Mississippi : comprising sketches of towns, events, institutions, and persons, arranged in cyclopedic form Vol. I, Part 2

Author: Rowland, Dunbar, 1864-1937, ed
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: Atlanta, Southern Historical Publishing Association
Number of Pages: 1030

USA > Mississippi > Mississippi : comprising sketches of towns, events, institutions, and persons, arranged in cyclopedic form Vol. I > Part 2

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).

In addition to these sources there are on file, in the Department of Archives and History, numerous pamphlets relating to the State. These pamphlets deal with political, industrial, economic, religious and educational conditions, and make a valuable collec- tion of source materials.

DUNBAR ROWLAND.

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Abbeville, an incorporated post-town in the northern part of Lafayette county, on the main line of the Illinois Central R. R., and ten miles north of Oxford. It has two churches and a normal school. The census of 1900 gave it a population of 255.

Abbott, a post-village of Clay county, on the Chuquatonchee Creek, about ten miles northwest of West Point, the nearest rail- road, express and banking point. It has a money order postoffice, and is a prosperous little place, having a grist-mill and a cotton gin- nery.

Abel, a post-hamlet of Smith county, on the Gulf & Ship Island R. R., about 10 miles south of Raleigh, the county seat. Its popu- lation in 1900 was 40, which has since been materially increased.

Aberdeen. The city of Aberdeen dates back to the early days of Monroe county. During the middle '30s, a little settlement grew up on the west side of the Tombigbee river, in the immediate neighborhood of Morgan's Ferry. It was incorporated by the Legislature in May, 1837, and subsequent acts relating to its char- ter were passed in 1838 and 1846. It was situated thirteen miles south of the famous old settlement of Cotton Gin Port, which was long the head of navigation on the Tombigbee river. In the year 1849 it was made the seat of justice for Monroe county, and in 1857 the present large brick court house was erected.

The shipping facilities of Aberdeen are excellent, as it is at the head of navigation on the Tombigbee, and branch lines of three railroads terminate here-the Illinois Central, the Mobile and Ohio and the Kansas City, Memphis and Birmingham, the latter road now being a part of the St. Louis & San Francisco system. So- cially and industrially, it is known as one of the best cities in the State. None can boast of better churches, better schools, and a more intelligent and prosperous class of people. It is situated in the midst of a fertile and highly cultivated farming region, with sandy timbered lands on the east and with black prairie lands on

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the west, adapted to the growing of all kinds of grasses, grains, fruits, and vegetables, though cotton forms the principal staple production of the county. The prairie lands are also especially adapted to the raising of corn. Lands near Aberdeen are valued from $25 to $50 an acre; five miles from the city about half this price obtains, except the prairie lands, which sell at about the former price. Aberdeen is one of the eleven cities in the State, whose manufacturing and mechanical industries were considered of suf- ficient importance by the officials of the Census Bureau of the Twelfth Census, to justify the appointment of special agents to collect the statistics. It is admirably situated to develop into a large manufacturing city. It is located at the head of navigation on the Tombigbee, has extensive areas of valuable timber to draw upon, is surrounded by a highly productive and fertile farming region, and is in close proximity to the rich coal and iron fields of Alabama. Writing of its favorable situation, Prof. Lawrence C. Johnson, of the U. S. Geological Survey, has this to say: "At the head of navigation, this is the natural and nearest outlet to a large territory of both Mississippi and Alabama. It should control the coal and iron regions of at least Lamar and Marion counties, Ala., and have an equal chance at the grand coal fields of Walker. Your position, geologically considered, is advantageous. Situated at the eastern edge of what the books call the Eutaw formation of the cretaceous group, you have behind you all the wealth of the calcareous soils of the prairie. Beyond the Tombig- bee you have thin soils, it is true, in the sharp hills of what we call the Tuscaloosa formation; but these hills are clothed with the finest timber, and when that is removed it becomes the land of the mulberry, grape, peach, and all the fruits of our climate."

Aberdeen boasts of a fine public school building; the Federal building here was built at a cost of about $100,000. It has a num- ber of large and up-to-date mercantile establishments. Among its important manufacturing industries are: A clothing factory ; a sand-lime brick factory; a button manufacturing company ; The Aberdeen Oil Mill; an ice factory and bottling works; The Peo- ple's Oil Mill and Fertilizer works; a furniture factory ; a large cotton compress ; several cotton gins, a saw and planing mill; iron works and machine shops. Electric lighting and water works sys- tems costing $90,000 are owned and operated by the city, and are said by experts to be the best in the State. There are three strong banking institutions-The First National Bank; The Bank of Aberdeen, and The Monroe Bank and Trust Co. Two papers are

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published here: The Aberdeen Examiner, a Democratic weekly, established in 1866, edited by its founder, Maj. S. A. Jonas; The Aberdeen Weekly, also a Democratic weekly, established in 1875, and edited by T. T. Deavenporte.

The city is excellently managed in an official way and is rapidly increasing in population; in 1906 the population was estimated at . 5,000. The Aberdeen Business League is doing a splendid work in exploiting the city's many advantages.

Ablow, a postoffice in Webster county, 8 miles north of Wal -. thall, the county seat.

Abner, a postoffice of Franklin county.

Abney, a post-hamlet in the western part of Itawamba county, 6 miles southwest of Fulton, the county seat. Population in 1900 was 36.

Aborigines. See Indians.

Absalom, a postoffice of Winston county.

Academies and Colleges. Within the period of Spanish occu- pation it is possible that there were some attempts at schools among the Methodist settlers of Vicksburg and vicinity, and the Congre- gationalists and Baptists near Natchez, but such things like Prot- estant churches would have been innovations on Spanish policy. There were families, even then, able to hire private tutors and send. their children to eastern or even European colleges, but generally. there was little opportunity for education in the district which con- stituted the nucleus of Mississippi in 1797. In 1799 Governor Sargent transmitted to Congress a memorial from the inhabi- tants of Natchez, praying for aid in the establishment of a semi- nary. Rev. David Ker (q. v.) started the first public school for girls in 1801 at Natchez.

In May, 1802, at a special, session of the general assembly, Gov- ernor Claiborne particularly urged the establishment of "a semi- nary of learning" at some central location, fostered by the govern- ment, under the direction of a board of trustees. This resulted in Jefferson college (q. v.), founded May 13, 1802, and opened in 1810.

Madison academy near Port Gibson was chartered in 1809; Jackson academy, in Wilkinson county, in 1814; Pinckneyville academy and Williamson academy near Woodville, and Amite academy, in 1815; Shieldsboro academy (Pass Christian) in 1818; Elizabeth female academy at Washington, and Natchez academy, Pearl Hill academy, Jefferson county, and Wilkinson female acad- emy, in 1819 ; Columbian academy, of Marion county, in 1820. Frank-

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lin academy, Columbus, was founded in 1821. After the Choctaw lands were opened to settlement, Mississippi college (q. v.) had its beginnings as an academy incorporated in 1826, and located at Mt. Salus, now known as Clinton, where a building was com- pleted in 1830, with $5,000 State aid. Oakland college (q. v.) was founded in 1830, the first institution of collegiate grade that was successful.

After this the number of academies rapidly increased. Among them were Fayette academy, founded in 1827, which survived many decades ; Brandon academy, in operation in 1830 near Fort Adams ; the celebrated old Mt. Carmel academy in Covington county ; the Vicksburg institute in 1831; the Sharon college and academy for boys and girls, which had a brilliant career until 1861; Holly Springs university, in 1837, the predecessor of St. Thomas' hall; the Holly Springs female institute, "one of the most successful and useful ever in the State;" the Oxford male and female academy, in 1838, the latter branch of which was merged in the Union female college in 1854, which institution was therefore the oldest college north of Jackson.

In 1839 Jefferson college had been closed for several years ; Oakland college was in a prosperous condition; male and female academies were in successful operation at Sharon, Columbus, Holly Springs, Port Gibson and several other places. Mississippi col- lege, at Clinton, was not prosperous.

In 1839 the legislature enacted that the "fines, penalties, for- feitures and amercements," which had theretofore, since 1821, gone into the Literary fund, should, in certain counties named, go to the support of certain academies, as follows: Port Gibson academy in Claiborne county, Fayette academy in Jefferson, Lex- ington male and female academy in Holmes, Marion academy in Lauderdale, the Orphan asylum in Adams, the Oxford and Wyatt academies in Lafayette, Gallatin female academy in Copiah, Quit- man male and female academy in Newton, Mount Carmel academy in Covington, Raymond, Clinton and Cayuga female academies in Hinds, Monticello academy in Lawrence, Ripley and Salem academies in Tippah, to the erection and support of a hospital and poorhouse in Vicksburg in Warren, to Paulding academy in Jasper, to the Pontotoc female academy in Pontotoc, to the male and female academies in Rankin, to the university and female academy in Marshall, to the Woodville classical school in Wilkin- son, to the male and female academies at Starkville in Oktibbeha, to the Kosciusko female academy in Attala, to Macon academy

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in Noxubee, to the schools on the sixteenth sections in Lowndes, to the Yazoo library association in Yazoo, to the Farmington female academy in Tishomingo, to the Hernando academies in DeSoto, and in other counties to such academies and schools as the board of police should designate.

In 1841 Montrose academy was opened in Jasper county by Rev. John N. Waddel, and Centenary college was established at Bran- don Springs, in Rankin county, by the Methodist church, and about that time the first manual training school in Mississippi, Judson institute (q. v.). In all, during the decades 1830-50, 76 academies and colleges were incorporated, and there were many in successful operation without charters. In the decade 1850-60, 35 academies and colleges were incorporated, of which the best known were the Port Gibson collegiate academy, the Eudocia female college (later the Winona district high school) and Whit- worth college. The State University and various other notable institutions are described in special articles. This article is de- rived mainly from an address by Chancellor Edward Mayes, printed in the State superintendent's report for 1889.

Summerville institute, in the "mountains" of Noxubee, was founded by Thomas S. Gathright in January, 1854.

The Columbus male high school was established 1867.

Pass Christian college was founded by the Christian Brothers. Brother Geffery was president in 1871, with fifteen brothers as- sociated.

At Dry Grove, Hinds county, there was in 1875 a theological school of the Episcopal church, supported by a missionary fund from the East.

Ackerman, an incorporated town in the eastern part of Choctaw county, on the line of the Illinois Central R. R., at its crossing of the Mobile, Jackson & Kansas City R. R., 55 miles southwest of Aberdeen. It was made the county seat of the second district of Choctaw county in 1896 and the present court house was built in 1897. It has telegraph and express offices, and a money order postoffice, and is located in the midst of a fine farming region. A branch of the Grenada Bank was established here in 1899. It has a good public school and is growing rapidly in population. The Choctaw Plaindealer, established in 1887, Frank Townsend, editor and publisher, and The Ackerman Sun, established in 1905, are both Democratic weeklies. The last census (1900) gave Acker- man a population of 706; in 1906 the population was estimated at 1,200. Five church denominations have church buildings here.

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Ackerman's high school is second to none in the State. Nearly all of the fraternal orders have prosperous lodges here. An elec- tric lighting plant has been contracted for and will soon be in operation. One of the largest saw and planing mills in the state is in operation here; also a cotton compress, two cotton gins and a steam laundry.

Ackia Battle, 1736. This historic fight between the French under Bienville and the Chickasaw Indians took place on May 26, 1736, about three miles northwest of the present town of Tupe- lo, in Lee county. The French had penetrated the Chickasaw country by way of the Mobile and Tombigbee rivers, and their force consisted of about 600 whites and 500 Indians (Claiborne, p. 59), while other accounts place their total numbers at from 2,500 to 3,000, inclusive of some 1,200 Choctaw allies. The village of Ackia, where the Chickasaws were first discovered by Bienville, was strongly fortified with palisades and earthworks, and their fort displayed the English flag, as several English traders seem to have been among them. Their fort was on a hill with cabins around it, with others apparently fortified at some distance below, and a little stream ran at the foot of the hill. It was "surrounded by a palisade more than a fathom thick, the intervals being closed by smaller piles, so arranged as to leave loopholes through which they could fire without exposing themselves. It was besides cov- ered with heavy oak planks, loaded also with earth, so that gre- nades were of no service." (Dumont, His. Mem.) The Choctaws on perceiving the enemy's fort, at once advanced to the attack with yells and cries, but were easily repulsed with severe loss. The French commander, on seeing the strong disposition of the enemy, was disposed to await a junction with D'Artaguette, before venturing to attack. Overruled by the younger officers of his force, he reluctantly ordered an attack. A strong storming party was detached to carry the fort. This party advanced to the at- tack using a sort of portable breastwork, which, however, proved of little assistance. They had neither spades nor pickaxes, and aimed to take the fort by a coup de main. They crossed the stream at the foot of the hill, and began to ascend the slope, occupying the detached cabins as they approached. The Chickasaws fought be- hind their palisades "bedded to the stomach in the earth, observed the greatest silence, and suffered the French to approach within good musket shot before firing." (Narrative of Du Tertre). Du- mont states, "As soon as the troops had gained the top of the hill, they began by setting fire to some of the cabins on the wings,

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from which the enemy might have annoyed us; but avoiding one inconvenience we fell into another, for the smoke almost stifled us as long as they were burning. The colonial militia, which were in the rear of the company's troops, wheeled right and left, intending to invest the fort, but the Sieur de Jusan, aide-major, checked the movement and sent the troops back to their post, intending for his own corps the glory of carrying the place, which now began a vigorous defence. Several militia men were already disabled, and the grenadiers in attempting to advance had one of their ser- geants killed, the other wounded, as was also Captain Renaud d'Hauterive, who was carried to the camp, whence the general was observing the result of the attack." Unable to draw the enemy from his cover, or breach the palisade, a retreat was finally ordered. The attack had lasted from half-past one to five in the afternoon, and thirty-two regulars and militia were killed, and at least sixty wounded, including the following officers: De Noyer, Grondel, d'Hauterive, de Velles, Villemont, Montbrun, de Jusan. They were unable to carry off many of their dead, and were forced the following morning to witness the ghastly spectacle of their slain companions quartered and hung on the points of the palisades. Bienville did not feel strong enough to renew the at- tack the next morning, especially as he had left his heavy ordnance behind at Cotton Gin Port. Therefore the army was at once put in motion and the long return journey to Mobile and New Orleans begun.

Acme, a post-village, 12 miles west of Paulding, the county seat of Jasper county.

Acona, a post-hamlet in the northern part of Holmes county, about 12 miles north of Lexington, the county seat, and the near- est railroad and banking town. It has a money order postoffice and maintains a very good school. Population in 1900, 75.

Adair, a post-hamlet of Carroll county, 20 miles southwest of Car- rollton, the county seat.

Adams County. April 2, 1799, Winthrop Sargent, the first Ter- ritorial Governor of Mississippi, issued the following proclama- tion : "I do ordain and order by these letters made patent, that all and singular the lands lying and being within the boundaries of the Mississippi Territory, should constitute two coun- ties-the division of which shall be a line, commencing at the mouth of Fairchild's Creek, and running direct to the most south- ern part of Ellicott'sville ; thence easterly along the dividing ridge of the waters of Cole's and Sandy Creeks, so far as the present

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settlements extend, and thence by a due east line to the territorial boundary-the southern or lower division of which is named, and hereafter to be called the county of Adams, and the northern or upper division, the county of Pickering. The justices of the com- mon pleas court were announced April 5th, as follows: Daniel Clark, Bernard Lintot, Thomas Burling, John Ellis, Thomas Wilkins, Abner Green, George Fitzgerald and John Collins; also William Dunbar, judge of probate, Lewis Evans, sheriff, Melling Wooley, coroner, Peter Walker, clerk of the court of quarter ses- sions and prothonotary of the court of common pleas; Bernard Lintot, treasurer, and John Henderson, recorder. The justices of the court of quarter sessions were Daniel Clark, William Dunbar, John Ellis, James McIntosh, Thomas Wilkins and Abraham Ellis. In addition there were a number of justices of the peace, namely : Philander Smith, Joshua Howard, John Collins, Charles Bourd- man, Robert Dunbar, William Vousdan, Hugh Davis, William Kenner, George Cochran, William Miller, Anthony Hoggett. July 2, 1800, the governor appointed the following inspectors: Job Ruth Cotton and Melling Wolley, town of Natchez; John Bolls and Gerard Brandon, township of St. Catherine's; William Dun- bar and Charles Suggett, township of Second Creek; Isaac Gal- liard and Patrick Foley, township of Homochitto; Col. Henry Hunter and Thomas Dawson, township of Bayou Sara. "The name of Pickering was changed to Jefferson, January 11, 1802. Thus were formed the two oldest counties in the State. The southern division was named in honor of President John Adams, then in office. Out of its extensive area, on the south and east, have been subsquently carved all the counties situated east and south of the present county of Adams, and lying between its northern boun- dary line extended and the thirty-first parallel of latitude. As now constituted, it is bounded on the north by the county of Jef- ferson, the dividing line being from a point on the Mississippi river, at the upper side of E. Rose's old settlement, due east to Stover's mound, near Fairchild's creek ; thence up the meanderings of the south branch of said creek, to a place once known as Grif- fin's still-house, and afterwards George Selser's springs; thence in a direct line to the northeast corner of what was once Edmond Andrew's cotton-gin; thence due east to the basis meridian line. The basis meridian line divides it from Franklin county on the east, and the Homochitto river, from the meridian line to the Mis- sissippi river, divides it from Wilkinson county on the south, leaving Tansy Island in Wilkinson county. The Mississippi river

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forms its entire western boundary. It has a total area of about 414 square miles, and with Wilkinson county formed the southern part of the old Natchez District. This lofty bluff section of the State, overlooking the Mississippi river, was a natural vantage ground for the earliest white settlers. As early as 1700, the pres- ent site of Natchez was visited by Iberville, Bienville, and de Tonti, in the interest of French colonization, and in 1716, the French built Fort Rosalie, on the present site of Natchez.

The Natchez tribe of Indians, who originally occupied this region, were finally expelled in 1729, and during most of the eighteenth century, the whole Natchez district was disputed territory, being successively under the control of the French, English and Spanish. With the evacuation of the Spaniards in 1798, undisputed Ameri- can control began. Many traces of the divided allegiance owned by the early settlers of Adams county are still evident in the orig- inal titles to the lands of the region, as well as in the prevalence of names of French and Spanish origin. One of the first white settlements made in the county was at Kingston, about sixteen miles southeast of Natchez and about two miles from the Homo- chitto river. In 1772, Samuel and Richard Swayze, of New Jersey, bought 19,000 acres of land on the Homochitto of Capt. Amos Ogden, which had been granted to him by the English Govern- ment in 1768. This land has since been known as "Ogden's Mandamus Grant," and in 1772, the Swayze brothers sailed to their new home, with their families and kindred, in all about fifteen families. They located their cabins close together about one mile from old Kingston. In 1784 Caleb King built his home on the present site of Kingston and called the place by that name. Dr. C. F. Farrar, of Kingston, Miss., a grandson of Caleb King, has the original map of the place, with the names of the streets, as drawn by the founder. The surrounding country became thickly settled, and Kingston was once a prosperous town with about 150 inhabitants. The first Protestant church in Mississippi is said to have been erected at Kingston in 1798. From about 1830 the place began to decay, and many of the settlers moved away. It is now a village of only 39 inhabitants. Some of the descendants of the first settlers, who still inhabit the neighborhood, are, the Swayzes, Foules, Ashfords, Byrds, Davises, Farrars, Vaughns, Thomases, and Sojourners. The first charter of the city of Natchez, the seat of government during the Spanish regime as well as the first Ter- ritorial capital, and the present county seat of Adams county, was granted in 1784, and the first mayor was Samuel Brooks. Stephen

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Minor was the original owner of much of the present site of Nat- chez. Among its earliest settlers were Isaac Girault, Christopher Miller, John Nugent and Jacob Eiler. The Natchez Gazette was the first newspaper in Adams county as well as in the State. It was established about 1802 by Col. Andrew Marschalk, and was published by him for nearly forty years under different names. Tradition says that the first cotton-mill in the State, and perhaps in the world, was that of Sir William Dunbar, erected at or near Natchez in 1834. Natchez is the oldest manufacturing center in the State and one of the oldest in the South. As early as 1720, it possessed a grist mill, a forge and a machine shop. The year 1812 gives it seventeen manufacturing establishments and a population of 1811. Its first big enterprise was the Natchez Cotton Mill, 300 looms, followed by the smaller Rosalie Mill. It stands today third among the cities of the State in capital invested in manufacture. It has excellent shipping facilities provided by the Mississippi river, and the Yazoo & Mississippi Valley R. R., and the New Or- leans and Northwestern R. R., running west from Vidalia across the river. Its population was 12,210 by the census of 1900 and is estimated at not less than 15,000 in 1906. That part of the town of Natchez known as "Natchez Under the Hill," which was inhabited by the more disreputable elements of the population, was com- pletely destroyed by the great tornado of May 7th, 1840, and much of the upper town was laid in ruins. Several hundred people were known to have been killed, and three steamboats and about eighty flatboats were sunk and their cargoes lost. About two miles east of the city was located "Concord," the famous old seat of the Spanish Governors. One of the historic old towns of the county is Washington, now a veritable deserted village of about 250 inhab- itants, but formerly the Territorial and State capital, 1802-1820; it was the seat of Jefferson College, founded in 1803, the oldest endowed institution in the Southwest, of Elizabeth Female Acad- . emy, the oldest chartered female college in the State and the home of scores of Mississippi's famous men, as well as a great literary center in its day. When the State capital was removed to Jackson in 1822, the old town rapidly declined, and its prosperity ceased.

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Mississippi : comprising sketches of towns, events, institutions, and persons, arranged in cyclopedic form Vol. I, Part 2

Author: Rowland, Dunbar, 1864-1937, ed Publication date: 1907 Publisher: Atlanta, Southern Historical Publishing Association Number of Pages: 1030

Author: Rowland, Dunbar, 1864-1937, ed
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: Atlanta, Southern Historical Publishing Association
Number of Pages: 1030