A Tour of the Itawamba Historical Society Facilities in Mantachie: Part 2

Editor's Note: Terry Thornton, a member of the society's board of directors, will be giving a tour of the society's facilities in Mantachie over the next several days through text and photographs. Below is part two of his tour.

In typical farm-house design, the Bonds House has porches. The shade of the porches, abundant windows, high ceilings, large attic, and shiny metal roof helped cool the house in those years prior to electric fans and other cooling devices.

The foyer of the Bonds House Museum viewed through the front screen door creates a muted image of Marilyn Leary, Society Librarian who was the Guide on this tour of the house.

One of the most interesting artifacts in the collection is the Itawamba County jail door from 1852. This iron jail door was in use from 1852 through 1937. It now hangs in the Bonds House Museum.

"The Times" art deco metal sign that once adorned The Itawamba Times building in Fulton since the 1940s now graces one of the walls in the museum's Delmus Harden Archives. The Itawamba County Times continues to be published as "the only newspaper in the world that cares anything about Itawamba County"!

Several printer trays and old-fashioned newspaper block "print/type" are found in the Harden Archives at the museum. I was interested in the two exclamation marks shown below.

Vintage typewriters are also displayed in the museum.

Monthly Program Meeting Slated for Tuesday Evening, September 15

On Tuesday evening, September 15, the Itawamba Historical Society will hold its regular monthly program meeting. The special program will be a presentation by Thomas Childs on the water springs of northeast Mississippi’s hill country. Childs is a long-time attorney in Itawamba County and served as the Board of Supervisors attorney for several years. He was also a member of the faculty at Itawamba Community College. An active community leader for many years, he was elected by the citizens of Itawamba County as Citizen of the Year. He owns a mineral springs in neighboring Tishomingo County where he has manufactured and marketed bottled spring water.

The meeting begins at 6 p.m. in the George Poteet History Center with a light dinner followed by the program. The public is invited to attend. The George Poteet History Center is located at the corner of Church Street and Museum Drive in Mantachie.
 

A Tour of the Itawamba Historical Society Facilities in Mantachie

Editor's Note: Terry Thornton, a member of the society's board of directors, will be giving a tour of the society's facilities in Mantachie over the next several days through text and photographs. Below is part one of his tour.

The Itawamba County Mississippi Historical Society maintains its office, library, and facilities in Mantachie. One of the Society's greatest treasures is the historic Bonds House. Built about 1892, the house served the family of Andrew Bonds who was a merchant and the first mayor of Mantachie. Inside the Bonds House is the Museum of the Itawamba County Historical Society.

The museum is presented in various areas of the house which have the following designations:

• The James Grissom Foyer (photographs and artifacts from early Mantachie post offices)
  
• The Delmus Harden Archives (with emphasis on the county newspaper, The Itawamba County Times, and the Harden family)
  
• The George W. Owens Archives (features numerous 19th century artifacts)
  
• The Itawamba Historical Society Archives Collection (in three other areas of the house are more than 1,000 additional artifacts from the county's past including Chickasaw Indian artifacts; emphasis on the county's rural history and heritage)
  

On the lawn of the Bonds House Museum is a gazebo with benches and table and a double swing.

Next door to the Bonds House Museum is the George Poteet Center which houses the Gaither Spradling Library and offices of the Itawamba County Historical Society as well as the Gordon McFerrin Theatre. A full-service kitchen and offices are included within the building. The Historical Society meets at the George Poteet Center on the third Tuesday of each month except December.

The Center, the Bonds House Museum, the Library, and the Society's Offices are open to the public each Tuesday through Friday, 10 AM until 3 PM and at other times by appointment. The Society may be reached by telephone at (662) 282-7664 or by mail at PO Box 7, Mantachie, MS 38855.

In the following four articles are some views from inside the museum --- a few of the fascinating artifacts from Itawamba County's heritage are highlighted in photographs. You are invited on this brief tour of the Bonds House Museum --- and you are invited to visit the museum and the Society's facility at Mantachie. While you are there why not look into membership in the Itawamba County Historical Society? It is one of the largest and oldest county societies in the Hill Country.
 

Muscadine Harvesting in Itawamba County

Muscadine picking is in full swing in Itawamba County, Mississippi this weekend. This wonderful wild grape's vines hang from the towering trees with the fallen fruit staining the county roads. For generations muscadines mean tasty jellies and jams, hot and buttery cobblers and delicious wine.
 

Wagon Train Out of the River Lowlands

Pictured above is the lead wagon of a wagon train hauling timber out of the Tombigbee River bottomlands on the Fulton & Pontotoc Road (later Bankhead Highway and US Hwy 78)to the sawmill in Fulton. This photograph was taken ca. 1910. Click photo for larger resolution image.
 

The River Port on a Hot Summer's Day

The Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway at Fulton is seen on a hot summer's day. The scene was photographed at Port Itawamba looking south towards the John Elliott Rankin Memorial Bridge.
 

Fall Issue of Itawamba Settlers Goes to Press

The Fall 2009 issue of Itawamba Settlers is set to be delivered to the printers tomorrow. This issue of the magazine contains several articles relating to Itawamba County, Mississippi history and genealogy. The quarterly 56-page magazine is mailed to the current membership of the society, including more than thirty libraries. For information about joining the society and receiving this quarterly publication, visit the society's website at www.itawambahistory.org. Articles in the Fall 2009 issue include the following:

Beauty's Grave
Cantrell Family Research
Judge William H. Elliott Biography
S.B. Lane Biography
James W. Reagan Biography
William Reagan Biography
Richard J. Reeves Biography
Francis White Biography
A Cauthern Family Portrait
William Doric Tynes Biography
Ruth Boren Photograph
1936 Centerville School Photograph
Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church Minutes
Dr. Sam Nabor's House Photograph
Itawamba County News Abstracts: 1911
A History of Fulton Methodist Church
A History of the Tombigbee Association
A History of the Judson Association
George W. Grissom and His Mule: 1917
Police Court Minutes: 1867