Aberdeen on the Tombigbee: During April a Beautiful Destination Opens Its Historic Doors

Springtime in Mississippi is definitely an enchanted season - azaleas and wisteria put on their showy colors of purple, white, and crimson while the warm air is lightly permeated with the delicate scent of fragrant jasmine. Springtime also means pilgrimage in Mississippi. It is during this special season that many of the state’s historical towns and their homeowners show genuine Southern hospitality as they open their majestic historic homes to the world.

One such Mississippi event is Aberdeen’s Southern Heritage Pilgrimage. This year the 33rd annual pilgrimage in Aberdeen, located on the Tombigbee in neighboring Monroe County downriver from Fulton, will be April 4-6.

Well before the Civil War, Aberdeen became one of the busiest ports in the state where upland cotton was shipped downriver to Mobile. Most all of Itawamba County’s cotton was shipped from Van Buren, Cardsville and Ironwood Bluff to nearby Aberdeen on flatboats, eventually destined for the Mobile cotton market.

Founded in 1835 by Robert Gordon and chartered in 1837, the city of Aberdeen boasts an abundant eclectic collection of historic properties. This year’s pilgrimage will feature nine of those beautiful historic homes including Lenoir Cottage. Holliday Haven (1850), Bella Vida (1879), Harrison-Phelan House (1839), Sanders Place, Miss Quilla (1897), The Old Homestead (1852), The Magnolias (1850) and Painted Lady (1885).

Numerous events take place in Aberdeen during pilgrimage weekend including quaint carriage rides, a proper afternoon tea at beautiful Greenleaves, the Pilgrimage Tea Room Luncheon, a pancake breakfast, a 5K Run/Walk, historic cemetery tours, the Aberdeen Antiques Symposium and the unique and entertaining comedy “Life in a Small Southern Town” at the historic Elkin Theatre in downtown Aberdeen.

Take time to discover beautiful historic Aberdeen on the Tombigbee during pilgrimage season this spring. For detailed information about the 2008 Aberdeen Pilgrimage, including ticket information, special events, and detailed information about the featured houses, visit the Aberdeen Pilgrimage website.

About the Photographs

Built in 1850 by planter, Dr. William Alfred Sykes, The Magnolias (top) is an excellent example of late antebellum townhouses built in the Upper Tombigbee region.

The "crown jewel" of the many elaborate Victorian mansions which once lined Aberdeen's Silk Stocking Avenue, Bella Vida (bottom) has survived to reign supreme on Franklin Street.

Photographs used with permission from the Aberdeen Visitors Bureau.
 

Dr. Oscar Copeland Monument in Northeastern Itawamba's Historic Salem Church Cemetery

The Dr. Oscar Copeland monument located in the Copeland section of the old Salem Church Cemetery in northeastern Itawamba County is one of several large ornate monuments found in this old cemetery’s Copeland section.

Dr. Oscar Copeland was the son of Dr. Thomas and Alice Combs Copeland. Dr. Thomas Copeland owned farms in northeastern Itawamba county and in Lauderdale County, Alabama well before the Civil War (see Volume XXVII No. 2 Summer 2007 issue of Itawamba Settlers for more information about Dr. Thomas Copeland).

Dr. Oscar Copeland, later in life purchased additional lands in northeastern Itawamba County and became perhaps Itawamba’s largest landowner by 1920. He had considerable holdings in Itawamba and adjoining Tishomingo counties and in neighboring Alabama. Below is a transcript of his death noticed that appeared in the January 17, 1924 edition of the Itawamba County News:

Dr. Oscar Copeland Dead

Dr. Oscar Copeland, who lived in the corner of this county, near Red Bay, Ala., died Monday night. He had been in bad health for several years. He was somewhere around 60 years of age.

Born and reared in the piney woods near Salem church, he had become one of the most wealthy men in this section of the county. He practiced medicine for several years in the early part of his life, and with the start he thus secured he began to buy land. When any one wanted to go to Texas many years ago they would always go to Dr. Copeland and get the money for their land.

Most of the land he purchased was bought by people going to him and wanting to sell. He is also a big land holder in Tishomingo County and owns a great deal in Alabama.

Most of us with his means and vision would have done as he did in his dealings.

He made a trip to the Holy Land several years ago and intended to write up his trip and have it published, but we don’t suppose he ever wrote it.

He was a friend indeed to those he liked and made no pretense of admiring those he did not like. That was his disposition, and he could always be placed on any proposition. The last time we talked with him, he told us about losing half a million dollars in a land deal, and we told him he had made enough to do him as along as he lived, and he said he liked to make money anyway.

Interment will be Thursday at Salem Cemetery, the family burying ground. He is survived by a brother, Dr. Jas. Copeland of Red Bay, and many other relatives and friends. Truly he will be missed in that country where he has always been known.
 

Cansler and Warren Bill of Sale for Mary Walker’s Wine, Smoking Tobacco and Medicines: 1872

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A bill from the Fulton firm of Cansler and Warren shows Mrs. Mary Walker of Fulton purchased a bottle of Tarrants Seltzer, a bottle of Mother Nobles Syrup, a bottle of port wine, one-half pound of smoking tobacco, one box of mustard and one paper of powdered elm during June and July of 1872. Owned by Thomas Green Cansler and Dr. Napoleon Bonaparte Warren, the apothecary was located on the town square of Fulton from the 1860’s through the 1870’s and was a wholesale and retail dealer in drugs, medicines, chemicals, fine liquors and tobaccos.

Thomas Green Cansler was born January 7, 1838 in Carroll County, Georgia, the son of Phillip and Eveline Smith Cansler. He was a Methodist minister, large landowner and owned the Moscow Flouring Mills in nearby Lamar County, Alabama. On September 8, 1858, he married Celinda Jane Stone at Tremont. She was born February 8, 1841, the daughter of Dilmus Johnson Stone and Parmelia Ann Bethany. Thomas Green Cansler died in Hillsboro, Texas on March 17, 1913.

Dr. Napoleon Bonaparte Warren was born on April 10, 1834 in Limestone County, Alabama, the son of S. John Warren and Sarah Robinson, early settlers of Itawamba County. He owned a large farming operation in northern Itawamba and southern Tishomingo counties. Dr. Warren never married but adopted the sons of the Widow Hood (Robert Jefferson, George Burlon and Jack). His brother, Charles, was the first sheriff of Itawamba County. Dr. Warren died on January 14, 1903 and was buried in the Marietta Cemetery.
 

Northeast Mississippi City Receives National Honor

The National Trust for Historic Preservation named Columbus in Lowndes County one of its 2008 Dozen Distinctive Destinations. Since 2000, the National Trust for Historic Preservation has annually selected communities across the United States that offer cultural and recreational experiences different from the typical vacation destination. From dynamic downtowns and stunning architecture to cultural diversity and commitments to historic preservation, the selected destinations boast a richness of character and exude an authentic sense of place.

The birthplace of prize-winning playwright, Tennessee Williams, Columbus is home to three National Register Historic Districts that boast an impressive 676 properties. While other cities were ravaged during the Civil War, Columbus was a "hospital town," leaving the antebellum and Victorian homes-along with their contents-spared. Tours of these architectural gems abound. Whether taking a guided walking tour or winding through the scenic area by car, visitors are able to experience 19th century living first-hand. Attractions include Waverley Plantation Mansion, a National Historic Landmark and one of the most photographed homes of the South; Friendship Cemetery, the site of the first Memorial Day celebration in 1866; and the Mississippi University for Women, the oldest public college for women in the United States and home to 23 National Register properties.

Founded in 1821 on the banks of the Tombigbee River, the town thrives on its rich heritage and Southern charm. Columbus offers an extraordinary mix of history, natural beauty and culture. Its revitalized Main Street, bustling with family-owned businesses, treasure-filled emporiums and culinary delights, is endlessly appealing and pulsates with the rhythms of the blues.

Proud of its rich African American heritage, Columbus also offers tours of landmarks that showcase the remarkable impact the African American community has had on the city. The itinerary includes churches, universities and homes. From Catfish Alley, a central business district for African Americans during the late 19th century to Concord CME Church, one of the oldest churches in Columbus dating back to 1867, and the Robert Walker Home Site, where Walker was trained as a butler and went on to become the first African American to own and operate a hotel, this tour celebrates the lasting legacy of the accomplishments achieved by those, who despite oppressive times, prevailed and prospered.

Photographs: Tennessee Williams Home (1875) and Interpretive Center. The home also serves as the Mississippi Welcome Center (top). The Weeping Angel monument for Reverend Thomas Cox Teasdale. Rev. Teasdale was the only individual to obtain a document carrying the signatures of both Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis (bottom). Photographs courtesy of the Columbus Convention and Visitors Bureau
 

Fulton Dance Group Circa 1925

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This Fulton dance group was photographed in front of the Itawamba Agricultural High School around 1925. The group was probably young dance students from a Fulton dance school posing before a dance recital.
 

Miss Zereda's House in Fulton

The home that sits at the corner of East Hill and North Cummings streets in Fulton has been known for years as the Zereda Greene home. Zereda Greene was an Itawamba County historian who wrote a series of articles in the Itawamba County Times during the 1960’s called These Things I Remember. She moved into the house with her family, when four years old during 1901 and lived there until her death during 1989. Zereda’s father was a blacksmith and coffin maker in the town of Fulton and her mother owned and operated a millinery shop west of the courthouse.

The original section (front) of the home was built circa 1849 by Robert O. and Louisa Maupin. Robert was a Fulton attorney and his wife Louisa operated the Fulton Female Academy, a boarding school located near the corner of Main and South Cummings Street, two blocks south of the home. The boarding school taught the young daughters of many planters from southern and western Itawamba County including the Whitesides, Dabbs, Standifer, Crayton and Lindsey families.

Zereda Greene once wrote about the old home “My grandmother, Jane Whitesides, her sister, Katherine Whitesides and Miss Dessie Wiygul…were among the pupils..My grandmother said that my home was being built then, that the teacher would take the girls walking, they would come to the new house, walk over the sleepers, etc. and note the progress being made. Aunt Katie’s granddaughter has a sampler embroidered by Aunt Katie when she was here in school and it carries the date 1850. As Aunt Katie married in January 1851 and my grandmother in January, 1852, we know that the house was built before that date.”

Below is an abstract from the 1850 Itawamba County Census:

Page 438
Town of Fulton
24-24
Robt. O. Maupin: 35, Attorney, Virginia
Louisa: 36, Tennessee
Martha Lindsay: 20, Student, AL
Sarah Johnson: 17, Student, AL
Emily Johnson: 15, Student, TN
Samantha Glover: 16, Student, SC
Frances Dabbs: 17, Student, MS
Ruth Standifer: 17, Student, GA
Mary Welborne: 17, Student, MS
Anna Welborne: 15, Student, AL
Anna S. Stovall: 14, Student, TN
Sarah Hankins: 15, Student, AL
Mary Lindsay: 12, Student, AL
Malissa Burgess: 15, Student, AL
Vernna Warren: 13, Student, KY

House Photographed February 6, 2008 by Bob Franks
 

Another Historic Town Square Building Gets New Lease on Life

The old brick building at the corner of Main and South Gaither streets on the Fulton town square has a new owner and houses new businesses.

Lily’s Café and J & T Company are two new businesses located in what is known as the old Gaither Building. Joshua Toomer first purchased this commercial lot on March 16, 1840 just two years after the town was established. Toomer ran a mercantile establishment on part of the lot.

During 1852 when Itawamba County’s second courthouse was built, the brick used in the construction of the Federal style building were fired on this lot by a Mr. Wright. The lot was later purchased by the Gaither family where the firm William Gaither and Sons operated a general store. It has been said the building was bricked when the Itawamba County Agricultural High School was being built below the town under the hill.

Lily’s Café features tasty homemade breads and sandwiches, soups, coffees and other beverages including fruit smoothies. Diners can enjoy their meal in an eclectic atmosphere of bright designs, retro furnishings while listening to and watching Delta blues music videos on the wall-mounted LCD television. J & T Company is an art gallery and antiques business that shares space with the café in the large brick structure that offers a wide variety of art, antiques and collectables.

The Itawamba Historical Society welcomes these new businesses to Fulton’s historic town square and applauds the owners’ efforts at restoring part of Fulton’s historic district.