd in the spring of 1886. It was a frame building, built by subscription, 40x100 feet in size, with a capacity for seating five hundred students. The average attendance is about three hundred, and five teachers are employed. Nettleton Missionary Baptist church, known as the Town Creek church, was organized about 1855, with Rev. William Hood as pastor, with only five or six members. In 1858 a frame church was built. At that time there were about forty members. In 1880 the church declined, and had preaching only occasionally, till 1888, when it reorganized, with Rev. W. F. Davis as pastor, with about seventeen members. At the end of 1888 it had fifty members. Rev. D. J. Austin is the pastor at this time, and the church has about fifty-three members. Nettleton Christian church was organized in 1888, with Rev. Patterson as pastor and twenty-five members, increased now to thirty. The house of worship, a 40x60 frame structure, was built in 1889, at a cost of $1,500. It has a seating capacity of about three hundred and fifty. Rev. Armont is pastor. Two other organizations hold meetings in the same house, the Methodist Episcopal Church South and the Cumberland Presbyterian church. Rev. M. E. Tumbin is pastor of the Methodist Episcopal Church South, and Rev. Blanton of the Presbyterian church.

Baldwyn is situated in Lee and Prentiss counties, about equally divided between the two, but the postoffice is in Lee county, on the Mobile & Ohio railroad. It was named in honor of Mr. Baldwyn, who was one of the principal projectors of the Mobile & Ohio railroad. Its first storehouse was built in 1860 by Col. Robert Lowry. E. Oliver, Zebedee Williams, I. R. Wallis all built before the war. Since the war the population has grown to five hun- dred. The town has four churches, a gristmill, sawmill and cottongin all combined, and a gristmill and cottongin combined.

Masonic lodge No. 108, of Baldwyu, was organized in 1849 at old Carrollville, with only seven members. It was moved to Baldwyn in 1860, and now has thirty-six members.

Cumberland Presbyterian church, at Baldwyn, was first organized at old Carrollville in an early day, and moved to Baldwyn in 1860, when a frame house, 35x60, was built. At that time all Christian denominations of the community worshiped in it. The first pastor was Rev. William Wear. The church now has about thirty members, and a good Sunday- school, with Rev. J. E. McShan now as pastor.

The Missionary Baptist church at Baldwyn was organized about 1862, with Rev. L. R. Burress as pastor. The congregation built a frame house in 1870, 50x90 feet, with a seating capacity of about four hundred, well finished and elegantly appointed. Since its foundation various ministers have been employed by the church, but at present has its first pastor, Rev. L. R. Burress. The membership is about forty-five, and there is a good Sunday-school, with J. W. Burress as superintendent.

The Methodist Episcopal church at Baldwyn was established about 1851 at old Carroll- ville, and moved to Baldwyn just after the war. A frame house was built about 1869 with a seating capacity of four hundred. That house was torn down and a new one built about 1876. The church now has about fifty members, with Rev. K. M. Harrison as pastor. It has a successful Sunday-school.

The Christian church of Baldwyn was organized about 1869. An early, if not the first, pastor was Rev. R. B. Trimble. The church was erected in 1873 and cost about $3,000. The membership is seventy-five. Rev. H. M. Armor is pastor.

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Biographical and historical memoirs of Mississippi, embracing an authentic and comprehensive account of the chief events in the history of the state and a record of the lives of many of the most worthy and illustrious families and individuals, Vol. II, Part 31

Author: Goodspeed Brothers Publication date: 1891 Publisher: Chicago, Goodspeed Number of Pages: 1314

Author: Goodspeed Brothers
Publication date: 1891
Publisher: Chicago, Goodspeed
Number of Pages: 1314