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The
Pictures
Where is Vaiden, Mississippi?
Irwin (later, Middleton), once a beautiful
little village, was known as "the Athens
of Mississippi" because of
its cultural and educational advantages. The town was founded when Indians
were in supreme control of this part of the state and was first known as Bowling
Green, then Oxford,
and later Middleton. It had its beginning in a little log store, built for
trade with the Indians, and was incorporated by the legislature in 1840. In 1841, the town was one of seven sites considered for
the location of a state university (The University
of Mississippi (Ole Miss)). By 1850, Middleton was an average-sized town
with several hundred inhabitants.
Middleton was built around a square
which measured about two hundred and fifty feet to the side; a town dotted
with beautiful residences. West of the town was a mill for rolling wool, the
original horsepower type. Just prior to the Civil War, a flour and cotton mill
were located there.
Baptist, Christian, Methodist, and
Presbyterian churches were here. These churches contained an area for the
Negroes who worshiped with their Masters. The Negroes had no separate
churches at the time.
When the Mississippi Central Railroad was constructed two miles east of
the town, Middleton began to de-populate, gradually becoming extinct. In the 1990s, through many hours of painstaking work, the
Winona Lion's Club restored the old, neglected Middleton Cemetery, and many of its markers to an immaculate
condition.
Where was Middleton? Map 1 Map 2 Map 3
Middleton, Mississippi is listed as having an elevation
of 440
feet, and being located in Montgomery County (present day site).
However, when Middleton was first incorporated, it was located in Carroll
County, until the allocation of part of Carroll
County to form Montgomery County in the early 1870s. The current location is listed as Bailey
Lake, according to the U.S. Geological Service.
Middleton was located at 33
degrees 29 minutes and 10
seconds North, and 089
degrees, 45 minutes,
and 03 seconds West. Winona is listed at 33
degrees 29 minutes and 10
seconds North and 089
degrees 44 minutes and 59
seconds West.
The
Cemetery Photos
Photo 12 -- A
Closer Look
Winona's Early Days
The two preceeding postcards were
submitted by Nell Collins Stewart
Back
Home Again . . .Page I
Site Design and Compilation
Copyright © by Ron Collins. 2002.
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