Meetings

Meetings are held on the second Saturday of each month at the Human Resources Building (satellite map) 14712 Highway 15 south of Decatur. The building's location is across the highway from the Dollar General store. Refreshments are available at 9:30am with the program beginning at 10:00.

Meeting Notes

14 January 2012 Meeting Notes

The meeting was held in the Newton County Human Resource Building in Decatur Mississippi. President, Bobby Caldwell, called the meeting to order.  There were thirty members present.  Elsie Hagan led the devotion, Sue Garvin led the salute to our American Flag, and Bill Jordan led us in prayer. ...  The December minutes and the financial report were approved.   We are reminded that it is time to pay our 2012 annual membership dues, 25$ household, 20$ individual.  Lifetime membership is $250. The quarterly journals are ready to be picked up. 

Recognized William Savell as a new member.  He has worked for fourteen years with area funeral homes.  He hopes to research the Savell and Roebuck genealogy.  Jet Johnson Bradley was welcomed as a guest.  She will be moving back to Decatur in the near future and hopes to research the Johnson and McElhenney families. Lamar and Sue Bradley are new members.

There was some discussion on the need in the near future for a new computer for the office.  Please give this consideration for a future meeting.

 Jo Veenstra  said that she did not have a February program at this time and she would welcome a volunteer or any suggestions. Please encourage family and friends to come.  The Ledlow family will be presented soon.  Jo thanked members Larry and Jo Blackburn for bailing her out this month. 

She introduced Larry  Blackburn and the Slims. Larry presented a window into the first fifty years of the history of Country Music. Larry does a great job of singing these old country classics.  He started out  alone and has played  with the best and the beginners.  Larry is a great entertainer in the Newton County area.

Larry introduced the band.  Charlie Harrison was present but he sat this one out.  He and Larry have a long history of playing together.  Lead guitar is Bill Jordan, A.K.A., Mr. Wichita.  Ronnie Blass is the bass player.  The “gurl” singer is Margaret Pierce Muse.

Some of Larry’s comments and songs the band played follow.

The first 50 years of Country Music had a lot of its beginnings in Mississippi and mostly the South.  In August of 1927, A.P. Carter and the Carter sisters along with Jimmy Rodgers from Meridian signed  contracts.  The band played WAITING FOR A TRAIN   with yodeling Larry singing.   A.P. Carter and the Carter sisters did WILDWOOD FLOWER in 1928.  It became the most played instrumental song and most beginning guitar players start with this song. Late 20’s.  As an athlete, he had 13 letters but was injured so no more sports.  He began to sing.  1938, Roy Acuff made GREAT SPECKLED BIRD a classic.  From then on he was THE GRAND OLE OPRY.  Bob Wills did western Swing.. Then in the late 40’s a guy raised in Georgiana, Alabama, went to the top.  Hiram King Williams.  We know him as Hank Williams, Sr.  YOUR CHEATIN HEART.   June 11, 1949  was a great moment in country music and at the Ryman Auditorium,  Hank did one encore after  another.  In 1952 – 60, women were getting into Country Music.  Patsy Cline and her friend Loretta Lynn were among the most popular.  COAL MINER’S DAUGHTER.  Margaret Muse did not let Loretta down as she sang this hit!  In 1957, in California, a 21 year old went to prison for 3 years .  He  learned a bit and went right.  He became maybe the best song writer and singer.  His third #1 was SING ME BACK HOME.  Merle Haggard.  Then came a long, tall boy in 1968.  He was pretty much on top and he went live to Folsom Prison with, “Hello, I’m Johnny Cash”.  His guitar player was Luther Perkins.   One more influence was a guy from Louisiana.  He, as many others did, got hooked on something to keep him going.  Willie Nelson.   His got his start in the church.  He wrote a wonderful song and needed money to keep going so he sold the song to Claude Grey for $50.  FAMILY BIBLE.

Thanks to Larry and the Slims, the members and guest had a swinging good time while getting an education.

In closing, Bobby, stated that, thanks to the Slims the 2012 year was off to a good start.

Emily Jordan --  Recording Secretary

Meeting Notes

10 December 2011 Meeting Notes

  The Newton County Historical and Genealogical Society held its regular meeting (Christmas edition) in the Human Resources building in Decatur on Saturday, December 10, 2011. There were 21 members and guests present when President Terry Lange called the meeting to order at 10:00 A. M.. After Elsie Hagen’s devotional, the opening prayer, and the pledge to the flag, the minutes of the last meeting and the treasurer’s report were approved as presented.

  Even though Dr. Harold Graham couldn’t be present, Bill (his son) displayed two recent honors that Dr. Graham had received; the Decatur Man of the Year Award and the plaque declaring our Archives Building as the Dr. Harold Graham Archives Building. Commendations go to Dr. Graham for these two well-deserved awards.

  Next, Vice-president Jo Veenstra presented long-time teacher at ECCC, Ovid Vickers who gave a most interesting report of his “Thoughts on Christmas” which included Christmas traditions  in America (past and present). Most of these traditions came over with the first immigrants from Europe. Some of the traditions originating in European countries were Santa Claus and/or St. Nicholas(from Greece), Father Christmas ( from England), and Kris Kringle and the Christmas tree (from Germany). Other Christmas traditions mentioned were the yule log, fireworks, fruitcake, Christmas parades, mistletoe, and the Nativity Scene. Mr. Vickers included many human interest stories from his childhood in Georgia which made it even more interesting. We thank Mr. Vickers for presenting such a well-organized and interesting report.

  The January meeting of the new year will be at the Human Resources Building and will begin at the usual time (10:00 A. M.) on Saturday, the 14^th. The program will be presented by a local country gospel group headed by Larry Blackburn. The name of the group is “Larry and the Slims”. This group is very entertaining so we hope you can make it to the meeting!

Bobby Caldwell – Recording Secretary

12 November 2011 Meeting Notes

  The Newton County Historical and Genealogical Society held its regular monthly meeting in the Human Resource Building in Decatur on Saturday, November 12^th . The President, Terry Lange, called the meeting to order at 10:00 A. M. After Elsie Hagen’s  devotional, the prayer, the pledge to the flag,  the treasurer’s report and minutes of the last meeting were approved as presented.

  The president next presented the slate of officers for the coming year as recommended by the nominating committee. The Society approved the following officers for the year 2012: President – Bobby Caldwell; Vice-president – Jo Veenstra; Recording Secretary – Emily Jordan; and Treasurer – Iva Dean Smith. Other positions appointed were: Chaplain _ Elsie Hagen; Archivist – Ann Burkes; Hospitality Manager – Annie Lee Gibbs; Web Manager – Ron Searcy; and continuing as corresponding secretary – Terry Lange. The new officers will assume their positions in January of 2012.

  Jo Veenstra introduced Greg Boggan as our speaker and reporter for the November meeting program to the 32 members and guests present.. Greg gave a well-researched, thorough, and extremely interesting report on the History of Garlandville.

  Garlandville began as the Choctaw Indian village of Chinakbi back in the 1700’s. Prior to the Revolutionary War, the British sent two Scotchmen, Isaac Pitchlyn and James Garland to the Choctaw nation to establish trade relations with them. Major James Garland settled in the area of the village of Chinakbi and married a Choctaw woman. It was his son, John Garland, who also married a Choctaw woman, who became one of the leaders in the Choctaw tribe. The name of the village later evolved into the name of Garlandville after the name of John Garland. The town prospered as a trading center up unto the days prior to the Civil War. The town began to decline as the residents did not want the rail line going through their town, so, many of the residents moved to Meridian and Newton. One prominent citizen who moved to Meridian was Abraham Threefoot who later built the Threefoot building in Meridian. The Clarion-Ledger newspaper in Jackson also had its beginnings in Garlandville. These are just a few of the interesting facts brought out during Greg’s report. We thank Greg for such an informative report.

  We are looking forward to the December meeting on the 10^th when Mr. Ovid Vickers will present the program on Christmas Traditions.

8 October 2011 Meeting Notes

  The Newton County Historical and Genealogical Society held its regular monthly meeting in the Newton County Archives Building on October 8^th with 20 members and visitors present. President Terry Lange welcomed everyone. Elsie Hagen presented the devotion, which was followed by a prayer and the Pledge to the flag and country.

   The members were shown the new additional materials added to the archive collection and the visitors were given a brief overview of all the materials housed in the building. President Lange commended all the current and past volunteers who work (and have worked) in the Archives, for a job well done. The current volunteers are Bess Hollingsworth, Sandra Jones, Ann Burkes, Patsy Gary, Bobby Caldwell, and Emily Jordan. The volunteers see that the building is open Monday through Friday (9:00 A. M. – 1:00 P. M.) and help visitors with their research.

  The November meeting will be in our regular meeting place (Human Resource Building in Decatur) on the 12^th at 10:00 A. M. with Greg Boggan presenting a program on the history of Garlandville. Greg is a thorough researcher so we can be sure of an interesting program. Members and visitors alike are welcome. Come early and enjoy refreshments with us!

                               Bobby Caldwell – Recording Secretary

10 September 2011 Meeting Notes

The Newton County Historical and Genealogical Society held its September meeting on Saturday, the 10^th at Margaret Muse’s castle. This castle, which was completed in 2008, is a first in Newton County and is located about 5 miles southeast of Decatur on the banks of the Chunky Creek/Canal.

The first part of the meeting and the refreshments were down at the guest/gate house down at the entrance to the castle.

After President Terry Lange called the meeting to order, Melvin Tingle presented a short account of former Indian trails and towns in Newton County. Melvin used a map to illustrate the locations of these trails and towns.

After this, the members and guests trekked up the hill to the actual castle. After observing the immaculate grounds, the members could read the brief account at the entrance as to just how the castle came about being built and why it is on this spot. It seems that after World War II, Grover and Margaret Pierce, with their five daughters, became successful farmers on this acreage. One autumn day, after observing her husband's field white with cotton on the hill, Mrs. Pierce remarked that, “One day, we might just build a castle on top of that hill!” Even though she never saw her dream come true, her daughter Margaret Muse had the castle built in memory of her. This castle is the actual retirement home of Mrs. Muse. Even though Margaret couldn't be with us the day of the meeting, we thank her daughter, Holley Blalock, for giving us a most interesting tour of the inside of the castle.

The October meeting will be at 10:00 A. M. on Saturday, October 8^th at the Archives in Decatur. Members and guests will be able to see all the wealth of materials we have there. The Archives is located on Highway 15 right south of the stop light in Decatur. See you there.

             Bobby Caldwell – Recording Secretary

13 August 2011 Meeting Notes

The Newton County Historical and Genealogical Society held its August meeting in the Human Resource Building in Decatur. This monthly meeting on the 13^th  began at 10:00 A. M. when President Terry Lange called the meeting to order which was followed by Elsie Hagen’s devotional, prayer, and pledge to the flag. The minutes from the last meeting and the treasurer’s report were approved as presented.

The Society approved the purchase of the first five available books of the series “The New Heritage of Mississippi” for our Archives.

Dr. Harold Graham, using our new power point equipment , presented the program for this meeting which was a history of the Hollingsworth Family in Newton County. If you have ever wondered where all these Hollingsworths (and connections) in the Conehatta, Newton, and Decatur and their surrounding areas, came from, you should have been there to hear Dr. Graham’s report. He has traced their Hollingsworth forefathers all the way back to England. They arrived in Newton County (which was then a part of Neshoba County) in 1834, having come by way of Ireland, Delaware. Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Georgia, and finally to Newton County, Mississippi.

We had welcomed many of the Hollingsworth descendants as guests at this meeting.

Our September meeting will be at “The Castle” on the 10^th with Margaret Muse (owner) and Melvin Tingle presenting the story behind the building of this castle in Newton County. The location is southeast of Decatur (5.1 miles) on Chapel Hill Road.

       Recording Secretary – Bobby Caldwell

9 July 2011 Meeting Notes

The Newton County Historical and Genealogical Society held its July meeting in the Human Resources Building in Decatur. This monthly meeting on the 9^th began at 10:00 A. M. with President Terry Lange calling the meeting to order which was followed by Elsie Hagen’s devotional, the pledge to the flag, and prayer. The minutes and treasurer’s report were both approved as presented. The society voted to use funds from the treasury to purchase all necessary equipment needed to present power point programs.

The program for this meeting, was presented by Mrs. Louise Bailey, who gave us a most interesting account of the history of the Decatur Telephone Company. Mr. and Mrs. Bailey had set up a display of some of the equipment used by the company in the past. One of the items was the actual switchboard used by Mrs. Bailey for years.

Bill and Louise Bailey purchased the company from a Mrs. Perkins in 1945 and changed the name from Perkins Telephone Company to the Decatur Telephone Company. In her narrative, Louise took us through many changes that have occurred in the company: the switchboard days; the party line days, the use of copper wire days; and the present fiber optic days. The company is still one of the few independently-owned telephone companies the United States.

We thank the Baileys for the presentation and thank Louise for presenting it in such an interesting and entertaining way.

Our August meeting will on Saturday, the 13^th with Harold Graham presenting the history of the Hollingsworths in Newton County. He hopes to present this using the new power point equipment.

     Recording Secretary - Bobby Caldwell

11 June 2011 Meeting Notes

The Newton County Historical and Genealogical Society held its regular monthly meeting on June 11^th at the Doolittle House in Newton. The current owners of the house and surroundings, Andy and Dottie Armstrong, welcomed the 20+ members of the Society and gave a brief history of the house along with a guided tour. The Doolittle house was once the center of the very large and successful Doolittle cotton plantation. The original house was built in 1891 by Thomas Irish Doolittle, who was a member of the very prominent Newton  Doolittle Family. Thomas’ brother was Newton Doolittle for whom the town of Newton derived its name. Thomas’ father was Roger Doolittle who once owned the land on which the town of Newton now stands. His mother was Permelia Ann Blalock who was a member of another prominent family and plantation owner near Newton.

Thomas also served in the House of Representatives of the Mississippi Legislature from 1912 to 1916, was director of the Patrons Union,  and was a member of the Board of Directors of the Mississippi Cotton Cooperative Association.

The Society would like to say a special thanks to Andy and Dottie for such an interesting and informative meeting.

President Terry Lange postponed the business part of the meeting till the July meeting, which will be on the 9^th at our regular meeting place in the Human Resource Building in Decatur. The program for the July Meeting will be presented by Bill and Louise Bailey who will be giving us a history of the unique Decatur Telephone Company.

     Recording Secretary – Bobby Caldwell (with the help of Patsy Gary)

14 May 2011 Meeting Notes

Bro. Bruce Taylor, pastor of the Decatur United Methodist Church, presented a most interesting program which he entitled “Churches that Were, but are No More”. There were 28 members and guests present at May 14^th meeting. Bro. Taylor, assisted by Bess Hollingsworth, had done extensive research on this project using every tool available including his GPS device. Some of the church buildings were still standing, but most of the buildings were dismantled many years ago with hardly any evidence that a church ever was located at the site. A few church sites were not found including one that was named “Possum Trot Church”, so if anyone knows the site of this church, please let Bro. Bruce know. To make his presentation even more interesting, he had taken pictures of the church buildings or sites and showed the pictures to us by power-point. Also, he showed us a map of Newton County with the location of the churches marked on the map. We thank Bro. Taylor for such a well-researched and well-presented program.

Vice-president Jo Veenstra presided at the meeting as President Terry Lange could not attend. Jo introduced us to Trey Porter, the Director of Community Relations for the Mississippi Department of Archives and History. Mr. Porter wanted to inform us of the location of their facility in Jackson and invited everyone to come and see their new facility and check out what all they have there. They are there to give any help or assistance in any way that they can.

During the business session, Elsie Hagen presented a nice devotional on Mother’s Day.

The minutes of the last meeting and the Treasurer’s report were approved as presented.

The June meeting will be held June 11^th and will be at the Doolittle Place in Newton. Andy and Dottie Armstrong will conduct us on a guided tour of the place. The meeting will begin at 10:00 A. M.. To get to the house, about a mile north of I-20, turn west off of Highway 15 onto Coliseum Drive (Drivers License Bureau Road), go to the first stop sign and turn left (south) on old highway 15, then go about 2 tenths of a mile and the house will be on the right side of the road. Hope to see you there.                

Bobby Caldwell, Recording Secretary

9 April 2011 Meeting Notes

Mr. Wayne Porter, an area horticulturist agent with the Mississippi State University Extension Service in Meridian, presented a most interesting program on heirloom plants in this area. First, Mr. Porter explained to us that, in order for a plant to become an heirloom plant, it must have been introduced into an area at least fifty years ago. Other traits of heirloom plants are that the variety must be able to reproduce themselves through their seeds, are able to be rooted or grafted, and must be able to self pollinate or be open pollinated. Heirloom plants can include trees, shrubs, flowers, and vegetables. He showed slides of many of our beloved heirloom flowers, trees, and vegetables. We thank Mr. Porter for presenting such an interesting and informative program.

President Terry Lange presided at the business meeting, which included the monthly devotional, pledge to the flag, prayer, approval of the minutes of the last meeting, and approval of the treasurer’s report.

The next meeting will be at the Human Resource Building on May 14, 2011 and will include a program presented by Rev. Bruce Taylor entitled “Churches that are ‘no more’”. Refreshments will be offered at 9:30 with the meeting starting at 10:00 A. M. Come join us.

12 March 2011 Meeting Notes

One of the largest, if not the largest, crowds ever to attend one of our meetings, were present at the March meeting of the Newton County Historical and Genealogical Society. The occasion was to celebrate the 175^th birthday of the town of Decatur. Bess Hollingsworth spearheaded this event in conjunction with the Decatur Progressive Club. Bess, in organizing this celebration, was ably assisted by Lois Cooper, Jeanette Thrash, Ann Burkes, and Melvin Tingle.

Lois Cooper, in her masterful way, presented the history of Decatur. Decatur was settled in 1836 and was named after Commodore Stephen Decatur, Jr., an American Naval hero of the past. Along with these and all the other necessary facts and figures in the history of Decatur, Lois included many human interest and humorous stories that happened in and around the countryside throughout the town’s history. These accounts made the presentation even more interesting.

We thank Mrs. Cooper and all who had a part in presenting this wonderful program (the refreshments even included a birthday cake)!

The business meeting was moderated by President Terry Lange, which included the approval of the minutes of the last meeting and the treasurer’s report. The devotional was presented by Elsie Hagen.

The next regular meeting will be in the Human Resource Building at 10:00 a. m. on Saturday, April 9^th. The program will be “Heirloom Plants we Know and Love” and the presenter will be Wayne Porter, an area horticulturalist. Come join us and be a part of our organization.

Bobby Caldwell, recording secretary

12 February 2011 Meeting Notes

Timothy Lockey, the director of Newton County's new veteran’s cemetery, spoke to the NCHGS on the progress in the construction of the cemetery which is located between Hickory and Newton. Entrance to the cemetery is from Highway 80 at the Mississippi State University's Coastal Plains Experiment Station. It is being built in three stages made up of ten years each, like the first stages will be the first ten years and so on. The first stage will open May 30, 2011 if all goes as planned. There will be a dedication of the Persian Gulf War Wall Memorial on April 18, 2011.

Mr. Lockey, a retired veteran himself, stated that this will be the first state veteran's cemetery in Mississippi. It will serve the area in the state from Hattiesburg north to Columbus and west to Jackson. Veterans and their spouses and, in some cases, their handicapped children will be eligible to be buried there. The cemetery will cover some 85 acres and will contain 56,000 burial plots when all stages are completed. 

We thank Mr. Lockey for such an interesting and informative report.

President Terry Lange moderated the business meeting which included the call to order, devotional, pledge to the flag, approval of the minutes from the last meeting, and the treasurer’s report. It was reported that that our web-site received 30,000 hits just in the month of January alone.

The program at our next meeting will be “ The 175^th Birthday of the Town of Decatur” presented by Lois Cooper, Bess Hollingsworth, and Ann Burkes. This meeting will be in the Human Resources Building in Decatur on March 12^th, and will begin at 10:00 A. M. with refreshments prior to the start of the meeting. We welcome you to come join us.

Recording Secretary                    Bobby Caldwell

8 January 2011 Meeting Notes

The Newton County Historical and Genealogical Society held its first meeting of the new year in the County Human Resource Building in Decatur. The meeting was on the regular second Saturday meeting date and began at 10:00 A. M. and was quite well-attended by members as well as a large number of guests.

President Terry Lange presided over the business part of the meeting, which included the devotional, the pledge, and the approving of the minutes of the last meeting as well as the treasurer’s report.

After the business was taken care of, Jo Veenstra introduced Rex Allan Jones as our guest speaker. Mr. Jones presented a video on the growing problem of the wild hogs in the United States, especially here in the southern states. These wild hogs can play havoc with the crops of peanut and corn farmers. The rapid spread of these animals is caused by hunters trapping the hogs and transporting them to their areas. So far, they haven’t become a major problem here in Newton County, even though they have been seen in a few areas of the county.

Intense interest was shown by the members and guests by the great number of questions asked at the close of his presentation. We thank Mr. Jones for sharing with us his knowledge of this growing problem.

We invite you to come to our next meeting on February 12^th, and will be an up-date report on the Veteran’s Cemetery being built at the Experiment Station between Hickory and Newton on Highway 80. Giving this report will be Ricky Horton and/or Timothy Lockey.                                                                Bobby Caldwell, Recording Secretary

Meeting Notes

11 December 2010 Meeting Notes

The Newton County Historical and Genealogical Society held its regular monthly meeting December 11, 2010 in the Human Resources Building in Decatur. There were 20+ members and guests present at this meeting which began at 10:00 A. M..

After the devotional, pledge to the flag, and business meeting, President Terry Lange expressed her appreciation for the support shown to her this past year and for the confidence of the group to elect her to a second term.

Ann Burkes presented Jo Veenstra and Pastor Frank Kirtley who gave a very interesting report on the history of Methodism in Mississippi and specifically, the history of the Hickory Methodist Church, which just celebrated its 150^th year in October.

Pastor Kirtley began the meeting with his portrayal of Tobias Gibson, who introduced Methodism to Mississippi in 1799 in and around Natchez. Pastor Kirtley was very effective in his portrayal and report in that he was dressed in the style of an itinerant preacher of that era.

Jo Veenstra gave a well-researched report on the history of the Hickory Methodist Church which was organized in October of 1860.  The church met in different homes for the first ten years and then constructed their first church building in 1870. The present building was built in 1922.

We thank Jo and Pastor Frank for such a detailed and interesting report.

The next NCHGS meeting will be at the usual time and place January 8, 2011, with Rex Alan Jones giving a report on wild hogs, which are becoming quite prevalent in parts of Newton County.

13 November 2010 Meeting Notes

The NCHGS held its monthly meeting on November 13, 2010, at the Human Resources Building in Decatur with 26 members and guests present.

After the devotional and the pledge to the flag, the nominating committee presented the slate of possible officers for the coming year of 2011. The members present voted to accept the committee’s slate who are as follows: president, Terry Lange; vice-president, Jo Veenstra; recording secretary, Bobby Caldwell; treasurer, Iva Dean Smith; and chaplain, Sue Garvin.

The Society voted to accept the treasurer’s and secretary’s reports as presented. At the recommendation of Bess Hollingsworth, it was voted to raise the cash allowed for postage to mail out the WWII Books to $10.00.

The president reminded the members that our yearly membership fees are due. These dues can be paid from now through February and are as follows: for individuals - $20.00; for households - $25.00; for a lifetime membership - $250.00.                  

Ann Burkes introduced Stacey Hollingsworth as our guest speaker and is the current Executive Director of Foundations and Alumni at ECCC. Stacey presented a most interesting report on the current status of the Founders Gymnasium at EC. The Founders Gym was so named in honor Dr. Benjamin Franklin Hunter and Mr. James McDonald Thames who were instrumental in the establishment of EC. It was built in 1930 at a cost of $33,505.00 and was one of the first brick gyms built in this area of Mississippi. It has gone though many changes and had many uses through the years. The Brackeen-Wood Gym was constructed in 1970. Since that year the Founders Gym has somewhat fallen into disrepair, but it’s now in the planning stage to have it rehabilitated which will cost from 4 to 5 million dollars! After rehabilitation, it will house an athletic museum and the administration offices for the college.

We thank Stacy for such an interesting and thorough report.

The next meeting will be Saturday, December 11, at 10:00 a. m. in the Human Resources Building in Decatur. Jo Veenstra and Dr. Frank Kirtley will report on the history of the Hickory Methodist Church.

                                                Bobby Caldwell, Recording Secretary

9 October 2010 Meeting Notes

The Newton County Historical and Genealogical Society met for its regular monthly meeting in the Human Resources Building at 10:00 a. m. Saturday, October 9, 2010, with 40+ members and guests present.

In the absence of the president, former president, Bess Hollingsworth, presided at this meeting. After the devotional and Pledge to our country’s flag, Bess announced that due to the lack of volunteers to work at the Newton County Archives, that the Archives would be closed on Saturdays until further notice except by appointment. To make an appointment, you would need to call Bess at 601 635-5131.

Melvin Tingle introduced the guest speaker, Bill Breidinger, and Mr. Breidinger, in turn introduced his assistant, his grandson, Parker Collins. Mr. Breidinger presented a program showing his vast collection of Native-American artifacts. These items had been collected from all over the United States and were beautifully displayed for this meeting. Mr. Breidinger captivated the interest of his audience by showing some of the tools and pottery and telling from what region they came and in what period in history they were used. The intense interest of the audience was reflected by the many questions asked during the “question/ answer” period at the end of his presentation. The Society would like to thank Mr. Breidinger and Parker for such an interesting program.

The Society meets every second Saturday of every month and welcome anyone interested in attending. The next program will be Saturday, November 13, at 10:00 a. m.

Stacey Hollingsworth of ECCC will present a program on the Founders’ Gym. The meeting will be held at the Human Resources Building on Highway 15 in Decatur.                                                                            Bobby Caldwell, Recording Secretary

11 September 2010 Meeting Notes

The Newton County Historical and Genealogical Society held its regular monthly meeting in the Newton County Human Resources Building on Saturday, September 11, 2010, with 25 members and guests present.

The president, Terry Lange, called the meeting to order and recognized visitors.  After the devotional, prayer, and short business meeting, Terry presented the program, which was a report on the Cleveland family of Newton County. 

The Cleveland Family has been traced back to seventeenth century England.  The report included the immigration to America.  Many Clevelands of this line settled in Elbert County, Georgia, and from there, some migrated to Mississippi and later, some moved on to Texas.

Terry related many handed down stories about the family—some humorous and some tragic.  She also told of the accomplishments of many of the Cleveland descendants.

The extensive research of the Cleveland family tree was printed out and displayed on the walls of the meeting room, along with many old photographs. 

The next meeting of the society will be held at the Human Resources Building in Decatur at 10:00 a.m., Saturday, October 9, 2010.  Bill Breidinger will present the program, which will be about the objects he has collected.  Visitors are welcome.

Bobby Caldwell, Secretary

14 August 2010 Meeting Notes

The Newton County Historical and Genealogical Society held it regular meeting in the Newton County Human Resources Building on Saturday, August 14, 2010, with 36 members and guests present.

Lois Blount Cooper gave a presentation on the Blount family of Neshoba and Newton County.

John Thomas Blount and his wife Clarissa Ann Cartwright Blount were early settlers of the “four corners” area of Neshoba County, and although they would move on to Texas, they would leave many descendants in this area. Included among those descendants was a great-grandson, Pleas Clayton Blount, who with his wife, Nancy Amanda (Mandy) Breazeale, would later move to the Decatur area of Newton County.

Pleas Clayton Blount and a sister, Mary Jane (Mollie) Blount Barrett, were raised by their grandparents, William Peter and Eveline Johnson Blount, when their parents, John Thomas Blount and Mary Jane Burkes, died when Pleas was about age four.

The marriage of Pleas Clayton Blount produced twelve children who reached adulthood: Henry Clayton Blount, Sr., Lillie Annie Blount Gallaspy Wright, Jasper Monroe Blount, Sr., Hardy Edmond Blount, Sr., John Elzie Blount, Sr., Louella Blount Gordon Kennedy, Ida Mae Blount Foy, Minnie Lou Blount Wall, Emma Edna Blount Ware, Ruby Pearl Blount Robinson Mayberry, Clarence Malcolm Blount and Lloyd Lamar Blount.

The Blounts take pride in having made significant contributions to their community for more than three generations now, but they also know the importance of a large and loving family which has been taught that while one twig can be lost in a storm, many twigs bound together will survive.

The next meeting of NCHGS will be held at the Newton County Human Resources Building, Decatur, Mississippi, on Saturday, September 11, 2010, beginning at 10 a. m. Terry Lange will make a presentation on the Cleveland Family. Members and guests are invited.

10 July 2010 Meeting Notes

The Newton County Historical and Genealogical Society held its regular meeting on July 10, 2010 at the Newton County Human Resources Building in Decatur with 25 members and guests in attendance.

Ricky Harrison gave a presentation on the Survey of the Original Boundaries of Mississippi.

The boundaries of Mississippi that were set in 1817 include the states of Alabama and Tennessee, Bear River (extreme northeast), the Mississippi and Pearl Rivers, and the Gulf of Mexico.

Although Mississippi received statehood in 1817, a complete survey could not be completed until after the Signing of the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek in 1830 since two Indian tribes, the Chickasaw and Choctaw, still occupied part of the land. In 1797-1798 a survey team under the direction of Andrew Ellicott was in what would become Newton County marking the 31^st parallel which runs east and west near Stratton and which was what was then the boundary between Spanish Territory and the United States.

Many of the standards of measurement used in surveying during the pioneer days (and many still used today) were developed under the influence of master surveyor Andrew Ellicott (1754-1820) including the use of a 33 foot chain of brass representing two rods of 16 ½ each. Mr. Harrison exhibited a replica of these Ellicott chains at the meeting.

The next meeting of the Newton County Historical and Genealogical Society will be held on Saturday, August 14, 2010, beginning at 10:00 a. m. in the Newton County Human Resources Building in Decatur. Lois Blount Cooper will provide a history of the Blount family.

12 June 2010 Meeting Notes

Newton County Historical and Genealogical Society held its regular meeting on Saturday, June 12, 2010, at the Newton County Human Resources Building in Decatur with 35 members and guests attending.

In anticipation of Father’s Day on June 20, Bobby Caldwell presented a special tribute in recognition of fathers present.

Earl Bryan shared with the group many fond memories of his childhood which he has published in the book Born Wealthy. As Mr. Bryan related, his parents were both school teachers and of modest circumstances. The family wealth was not about material substance but of character development and wholesome values that were learned through the experiences of growing up. These experiences, sometimes humorous and other times quite sobering, led to a much better understanding of the demeanor he should practice as a mature adult.

The next meeting of NCHGS will be held on Saturday, July 10, 2010, beginning at 10 a. m. at the Newton County Human Resources Building in Decatur. Ricky Harrison will present the topic, “Survey of the Original Boundaries of the State of Mississippi.”

8 May 2010 Meeting Notes

The Newton County Historical and Genealogical Society held its regular monthly meeting on Saturday, May 8, 2010 at the Newton County Human Resources Building with 17 members and guests present.

On a day prior to Mother’s Day, Chaplain Bobby Caldwell delivered a special tribute to all mothers present.

Bill Graham, Managing Editor of The Newton County Appeal, gave a report on the history of newspapers in Newton County.

The first effort to publish a newspaper in the county was at Decatur in 1861; however, there was not enough business support to ever make the paper possible. The first newspaper in this area, founded in 1839, and also the largest newspaper in Mississippi at the time was the Eastern Clarion, operating at Paulding in Jasper County. When Jasper County failed to get a railroad in 1860, that instead going to Newton County, the newspaper moved first to Brandon and later to Jackson. In 1871, R. H. Henry established a newspaper at Newton known as the Newton Ledger. This newspaper was discontinued in a matter of a few years and Mr. Henry moved to Jackson where he combined the ledger with the clarion to found the Clarion-Ledger which since has remained Mississippi’s largest newspaper.

The towns of Hickory and Conehatta both had newspapers around the turn of the 20^th century, but there was not enough advertising to keep the newspapers going. The newspapers with the greatest longevity in the county were the Newton Record (1901-January 2009) and The Union Appeal. The Union Appeal was first published in 1910; then in 2009 was converted to the Newton County Appeal to broaden its coverage following the demise of the Newton Record.

The Mississippi Baptist was a religious newspaper that had its beginning at Newton in the 1890’s, its editor the Rev. N. L. Clarke. This newspaper operated in a back room of the store of his grandson, William Harold Gallaspy of Newton. It was never successful from a commercial standpoint, but the idea caught on with the Mississippi Baptist Convention and they continued publishing the newspaper at the Baptist Record.

The next meeting will be held on Saturday, June 12, 2010, at the Newton County Human Resources Building in Decatur, beginning at 10 a. m. Earl Bryan will share stories from his new book, Born Rich—Boyhood Yarns.  Members and guests are invited.

10 April 2010 Meeting Notes

Newton County Historical and Genealogical Society held its regular meeting on Saturday, April 10, 2010 at the Newton Depot at Newton with 31 members and guests attending.

President Terry Lange reported the untimely death of NCHGS member Frank Cook of Hattiesburg. Leroy Gardner, a family representative, attended the meeting and announced that Frank’s family was donating the genealogical collection of Mr. Cook to the Newton County Archives. This collection includes information on the Gardner, Cook, Staton, Bartlett, and other families of Newton County.

Angie Burkes provided a history of the Newton Depot beginning with the construction of the first depot with the arrival of the Southern Railroad in 1860. That building was destroyed by Grierson in 1863, and rebuilt after the Civil War was over. The present depot was built in 1905, and although no longer used for railway purposes, serves the community in a variety of ways from weddings to the headquarters of the Chamber of Commerce.

Frank Kirtley, dressed as Col. Benjamin Grierson, spoke of the 1863 raid by the Union forces. Starting at LaGrange, Tennessee, Grierson and his cavalry swept through much of the eastern portion of Mississippi as a diversionary tactic to attempt to draw the Confederacy’s attention away from Vicksburg and Gen. Grant’s effort to surround that city. Grierson tore up track from Lake to Chunky and burned the depot at Newton. According to local reports he spent the night at Walker plantation south of Newton, entered Garlandville the next day, then escaped to south Mississippi and Louisiana with Confederate forces in pursuit.

13 March 2010 Meeting Notes

Newton County Historical and Genealogical Society held its regular meeting on March 13, 2010 at the Newton County Human Resources Building with 37 members and guests present.

President Terry Lange gave a membership report and encouraged all to view our updated website at http://www.nchgs.org/.

George Smith gave a report on the Andrew Jackson (Jack) & Emily Phillips Smith Family of the Decatur area and shared many stories about family members.

Andrew Jackson Smith was born in 1828, Kymulga, Shelby County, Alabama, and following his marriage to Emily Phillips, migrated to Newton County in 1857. Emily was a native of Jasper County, Georgia, and the first of their children were born there. Emily and the children moved back to Monticello, Jasper County, Georgia for the duration of the Civil War. They were the parents of eleven children including nine sons and two daughters. These were: Edwin Phillips Smith, Jefferson Davis Smith, Charlie Briant/Bryant Smith, Wiley Andrew Smith, Mary Lucinda Smith, Rufus Clarence Smith, Elmira Virginia Smith, William Albert Smith, Manquis Velpeau Smith, Aquilla Sanders Smith, and Roscoe Singleton Smith. Mary Lucinda Smith died in infancy and Elmina Virginia Smith died as a young woman, unmarried.

Andrew Jackson Smith owned extensive land holdings immediately north and northeast of Decatur and donated land used for the building of Mt. Zion Congregational Methodist Church.

Andrew Jackson Smith served in Company D, 13^th Mississippi Regiment, CSA, under the command of Capt. Montgomery Carleton, advancing to the rank of Lieutenant.

The next meeting of NCHGS will be held at the Newton Depot in Newton on Saturday, April 10, 2010, beginning at 10 A. M.  Angie Burks is in charge of the program. All members and guests are invited to attend.

13 February 2010 Meeting Notes (Canceled due to inclement weather)

8 January 2010 Meeting Notes

The Newton County Historical and Genealogical Society held its regular meeting on January 8, 2010 at the Newton County Human Resources Meeting with 29 members present.

Price Miller provided a comprehensive history of American Legion Post #89 in Decatur.

As with most other chapters in the county, state and nation, American Legion Post #89 was created in the days following World War I as a support organization for military veterans returning home from the war.

In 1933, the post was able to build a hut and lake.  The hut was destroyed by fire in 1934, but was rebuilt in 1935.  Since that time, the hut has served as the base of operations for Post #89 and allowed for a wide variety of activities, including fellowship for veterans and their families.  In 2009, the post provided Christmas packages to all hospitalized member veterans, helped box and ship a large donation of books, provided through Ann Burkes, to soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Renovations to the hut were made in the 1950’s and again in the 1980’s.  At peak operations, the post had 348 members, with the 2009 membership at 113.

The next meeting of NCHGS will be held on Saturday, February 13, 2010, beginning at 10:00 a.m. in the Newton County Resources Building with Ricky Harrison providing a report on “The Boundaries of the State of Mississippi”.  Members and guests are invited.