In September, 1830, a meeting between the United States Commissioners and the Choctaw
Indians at Dancing Rabbit Creek resulted
in a treaty granting all Choctaw lands
east of the Mississippi River, an area of 12,000
square miles, to the U.S.
Government. How long the Choctaws had hunted the wilds of this section of the
State is unknown. The earliest settlers found them here in 1820. In December, 1833, this territory was
divided into the following sixteen counties: Noxubee, Kemper, Lauderdale,
Clark, Oktibbeha, Winston, Neshoba, Jasper, Choctaw, Attala, Leake, Scott, Smith, Tallahatchie,
Yalobusha, and Carroll.
Carroll County
was named for Charles Carroll of Maryland, friend of Thomas
Jefferson, and one of the immortal
signers of the Declaration of Independence. Because Carroll was not elected
to represent Maryland
until July 4, 1776, he was too late to cast his vote for the declaration, but
did arrive in time to sign it on August 2, 1776, at the age of 38. Carroll's unique signature, "Charles Carroll of Carrollton",
distinguished him from the rest. Carroll, after
the deaths of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, both on July 4, 1826, became
the last surviving signer of the famous document, and the only signer that
was a Roman Catholic. Carroll died on November 14,
1832 at the age of ninety-five years, 1 month, and twenty-six days
in Baltimore Maryland,
and is interred at the Doughoregan Manor Chapel
(his former home)
at Elliott City
(Howard County),
Maryland.
For a list and history of the 56 signers
of the Declaration of Independence,
click HERE. A mention
of Charles Carroll is made in the 2004 Disney movie National Treasure, starring
Nicolas Cage. Although Carroll was described as a
Freemason in the film, he was not a member in real life, based on information
disclosed thus far. Counties in Arkansas, Georgia,
Illinois, Indiana,
Iowa, Kentucky,
Maryland, Missouri,
New Hampshire, Ohio,
and Virginia, and parishes in Louisiana are also named for him, as well as Carroll County
Mississippi.
Charles Carroll
Image
Image 2 Image 3
Image 4 Image 5
In 1870, the legislature formed Grenada
County out of parts of Yalobusha and
Carroll; Leflore out of parts of Sunflower and Carroll; Montgomery out of parts of Choctaw and
Carroll. The formation of these counties brought Carroll County to its
present shape and size. Since its formation in 1833, Carroll County
has undergone numerous changes in size, reducing it from 1090 to 640 square miles. To see the boundary
changes, Click Here.
Carroll County was the 10th county formed in Mississippi
and was once the largest county in the state, with an area of 1,090
square miles. In comparison, Rhode
Island, the nation's smallest state, is only 1,212
square miles. Out of Mississippi's
82 counties,
Carroll is (as of 1996)
30th in size.
Shongalo
In territorial days there was an Indian
settlement along the Peachahala Creek, known as Shongalo. The original
meaning of the word "Shongalo" is contested. The legend
is that a beautiful Indian maiden took wings and flew away, causing a Choctaw
brave to utter the exclamation "Shan-ga-lo!"
Others say it means "lark," "laughing maiden," and
"sturdy oak." Discrepancies often arise in the spelling of the
name. Shongalo? or Shongola? A map of the United States and Mississippi
in 1843,
located at the Mississippi Department of Archives and History in Jackson, MS,
actually shows Shongalo and Shongola
as two totally different towns. Nevertheless, Shongalo was located on a
regular stagecoach route from
Black Hawk to Kosciusko, the Shongalo settlement grew and many settlers
established homes nearby. After organization of Carroll County
in 1833, a Presbyterian Church was organized in 1834 and a Post Office was
established in 1837.
Mail arrived once a week. Shongalo was incorporated in 1840,
the same day as the town of Middleton.
Some of the earlier purchases of land
attributed to Carroll
County were made by John P.
Crittenden in 1840, and John S. Crittenden in 1848.
The first written record of any business venture in Shongalo was the store of
William Pickens who "sold goods." He lived a mile from the village.
Solomon Saber and Charlie Kopperl were among the
first merchants, as was John Dear/Dean who had a grocery store. The first
tavern keeper was Robb Cross. Eskridge and Stein
also operated a store and tavern where the roads intersected. Police records
show that, in January, 1836,
James H. Fulgham was licensed to sell "spiritous liquors"
in Shongalo. Wm. Gillespie had a "house of private entertainment"
in 1837. W.J. Kittrell was licensed to keep a tavern in April, 1838. Algernon S.S. Newton was licensed to
keep a tavern in June, 1839.
Taverns served as inns. An interesting
note from the Board of Police Records for 1835 set tavern rates as follows:
Board
and Lodging per mo. . . .$12.50
Board w/o Lodging per mo. . . .$10.00
Board and Lodging per wk. . . .$ 3.50
Board w/o Lodging per wk. . . .$3.00
Board and Lodging per day. . . .$1.00
Board w/o Lodging per day. . . .75¢
Lodging per night. . . .25¢
Breakfast. . . .25¢
Dinner. . . .37½¢
Supper. . . .25¢
Each drink of rum, brandy, or Holland
gin with sugar "sirip". . . .12½¢
Same w/o "sirip". . . .6¼¢
Wine. . . .12½¢
Whiskey, Country Gin with or w/o sugar. . . .6¼¢
Horse feed per mo. . . .$15.00
Horse feed per wk. . . .$4.00
Horse feed per day. . . .$1.00
Horse feed -- single feed. . . .25¢
Despite the
availability of "John Barleycorn" in the area, Carroll County
had one of the earliest temperance societies in the South, long before the
Civil War. For many years, speakers would visit towns to make their
proclamations concerning the evils of that "vile drink." Converted
alcoholics also traveled the circuit and spoke to standing-room-only crowds
throughout the South. Luther Benson, a reformed inebriate, spoke on several
occasions, at towns throughout Mississippi.
On one tour, he made a speech at Vaiden, which was said to be his best
lecture yet. Benson "electrified and held his audience in rapt attention
[with his] scintillating truths that penetrated the hearts of his
hearers." Benson's solution was to make alcohol available only to
drunkards so that "when the present generation of drunkards has passed
away, there will be no more." Benson's speech evidently had its effect.
In 1886,
Mississippi passed Senate Bill 355,
"prohibiting the sale or giving away of intoxicating liquors in
Vaiden," but indefinitely postponed a bill to prohibit the sale of
pistols, cartridges, razors, derk knives, sword
canes and large pocket knives" throughout the state.
Other businesses that located in
Shongalo were a carpenter shop, a wood shop, a shop for spinning wheels and
reels, a carriage shop, a cobbler's shop, and an attorney's office. The
primary purpose of towns and businesses was to serve only fundamental needs
with few frills.
A young accountant, A.J. McConnico, and his family came to Shongalo in its early
days. He lived at Shongalo until the Mississippi
Central Railroad was built. Then he moved from the village and accepted work
with the railroad where he remained until his death.
Early land owners produced nearly all
the supplies for their homes on their plantation. Sufficient wheat was grown
to supply flour for the family. Wheat and corn were milled on the place.
Candles were also made at home. Hides from slaughtered cattle were tanned.
One or more slaves were often trained to make shoes for the family and other
slaves.
From 1834 to 1840,
the people were primarily occupied with building roads and homes and clearing
land. Road conditions made travel rough and tedious. Winding and crooked
Indian trails were selected for the first roads, but as the country grew and
developed, the planters kept the roads in fair condition, using slave labor.
The Police Records contain accounts of many meetings called for the sole
purpose of assigning overseers and teams to build roads. Today, nothing
remains of the old village
of Shongalo. Its EXACT
location was 33º 19'40"N and 89º 45'15"W, with an elevation of 410
feet.
Richland Academy
As pioneer
families grew, education became very important. In 1836, Richland Academy,
a school where pupils could obtain not only elementary, but also classical
education, was incorporated. It was located in the neighborhood of Shongalo,
one mile west of the present site of Vaiden. The most reliable information
states that it was founded by a Mr. Hughes, a graduate of a University in Ireland.
Among the boys who attended classes there, one name will live forever in the
pages of American and Mississippi
history. The boy's name was J.Z. George, who would
serve in the U.S.
Senate from 1881-1897. George was known among
his constituents as "the Great Commoner." He was instrumental in
the creation of the Sherman
Antitrust Act, and worked to aid education and civil service reform. J.Z.
George's statue stands in the Hall of Commons at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.
For more photos of Cotesworth,
the J.Z. George Home in Carrollton,
Mississippi, CLICK HERE.
Hopewell Academy
Long before the
Civil War, a Presbyterian minister, W.H. Harris, accepted a call to Hopewell, a rural church
near Shongalo. After assuming his duties, the scholarly minister established
a school which he first called Hopewell
Academy. Later the name
was changed to Milton Academy and became one of the famous pioneer
schools of Mississippi.
It was a country boarding school patronized by people of all the surrounding
communities. Among its attendance were many men that became famous in Mississippi history:
J.A. Campbell, Charlie Campbell, Dr. B.F. Ward, the Barksdales,
the McLeans, and many others. At Mr. Harris' death,
the work was left to J.S. Colmery. The school
continued until the building burned. The old brass bell from this school is
in the belfry of the Presbyterian
Church in Vaiden.
Male
and Female College
In 1857, the Old Fellows built a
Male and Female
College. The college
trained women that made their imprint on future generations and men who
achieved their highest professional and business potentials.
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.
Old
Gerrington
Old Gerrington
(Gerenton), located northwest of Vaiden, was settled by a wealthy landowner
named McLemore. In 1880,
he built an imposing home. Claiborne Nelms, Dr.
Sanders and Mr. Gerring were the next homesteaders.
Unsubstantiated rumors have circulated for years claiming that Old Gerrington missed becoming the State's capitol by only one
vote. Today, the only remaining site at Gerenton is the cemetery. However, one map alludes to the fact that Gerenton
might have been called Summerville.
The
Railroad Arrives
The Mississippi Central
Railroad was built through the southeastern section of the county in
1858-1859. The right-of-way and station site was purchased for $50.00 from
the heirs of the late Louis Whitfield Herring; Dr. C.M. Vaiden, Executor. Due
to Dr. Vaiden's cooperation and assistance, the
station was named in his honor and he was made a director. There is only one
other place in the world named Vaiden, which
is 8 miles Southwest of Marion, Alabama (Perry County). The Perry County
location is called Vaiden Field Airport
and sits on a type of soil designated the VAIDEN SERIES,
and according to the Mississippi
Soil Conservation Office, it was so named in 1930. It is named Vaiden after
Dr. Vaiden's cousin, Isaac Butler Vaiden, who
taught college in Alabama.
This soil is found in most of the coastal states in the South, including Alabama, Mississippi,
and Louisiana.
Dr. Vaiden became a large railroad
stockholder. D.D. Fullilove, Sr., and Edmunds Whitehead also assisted in the
building of the railroad. On June
31, 1860, the president
of the railroad drove the golden spike at a point between Vaiden and Winona, marking the completion of the line;
G.E. Wells, Engineer. The first depot, built in 1859, was destroyed on January 1, 1865 by Captain Smith,E
Company, of the Fourth Illinois Cavalry, under the command of Captain Anthony
T. Search, a division of Grierson's Raiders,
during their sweep through Mississippi
in December 1864
and January 1865.
In the early 1800s, the Mississippi
Central Railroad became the Chicago, St. Louis, and New
Orleans Railroad. In 1882, there were eight daily
trains: a mail train, an express train, and two freight trains
running both north and south. In 1883
the line was sold to the Illinois Central Company. Agents were as follows:
1866-1869:
F.M. McGlathery
1870-1873: H.C. Williamson
1873-1895: No records available
1895-1905: T.B. Alvis
1906-1941: H.B. Caldwell, Sr.
1942-1946: Mr. Matthews
1946-1947: Mr. Ezell
1948-1949: Miss McGinnis
1949-1950: Mr. Fox
1950-1960: H.B. Caldwell, Sr.
1960-1962: H.B. Caldwell, Jr.
1962-1969: Lloyd Rogers
The last Depot survived until the office closed
in 1969.
I.C.R.R. Photos at Vaiden
From a Postcard Mailed in Vaiden
on 01/30/1914
by J.C. Hambrick
October
2002 Train
Derailment in Vaiden
Photos Courtesy of Kenny King
Dr.
Cowles Mead Vaiden
The territory
opened by the ceding of the Choctaw land in 1830 attracted new settlers from North and South Carolina, Virginia,
Georgia, and Alabama. This land,
excellent for cotton production, could be acquired by homesteading, land
patents, or purchase. Some of the settlers were adventurers, seeking quick
wealth. With little capital and good fortune, a man could become prominent
and wealthy within a decade or two.
Sallie (or Sarah) Cowles, Dr. Vaiden's mother, lived in Virginia. As a young girl, she was
"wooed" by her cousin, Cowles Mead (pronounced "Coals"),
whom she loved but refused to marry because of their blood relationship. She
later married Joseph Vaiden, Dr. Vaiden's father.
When their son was born in Charles
City County, Virginia,
August 21, 1812, she named him Cowles
Mead Vaiden, after her cousin, who was famous in his own right.
In 1806, Cowles Mead
assumed the duties of Territorial Secretary of the Mississippi Territory.
In the absence of Territorial Governor Robert
Williams, who spent much of his time in his native state of North Carolina, Mead
served a brief tenure as acting Territorial Governor. It was during this
tenure that Aaron Burr
landed in Bruinsburg on January 10,
1807.
Burr had recently been involved in the
now-famous duel
in which he killed Alexander Hamilton. When
Cowles Mead learned of Burr's presence
in the territory, he ordered the militia to establish headquarters at a
nearby plantation. While he was a visitor at the home of a local judge, Burr
learned that his supposed friend, General James
Wilkinson, had ordered his arrest. Burr
voluntarily surrendered to Mississippi officials in exchange for a
guaranteed trial in the territory, rather than face extradition. Burr was
bound under a bond of $10,000, and
Mead ordered anyone arrested that appeared hostile toward the Government's
views or favorable to Aaron Burr.
Burr
was given a trial in Washington, Mississippi, in February, 1807, in which the Grand Jury
found him guilty of no crime or misdemeanor. Mead
was chastised for making arrests without warrants. Burr was later arrested
north of Mobile, and was taken to Richmond, Virginia, where he was acquitted
of treason. Mead was later elected to the Territorial Assembly and served in
the 1817
Constitutional Convention, but subsequently lost in quests for Congress, Lt.
Governor, and Governor. Mead had vast land holdings in Mississippi, including
a home at Washington, MS, the town that
became State's first Capitol. In the book, Mississippi Newspaper Abstracts,
Vol. 3: 1813-1850, P. 133, Betty Couch Wiltshire compiled the
following from the May 27, 1844, issue of the Vicksburg
Daily Whig: "Died on the 17th,
near Clinton, Miss., of disease of the heart, General
Cowles Mead. He was born in Bedford
County, Virginia the 18th
of October, 1776.
In 1806 he came
to Mississippi
as Secretary of the Territory, under the appointment of Mr. Jefferson."
Mead is buried in a private cemetery north of Clinton, MS.
For more photos of the Cowles Mead Home
"Meadvilla" in Washington,
Mississippi, CLICK HERE.
History of Cowles Mead
Future
Natchez Trace
Exhibit of Cowles Mead's Gravesite -- June 26,
2001
Mead's namesake, Cowles Mead Vaiden, was
educated in Virginia.
He moved to Carroll
County in 1837 and the same year married
Elizabeth Herring. They settled east of the present site of Vaiden, on their
estate, Prairie Mont.
Some years later, Dr. Vaiden's younger sister, Emily, came to visit the Vaidens and met Mrs. Vaiden's
brother, Louis Whitfield Herring. Emily Vaiden and Louis Herring were married
at Prairie Mont
on August 20, 1845. In Marriages and
Deaths from Mississippi Newspapers, Vol. 2: 1801-1850, P. 145, by Betty Couch Wiltshire, and
compiled from the September 10,
1845 edition of
the Mississippian (Jackson, MS), the announcement is as follows:
"Married on the evening of the 20th
ult., at the residence of Dr. C.M. Vaiden, by Rev. A.S. Bailey, Mr. Louis W.
Herring, of Lenoir County, N.C., to Miss Emily L. Vaiden, formerly of Charles
City, Va."
Both Dr. Vaiden and Louis Herring
eventually became large land and slave owners. Contrary to custom, Dr. Vaiden
did not allow his slaves to take his name. Dr. Vaiden's
land was on the east side of Vaiden and along the Big
Black River. Louis Herring's land was west of Vaiden.
Louis Herring died at the age of 46, leaving his wife, Emily
Vaiden Herring, and six children. Dr. and Mrs. Vaiden, having no children,
adored these nieces and nephews. Dr. Vaiden was made Executor of the Herring
Estate.
Dr. Vaiden inherited his mother's charm
and fine taste. He lived on a large scale, entertained lavishly and made
trips to New Orleans
for silks, satins, brocades, jewelry, silver, and fine china for his wife and
nieces. He became a very prominent figure in the
business, political, and social life of North Central
Mississippi. He was reputed to be a millionaire, having
extensive holdings in New York and New Orleans. He was a
member of the legislature in 1870.
He was appointed trustee of the University
of Mississippi in 1877 and served until his death
in 1880. In his
will, Dr. Vaiden left his plantation to Cowles Mead (Herring) Vaiden, his
adopted son. Dr. Vaiden is buried in the Vaiden Cemetery.
The $10,000 marble monument that marks his grave and bears his
likeness, was made and shipped from Italy. In 1880, Dr. Vaiden's
funeral was interrupted by a messenger shouting "horse thief."
Several men left the service to catch the culprit. When apprehended, the man
pled starvation, and was not convicted. The $10,000
marble statue for Dr. Vaiden's grave was lost at
sea off the east coast when the ship bringing it from Italy went down in a storm. The
monument was salvaged from the shipwreck. A rumor still exists that, when Dr.
Vaiden's monument was being transported to the
cemetery, its sheer weight caused a bridge to collapse, almost losing the
precious statue again. Papers
throughout the state told of the loss of Vaiden's
founder.
Prairie Mont
Prairie Mont, home of Dr. C.M. Vaiden, was
built in the 1840s
on his estate about two miles east of Vaiden. It was an outstanding
ante-bellum home, typical of the affluence of wealthy plantation owners of
that period. The house was designed and constructed by James Clark Harris, a
famous architect from Georgia,
who also built Greenwood
LeFlore's "Malmaison." All lumber used was cut and planed
by hand.
For photos of Greenwood
Leflore's Malmaison, CLICK HERE, and Hopewell Church,
as well as many others.
The driveway to the house was lined with
cedar and magnolia trees. The concrete entrance walk was forty-five feet long
with five steps at the gate and four steps at the front porch. The first
floor of the house consisted of seven large rooms and cross halls. Each of
the two front parlors had floor-length windows and double doors opening into
the front hall. There was a long gallery at the back of the house.
The house had four chimneys. All mantels
were made of the finest Italian marble. The fresco work on the walls and the
medallions of flower and fruit on the twelve-foot ceilings, designed by a
famous artist from New Orleans,
were exquisite. Imported furniture, heavy velvet draperies, sparkling crystal
chandeliers, and family portraits, hand painted by Poindexter, completed the
setting of the first floor.
A stairway in one of the cross halls led
to the second floor, which consisted of five large rooms and cross halls. A
balcony with iron balustrade ran across the front of the second floor.
Another stairway led to the third floor, which consisted of two rooms and a
hall. One more flight of stairs led to one room, an observatory. This room
had eight windows, two in each side. The two north windows had glass panes of
one color, the two east windows had panes of another color, etc. There were
four different colors, one color for each season of the year.
A man of great wealth, Dr. Vaiden spared
no expense in making the completeness of his manor house second to no other
home of that period. For many years, Dr. Vaiden's
faithful servant, Matt Forrest, was
caretaker of the property, and saw to the day-to-day operation of the large
plantation.
In 1950,
the Prairie Mont Plantation was sold to W.M.
(Bill) Lowery, the present owner.
For more photos of the Cowles Mead Vaiden Home, Prairie Mont,
CLICK HERE.
A
Town Is Born
The following
newspaper notice was placed in the "Mississippian
State Gazette" of Jackson, issued March 2, 1859.
It reads in part:
The Mississippi
Central Railroad
Lots For Sale
at Vaiden Depot, one mile North-East
of Shongalo, Carroll
County
I will
offer for sale at the Depot ground
on Friday, 1st
April next, such lots as
may be selected for business or residence.
This is regarded as a healthy point
is nearly midway between New Orleans
and Cairo, is
well situated for a town
surrounded by an exemplary community, with
a rich and productive country, a thrifty
and industrious population tributary to it.
In evidence of its morality, steps have been
taken to erect three churches for worship.
Vaiden was incorporated in 1860.
(Winona, also in Carroll County at the time, was incorporated in 1861.) In spite of the
undeveloped state of the county, Vaiden and the surrounding area grew rapidly
because of the fertile land, available markets for produce, and the railroad.
Another attraction was the quality of the town's citizens. The planters,
merchants, doctors, lawyers, and statesmen all played an important part in
the growth and development of Vaiden. At one time Vaiden
was said to be the wealthiest town of its size in Mississippi.
As the town grew, many stores and
offices were built. The planters came to town for supplies only once a week
or once a month, depending on the size of their plantation, its distance from
town, and road conditions. Hitching rails and watering troughs along the
street provided a place for the saddle horses and teams to be watered and
left, along with their buggies, wagons,
and carriages, while their owners transacted business and visited with
friends. A well, located on the Front Street,
furnished water for both people and animals. The old well is now covered over
with pavement. When weather permitted, people gathered on the benches that
lined the walk in front of the stores to discuss their crops and the news,
both local and national.
The following merchants are known to
have had businesses in Vaiden between 1860 and 1900:
W.H. Armistead, Wm. C. Anderson, W.G. Colmery, F.A. Grantham, S.S. Lichenstein,
H.C. Williamson and the Weir Drug Store. Vaiden, Kopperl, and Hawkins was the largest store,
having three departments: General Merchandise, Groceries, and Furniture.
Robert Weir and J.B. Harrell were early pharmacists.
In addition to the earlier families, the
following are names of families who lived in the proximity of Vaiden from 1860 and 1900, contributing to the growth of the
town:
Alexander, Armstrong, Austin, Avery,
Bacon, Bennett, Brewer, Brock, Brown, Calhoun, Cole, Conner, Cox, Flowers,
Ford, Gillespie, Hairston, Harper, Hogue, Hunter, Johnson, Joyce, Keel, King,
Lowe, Long, Marshall, McCorkle, McCune, McKenzie, McLean, McPherson, Morgan,
Reeves, Russell, Seelbinder, Shelton, Short,
Simpson, Smith, Somerville, Talbert, Tillman, Trotter, Wiltshire, Woods, Vandiver, and others. Many men and boys from these
families served in the Confederate Army.
An historical event took place on April 10, 1873. It was decided that the county
needed another seat because of its size and the difficulties of traveling at
that time. Vaiden was chosen as the county seat of the Second Judicial
District. The first courthouse was a brick building
constructed that same year. This building was known as the Haman Memorial Building of the Presbyterian
Church, named after Rev. & Mrs. T.L. Haman. The second courthouse was designed by Architect
P.H. Weathers and built in 1905
by Builder M.L. Lewman, as described in Carroll
County Minute Book F. Land, court, and tax records for the Second District
are kept at Vaiden.
Carroll is the only county in the state that
elects a deputy sheriff. Only qualified electors of the Second District are
eligible to vote in this election. The election of a deputy is by Gentlemen's
agreement and not by state law. The elected deputy has his office in Vaiden.
Vaiden's EXACT location is 33º 19'55"N
and 89º 44'28"W, with an
elevation of 350 feet.
Early
Industries
At the turn of the Century, a large furniture factory was organized here, which
specialized in an outstanding line of products. The Vaiden Furniture Company operated for many
years, being first a stock-owned company, then later purchased by J.N. Dodwell, it was managed by Captain W.H. Cole.
In 1901, a brick factory
was established which lasted for ten years. Owned by
citizens of the town, Mr. A.A. Kaigler
was the President, and Mr. J.C. Bennett, bookkeeper and Manager. 3,000,000 bricks were made
annually.
The Spoke
Factory -- a big asset to Vaiden -- was founded in 1908 by Mr. Jacob Edward Weis,
an native of Madison, Indiana,
and Memphis, Tennessee. The Spoke Factory made spokes
for carriages, buggies, and wagons for many years. Mr. Weis married Miss Lois
Gaston, of Vaiden, whose father, William Nelson Gaston, owned a large general
merchantile store. Mr. and Mre.
Weis were the parents of Mrs. Catherine Weis Melton, Mrs. Mildred Weis
Porter, Mrs. Ruth Weis Flournoy of Newport News,
Virginia, and the late Mrs. Mary Weis Farmer.
Brode's Hardwood Mill -- located in the vicinity of the Big
Black River Canal, about 1915,
employed a dozen men. This mill made handles for spades, hammers, axes, hoes,
etc.
Other businesses through the years
include a shoe shop, millinery, the John C. Hambrick Blacksmith Shop, undertaker, hardware store,
mercantile store, and the usual assortment of
grocery stores, drug stores,
hotels, and the like.
Vaiden has had five hotels: the Cain
Hotel, the Vaiden Hotel, the Armstrong Hotel, the
Thomas Hotel, and the Fowkes Hotel. Three
newspapers and two banks were located here. The Vaiden Bank, in its old location, served
its customers for many years.The Vaiden Bank later moved to the building that
formerly housed Summers' Grocery. The first theatre showed silent films.
Later on, theatres were operated by Bud Baldwin, Mr. Floyd, and Mrs. Evelyn
J. (J.K.) Ross. A large list of the businesses that have come and gone can be
found on Page II.
For 40 years, the Hambrick
Blacksmith Shop was often busy repairing buggies and replacing horseshoes while visitors and townspeople
were in town to take care of personal business. John C. Hambrick was
originally from Attala County, and he and his family set up residence in Vaiden in 1913, where a blacksmith was
needed to supply the farmers with horseshoe replacement, plows and other
farming implements. In 1946,
he built another Blacksmith Shop behind the stores on Back Street. Upon
returning from the Army, Mr. Hambrick's son-in-law,
Wilson Caddess,opened Caddess' Radio
and Television Repair Shop in that location after Mr. Hambrick's death.
Mr.Caddess operated in that location from the mid-1950s through the early 1980s. He also held the title
of Vaiden Fire Chief for many years, and Vaiden Water
Superintendent for 41 years.
The original Hambrick Blacksmith Shop, located on Back Street, would later
become Austin's
Dry Cleaners. The Caddess Radio and Television Repair Shop was later torn
down after it was purchased by the Vaiden Bank for additional parking space.
Tying in the early industries and
businesses of Vaiden was the old Illinois Central Railroad
Depot, where all incoming and outgoing freight was dispersed. Many
people still remember Mr. Harvey B. Caldwell, who served as depot telegraphy
operator for nearly 50
years.
Another feature of this depot was the
cotton ramp, and the cotton weighers who serviced
the farmers with their products, for miles
around. Some of the known weighers were T.P. Whisenant, George Crook, Jim Pollard, and B.C. McDougal,
all being elected by the town.
Also of great economic value to the
communities, were the cotton gins. Listed as early gins are: The Louis Herring Gin; The Goodman Gin; and the T.I. Applewhite
Gin. Later ginners were: Anderson
Austin, Tom A. Brock, John C. Calhoun, Sr., and Percy A. Bennett, who
operated gins during a span of 20
years. However, workers were still employed in the 1950s to pick cotton by hand. Thomas P. Whisenant
either owned or ran this gin.
Moving along with progress came the
creameries, some large and others small, but all of tremendous importance to
this area. From 1920-24, Mr. Sam Wright,
assisted by Mr. Jim Pollard, operated a sizeable creamery station in back of
the Vaiden-Kopperl-Hawkins building. From 1925-28, Percy Crook and Ernest Blanton
conducted an impressive creamery across the street from the Courthouse, on Mulberry Street.
When the Pet Milk Company opened its huge Vaiden Plant in 1928, Mr. Crook was appointed
manager and continued a very successful operation until 1940; then with the plant
moving to Winona,
he was requested to serve in a managerial capacity for another five years.
Numerous records also indicate that Mr.
O.G. Cearley, who owned the largest dairy herd in
this vicinity, was the company's leading producer and supplier. One cannot
underestimate the economic value of both the creameries and the Pet Milk
Plant to Vaiden. These former flourishing firms furnished a vast market and
an extra income to farmers and dairymen, far and near, all of which benefited
every phase of our business structure.
The Lumber Industry
has always been a significant part of Vaiden's
industrial progress. Some of the early known sawmills
were owned by Austin Anderson, John C. Calhoun, Sr., John M. Vandiver, Murry D. and Charles
Stewart. One of the largest sawmill and gin complexes here at the turn of the
century was that of Mr. Barksdale Austin, with 20-30 employees.
Another addition to Vaiden's
growing economy in 1928
was the Peeler Lumber Company which occupied a large acreage south and
southeast of town. This company was owned and managed by industrialist Sam
Peeler of nearby Kosciusko, with the assistance of his wife, Ethel, and
daughter Louise. Mr. Peeler employed from 75 to 100
men to saw, plane, groove and kiln the dry lumber. The operation
became so extensive that a spur railroad track was required on the property
to expedite large lumber shipments. In November, 1931, the Peeler Lumber Company was destroyed in one of
the largest fires in Vaiden's history.
A disastrous fire almost destroyed the
entire plant, but with faith, the Peelers rebuilt and restocked better than
ever, and continued successfully until 1943, when their health and wartime measures
necessitated a consolidation with their burgeoning Kosciusko Lumber Enterprise.
Another welcomed asset to Vaiden was the
Allen Cooperage Company of Grenada,
Mississippi,
which installed a stave mill north of town in 1929. This firm employed many men and
women, with profitable operations until 1936. Its payroll was a boost to the town during a
greater part of the depression years.
In 1929, Mr. and Mrs. Anderson Austin purchased from Mr. T.I. Applewhite, the large gin located in front of their home.
Attuned to the demands of the times, a year later Mr. and Mrs. Austin erected
a much-needed grist mill and ice plant on the same
location. The busy ice plant had an annual output of 1000 tons.
In 1966, the Dresser Mineral
Company constructed on a site south of town, a clay factory known
as Magcobar. From Bentoniate
Clay, which was supplied from nearby sections, molds were made for the
manufacture of automobile motors Magcobar was
absorbed in 1971
by its midwestern parent company, Dresser.
Daily life, however, was not all work
and no play. Town meetings, political rallies, holiday
gatherings, dances and humorous events were usually on the agenda. Picnics were often held at the old Vaiden Place. In 1934, Vaiden celebrated Carroll County's Centennial, in honor of
Charles Carroll. Area events, such as the Montgomery County
Fair, were often enjoyed, with only minor incidents
dampening the occasions.
Some of the older generation talked
about some of the odd customs of their day
and the feuds that took place when they were
young.
The Vaiden Cemetery
is one of the oldest in Mississippi,
having been in existence well over a century. Mrs. Mary Pleasants gave the
land for the original cemetery, which was called the Shongalo Cemetery, and
she is buried there. The south section of the cemetery is still referred to
as the Shongalo
Cemetery.
A marble monument
marks the place where Dr. Cowles Mead Vaiden, and his wife,
Elizabeth Herring Vaiden are buried. This marble stone, approximately 20
feet high, has an angel on top with the right hand raised and
a finger pointing heavenward. The square area below is adorned with symbols;
justice scales, a honey comb, an hour glass, and others. Dr. Vaiden was a man
of integrity and many talents; a doctor, a farmer, a philanthropist, and a
statesman.
A grave of historic significance is that
of John Cain, a Revolutionary War Drummer
Boy. He was born December 12,
1766, and died
April 17, 1854.
Nearby is another military grave. The
marker bears the following inscription: "Lucas C.S.A. Alabama 1862." This is the grave
of an ill confederate soldier whom Mrs. Mary Pleasants nursed in her home and
after his death, had him buried in Shongalo
Cemetery.
In the southwest section of the cemetery is a
plot with a stone bearing the inscription, "32 Soldiers Known Only To God."
These soldiers died in skirmish fighting between Union
and Confederate soldiers, when the Union soldiers divided into smaller units
and began raiding through the country. A fierce skirmish occurred just east
of Vaiden, near "Briarwood" plantation,
with General Grierson in command of the Union
soldiers. The sick were treated and the dead buried by the Wilson family of "Briarwood." Due
|
symbol
require Adobe Acrobat or Acrobat Reader to open/view.
