Mississippi : comprising sketches of towns, events, institutions, and persons, arranged in cyclopedic form Vol. I, Part 70

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 70

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

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Ellis, John, was the most notable representative in early terri- torial times, of a family conspicuous in the Natchez district. In 1788 and 1789 lands were granted by the Spanish government to John Ellis, Abraham Ellis, Richard Ellis, Margaret (wife of Ab- raham), Mary (who married Benjamin Farrar), Richard, Jr., and William Cocke Ellis. John seems to have made his settlement on Homochitto, and some of the others there, and on Coles and Sec- ond creek. John's grant on the Homochitto was 1,840 acres, and by other grants and purchases his holdings were greatly increased. He was complimented by Governor Sargent as one of the able men of the district, though nominated for office by a house of rep- resentatives hostile to the governor. In 1802 he was appointed by President Adams a member of the legislative council, and by that body elected president, the highest office in the territory next to the executive. After five years' service in this capacity, he was elected to the house of representatives, and was chosen speaker.

In October, 1807, he informed the governor he had removed from Wilkinson county and consequently resigned the command of the militia of that county, with the rank of lieutenant-colonel.

Ellis, Powhatan, a native of Virginia, moved to Mississippi, re- ceived a liberal education, studied law, began the practice, and was of such standing in 1818 that the first legislature of the State elected him judge of the supreme and district court for the district comprising the southeast corner of the State. In 1825 he resigned to accept the governor's appointment to fill out the term of Walter Leake in the United States senate, but was defeated by Thomas B. Reed before the legislature in the following January. A year later he was elected, over Reed, for the full term succeeding Leake, six years from March 4, 1827. His service in the senate was from De- cember 12, 1825 to March 11, 1826, and from December 3, 1827 to 1832, when he resigned to accept appointment as United States judge in Mississippi. He was appointed by President Jackson charge d'affaires of the United States to Mexico, Jan. 5, 1836, and closed the legation Dec. 28, 1836; was minister plenipotentiary to Mexico Feb. 15, 1839 to April 21, 1842; died at Richmond, Va., about 1844.

In 1832 there was a violent controversy between the friends of Poindexter and Ellis during the presidential campaign. At a meeting of Ellis' friends, at Natchez, Mr. Gaines proposed that if Poindexter would resign his seat in the senate, Ellis would resign his judgeship, and they would go before the people for judgment as to their conduct for or against President Jackson. The Port Gibson Correspondent announced Poindexter's reply, that he would do so if Ellis would give bond to accept no presidential appoint- ment for five years. The negotiation closed there.

"He delivered more opinions than any other judge during the time he was upon the bench his opinions are illuminated by his integrity and his conclusions are just and correct. He was never married ; hence it may not be surprising to find him, in the case of Bradley vs. The State, holding to the old feudal

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doctrine, that a husband might chastise an obstreperous wife, pro- vided he used a rod no larger than the thumb." (Lynch, Bench and Bar). One of his most conspicuous acts in Congress was his vote with Thomas H. Benton and Judge Smith of South Carolina, against the ratification of the treaty of 1828, establishing the boun- dary of the United States and Mexico, which promised to restrict the spread of slavery.

"He was a man of very stately and courtly demeanor, of amiable temper and extremely indolent habits. He talked but little, but had the art of making other people talk, and was a most patient listener .

. would sit for hours without ever changing his position, apparently deeply interested. He was, therefore, univer-" sally voted the most charming of companions, and was in great de- mand on all social occasions. On the bench he was equally atten-

tive and patient . and though proverbially slow was univer- sally popular. He never had an enemy. We never had a purer or more honorable man." (Claiborne's Mississippi, 358, 426.)

Ellisville, the county seat of Jones county, is an incorporated post-town on the New Orleans & North Eastern R. R., 80 miles southeast of Jackson, and 7 miles by rail southwest of Laurel. It is situated in a farming, stock raising and lumbering district. Large quantities of naval stores are manufactured here. It has four lum- ber mills. Its situation on Tallahala river gives it excellent water power and facilities for driving logs. It has several churches, a high school, express and telegraph office, two banks and one news- paper. The Merchants and Manufacturers Bank was established in 1902 with a capital of $30,000; the Bank of Ellisville was estab- lished in 1894 with a capital of $30,000. The News and the New South, both Democratic weeklies, the former established in 1892, and the latter in 1888, consolidated in 1905. The paper is now "The New South News," with J. F. Parker, editor. The popula- tion of the town has grown very rapidly within recent years, and it has developed into a prosperous manufacturing and shipping point. Population in 1890 was 961, which had increased to 1,899 in 1900. The town was named for Powhatan Ellis, member of the Supreme Court and United States Senator.

Ellzey, a post-hamlet of Calhoun county, 10 miles east of Pitts- boro, the county seat. Houston is the nearest banking town, 10 miles to the east. It has a money order postoffice. Population in 1900, 100.

Elm, a postoffice of Tishomingo county.

Elma, a hamlet in the southeastern part of Prentiss county, about 12 miles from Booneville, the county seat. The postoffice here was discontinued in 1905 and it now has rural free delivery from New Site.

Elwood, a hamlet of Clarke county, 5 miles west of Quitman, the county seat. The postoffice here was discontinued in 1905, and it now has rural free delivery from Quitman. Population in 1900, 36.

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Embry, a post-hamlet of Webster county, 6 miles northwest of Walthall, the county seat. Population in 1900, 36.

Emerald, a postoffice of Pike county.

Emerson, a post-hamlet of Neshoba county, 12 miles west of Philadelphia, the county seat. Population in 1900, 55.

Emma, a postoffice in the southwestern part of Tishomingo county, about 24 miles south of Iuka, the county seat.

Emmalena, a postoffice of Oktibbeha county, 10 miles west of Starkville, the county seat.

Emory, a post-village in the northern part of Holmes county, about 12 miles from Lexington, the county seat and the nearest railroad and banking town. Population in 1900, 100.

Energy, a post-hamlet of Clarke county, 17 miles northeast of Quitman, the county seat. Population in 1900, 27.

Engine, a postoffice in the southern part of Neshoba county, on the Mobile, Jackson & Kansas City R. R., 8 miles south of Phila- delphia, the county seat. It has a money order postoffice, and one. rural free delivery route.

Englewood, a postoffice of Sunflower county.

Enid is a post-hamlet of Tallahatchie county, on the Yazoo & Mississippi Valley R. R. It has a money order postoffice, an ex- press office, cotton gin, churches and a good school.

Ennis, a post-hamlet of Kemper county, 10 miles southwest of Dekalb, the county seat. Population in 1900, 30.

Enola, a post-hamlet of Yazoo county, located on the Yazoo- river, 10 miles southwest of Yazoo City, the county seat. Popula- tion in 1900, 75; estimated population in 1906 about 150.

Enon, a postoffice in the northern part of Pike county.

Enondale, a post-hamlet in the southeastern part of Kemper county, on the Mobile & Ohio R. R., about 12 miles from Dekalb,. the county seat. Population in 1900, 80.

Enterprise is an incorporated post-town of Clarke county, on the Mobile & Ohio and the New Orleans & Northeastern R. R., 15 miles southwest of Meridian. There was considerable traffic on the Chickasawhay river between this point and the coast in the early days by means of flat and keel-boats. The town is located in a cotton district and manufactures lumber. It has express, tele- graph and telephone facilities, and one bank, the Bank of Enter- prise, established in 1900 with a capital of $6,000. Two newspapers are published here, the Clarke County Times, a Democratic weekly established in 1887, and the Eastern Banner (colored), a non- political weekly. Population in 1900, 739; the population in 1906 was estimated at 1,000. There is a saw mill, three gin and grist mills combined, a canning factory, two livery stables, two hotels, one of which is noted for its cuisine. The town has about twenty business establishments in a flourishing condition, and seven churches, four white and three colored. It has two good schools,. one of which is an excellent white school and the other is a colored school. The town is surrounded by a good farming country,

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especially adapted to fruit and vegetable culture, while consider- able cotton is grown and marketed here.

Enzor, a postoffice of Lauderdale county, 6 miles southeast of Meridian.

Episcopal Church. In 1792 while Mississippi territory was under the control of the Spanish government, the Rev. Adam Cloud, a Virginian by birth, settled on St. Catherine's Creek, in Adams county. At that time all public religious worship except that of the Catholic church, was forbidden by the authorities, but Mr. Cloud, besides baptising the children and burying the dead of Protestants, sometimes preached and in other ways ministered as best he could to the spiritual needs of the people. For this he was arrested, put in irons and sent to New Orleans to be tried. The governor submitted to him two alternatives. He must be sent to Spain to be tried on a charge of heretical preaching or he must leave the Spanish possessions. Being familiar with the history of the horrors of the Inquisition, he chose the latter, and lived for twenty years in South Carolina and Georgia. In 1816 he returned- to Mississippi, and in 1820 organized the parish of Christ church,. at Church Hill, in Jefferson county, of which he was for many years the rector. Mr. Cloud was the brave and zealous pioneer of his church in Mississippi, and he was followed by Rev. James A. Fox and Rev. James Pilmore and other faithful missionaries, who min- istered to the people and engaged in the arduous work of building . churches in the new country.

In 1826 there were four parishes in Mississippi, those of Church Hill, Natchez, Woodville and Port Gibson. Representatives of these parishes met May 17 of that year in Trinity church, Natchez, and organized a diocese. Rev. Adam Cloud, still living in Jefferson county, was not present, but Christ church, Church Hill, was rep- resented by Rev. James Pilmore, who was then rector ; while Rev. Albert A. Muller represented Trinity church, Natchez; Rev. James Fox, St. Paul's, Woodville, and Rev. John A. Cloud, St. John's, Port Gibson. The lay delegates were John I. Griffith, Joseph Dun- bar, Levin B. Marshall, Robert Moore, A. P. Merrell, M. D., and Col. Henry W. Huntington, of Natchez; Gen. John Joor, Judge Randolph and Judge Prosser, of Woodville ; Hon. Joshua G. Clark and J. W. Foote, of Port Gibson, and Col. Jas. G. Wood and Dr. H. G. Cloud, of Jefferson county.

Trinity church, Natchez, was at that time the strongest church in the diocese, having thirty-five communicants, and a large and expensive church, completed in 1825. The church at Woodville had a neat frame building completed in 1835 through the efforts of Rev. James Fox, its founder, who was also the organizer of the church at Port Gibson.

The president of this first convention was Rev. Albert A. Muller and the secretary Rev. James Pilmore. The diocese adopted a con- stitution and canons for its government, set forth its conformity to the constitution and canons of the Protestant Episcopal church of the United States, and, though composed of four feeble churches,

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elected two clerical and two lay delegates to the general conven- tion of the church to be held in Philadelphia.

In 1832 the churches in Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama were authorized to unite and elect a bishop. They met. in con- vention at New Orleans, and the Rev. Francis L. Hawks, D. D., of New York, was chosen, but he declined to accept the charge, and the movement came to an end.

The Rt. Rev. Leonidas Polk, missionary bishop of Arkansas, had jurisdiction over Mississippi from 1838 to 1841, when the State was placed under the charge of the Rt. Rev. James A. Otey, Bishop of Tennessee.

In 1844 the number of parishes had increased to 20, while the diocese had 18 clergymen, and had made more than one attempt to elect a bishop of its own. In May, 1849, it succeeded. Bishop Otey, being infirm, asked to be relieved of his jurisdiction over the State. On May 17 of that year the convention met at Natchez and on the 19th elected by a unanimous vote Rev: William Mercer Green from the diocese of North Carolina as the first Bishop of Mississippi. He was consecrated in 1850, and held the position until his death-a period of thirty-seven years. He was in the ministry 66 years and was a remarkable man.

The church suffered much during the period of war and recon- struction. It bore its part in all the trials and duties of those dark years with true devotion, and then turned its face to the future with renewed hope and courage. Under the able administration of Bishop Green the church was not only revived, but continued to grow and increase.

In the thirty-second year of his episcopate, Bishop Green asked that an assistant be given him. An effort was made by the coun- cil, which met at Vicksburg April 9, 1882, to elect one, but with- out result. A special session of the council was then called by the bishop. It met in St. Andrew's church, Jackson, Nov. 28, 1882, and unanimously elected the able and scholarly Rev. Hugh Miller Thompson, S. T. D. He was consecrated Feb. 14, 1883.

On May 8, 1884, Bishop Green transferred the administration of the diocese to his assistant and went to Suwanee to reside. He filled his position as chancellor of the South, and occasionally vis- ited his diocese. At his death in 1887 Bishop Thompson became bishop of the diocese of Mississippi and was succeeded on his death in 1903 by Rev. Theodore Du Bose Bratton.

As a result of the war a number of flourishing parishes, sup- ported by planters, became a thing of the past, and the cities and towns are now the centers of religious work.

The parish of Natchez is still one of the strongest in the State. One of the first parishes added to the four, which composed the first convention, was that of Christ church, Vicksburg. The parish was for 25 years under the care of the venerable Rev. Henry San- som, D. D., as rector, and has grown to be a power for good. The parish of the church of the Holy Trinity was organized at Vicks- burg in 1869. It has become one of the strongest in the diocese.

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In 1838 St. Andrew's church, Jackson, was organized. This par- ish is one of the most important in the diocese. Among the im- portant parishes of a later date are Columbus, Raymond, Grenada, Aberdeen, Biloxi, Greenville, Meridian, Oxford and Yazoo City.

The latest statistics are, clergy 35, communicants 4,232. The Woman's Auxiliary was organized in 1891. The 79th annual coun- cil was held at Meridian May 2, 1906.

Epley, a post-hamlet of Lamar county, on the Mississippi Cen- tral R. R., 15 miles west of Hattiesburg, and 20 miles northwest of Purvis, the county seat. A large saw milling plant, also a turpen- tine plant, are located here. The population in 1906 was estimated at 150.

Epps, a post-hamlet of Perry county, on the Gulf & Ship Island R. R., 12 miles south of Hattiesburg, the county seat and nearest banking town. Population in 1900, 40.

Erata, a post-hamlet in the northeastern part of Jones county, on the New Orleans & Northeastern R. R., 7 miles by rail from Laurel, the nearest banking town. Population in 1900, 51.

Erwin, a post-hamlet in the southwestern part of Washington county, on the Yazoo & Mississippi Valley R. R., 24 miles south of Greenville, the county seat. Population in 1900, 45.

Escatawpa, a post-hamlet of Jackson county at the mouth of the Escatawpa river, 6 miles north of Pascagoula, the county seat .. Population in 1906, 500.

Eschol, a postoffice of Clarke county, 5 miles east of Quitman, the county seat.

Esias, a postoffice of Franklin county, about 15 miles east, south- east of Meadville, the county seat.

Eskridge, a post-hamlet of Montgomery county, on the Illinois Central R. R., 7 miles north of Winona, the county seat and nearest banking town.

Esperanza, a post-hamlet in the northwestern part of Pontotoc county, 12 miles from Pontotoc, the county seat. Population in 1900, 26.

Espiritu Santo River. The name given to the Mississippi river by the early Spanish discoverers was "Rio del Espiritu Santo," or River of the Holy Ghost. On many of the earliest maps, the river is laid down as an insignificant stream, often not even distin- guished by its name of Espiritu Santo, and we are left to conjecture what petty line was intended for the great river of the west. We do not know by whom the northern shore of the Gulf of Mexico, first called the Gulf of New Spain, was first explored ; but it is laid down with considerable accuracy in the Geography of Ptolemeus, printed at Venice in 1513, known as the "Admiral's Map." This map is the more remarkable as the delta of a river corresponding to the Mississippi is traced on it more distinctly than in the maps of the next country, though it is not given a name. The explorers who, at this time, were most active, were Leon, Garay, Pineda, Grijalva and Cordova. Apparently, in order to avoid conflict be-

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tween the explorers of the Gulf coast, their spheres of discovery and conquest seem to have been surveyed and apportioned to them by the patents, or commissions, under which they acted. The ex- pedition along the northern coast conducted by Alfonso Alvarez de Pineda in 1519, made under the direction and at the expense of Francisco de Garay, governor of the island of Jamaica, seems to have been the first to thoroughly explore the present coast of Mis- sissippi and Louisiana, and the mouth of the mighty Mississippi. Garay sent a map of the Gulf of Mexico to Spain, in which was em- bodied the results of this expedition. On it, what seems to be the mouth of the Mississippi, was noted as the "Rio del Espiritu Santo." This map was found by Navarette in the Spanish ar- chives, and is given the date of 1520. It is the only stream named on the map and was the first term applied to the Mississippi, the first unquestionable notice and naming of the great river. No earlier map of which we have knowledge ever assigned it a name. A very accurate draft of the shores of the Gulf was sent to Europe by Cortes, and published in 1524. On it the Mississippi is accur- ately located under the above name. The name Espiritu Santo also appears in a map of 1529, drawn by Diego Ribero, royal cos- mographer of Spain from 1523-33. Here the Mississippi is plain- ly traced on the part of the coast assigned as peculiarly Garay's. The name also appears in the Maiollo map, 1527, and in some early French maps, prior to 1536, which were evidently drawn from Spanish sources ; also in the elaborate manuscript map of Homen, 1558, to be found in the British Museum.

In the Biedma narrative of De Soto's expedition, it is made plain that De Soto knew the river by this name, for we read that he sent Maldonado back to Havana, with orders to meet him in six months at the mouth of the Espiritu Santo. (See trans. in His. Coll. of La., vol. ii, p. 99). Biedma makes frequent mention of the river by this name. Shea, in his History of the Discovery of the Mississippi Valley, states that De Luna reached the Rio del Espiritu Santo in 1559 in an expedition against the Napochies (probably the Natchez), who lay on the Ochechiton, or great water, which the Spaniards took to mean the sea, but which proved to be the Rio del Espiritu Santo.

Essex, a postoffice of Quitman county ..

Estabutchie, an incorporated post-town on the southern line of Jones county, on the east bank of Leaf river. It is a station on the New Orleans & North Eastern R. R., 8 miles by rail north of Hattiesburg, the nearest banking town. Population in 1900, 400.

Estesmill, a postoffice of Leake county, 6 miles south of Carthage, the county seat.

Esther, a hamlet of Claiborne county, 5 miles east of Port Gib- son, the county seat, and the nearest railroad and banking town. The postoffice has recently been discontinued, and the mail goes to Port Gibson and Hermanville.

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Estill, a post-hamlet in the southern part of Washington county, on the Yazoo & Mississippi Valley, and the Southern railroads, about 20 miles southeast of Greenville. Population in 1900, 40.

Ethel, a post-village in Attala county on the Illinois Central R. R., 9 miles by rail northeast of Kosciusko, the nearest banking town. It was named for the daughter of S. B. McConnico. Pop- ulation in 1900, 116. The population in 1906 was estimated at 150.

Etta, a post-hamlet in the western part of Union county, on the Tallahatchie river, 12 miles west of New Albany, the county seat, and the nearest railroad and banking town. Population in 1900, 50.

Eubank, a post-hamlet in the southern part of Greene county, on the Mobile, Jackson & Kansas City R. R., and on Beaverdam creek, about 15 miles southwest of Leakesville, the county seat.

Eucutta, a post-hamlet of Wayne county on Eucutta creek, about 20 miles northwest of Waynesboro, the county seat. It has a money order postoffice. Population in 1900, 60. The population in 1906 was estimated at 300. It has two stores, a cotton gin, saw mill, turpentine distillery, a church, and one of the best schools in the county.

Eudora, an incorporated post-village of De Soto county, 9 miles: west of Hernando, the county seat. It has a money order post- office, two churches and an academy. Population in 1900, 91; the population in 1906 was estimated at 150.

Eula, a postoffice in Lamar county, 12 miles northeast of Pur- vis, the county seat.

Eulogy, a post-hamlet of Holmes county, 8 miles southwest of Lexington, the county seat and the nearest railroad and banking town. Population in 1900, 37.

Eunice, a post-hamlet in the northwestern part of Amite county, one mile east of the Yazoo & Mississippi Valley R. R., and about 12 miles distant from Liberty, the county seat.

Eupora, an incorporated post-town in the southern part of Web- ster county, on the line of the Southern Ry., 36 miles by rail west of West Point, and 5 miles directly south of Walthall, the county seat. It is situated in a good agricultural district, has three churches, a normal school, a saw mill, a cotton gin, an express office, a telegraph office, a newspaper office, and an electric lighting plant. A branch of the Grenada bank was established here in 1898. Joseph Marshall established the Eupora Progress here in September, 1889. It is a Democratic weekly, of which M. W. Sharp is the present editor and publisher. The population of Eupora in 1900 was 724; in 1906 it was estimated at 1,200.

Eureka Springs, a postoffice of Panola county, 8 miles southeast of Batesville, one of the county seats of justice. Courtland is its nearest railroad and banking town. It has one general store, a church, a good school, and its citizenship is of a high order. About 1853, one R. B. Martin, an itinerant minister, first visited the locality. He had been looking for a location for a home, and, on visiting this place, was so well pleased that he decided to locate

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and named the place Eureka. Johnson & Trigg were the first merchants; the Methodists built the first church in 1854; the first school was established in 1854, with a Mr. McCleary as its prin- cipal, assisted by Miss Sallie Willis, and Mack Martin. Among the pioneers of the town were: S. H. Ford, H. D. Crozier, J. M. Oliver, W. B. Oliver, F. B. Carpenter, Allen Jones, Jonathan Woods, Alex. Hentz, Dr. Sam'l Martin, Dr. Paine, and John Rogers.

Eutaw, a post-hamlet of Bolivar county, situated at the Choctaw Bend of the Mississippi river, about 18 miles south of Rosedale.

Evans, a post-hamlet in the northeastern part of Yazoo county, 15 miles east of Yazoo City, the county seat. Population in 1900, 35.

Evans, John Joseph, was born at Madison, Ga., Aug. 8, 1842. He was a son of William J. Evans and Adeline E. Hurd. His par- ents moved to Mississippi in 1845, locating in Monroe county. In 1851 they removed to Aberdeen, and his early years were spent on a plantation. He was a student at the Georgia Military insti- tute and at the Western Military institute at Nashville, Tenn. In 1861 he left the institute, and enlisted in the Confederate army be- fore he was 19 years of age. He was in many of the hardest fought battles of the war, and at Appomattox was paroled as captain of Co. I, 11th Mississippi. He returned to his home at Aberdeen, and engaged in cotton planting for several years. In 1889 he was elected State Treasurer, and served until 1896. He served on the State Railroad Commission from 1896 until his death. He died in Aberdeen, Nov. 19, 1899, and was buried in Jackson.

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Mississippi : comprising sketches of towns, events, institutions, and persons, arranged in cyclopedic form Vol. I, Part 70

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