USA > Mississippi > Newton County > History of Newton County, Mississippi from 1834 to 1894 > Part 5
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There was no disposition to, or knowledge of ter- . racing or circling land in those days. Farmers had great pride in having the fields laid off in very straight rows. No fertilizing to any extent was practiced at that time; very little attention paid to rotation of crops, and the consequence was that these level lands were soon worn down; more fresh lands were cleared up, and the old fields allowed to lie out and grow up in short-leafed pine trees, and in this way most of the choice places were brought in at an early day and put under cultivation, and many of them allowed to go to ruin. These same grounds when they lie level and were allowed to lie out and take a second growth of timber, are among the most valuable of the county.
They have been reclaimed, and in many instances nature has done wonders in recuperating them. Hav- ing an abundance of vegetable mold, the intelligent application of commercial fertilizers has brought them up to a production equal if not greater than when they were first cleared. These lands, though level, are ter- raced so as to retain the greatest amount of moisture, and crops can be made with less rain than when they were fresh.
Great improvement in the proper kind of plows to work the crops have much improved the yield and greatly protects them from washing and wearing out. Newton county, as has been stated, was eminently a stock raising county as well as an agricultural one. A man had very little labor to perform to make corn or cotton ; had only to keep his stock gentle to secure heir increase and growth.
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MARKET FOR STOCK AND CATTLE.
The market for stock and cattle was far from home ; much of the cotton was taken to Mobile, a distance of 135 miles ; some to Vicksburg and some to Jackson ; and after the railroad reached Brandon, Newton county took there a large amount of the cotton raised. Cattle were driven to Mobile and sometimes shipped to New Orleans from there. Sometimes they were sold at Baton Rouge and from there sent to New Orleans. Cot- ton was lower in the forties than it has been since ; the people made it then and hauled it to the markets re- ferred to, and many times sold for five cents per pound. The price of cotton gradually increased, fluctuating much, and in the year 1851 it reached a point of from 12} to 14 cents per pound. The average price of cot- ton in the Mobile market, which was the market for this county for ten years before the war, was from 1850 to 1860, eight cents per pound.
WHAT WAS MADE ON THE FARM.
Corn, peas, potatoes, pumpkins, and everything necessary to live upon were made at home; there was always corn enough made in the county to do the cit- izens; some few were non-producers, and accordingly a few would fail; in this event they could be supplied by their neighbors. The same was true as to bacon and other provisions, which could be raised in the county. Sugar, coffee, molasses and some flour, were bought. There was a good deal of wheat made in the county ; the fresh lands, and particularly the red lands in the northern portion of the county, brought good wheat. No sugar or molasses were made; it was not known then that this county could grow the Louisiana cane. Considerable rice and some tobacco were made.
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CLOTHING MADE AT HOME.
Large amounts of clothing were made by the women of the county, both cotton and woollen goods. These goods were of the most lasting character. Large amounts of the coarse shoes were made at home ; many farmers tanned their own leather, while others carried their leather to the tan-yards of the county and exchanged hides for leather, getting half the weight of the hides in leather, if it were sole, and proportionately accord- ing to size and finish if it were upper leather. Farmers made their plow-lines, plow-stocks, hames and back- "bands at home. The county and town blacksmiths did new plow work and repaired old work so as to keep them busy most of the year. When they were not work- ing on plows they were repairing and ironing wagons, whose wood-work was made at some neighboring shop in the county. People lived close at home and made more of the implements with which to work the farm than they now do. Quite an amount of money was derived from the sale of beef cattle, sheep and hogs, driven from this county to market. In some instances prices ran very low; at others they were very high, and as the stock grew up on the range and became very fat, much profit was gained from the rais- ing of them. Thousands of cattle and other stock were driven to market from this county in the first twenty years after its settlement. -
POPULATION AGAIN CONSIDERED.
The population of Newton county, when settled, is supposed to be from ten to twelve hundred, not count- ing the Indians. The first census after the organiza- tion of the county in the year 1836, was taken in the year 1840, which showed Newton county to have
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2,528 of all classes, not including the Indians. This was quite an increase on the population of 1836. In the year 1850 the census gives 4,465, not to include the In- dians. This showed that Newton county was still in- creasing very fast, and much of the good lands were being taken up, and all the advantages which this new county could give were being appreciated.
By this time much more interest was taken in'schools and churches, and the general civilizing of the country. Better houses were being put up; quite an amount of negro property brought to the county, and many things done to give the county respectability and im- portance in the State. A new court-house had taken the place of the old log house built in early days,;and a new jail, and the Baptist church, had by this time, or a little after, been built, all showing a tendency towards improvement.
This new court-house, or the second one to be built in the county, was a two-story frame building on the site occupied by the present brick structure. It was built by Willis Norman, but the price paid for it can- not be learned, nor the date it was built, possibly, as early as 1840 to 1841.
CHAPTER VIII.
THREE ATTEMPTS TO MOVE COURT HOUSE FROM DE- . CATUR-BUILDING OF TWO COURT-HOUSES-REBUILD- ING OF COURT-HOUSES -STEADY INCREASE OF IM- MIGRATION UP TO 1855 AND 1860-IMPROVEMENT OF THE COUNTY AT THIS TIME-ADVANCEMENT IN CIVILIZATION.
It appears that after the building of the second court-house the people became restless in some parts of the county, and proposed to move it to the geographical center. This central location in the county would be a half mile south of the Isham Hol- lingsworth place on the road from Decatur to Newton, about three hundred yards east of the road. This is a very broken, hilly place, and apparently a very unsuit- able place for a town, yet it is said that there was some town lots sold on the location designated. A great gathering of people collected at the place, an old- fashioned barbecue was given, (the old barbecue pit is still there). This was no doubt a great meeting of the people; probably some speeches made favorable to the location and removal. Doubtless there was a large amount of liquor drank, many fights, and much that was exciting and amusing, but all to no avail; when the vote was taken the court-house still remained at Decatur. It is not known at precisely what date this occurred, but the supposition is that it was be- tween 1842 and 1845.
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In February, 1864, Gen. Sherman's army marched through the county on its way to Meridian. It stopped at Decatur, and besides many other things that the soldiers did, they burned the court-house. This house was not a valuable one, but it answered the purpose at the time, and supplied the wants of the people. The records were saved and the court-house business done in a private house, northeast present site of business, where Mrs. Hinton now lives.
Thus matters went on until after the close of the war in the year 1865. Soon after this time an agita- tion of the same question was had, and at the first meeting of the Legislature after the war, the question of removing the county site at Decatur to Newton was submitted to this body at Jackson, and again it was put before the people. When the vote was taken it was shown that Decatur was again chosen by the voters. At once steps were taken to build a new court. house on the old site. The board of police at once met and passed an order for the building of the new court house, and the contract was awarded to Mont- gomery Carleton, the amount said to be $3000. This - house was about the size of the one that Sherman's army burned, and was a very peculiarly constructed building. The court was held on the ground floor, and the rooms for the officers were on the second floor. The house was not as convenient as if the court had been held on the second floor and the rooms for the officers on the first. It, however, served a very good purpose and was a great loss to the county when it was destroyed. The jail was built by Thomas Wells for $1500. Much business was done in this court-house. There were stirring times in the county ; great political events were happening ; much was done to excite the people. In this court-house officiated the radical ap-
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pointees and the scalawags elected to office. Here speeches were made by patriotic Democrats urging the people to strive to get from under the yoke of political oppression. Here it was that the Radical speakers, from various parts of the State, came and used this court-house as a place to proclaim to the few people who would follow them then, the doctrines of the Radical party. Here, too, in this court-house, was the Radical party overthrown and the Democrats returned to power.
In the month of September, probably the second day of the term of circuit court in 1876, this court house was burned. It was at first supposed to be the work of an incendiary, and a man by the name of Spencer, a lawyer attending the court, was suspected. So strong was the suspicion in the minds of the grand jury that a true bill was found against Mr. Spencer. He, feeling that this was all wrong, demanded a speedy trial, which was given him, and he was honorably acquitted. It is now supposed that the fire was accidental, occur- ing from the leaving of some candles that burned down and ignited the wood on which they were placed, and that fired the building.
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This entailed a great loss to our county, as the court- house had to be rebuilt, and a greater loss in the rec- ords of the county, which for forty years were gone. A minute book and docket and a few papers were all that were saved. The records of the county, including all important matters that had been there from the commencement of the county, with the record of all the land deeds, and all other important transactions, were gone, and without power to reclaim many of them. Judge Mayers was holding the court, and the day after the burning the court repaired to the Baptist church, where the term was finished, and probably one or two subsequent courts were held there.
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As soon as the news of the burning of the court- house was well understood in the county, the people began to agitate again as to the removal, and at the next meeting of the Legislature, which took place during the year 1877, a petition was presented by the representative of the county, Hon. Isaac L. Pennington, and a bill was passed allowing the court-house site to be removed from Decatur. Now comes an exciting time in the county of Newton.
The town of Newton claims the right to have the court-house. The town of Decatur claims the right to have the court-house remain, and the town of Hickory claims the right to have the court-house go there. Decatur is about three and one-half miles from the center of the county ; Newton about six and one-half, and Hickory a little greater distance probably than Newton. The excitement ran high and quite a feeling was evinced by the citizens of the county against New- ton particularly. Hickory being a business rival of Newton, her people preferred that Decatur, rather than Newton, should have the court-house, though the latter would be more convenient for them. Newton made a proposition to donate the building lot and to build the court-house. The election came off and resulted in the court house remaining at Decatur.
The people of Hickory were not to blame for the part they took against Newton. The people north of Decatur felt that the county site ought to remain at Decatur and they acted right. It is said, however, that enough voters remained away from the polls in the beat that the town of Newton is situated to have carried the court-house to Newton. They felt it their privilege to defeat Newton; they had that right and yet it appears strange, if these statements are facts, that they should have acted so. It was a severe blow
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to Newton's business interests. The people in the northern part of the county were for years estranged to the town and gave their trade to Hickory. It is but of recent years that this animosity has passed off.
As soon as the result of the election was known, and at the first meeting of the board of supervisors, steps were taken to rebuild the court-house at Decatur. The board was not sparing of the county's money in its appropriations, and their actions appeared to be sustained. They passed an order in the spring of 1877, that the county of Newton was to have a brick court- house, to be built on the old site. Proposals were re- ceived and the contract was let to Mr. Scully, of Meridian, for $7,000, who went immediately to work and in a few months had the house ready for occupa- tion.
This house is a two-story, 60x40 feet, with four rooms on first floor for offices and grand jury; has splendid court-room above, with two rooms in the rear of the judge's seat for consultation of lawyers and their clients, and other purposes of convenience to the court. This house has flat roof covered with tin; has blinds to the windows ; has two good fire- places ; and taking it altogether, is in every way con- venient and suitable for holding the courts of the county.
After the building of the new brick court-house, the old jail was found to be inadequate and unsafe. A good frame jail house was constructed immediately · after the court house; and after the jail was built it was found expedient to have iron cages placed in the jail for a more safe-keeping of prisoners. These were placed in the jail by a St. Louis company at the cost of about three thousand dollars for jail and cages. It was thought by the board of supervisors in the year
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1893 that the safe in the court-house then, which cost $550.00, was not sufficient to protect the records and important papers of the county. They passed an order to have a brick vault outside at one of the east windows of the chancery clerk's office, immediately connected with and adjoining the chancery clerk's office. This vault to be 8x12 feet. The contract was taken by W. H. Wilson, of Meridian, who burned the brick and with the assistance of C. H. Dabbs, placed the brick vault as an annex to the chancery clerk's office, at the cost of $849.00.
It will be seen that the county of Newton is now well provided with all the necessary houses for county business ; a safe jail out of which no prisoner has ever escaped except at the door ; good safes and brick vault to protect the interests of its courts, and records and those of its citizens who have an interest there. This is as it should be, and the boards of supervisors are to be complimented for the manner in which they have provided for the county and with no very great outlay of the people's money.
INFLUX OF POPULATION.
It has been shown that the increase of population from the decade from 1840 to 1850 nearly doubled, and from 1855 to 1860 was a period in which was a greater increase proportionately than at any other period of the county's history. About this time and a little pre- vious, came many Alabama and Georgia people. J. F. N. Huddleston, a prominent lawyer and Congrega- tional Methodist preacher, with large family, came to the county from Georgia ; also the McCune family, the Todds, McMullens, Stampers, Quattlebaums, Edmunds, Hoye, Hunters, Abneys, McElhaneys, Freemans, Wat- sons, Masseys, Flints, Portiss', Barrets, Carletons,
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Keiths, Nimmocks, Gardners, Daniels', Cleavlands, and others whose names are not recollected.
As mention has been made of an influx of Georgia and Alabama immigration to the county, it would here be proper to mention as a large and valuable contin- gent in the way of citizenship, the Irish settlement in Newton county. Some of them came at a date much anterior to 1855 and 1860-probably as early as 1845 to 1850-and so distinct and separate were they as an Irish community, that it was called New Ireland, in honor of the " old Emerald Isle." The names of these Irishmen were: Vances, of which there is a large fam- ily ; Blackburns, Frenches, Dowdles, Gaults, Willises, Hogans, Mercers and Davidsons.
With this addition of population from Georgia and Alabama, and the foreign element, new life seemed to be infused into the county. These people had come from older States, where different methods of living prevailed ; hence it was better farming, better stock, and much new land opened, better state of society, more schools, more churches, more preaching. There was more enterprise, more disposition to make better improvements in the county. Especially was this very noticeable in Decatur, the county site. Up to that time only one church was in the town. A new Metho- dist church was built, and good schools provided. Up to, say 1855, there was probably not over $1000 paid out in the county for schooling by private cit- izens.
Very soon after the period referred to, Decatur had a high school, and paid a principal as much as $800 a year for teaching. In the year 1890 Newton county had nearly ninety schools, and paid out nearly $14,000. At the laying of the corner-stone of Hickory Institute, November 8, 1889, Col. J. L. Power, who
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officiated on that occasion, made this statement : "There are few counties in the State that make a bet- ter showing in the matter of attendance compared with total enrollment. Of the 5935 educable children en- rolled, 4359 were in school during the year, leaving only 576 (white and colored) who were not in school any time during the year."
OLD TIME SCHOOL TEACHERS.
There was a school teacher in the year 1860-61 in the county engaged in teaching, and who had been employed in this profession at a much earlier period, both in Newton and Jasper counties. . He was a man of superior education, of strong convictions, and whose political tenets came very near causing him to lose his life. The man referred to was John Bissett. He was an Englishman, and said he had been educated for the ministry. His intemperate habits had caused his ruin. He came to Jasper county as early as 1833, and in that county and Newton taught school alternately until 1861. He usually taught in the neighborhood of the Loper families in Jasper county, and in the Blakely families, in Newton county. He was a man wonder- fully gifted in conversational power; discussed any topic that agitated the public mind, or that interested any private individual. His manners were good, his address was gracious and attractive, and his language such as to have no defects, no slang, no common, rough phrases, but rich, fluent and instructive, with a brogue that was attractive, but not objectionable. These were his characteristics when sober, but when drunk, " none so poor as to do him reverence." He then became an object of scorn and reproach. To his intimate friends it had long been known that he was opposed to slavery. Upon a memorable occasion in 5
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the town of Decatur, in the spring of 1861, he gave ut- terance to opinions so much in opposition to the spirit of " those times " and so opposed to the politics of the South, that his life was endangered. It is said a rope was brought with which to hang him. But his old friends and the old people that had known him since he came into the county, and to whom he had been so kind, and many of them his pupils in school, rescued him from the infuriated people, made up money and sent him away to another State.
Jeremiah Hennessey was another old landmark among the early teachers of this county. Hennessey was an Irishman, a very competent teacher, a faithful worker in the discharge of his duty. He did not teach in Newton county as much as Bissett. Hennessey will be remembered by the older citizens of the county who went to his school. He had his peculiar ways of teach- ing, which were considered good at that time, and prob- ably one peculiarity of his school government may be more impressed upon his old pupils, and that is the punishment he inflicted. He may well have been called a "threshing machine." But he was one who loved the children he taught, and who gave largely of his salary to the children in presents, and partic- ularly to those who excelled in their studies. He was a very austere man, and yet had much kindness in his nature. His loved his school, his profession, and greatly respected his patrons. He was another victim of intemperance. He lived to a great age and died about the period referred to-1860 or 1861.
There were some other old-time teachers in the county, of less note. Thomas Car, Beale, Young, Wil- son, Waterman, Stroud and Welch were among the early teachers recollected by the old settlers.
Speaking again of the Irish settlement, these peo-
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ple are Protestants, and usually belong to -- when they are attached to any church-the Cumberland Presby - terian. They are usually men who make good livings at home, and are very independent characters. They are very little given to an undue use of liquor, but . most of them will take a drink and care not who sees them. Upon the whole they are a valuable addition to our population, and Newton county would be proud of a thousand more of such immigrants fom the "ould country." There are very few Catholic families in the county ; Dr. F. G. Semmes and family at Hickory, and John Kirby and wife, and his son and son-in-law and family, are all that are recollected.
If the reader should wish a hearty welcome, a good joke, a warm shake of the hand, a plain but plentiful meal, let him go and spend the day with John Kirby and his " old lady." John and his good wife are both old, but they are jolly and well fixed at home by hard work. There are very few foreign-born citizens in the county except those named. One Chinaman at New. ton ; one Englishman, Uncle Dick Trathan, at Hick. ory. The Indian population, according to the census of 1890, is 349 in this county.
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CHAPTER IX.
INTRODUCTION OF THE RAILROAD INTO THE COUNTY -- BUILDING RAILROADS IN THE COUNTY-WHEN THE RAILROAD ENTERED THE COUNTY - ITS COMPLE- TION THROUGH THE COUNTY-NUMBER OF MILES OF RAILROAD IN THE COUNTY - NUMBER ACRES OF LAND DONATED BY THE GENERAL GOVERNMENT TO RAILROAD LOCATED IN NEWTON COUNTY - NUMBER OF ACRES OF RAILROAD LAND NOW IN THE COUNTY -THE ADVANTAGES OF THE RAILROAD TO THE COUNTY-TAX IT NOW PAYS THE COUNTY.
Between the years 1850 and 1855 work was begun on the railroad running from Vicksburg in an eastern direction from Brandon. This road was called the Southern Railroad; was started out from Vicksburg probably in the year 1839, and progressed very slowly, and finally reached Clinton, in Hinds county, and was there for a time, but was completed to Jackson about 1845. It remained at Jackson for a period of years, and probably about 1848 was built to Brandon, in Rankin county. About that time the directors went to work more seriously to put the road through. Per- sons connected with the road were sent to Virginia to buy negroes to work on it. While the road remained at Brandon it proved a fine market, and much of the cotton raised in Newton county was taken to Brandon and sold, and supplies bought for plantation use. During the year 1858 the road was finished to Morton,
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in Scott county, and that town remained the terminus for about two years.
The work on the road now went on more rapidly. Outside contractors took the work, and it soon reached completion. E. Gresham and James P. Clark and War- ren Clark, of Scott county, took contracts, and W. N. Raines, of Newton county, living near Hickory, did a large amount of work for the road. Col. Raines was a large slave owner and employed his own negroes and hired other negroes in the county and did good service. Col. Raines was a Virginian by birth, but had lived in Georgia and had seen much railroad work, and had good experience and was a very suitable man to intrust with the building of the road. It was some time in the year 1859 that the railroad reached Lake. It was on the 20th day of September, 1860, that the first train reached the town of Newton.
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