The Lunsford Store at Otis, Itawamba County

During the turn of the century era in Itawamba County, the countryside was dotted with small post office communities. One such community was Otis. Otis was a community southeast of Fulton on the current Clay-Tilden Road just east of Nita Lake. The community was made up mostly of the Lunsford and Bookout families. On April 5, 1899 Otis post office was created with James L. Bookout as the postmaster and the post office continued until November 30, 1903 when it was discontinued. The community consisted of a mill, the Lunsford Store and nearby Mt. Pisgah Church.

Egbert Lee Lunsford operated the E.L. Lunsford store at Otis. The store flyer shown above (click illustration for larger view) was printed around 1908. The Lunsford family (also spelled Lunceford) came to Itawamba County from Johnston County, North Carolina during the 1840’s. Egbert Lunsford’s parents were Robert David and Sarah Clifton (daughter of Henry Clifton) Lunsford.