Documentary: Black Mississippians Who Shaped Our History

The Mississippi Department of Archives and History presents Black Mississippians Who Shaped Our History, a thirty-minute video tribute to a few of the many black Mississippians who have made significant contributions to the state’s history, airing Thursday, February 28 at 8:30 p.m. on Mississippi Public Broadcasting. MPB will also stream the program on its website in February.

The video was written and produced by the Department’s Museum Division as a substitute for the tours of the Old Capitol exhibits and Hall of Fame during Black History Month, when special attention is given to African American subjects. Schools are invited to record the video for later classroom use. Additional airing dates and times will be announced later. Teachers may obtain enrichment activities and evaluations accompanying this program from the MDAH website at: mdah.state.ms.us/activities.pdf
 

The Fulton Shoe Repair Shop ca. 1930

Pictured above is David H . Beard at work in his shoe repair shop on North Gaither Street off the town square in Fulton. The scene was photographed probably during the late 1920’s or early 1930’s.

David Haygood Beard was born in Tishomingo County on August 1, 1884, the son of J.B. and Sarah A. Beard. During the early 1920’s Fulton saw its largest boom in growth and prosperity until that time due to the timber industry being developed. At that time several saw mills opened in Fulton creating many new jobs for Itawamba County. The Fulton Shoe Repair Shop was one of the new businesses that opened during this economic boom of the early 1920’s.

The Fulton Shoe Repair Shop was a Fulton landmark for many years under different ownerships displaying the slogan “We Don’t Preach But We Save Soles” and generations of Itawamba County residents had their shoes repaired in this little shop.
 

New Salem School ca. 1940

New Salem community is in southern Itawamba County between Fulton and Smithville. This view of the community school is thought to have been photographed during the early 1940's. The school was closed during 1954 during a consolidation of county schools. The front part of the building was divided into two rooms by a folding partition, which could be taken down for events such as cakewalks. There was a stage at the left end.

A special thanks to Lionel Stegall of Smithville for sharing this photograph with the readers of Itawamba History Review.

 

Mississippi Politics: Scott Campaign Button from 1907

In going through an old family trunk this weekend, I came across an old Mississippi political campaign button promoting Charles Scott for Governor of Mississippi. The metal button has Scott’s portrait on a bale of cotton.

After finding the old campaign button it was time to research the man Charles Scott.

Charles Scott, an attorney, planter and businessman from Rosedale in Bolivar County ran an unsuccessful bid for Mississippi governor during 1907 when Edmond Favor Noel was elected. Scott’s platform for the governorship of Mississippi included a state program to encourage Italian immigration to Mississippi.

Scott was a close friend of LeRoy Percy of Greenville in Washington County. Born on November 7, 1847 in Mississippi, he died on October 26, 1916. He married Malvina Yerger, daughter of Colonel Alexander Yerger of Washington County on March 10, 1870.

Scott came to Bolivar County during 1868-69 as a young lawyer and became very successful in business and planting. He was the owner of Scott Manor, which was considered at the time to be the “showplace of the Delta.”
 

1921 Tentative Schedule of Recitations: Itawamba County Agricultural High School

Click Image for Larger Resolution View

Itawamba Agricultural High School opened during the fall of 1921. The above schedule of classes was published in the booklet, Itawamba County Agricultural High School Announcement: 1921-22. Faculty and staff members included J.R. Fewell, principal and agriculturist, R.A. Scott, Agriculture; Juanita C. Ray, home science and arts; Minnie Mobberly, English and Latin; Mrs. J.R. Fewell, history and English; T.A. Oliphant, Science and Athletics; A.B. Johnson, mathematics and commercial work; Irene McMullan, music and Kate C. Taylor, matron.

This 36-page booklet was a student handbook that covered all aspects of student life at the boarding school in Fulton. The society has digitized this publication and placed it online in the society’s digital archives. For a fascinating look at student life in Itawamba County nearly ninety years ago visit the society’s Special Publications section to view this 36-page booklet in addition to many other special publications of the society.
 

Portrait of an Itawamba County Confederate Soldier

This old tintype portrait belonged to the Ethelbert and Mary Cason Rankin family and descendants of southwestern Itawamba County. Although unidentified, the photograph could be a portrait of John H. Cason, the son of Braxton (son of James and Mary Deal Cason of Abbeville District, South Carolina) and Elizabeth Harris (daughter of John and Milly Stanfield Link Harris of Abbeville District).

John served in Company C (Town Creek Rifles of Itawamba County) of the Second Mississippi Regiment and was killed at the Battle of Second Manassas in Virginia during August of 1862.
 

Notes on Researching the Itawamba County Federal Decennial Census Schedules

Good census research is one of the foundations of genealogical studies and it is always wise to have an in-depth understanding of the census-taking mechanics of the particular census being studied.

For instance, the 1850 census of Itawamba County contains two census districts – District 6 and District 7. The town of Fulton was in District 7. It is evident that western Itawamba was located in District 6 and eastern Itawamba was located in District 7. The line between the two districts could have possibly been the Tombigbee River.

The 1860 census of Itawamba County was enumerated by communities and villages. The following locations were used: Bexar, Bigby Fork, Campbellton, Carrollville, Cummingsville, Fulton, Guntown, Marietta, Mooresville, Oak Farm, Ozark, Pleasanton, Plantersville, Priceville, Richmond, Ryans Well, Saltillo, Smithville and Tremont.

This 1860 Itawamba County census is quite confusing as it appears the enumerator skips between communities. For instance, in browsing through this census, a page or two may be an enumeration of the Carrollville community, then the next few pages may be Marietta or Richmond, then several pages later, the researcher will return to Carrollville again. It is simply like a shuffled deck of cards. It has also been noted by some researchers that ancestors are listed in a community who never lived in that community. So there appears there can be major problems with the enumeration order of the 1860 Itawamba County census. For a detailed study of this situation see the Volume XXV Number 2 (Summer 2005) issue of Itawamba Settlers magazine for the article Integrity of the 1860 Itawamba County Census.

The 1870 census contains only one census district – Fulton. Regardless of where the enumerated family lived, Fulton P.O. was always given as the location. So in this census always remember because the page lists Fulton P.O. as the location, does not necessarily indicate that the enumerated lived in or even remotely near Fulton.

It is always important to view the actual assistant marshals’ instructions for a particular census to fully understand the census process for that particular census year. For instance, during the 1850 census part of the instructions about enumerating household residents reads: “The name of any member of a family who may have died since the 1st day of June is to be enumerated as if living, but the name of any person born since the 1st day of June is to be omitted.” According to these instructions, if the enumerator visited a household on July 20, 1850 and your ancestor had died on May 10, 1850, the deceased ancestor would be enumerated as if still living. If a child had been born in the household on June 10, 1850 and the enumerator visited the household on August 1, 1850 the child would not be enumerated.

An excellent well-illustrated guide to the decennial censuses complete with questionnaires and instructions for each census is the publication, Measuring America: The Decennial Censuses From 1790 to 2000. This 140-page publication is in PDF format and available from the U.S. Census Bureau. This free publication can be downloaded in segments. The segment containing pages 5 through 96 deals with questionnaires and instructions given the enumerators from the 1790 census through the 1990 census and is a 3.07 megabyte download. This section is chock-full of detailed information about the 19th Century census taking process and is an important resource for genealogical researchers well worth the download time.