Encyclopedia of Mississippi History Comprising Sketches of Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions and Persons, Vol. II, Part 95

Author: Dunbar Rowland
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: Madison, Wis. : S.A. Brant
Number of Pages: 1020

USA > Mississippi > Encyclopedia of Mississippi History Comprising Sketches of Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions and Persons, Vol. II > Part 95

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).

The county seat of Tippah is Ripley, near the center of the county on the Mobile, Jackson & Kansas City R. R. It is a place of 900 inhabitants (incorporated May, 1837), the center of a good trade from the surrounding country and is possessed of excellent schools. Six miles southwest of Ripley is the town of Blue Mountain, so called from the mountain of the same name, and a place of 700 inhabitants. Here is located the celebrated Blue Mountain Fe- male College, founded in 1813 by Gen. M. P. Lowrey, on the site of the old Brougher home. Some of the other towns are Cottonplant and Falkner, on the railroad, and Graves, Hatchie, Dumas, Bullock, Mitchell, Chalybeate and Silversprings, away from the road. A

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single line of railway traverses the county-the Mobile, Jackson & Kansas City-from north to south, connecting with the Frisco System at New Albany, and with the Southern Ry. at Middle- ton, just across the border in Tennessee. The county is watered by the head streams of the Tallahatchie and Tippah rivers, on the · west and south, and by the West Hatchie, and Hatchie rivers and its tributaries, on the east and north. There is considerable good water power available for mill sites. About three-fourths of the land of the county is timbered and hilly, and one-sixth is bottom land and level. About one-third of the total farm acreage is now cleared. The timber consists of pine, oaks, poplar, walnut, gum, hickory, ash, cypress, etc. The eastern part of the county lies in the so-called Limestone Formation and the western part in the Yellow Loam Region. The soil produces corn, cotton, wheat, oats, rye, sorghum, millet, sweet and Irish potatoes and all kinds of fruits and vegetables. Limestone and good marls are found in various places, also lignite and traces of bituminous coal. Consid- erable live stock is raised in the county and the industry is assum- ing more importance every year. The climate is very healthful and good schools abound, the terms ranging from 5 to 9 months. Man- ufactures are unimportant as yet and do not figure largely in estimating the wealth of the county.

The following statistics, taken from the twelfth United States census for 1900, relate to farms, manufactures and population : Number of farms 2,288, acreage in farms 238,980, acres improved 72,576, value of land exclusive of buildings $885,230, value of build- ings $302,750, value of live stock $392,147, total value of products not fed to stock $733,201. Number of manufacturing establish- ments 45, capital invested $56,780, wages paid $14,424, cost of materials $38,667, total value of products $90,777. Population in 1900 was whites 10,080, colored 2,903, total 12,983, increase over year 1890, 32; in 1906 the total population was estimated at 14,000. Land values in the last five years have increased fully 300 per cent. Fine belts of pine and oak timber are found in the eastern portion of the county and good springs abound throughout the region.

The total assessed valuation of real and personal property in Tippah county in 1905 was $1,388,792 and in 1906 it was $1,469,627, which shows an increase of $80,835 during the year.

Tishomingo County was established Feb. 9, 1836, and was one of the twelve counties formed by the Legislature in that year, from the Chickasaw Indian cession of 1832. The county has a land surface of 433 square miles. It was named for a king of the Chick- asaws, the word Tishomingo signifying "Warrior Chief." Feb. 14, 1836, Peter G. Rivers, A. M. Cowan, James M. Matthews, and James Davis were appointed by act of the Legislature to organize the county. It is the extreme northeastern county of the State, the Tennessee river forming its northeastern boundary for about 18 miles. It was originally very large and contained an area of about 30 townships, or 1,080 square miles. Its original limits were defined as follows: "Beginning at the point where the line

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between townships 6 and ? intersects the eastern boundary line of the State, and running with the said boundary line to the Tennessee river; thence down the said river to the point where the northern boundary line of the State intersects the same; thence with the said northern boundary line, to the line between ranges 5 and 6 east of the basis meridian ; thence south with the said range line, to the line between townships 6 and 7; thence east with the said township line to the beginning." More than half its area was taken from it in 1870, when the counties of Alcorn and Prentiss were established. A list of the county officers soon after its establishment is as fol- lows: James Harris, L. B. Estes, W. Belcher, John C. Catter, David Ross, Members of the Board of Police; Samuel Dancer, Benjamin Ballard, B. M. Cobb, A. J. Aldride, Mathew Gage, T. B. Phillips, Jacob Walker, G. B. Rogers, John Ritcherson, John H. Alstote, William B. Owens, Thomas Walker, John Kennedy, Magistrates ; Stephen H. Hogull, Sheriff ; William Cowan, Coroner; William Rushing, Treasurer ; Stephen O. Gilbis, Assessor and Col- lector ; Jeremiah Phillips, Surveyor ; C. D. Ray, Judge of the Pro- bate Court ; Thomas Pate, Clerk of the Probate Court; Mathias B. Click, Clerk of the Circuit Court ; Jehu D. Moore, Ranger. The first white settlement in old Tishomingo county was at a place called Troy, in the present county of Alcorn, on the old Reynolds- burg road, near the Tuscumbia river. On the west of the settlement was an abundance of freestone, spring water, suitable for tanyards, for which the place was well known. The first circuit court in the county was held at a log house in Troy. As the settlement grew, the name was changed to that of Danville, as there was already one Troy in the State. A few of the early settlers of Danville were Dr. Broady, Dr. B. F. Liddon, H. B. Mitchell, father of Judge L. B. Mitchell, of Corinth, the first probate judge of the county; A. B. Dilworth and Cody Fowler, representatives of the county in the Legislature, and the former, Secretary of State, from 1855 to 1860. The town was destroyed by Federal troops during the war. Other old settlements in old Tishomingo were Cammel's Town, on the old Reynoldsburg road, and about 15 miles south of the home of Pitman Colbert, a wealthy half-breed Indian; Boneyard, estab- lished in the early '30s by William Powell, on the stage road run- ning from Jacinto, to Lagrange, Tenn .; Jacinto, in the southeastern corner of Alcorn county and the first seat of justice of old Tish- omingo county ; Carrollville, in the present county of Prentiss (q. v.) ; and Farmington, a flourishing place until the year 1855, when the Mobile & Ohio R. R. and the Memphis & Charleston R. R. made a crossing about four miles to the southwest at Corinth, and killed the old town. The Federal forces completed the demoli- tion of the town during the war. Many prominent pioneers rest in the old cemetery, which is still maintained. M. P. Lowrey (after- wards Gen. Lowrey), a brick mason ; Drs. Stout, Joel Anderson, J. J. Gibson and George Gray, physicians; Ben Jones, who kept the hotel; "Uncle Dick" Smith, ginner and farmer; Col. C. W. Mc- Cord and Rev. E. C. Gillenwalters were among the prominent

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residents of the old place, many of whose descendants are now inhabitants of Corinth. During the '30s and '40s a strong tide of emigration to this region set in from Tennessee, northern Alabama, Georgia and Virginia. Most of these settlers were of the better class, thrifty and intelligent. The county seat is located at Iuka, a thriving little town on the line of the Southern Ry., in the north- eastern part of the county, noted for its many fine mineral water springs. Population in 1900 was 882, and in 1906 was estimated at 2,000. There are no other large settlements in the county. Burns- ville, a few miles west of Iuka on the railway, is a place of 500 peo- ple. Highland, Cartersville, Mingo, Belmont, Hillside and Doskie are small villages away from the railroad. The county now has one railroad, the Southern, which crosses it from east to west. The Illinois Central R. R. is being built through the county from the northwest to the southeast. Besides the Tennessee river above mentioned, there are numerous small streams which water the region : Yellow, Bear, Twenty Mile, Cripple Deer, Mackey's and Indian creeks afford good water power for factories and mills. The northeastern part of the county is broken and hilly, the bot- toms are level and the balance of the surface is undulating. There were in 1900, 46,114 acres of improved lands out of a total farm acreage of 208,90 ?. The soil is light and sandy and easily culti- vated; on the bottoms, it is alluvial and very productive. The products are corn, cotton, oats, wheat, rye, rice, sorghum, tobacco, and a large variety of fruits and vegetables. For seven months in the year stock do well in the woods pasture. The following timber is found in the county: Pine, black-jack, post-oak, white and red oak, hickory, poplar, gum, walnut, maple, cypress, etc. The follow- ing minerals are also found: Iron, kaolin (porcelain clay), alum- inous limestone for cement, silica 97 per cent. pure, red paint earth, fire proof brick clay, and yellow okra. The climate is dry and salubrious and good schools are to be found throughout the county. There are no manufactures of importance, though thirty- one are listed in the census of 1900.

The following statistics for Tishomingo county were taken from the twelfth U. S. census for 1900, and relate to farms, manufactures and population : Number of farms 1,625, acreage in farms 208,907, acres improved 46,114, value of land exclusive of buildings $416,- 980, value of buildings $168,190, value of live stock $253,390, total value of products not fed to stock $433,103. Number of manu- facturing establishments 31. capital invested $34,659, wages paid $6,903, cost of materials $42,373, total value of products $64,432. The population in 1900 consisted of whites 9,023, colored 1,051, total 10,124, increase of 822 over the year 1890; in 1906 the popu- lation was estimated at 12.000. Land values have more than doubled in the last 5 years. The total assessed valuation of real and personal property in Tishomingo county in 1905 was $1,022,244 and in 1906 it was $1,441,999, which shows an increase of $419,755 during the year.

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Tobacco was the first staple product of the Natchez district for export, beginning with the offers of the Spanish government to take all the product at a good price. This offer was made to attract set- tlers. Tobacco was already growing in the country, and it was soon generally cultivated. The leaves were packed in hogsheads by the larger planters, and in "carrets" by less extensive growers, the carret being formed by a pile of leaves dried under compression of a tightly wrapped cloth, and then wrapped with rope made of the inner bark of the basswood or linn tree. The barrels were often hauled to Natchez by shafts attached directly to the heads, the barrel forming both wheels and load. "To convey the tobacco to market in New Orleans, it was usual for several planters to unite and build a flatboat, with which one of the number would accom- pany the joint adventure, deliver the tobacco at the public ware- house, and, if it passed inspection, receive the proceeds and return home by land, generally on foot ; the payment being made in a writ- ten acknowledgement, or bon, as it was called, which entitled the holder to receive the amount from the governor or commandant at Natchez, this obviating the labor and risk of packing the specie several hundred miles." The certainty of this produce encouraged the planters to make large investments in slaves, but the entrance of the Kentucky product into market. through the diplomacy of Gen. Wilkinson, and the growing indifference of the Spanish gov- ernment, made the cultivation unprofitable, greatly to the embar- rassment of the planters who had made large investments. (Wailes' report).

In 1850 the product of the State was estimated at 50,000 pounds by the census statisticians. The plant is still cultivated for home consumption. An exhibit was made at the New Orleans exposition that attracted favorable attention.

Toccopola, an incorporated post-town in the western part of Pontotoc county, 12 miles southeast of Oxford and 15 miles west of Pontotoc, the nearest railroad and banking town. It has 3 churches, a high school, a grist mill, a carriage shop, and a money order postoffice. Toccopola College, a chartered institution, is located here. Population in 1900, 249, and in 1906 was estimated at 300.

Tocowa, an incorporated post-town in the southwestern part of Panola county, in the bluff region, midway between the valleys of the Tallahatchie and Yocona rivers. Courtland on the Illinois Central R. R. is the nearest railroad station and banking town. Population in 1900, 114; its population in 1906 was estimated at 250. The town is noted for its famous mineral spring. It has a good hotel, a church, a school and several stores. The country about Tocowa indicates that coal and oil exist.

Todd, a postoffice of Benton county, situated on Tippah creek, 11 miles south, southeast of Ashland, the county seat.

Tokio, a post-hamlet of Wayne county, 8 miles northeast of Waynesboro, the county seat and nearest railroad and banking town. Population in 1900, 15.

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Tolarville, a post-hamlet of Holmes county, about 12 miles southwest of Lexington, the county seat, and nearest banking town. Population in 1900, 42.

Toles, a post-hamlet in the southwestern part of Kemper county, about 15 miles from Dekalb, the county seat. Population in 1900, 30.

Tom, a postoffice in the western part of Webster county, on Calabrella creek, 12 miles west of Walthall, the county seat.

Tomnolen, an incorporated post-town in the southwestern part of Webster county, on the Southern Ry., 6 miles southwest of Eupora, the nearest banking town. It has a money order post- office. Population in 1900, 87.

Tompkins, Patrick W., a native of Kentucky, who studied law and began the practice at Vicksburg, Miss. He was elected to the 30th congress as a Whig, serving 1847-49. Afterward he moved to California and died at San Francisco, May 16, 1853.

Tonic, a postoffice in the eastern part of Lauderdale county, on Toomsuba creek, and on the Alabama Great Southern R. R., about 14 miles east of Meridian.

Tonnar, a postoffice in the southern part of Washington county, about 9 miles north of Rolling Fork, the nearest banking town.

Tonti, Henri de, has thus been characterized by the historian Claiborne: "No character in the romantic history of French explor- ation in North America, is so uniformly perfect and admirable as Henri de Tonti. His coolness and constancy, discretion, courage, fertility of resource and devotion to duty, never failed. His influ- ence over the fierce tribes of the Northwest, which he retained in his remote and isolated post, even when the government at Quebec had lost its control over them, exhibits an extraordinary faculty for command, aided by great moral and personal qualities." All that is known of his personal history and adventures beyond the frequent allusions made to him by such men as d'Iberville, Bien- ville, La Salle, Frontenac, etc., is recorded in a report of his ser- vices to the French Government about 1690, which is published in the first volume of French's Historical Collections of Louisiana. He was a brave and generous officer, and his achievements in the exploration of the Mississippi Valley must rank him next to La Salle; and there is no man who contributed more to the successful extension of the French possessions in North America. Prior to 1678 he spent eight years in the French service by land and sea, and had a hand shot off in Sicily by a grenade. He came to Canada with La Salle in 1678 and accompanied him in his exploration of the Mississippi river in 1682. In 1683 La Salle appointed him to the command of Fort St. Louis, on the Illinois river, and in 1686 he went with forty men in canoes, at his own expense, to the Gulf of Mexico, to seek for La Salle, who had previously sailed from Ro- chello with an expedition to plant a colony on the Mississippi river. Unable to find him, he was subsequently engaged under Denonville in the war with the Iroquois. On the close of the cam- paign, he returned to Fort St. Louis, and in 1689, went in search

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of La Salle's colony in Texas. On account of the treachery and de- sertion of his men, he was unable to find the remnants of this col- ony, though the expedition contributed much to the knowledge of the interior of the country. La Harpe's Journal informs us that "On the 19 of February, 1700, M. de Tonty descended the Missis- sippi from Canada in a pirogue, to discover whether any settle- ments had been made." From this time on he seems to have at- tached himself to MM. d'Iberville and Bienville, and was employed by them in various active services up to the time of his death. Says La Harpe, "In the month of September (1704), a great deal of sickness prevailed in the colony (at Fort Mobile). MM. de Tonty, et le Vasseur, Father Dongy, a Jesuit, and thirty soldiers of the new troops who had just arrived at the fort died during this month."

Tooley, Henry, a native of Tennessee, died at Natchez, June 18, 1848, aged 75 years. He was many years magistrate, mayor, and president of the board of county police. He was the first grand master of Freemasonry in Mississippi ; was a member of the Meth- odist church 60 years, and 15 years a preacher. His activities were many and noble. He was called the "Father of Temperance" at Natchez, contributed meteorological information to the American Almanac, was an industrious student and linguist, and made con- siderable progress in a translation of the Bible from the Hebrew.

Toomsuba, a village in the eastern part of Lauderdale county, on the creek of that name, and a station on the Alabama Great South- ern R. R., 12 miles east of Meridian. It has 3 churches, several stores and a money order postoffice. Population in 1900, 175.

Topeka, a postoffice in the southwestern part of Lawrence county, and a station on the Natchez, Columbia & Mobile R. R., 15 miles east of Bogue Chitto station.

Topisaw, a hamlet in the north-central part of Pike county, on the creek of the same name, 12 miles northeast of Magnolia, the county seat. It has rural free delivery from Summit. Population in 1900, 46.

Topton, a postoffice of Lauderdale county, and a station on the Mobile & Ohio R. R., 6 miles northeast of Meridian.

Torrance, a post-hamlet in the southern part of Yalobusha county, on the Illinois Central R. R., about 8 miles south of Coffee- ville. It has 2 churches and an academy. Population in 1900, 32.

Touchstone, a postoffice of Simpson county, situated on Big creek, 12 miles northwest of Mendenhall. Population in 1900, 18. The town has an excellent school.

Tougaloo, a postoffice and station of Hinds county, on the Illinois Central R. R., 7 miles north, northeast of Jackson. This is the seat of Tougaloo University, a colored school organized in 1869 (q. v.). Tougaloo had a population of 26 in 1900. It has a money order postoffice.

Tougaloo University. The college grounds were purchased in 1869 by the American Missionary association, a farm of 500 acres. 7 miles north of Jackson, with mansion and outbuildings. In 1820

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two large college buildings were erected by aid received from the Freedmen's bureau-Washington hall, and a dormitory for girls.

At the beginning of his administration, 1870, Governor Alcorn urged the purchase by the State of the association's buildings and land at Tougaloo, for "a high school and agricultural college" for negroes. The act of incorporation, May 13, 1871, provided for joint control in conjunction with the Missionary society, which already had a preparatory department in operation. A board of trustees was chosen, headed by R. C. Powers. Th : first president was H. R. Revels, who took this position at the expiration of his service as United States senator, in 18:1.

Washington Hall afterwards burned, and later Strieby Hall and Ballard Hall were erected. The college had a normal department of which the State took charge in 1872, making it the State Normal School for negro teachers. This arrangement lasted for several years, when the State trustees failed to agree with the management of the other departments of the institution and the appropriations were discontinued. In 1880, however, a board of visitors was ap- pointed by the legislature, and afterward appropriations of $2,000 to $3,000 were made each year for its support.

There is a graded course, having primary, intermediate and gram- mar grades ; a preparatory course of three years ; a normal course of four years; an industrial course of three years, which may be followed by an apprentice course, and an agricultural course.

Toulmin, Harry, Territorial judge for Washington county, was born in Taunton, England, in 1267, son of Dr. Joshua Toulmin. He was a dissenting preacher several years in Lancashire, and came to Norfolk, Va., in 1793, where he established a seminary. Thence he was called to the presidency of Transylvania university, which he resigned upon appointment as secretary of state of Kentucky. He published a "Description of Kentucky," the "Magistrate's As- sistant," a "Collection of the Acts of Kentucky," and a "Revision of the Criminal Laws of Kentucky," while in that State, and as secretary promulgated the celebrated Resolutions of 1798. Presi- dent Jefferson appointed him judge for the county of Washington, to succeed Judge Kirby, deceased, November 22, 1804, whereupon he came down the river, sailed from New Orleans to Mobile, and up to the Tombigbee settlement. His first court was held at a place which, in memory of Goldsmith's vicar, he named Wake- field, about twenty miles below St. Stephens. He was also post- master, preached and officiated at funerals and marriages, made Fourth of July orations, practiced medicine gratuitously, and in general was the head of the settlements. In 1806 he was selected to make the first digest (q. v.) of the laws of Mississippi Territory, published at Natchez in September, 1807. He wrote eloquent ap- peals to the government for relief of the inhabitants of Washington county from Spanish obstruction of the river trade, and at the same time held in restraint the plots of Col. Caller to drive the Spaniards from Mobile. Finally, he was compelled to put Caller and Reuben Kemper under arrest in 1811, and a great outcry was made about

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this; the grand jury was persuaded to make a presentment against him, and the general assembly to memorialize congress.

"There was a congressional investigation," writes Judge Mayes; "but so far from being condemned, he was vindicated with applause as a most efficient and deserving officer." Mr. Poindexter an- nounced his opinion in congress that the charges were not only un- founded, but proceeded from corruption. The record of the legisla- tive investigation is on file in the Department of Archives and His- tory, and one of the charges against Judge Toulmin is, "that wit- nesses were examined at the point of the bayonet." However, when he was elected to the legislature in 1813, he was denied a seat, but this was on the ground that the functions of judge and legislator were incompatible, although there was no law to that effect applying to the territory. Judge Toulmin had charge of the organization of Mobile county in 1812, but after the occupation of Mobile preferred to remain at his plantation home near Fort Stod- dert. He continued in the office of judge until the Territory was divided, after which he served several years in the Alabama legis- lature. He published a digest of Alabama laws in 1823. His death occurred at Wakefield, December, 1824. (Brewer). He left two sons, and seven daughters, one of whom married Maj .- Gen. E. P. Gaines.

Toulmin's Digest. The first digest of the laws of the Mississippi Territory was made by Judge Harry Toulmin, who reported Jan- uary 19, 1807, that he had completed the work in pursuance with the resolution of the legislature at its last session. Considering that the population originated in a British colony, and that the settlers must have brought them the laws of the parent state, which the Spanish occupation in "ignorance of the acknowledged bounds" did not abrogate, he felt "inclined to adopt the opinion that the statute as well as the common law of England, as it stood previous to the settlement of Florida, makes a part of the law of the Mis- sissippi Territory." But, "aware that the general impression" in the Territory did not correspond with that view, he introduced "a very partial and limited view of the English statutes," noting in the margins the source from which the text was derived. He suggested that the adoption of some special statutes of some of the American states might render the code complete without reference to the English statutes. After this was printed, in the same year, Toulmin was informed by letter from Mr. Bradford that one or two great errors had been made. In a letter to Governor Williams, from Fort Stoddert, he said he was ignorant what these errors were unless one were an act of the legislature abolishing jury trial for slaves, which he considered contrary to the ordinance of 1787. It was afterward said that changes were made in the manuscript while it was in the hands of the general assembly for inspection. The printing of this digest was completed by Samuel Terrell, at Natchez, in September, 1807. In February, 1808, "the general as- sembly, after some few alterations, and amendments. adopted the Digest as the law of the Territory. The assembly at the same time

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Encyclopedia of Mississippi History Comprising Sketches of Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions and Persons, Vol. II, Part 95

Author: Dunbar Rowland Publication date: 1907 Publisher: Madison, Wis. : S.A. Brant Number of Pages: 1020

Author: Dunbar Rowland
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: Madison, Wis. : S.A. Brant
Number of Pages: 1020