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Meeting Notes
14 August July 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 31st 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 20th 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, 13th 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.
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