ALLEN SPRINGS
     Allen Springs, once known as Hudsons, was named for James P. Allen, a lawyer who bought the land from Robert Hudson soon after the Civil War. It was located on the Ethel to McCool road near the place that the Hudson Canal empties into the Yockanookany River. Allen Springs School was an old building in 1894; in 1920 the school was moved two miles northeast on the Ethel road and called the Reynolds School. Soon afterwards, it was consolidated with McCool. The Springs are still known today as Allen Springs and are used for picnic purposes by the owners.

ANNIS
     Annis was located twenty miles north of Kosciusko on the West to French Camp road. Thad Bell had settled one-forth mile south of here in the early 1830's. At Bell's crossing there was a water mill at one time. Bell sold to Dr. Wiley Thornton, who had come here from Texas around 1877.

     John T. Short was a bachelor and one of the earliest settlers. He was from South Carolina and he operated a horse gin in the 1840's and 1850's. A school teacher by the name of Beal, who taught school at North Center in early days owned the land adjoining the Short place.

     John Parkerson, on whose land the school was located and for whom it was named, lived one-half mile northeast of Annis. This family settled before the Civil War but by 1939 had no descendants living in the area.

     Cal Brister settled in the community before the Civil War. He married Addie Ellington, daughter of Daniel Ellington of the Rocky Point area. Cal operated a gin two miles west of Annis. In 1878 it was converted into a steam power gin and kept in operation for twenty more years. In 1898 Si Brister, brother to Cal, came to Annis, and the two brothers established a store, gin and grist mill on Beal Branch near where it drained into Zilpha Creek. Charlie Brister, son of Isaiah and cousin to Cal for whom he had worked, settled two miles east of the store and gin. Annis Post Office ws established in 1903 and Charlie Brister was the Post Master. He had erected a small building in his yard to serve as the Post Office. It was named for Annis Guess, wife of Lycurgus Gibson and was located on a Star route from Kosciusko to Thrailkill in Montgomery county. This route was carried by J. H.(Jack) Tyler, and then by Henry Pugh until the Post Office was discontinued for a rural route from Vaiden around 1910. Parkerson Public School was located one-half mile north of the Annis Post Office. The nearest church was Friendship church on the Montgomery-Attala county line.

ANTIOCH
     Antioch was formerly known as Allen Springs. The first land belonged to Mr. Robert Hudson, who in turn sold it to James P. Allen. Allen sold part of the land three-forths of a mile northwest of the Springs to Bell Jennings. Around 1890 a Mr. Haygood bought the land and in 1894 it was purchased by R. F. Wade. This land was later sold to Steve Knox, a Negro who deeded the church lot to the Trustees in 1919. Antioch Baptist Church was located four and one-half miles south of McCool on the road to Ethel. Fred Bloomsburg owned the land on which Antioch Church was built. He owned many acres of land and had many other timber interests in the count. Near the church to the south lived Dan Tims, an early educator having taught at Allen Springs, Edgefield, Bear Creek and other schools in the vicinity. There is no cemetery in Antioch; but nearby are Edgefield, Harmony and Bowie's Chapel.

     John Blaine lived east of Bloomberg; around 1900. D. L. Doty's home was west of Allen Springs. J. O. (Bunk) Shrop lived west of the church and north of the Doty place in the early 1890's and 1900. In the 90's the Bloomberg acreage was purchased by Andrew Cummins. J. A. Haynes moved west of the Springs on part of the Allen place in 1894. Haynes was a noted singer and a devoted church leader. A. D. Adkison bought the John Blaine land in 1907. J. M. Ray and Russell Ray were brothers and both lived east of the Springs and west of the church in the early 90's. Thomas J. Mayo lived east of the Bloomberg place before 1900 and later sold to H. T. Lansdale.

ARCHER
     Archer, once a suburb of Zama, was located fifteen miles southeast of Kosciusko on the Center and Zama road. It was so-named because it was located on Archer Creek. A cross-tie yard had a switch one-half mile west of Ayers School and Post Office which was called Archer's Crossing. In 1939 there was a McMichael Negro School located one-half mile west of the Archer-Zama road. Z. McMichael had settled here and the school was named for him. There was also a Mt. Cana Baptist Church and Cemetery located west of the Zama road.

ATTALVILLE
     Attalaville should have been named Clark Town. Attalaville was located about one mile "as the crow flies" south of Sallis and was the pride of the county. The community prospered the greatest from 1850-1860 and contained three residences, one store, a blacksmith shop, a woodshop and a "Male and Female Academy". The houses were occupied by three brothers, Robert L., Silas H., and Simon S. Clark. Robert L. and Silas Clark's homes were large and beautiful two-story buildings with columns, verandas and lattice work; the home of the youngest brother, Simon S. Clark, was less pretentious. Silas H. Clark, the founder of Attalaville, owned and controlled the store and shops; his youngest brother was associated with him in the mercantile business for a short time. Silas Clark owned and operated two large plantations and was also engaged in the commission business in New Orleans, under the firm name of Thompson and Clark. He built a bridge and turnpike across the Big Black River on the road leading from Attalaville to Goodman. Robert L. Clark also owned and operated a large plantation on Big Black River. He has a small farm located near his home. Simon S. Clark had a small farm and operated a small tannery. The building of the Mississippi Central Railroad (now the Illinois Central line) unquestionably affected the growth and prosperity of Attalaville, when the line ran outside the availability of the village, but the fatal blow was the death of Silas Clark at sometime during the Civil War. His home was unoccupied in 1902 but still in good condition. John Coleman Ashley had bought and lived in the Robert L. Clark house. after Ashley's death the home was sold to a Mr. McCrory, who was living there in the 1940's when the Antebellum house burned. Mr. Ernest Peeler was the owner of the Silas Clark house; he had removed the upper story and used it as a tenant house until it burned. In this area is the Ashley Family graveyard. Nothing else remains to mark the location of an early, prosperous community and center of education for that area of the county.

AURIS
     Auris was formed about 1888 on the old Kosciusko to Vaiden road near Zilpha Creek (about 1/2 mile). It was formerly known as Kelly's Store. J. A. Kelly bought the land from Frank Howard in 1875 and lived there until around 1904 when he sold the store to J. D. Musslewhite. Kelly also operated a saw mill, gin and grist mill which was mule-powered. Later J. P. Stevens also owned a gin, saw mill and grist mills in the area. A private school was taught in the neighborhood for several years. There was a public school at North Union Church from 1876 to 1900. North Union was a building constructed for all denominations in the community and used several years for a school as well as a place of worship. It was located about one and one-half miles from the Post Office of Auris. There are two cemeteries in the area; North Union Church and Old Mayo Burying Ground. Auris has a namesake of which the county is very proud; Miss Auris Pender, retired Baptist Missionary, was named for the Auris Post Office.

AYERS
     Ayers was named for John Ayers, planter and land owner. The village was located at the forks of the Center-Zama road. Reverend Joseph Martin Brown, a Baptist minister who lived about two and one-half miles north of the present town of Zama, was one of the earliest settlers of the Ayers community; he helped to organize Ebenezer Church and served as the first pastor. Rev. Brown is buried in the church cemetery. When the Civil War began a number of married citizens enlisted and served honorable. Not one of these men lived to return home to their families; namely; Wiley Lowery, Eli Ayers, Newton Bance, John Perry, Jeptha Massey. The first Confederate soldier that was buried at Ebenezer Cemetery was Hosea Hoolingsworth; the second was Jim Bates. Ebenezer Church was formed in 1850 and was built of pine logs with wooden shutters. It was used for private school purposes. The first teacher was Thaddeus Wiggle. Ayers High School existed from 1890 to 1919. In 1912 Ayers consisted of school, store and Post Office which was used to accomodate the residents of the area. T. D. Ray was the Post Master. The main industry in the area was farming and milling, but in 1897 Haywood Hollingsworth had a wagon factory near Ayers; first class wagons of all kinds were made there.

BEAR CREEK
     The first account of white people coming to this part of central Mississippi was in 1834 when Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Johnson and their two small children and Jim Martin, a friend, arrived from Tuscaloosa, Alabama in search of new hunting grounds. Johnson was known to have said that in the early days there were many hundreds of wolfs in the portion of the county. These newcomers settled about one-half mile west of Bear Creek, a small stream which flows through the community. In 1838 Mr. Henry Fancher and his wife, Pamelia White Fancher, settled one mile north of the Johnson home and near the same stream of water. In 1841 Pharus and Eliza Landrum arrived in the settlement from Pickens County, Alabama and settled some two miles south of where the Bear Creek Baptist Church is located today. Later they moved to a point a mile east of the location and near the Yockanookany River. Robert and Martha Wade arrived in the Bear Creek community in August 1841; they had left Stone Mountain, Georgia in January 1840 arriving at Multona Springs, Mississippi in August. They had spent exactly one year there before settling a short distance west of the present church location. However, at this early date there was no church, just as there were no roads, towns or schools. About 1841 the families of Bill Henry and Billy Lester arrived from Georgia; being relatives of the Robert Wade family. The community of Bear Creek was growing. By 1850 other families had arrived; namely; Dave Robinson, Middleton Pool, George Miller Carr, Asa and Jacob Hearn and a Mr. Thrailkill.

     In September of 1851 the Bear Creek Missionary Baptist Church was organized with the following charter members; Henry Fancher and wife, Jack Davis and wife, Robert Wade and wife, William Dotson, Mason Dotson, Sarah Dotson, Elmira Dotson, Johnson Fancher and wife, Jeff Harris and wife, Mrs. Martha Smith, Julian Smith, Mr. and Mrs. Bennett, Isham Landrum and wife and John Parish and wife. A short time after the church was organized, Austin Greene Steward, an early emigrant from Stone Mountain, Georgia area, donated seven acres of land for the location of a church and cemetery. The acreage is still being used for that purpose. The oldest known grave in the cemetery is that of Upton Miller, who was born 10 May 1808 and passed from this life on 1 November 1849. From this one can assume that a graveyard had already been started before there was an organized church on this particular spot. Several other gravemarkers are dated in the early 1850's. All told it appears likely that there are well over one thousand graves in the cemetery. Through the years Bear Creel Baptist Church has been the "Hub" of the area. A number of the churches pastors are buried in the cemetery; namely; Rev. W.H H. Fancher, Rev David M. Sims, Rev. Jonathan W. Sims and Rev. Marcus Alonzo "Lonnie" Carr. are all buried in Bear Creek Cemetery. The Rev. W. H. H. Fancher served as the pastor of the church from 1879 until the time of his death in 1906, a span of twenty-seven years.

     In 1850 Henry Fancher was operating a "horsepower" gin. Captain Middleton Pool had a horse gin which burned after the Civil War. Soon after the 1860's a Mr. Huffman had a gin powered by horses and then later he had a steam powered saw mill, gin and grist mill near the church from 1885 to 1900. Billie Smith kept the Post Office three miles west of Bear Creek.

     Bear Creek Public School is located on church grounds. The first building was built of logs with a large fireplace and puncheon benches. Later a better building was erected. Unity School, two miles northwest, was established later than Bear Creek to accomodate the children locally. Dry Creek School, three miles northeast of Bear Creek, was established after Unity. In 1900 a three room building was erected at Bear Creek; Unity and Dry Creek were annexed forming Bear Creek Consolidated District and transportation was provided. This district was later consolidated with McCool about the time of the First World War. Fancher Creek Negro School was located one mile north of Bear Creek on a community road in 1939. Fancher Hill Baptist Church was located at the school. Now all the students attend Greenlee and Ethel Schools.

BEECH SPRINGS
     Beech Springs is known as Chapel Hill today. A ridge of hills which project into this section from the northeast and which extend toward the southwest forms a slope from which three small streams run together to form the headwaters of Zilpha Creek. Due to the hilly surface this section was not settled as early as nearby communities and was never as densely populated. Beech Springs community was comprised chiefly of small home owners. However, a small, one-teacher school was established here soon after the Civil War. The building was a small log house located in the southern part of the community. The subscription school was called "Popular Springs", but, with the shifting of the population to the north, the school was discontinued and in the late 1870's Beech Springs School was located two miles further north. This site on the road to McCool was selected for the location of a Methodist Episcopal church. The first frame church building was erected about 1880 and was named Chapel Hill. This name was also given to the school. Chapel Hill Church was first pastored by W. S. Lagrone, who later became a Presiding Elder of the Durant District, which included Attala County. Chapel Hill Church was used for a time as a school until a building could be erected for educational purposes. In 1895 the church burned and another built which was also used as a church and a school. In 1910 the present church building was constructed and is used regularly for worship services. Beech Springs School was consolidated with French Camp, Berea and Friendship and the name changed to Chapel Hill. Miss Mary Hemphill once taught there. By 1939 the Chapel Hill School had been absorbed by the surrounding consolidated schools which provided transportation for the students.

     Located at some distance from any industrial or commercial center, the people of the area were self-sufficient.

     B. A. Hubbert moved to Beech Springs from Alabama around 1860 and located one mile southwest of the later site of the church. One son, William Hubbert was a Civil War veteran who continued to live in the community. Another son, G. W. Hubbert lived in the old Hubbert homestead until his death at an advanced age. Tommy Eades moved to the community about the same time as the Hubberts. J. A. Toler moved to the community from another Attala County locality and established Eades Post Office around 18956. He kept the Post Office until it was replaced by a French Camp rural route in 1910. The Eades Post Office was located two miles northeast of Chapel Hill on a road which intersected the McCool road and went on to French Camp. Miles Casey was on the early settlers and lived two miles north of the church on the Montgomery County line. Later all the family moved to Texas. R. B. Cook came into the area in the 90's and settled one mile west of the church.

BEREA
     Berea is located on the Natchez Trace Parkway about seventeen miles north of Kosciusko on Cole's Creek. The terrain is ideal for diversified farming as it is tableland and bottomland; for Cole's Creek drains into the Yockanookany River. It was here that General Andrew Jackson camped on his way back to Tennessee with his troops after the "Battle of New Orleans". He and his men dug and built the old rock well which in 1939 lay south of Berea Church and cemetery.

     Berea Baptist Church was organized before the Civil War, and the first old log church was built at that time two miles southeast of the present church. Baptisms were once performed in Cole's Creek. Berea School was first taught in the old log church building. There was also a Negro school located one and one-half miles northwest of Berea on a community road. The school was called White Plains; there was also a White Plains Baptist Church and Cemetery.

     Some of the early settlers in the Berea area were: Green Turner and his brother, Clinton, who came from Georgia. Joe Chapman was one of the oldest settlers and donated the land for the second church. There were also William and Lucy Cole of Tennessee, John T. Cartell, Jim Ferguson and a Mr. Herring.

BEULA
     Beula community was so-named for Beula Baptist Church around 1879; at that time it was considered a part of Old Rocky Point community across the line in Leake County. William W. Horn, who was married to Martha Leitia Riddell on 3 August 1854 in Lawrence County, Tennessee settled here before the Civil War. He was a member of the Masonic Lodge, as well as a Condederate Soldier. Soon after the church was organized around 1878, a picnic was held there. Some of the young people started to dance under the "brush arbor" which was used for preaching services and speakings in the summer. The religious men and women naturally objected; Mr. Horn pretended to pull down the posts which supported the arbor thus putting an end to the frivolity.

     Beula was located west of Paley Creek on the county road going from Kosciusko to Carthage. The church, which was established around 1878 was also used as the school and was a log structure. The first teacher was John F. Sullivant, who was followed by Jime Wallace. There was no cemetery and the community burials took place at Rocky Point across the county line. Early business men were Mr. Horn who had a horse gin and Mr. Emphraim Dickens who ran a steam mill and gin. Some of the early settlers included; Clinton Boyd, Jim A. Bailey, John Wheat, Allen Owen and John Poole. After the turn of the century some political speakings were held at Beula. One in particular was a Bukbi speaking, when the late Theodore G. Bilbo was running for the highest office in the State of Mississippi. He was to speak at Beula and drove as close as he could in his car, at that point the Dorsey brothers picked Bilbo up on their shoulders and escorted him down to the crowd which had gathered in expectation. Today nothing remains of the Beula community but the abandoned Baptist Church building.

BLUFF SPRINGS
     Bluff Springs was named for some springs located nearby under a bluff. At the time of its peak the village contained two stores, a drug store, a saloon, a gin, a show shop and a Post Office. It was founded by Magnus and Jane Davis Teague, childhood sweethearts who ran away to Huntsville, Alabama to be married. They were married on 19 September 1822 and on horseback and with four slaves they rode to Mississippi and settled in Attala County. Because her wealthy father disowned Jane for marrying Magnus, Teagued vowed that within ten years he would match her father "dollar for dollar and slave for slave". He must have lived up to this vow, for, at the end of the Civil War, Magnus Teague had four hundred slaves to be freed. In 1833 Teague built a home for his fourth daughter, Betty, when she married Col. J. K. Coffey. They lived there until her death in 1869. "Bluff Springs": is probably the oldest house in Attala County and possibly in central Mississippi which is still standing and inhabited. Located near Sallis and Bluff Springs Trading Post on the old Durant road the Southern Gerogian Colonial home was restored to its original beauty by Mr. and Mrs. Frank Austin and, though it has changed hands several times, is still a showplace for this section of the state.

     Before the Civil War a building to house a school and Masonic Lodge was built near Bluff Springs. A church near the school was called Bluff Springs; the land having been deeded to the church by Teague. The church, at a later date, being known as Long Creek Baptist Church and now as Sallis Baptist Church. The old Bluff Springs cemetery is now known as the Sallis Cemetery. The Teague graveyard which is located east of Bluff Springs is still used by descendants of Magnus Teague. There is also a private Cummins cemetery located north of the Coffey House. Teague was an important man in this part of the county and the state, having a ferry near Durant, a distillery, a saw millm a grist mill, a Msonic Lodge and school and other interests. The minutes of Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church state that when the church members were trying to raise money during services to buy pews for the church, Teague stood up and said, "I won $50 at a poker game but you can have it, if you want it". The church accepted it.

     Col. Joseph Kimbrel Coffey owned a store at Bluff Springs which was built of logs. It was at this store that his brother was murdered by two masked men just after the Civil War. In 1939 there were only a few of the logs remaining as evidence. William Brown owned a steam saw mill just one mileeast of the Sallis Depot and sawed the lumber in 1840 for the Clark houses at Old Attalaville; Henry Burnly operated the engine. In later years Captain John B. Love ws in the mercantile business at Bluff Springs, and it was from here that he volunteered as a First Lieutenant of Company A, 15th Mississippi Regiment. It was also from here that the famous "Long Creek Rifles" were sent into battle in the Civil War.

     Teague's Ferry was located four miles west and two miles south of Sallis on the Big Black River, about halfway between Old Sand Road and the present Highway 12. It went straight from Bluff Springs to Durant. In 1857 a pike was built on the Kosciusko to Durant road across the Big Black. In 1872 the Mississippi Central Railroad was built by convict labor and Sallis developed along the railroad. This caused the decline of Bluff Springs.

     F. M. Glass settled near the village around 1845. He was a member of the Mississippi Legislature in the 1880's and a member of the Mississippi Constitutional Convention of 1890. William Allen lived in the area before the Civil War and is buried in the Sallis Cemetery. He had two sons, Matt and Will Allen. Other early settlers were John Sallis, Robert J. Woods, William Butler Loyd, Enoch and Nancy Williams, the Ellingtons, Harmans and Browns as well as the Blacks and Hendersons. A little to the west, between Bluff Springs and the Big Black, early settlers included William Rainey and his sons, James C., David and William Rufus and also John and Nancy Russell.

BOWIE CHAPEL
     Bowie Chapel is located two miles south of McCool; the first location was two and one-half miles southwest of the present site on the community road from McCool to Plattsburg. It was first established in 1860 and was removed to the present location around 1905. The building was remodeled in 1933 and the new cemetery started in 1937. Bowie Chapel was named for Guy and Hezekiah and Rhodi Bowie, who had settled here long before the Civil War. Many of their descendants still live in the area. Bowie School was established soon after 1900 and moved one one and one-half miles south about 1920. In 1925 the school was consolidated with McCool. It is most probably that an earlier school had been taught in the churches.

     Conley's Water Mill on the Yockanookany River was used before the Civil War. The Bowie brothers had an old horse power gin which was converted soon after the Civil War to steam power and operated until 1890. The brothers were Elmer, Willie, Charlie and Bob Bowie, sons of Robert Johnson Bowie and grandsons of Hezekiah. Josiah Ramage lived two miles south of the new church. He was settled there before the Civil War. David Kerr was also a memeber of the Bowie Chapel community.

BOWLIN
     Bowlin was located sixteen miles west of Kosciusko and just five miles east of Durant. It was bounded on the north by Apookta Creek which divides it from Possumneck, on the est by Springdale, on the south by Sallis and on the west by the Big Black River. To get there from Kosciusko one turns right off Highway 12 west just two miles east of Durant. Bowlin was established around 1850 and the community was named for Jack Bowlin, an early settler who was buried at Pleasant Hill Cemetery. Bowlin Baptist Church was organized around 1880 and is located on the ridge near the slope to the Big Black River. It is still an active church. The cemetery is lcoated across the road from the church building. Another cemetery in the area was the Rosamond Graveyard which lies two miles north of the church. Here are buried early settlers of Bowlin: W. T. Wright, died 1859; his wife Aletha, died 1860; their daughter Jane; died 1855; Elisha Wade, died 1851. This cemetery had been abandoned by 1939. A public school was located across the road from the church, two hundred yards northeast. It was there from the time public schools were first established until after 1929 when Bowlin was consolidated with Sallis.

BURKETTSVILLE
     Burkettsville was located seven miles north of Kosciusko where the Vaiden road crossed by the old Rockport road. A family named Trawick was in the area as early as 1839. In the summer of 1843 Micjah Webb wrote in his diary that Frank Gentry, Mr. Clark and Burket Thompson lived there as well. About this time, R. B. Webb came from South Carolina and taught school from 1846 to 1851. He was also Sheriff of Attala County in the 80's. During the time of greatest prosperity for Burkettsville, from 1840 to 1850, the community contained two stores, a blacksmith, a large church and campground. Bethel Church was built by Mr. T. S. Rosmond in 1846; the present church building was erected in 1865. There are several graveyards in the area besides the on at Bethel, but there is none as well kept and as peaceful looking. The Trawick Family graveyard is across the creek about one and one-fourth miles and another about one and one-half miles. Neither of these cemeteries has ever been copied. Not to far away is Macedonia which will be discussed within its own community.

     Among the early settlers buried at Bethel are: John B. Taylor, Friley Jones, Nelson Taylor, Williams Adams, Joseph M. Weatherly, Mary Howard, James G. Clark, Turner Price, John Thompson, Rev. L. B. Thompson, James Talliafero McAfee, James Sweatt, John Murff, Rev. S. Murff, Asa Jones, W. N. Stucky, James Avery and Neil Morrison.

     Dr. George W. Galloway practised medicine at Burkettsville. The Rosamonds ran a flour mill. James T. Williams operated a flour mill, grist mill and a cotton gin. The cause of the decay of Burkettsville was the killing of Willis Wingo by Marks, the leading merchant who then left the country. Today nothing other than the cemeteries remain to show that there was ever such a village.

CECIL
     Cecil was a post office on Highway 35 which existed from 1895 to 1918. Miss Nettie Duncan was Post-mistress at one time. She was a sister-in-law to Mr. A. F. Daniel who is mentioned in other communities. The Daniels Family and Miss Nettie are buried at Bethel Methodist Church. The school near Cecil Post Office was called Watson and was finally consolidated with Carmack. It is hard to distinquish Cecil from Carmack. Mr. Zack Brister lived in the community for twenty-five or thirty years. J. D. Carter moved into the Carmack community and in 1900 bought a home near Cecil. In 1939 one of his sons, W. R. Carter owned and operated a store ad a mill three-fourths of a mile south of the former Cecil Post Office location. Another son, Ed Carter moved to Kosciusko where he ran a store.

CENTER
     Center was so named because it was located nearly in the geographic center of the state. It is located on the old Kosciusko to Edinburg road just two miles from Lobutcha River. Some of the earliest settlers were: Duncan Patterson, Ben Curran, Luke Turner, Jasper Johnson, Isaac Peeler, James and John F. Williams, W. D. Kelly and Griggs. There were several doctors who practiced here over the years; namely Dr. Collins, Dr. Richard Gantt, Dr. Crane and Dr. James T. Crawley. George Wallace had a scrapbook in which there was a record of a cyclone which hit Center in 1884. It destroyed the house of Mrs. Knox, one and one-half stores, and the Masonic Lodge. One store belonged to Captain Knox and the second to John Williams. Curran's Gin was powered by horses; J. F. Williams had a tannery from pre-Civil War to 1900. Emphraim Dickens operated a saw mill, grist mill and cottom gin from before the Civil Was to around 1888. William Roberts had a cotton gin which burned down. Isaac Peeler ran a saw mill. The Center Baptist Church is known as the Isaac Peeler Memorial Chapel and there is a church cemetery just across the road from the church. Also in the neighborhood there were two early graveyards, that of the Patterson Family and the Jobe and Shields Family. Neither of these have been used for many years. The graves of Duncan T. Patterson and his wife, Elizabeth S. Patterson are contained in this small family burial place. Mr. Patterson was born 12 Oct 1812 and died 6 Mar 1862. Elizabeth was born 28 May 1822 and died 28 Oct 1874. Duncan Patterson was a Mason and was believed to have operated an Academy near Center. Additionally he owned a large plantation and many slaves. Not far from the family plot is a large negro cemetery. Since Mr. Patterson passed away before the end of the Civil War, at age fifty, it would have been left to his wife to set the slaves free at the end of the war. The Shields Cemetery was a considerably larger cemetery with approximately twenty-five graves, most of which are unmarked. The oldest marked grave is that of an infant son of J. S. and N. C. Shields that died in 1869. An M. M. Shields died in Dec of 1912 and a J. A. Shields was buried there in 1921. A Civil War soldier, F. H. Shields, who served with Co. E 5th Miss Infantry is also buried in the cemetery.

      J. W. Bailey taught school at Center for many years but there is no longer a school there today. Center continued to serve as a voting precinct after the Post Office was closed.

CENTER POINT
     Center Point was located five miles northwest of Kosciusko on the West road and was called by the Point to distinquish it from the other Center. This community is near Apookta Creek and was established around 1874 when James Simmons settled there. John McMillan donated one acre for school purposes. In 1889 there was built a small box school. Five years later a frame house was built on the same site. All denominations held services there at the same time. Center Point School was consolidated with Springdale in 1919. The following persons were buried by the school house; James M. Simmons, Nancy J. Simmons, Preston Simmons and Zeddie Nordin. These graves are enclosed by a fence and are in a pasture just before you get to the Simmons home. Other early settlers were: John McMillan and son, Bob Coleman, John Byers and Rob Taylor.

CUNNAHOMA
     Cunnahoma lies about six miles southeast of Kosciusko and was named for the Cunnahoma Creek. Early settlers to this area of Attala County were William and Allen Dodd, brothers who came here from Kentucky at a very early date. F. H. D. Jennings from Bolton, Hinds County, Mississippi was one of the earliest settlers and built a log house on an extensive plantation about one mile north of the Cunnahoma School. The remains of this house which had been repaired and altered over the years was torn down a few years ago and a new modern house replaced it. S. N. Gilland settled on a hill in the area and this hill has always been known as Gilliand's Hill.

      Before the Civil War there was a horse gin operated by William Ross one mile from Cunnahoma Church. Jennings also had a gin of the same kind before and after the war. Even earlier there was an old water mill in operation.

      William Dodd and Miss Ellen McNulty taught private schools before the Civil War. The first public school, which was taught in a log house, was established in the early 1870's. John Riley was a schoolteacher in this area; he was also elected Chancery Clerk in the 1890's. A Union meeting place was made of the schoolhouse and was used for worship by both Baptists and Methodists. In 1939 there was no prganized church at Cunnahoma, although the cemetery, which was located at the old school, is still in use by descendants of the early settlers.

DOSSVILLE
     Dossville is one of those Line communities, half lying in Attala and half in Leake county. It was named for the Doss family and at one time was a thriving "metropolis" being located at the crossroads, so to speak. There was several stores, a post office, Masonic Lodge, school and doctor's office. Line Baptist Church is located just acrosss the Leake County line. Its cemetery has served for many years for all the surrounding communities. Knox, Nile, Barnes and Singleton. In 1909 J. H. and Lena McKay deeded acreage for the Dossville School and for a Woodman of the World building. On 6 March 1917 the McKays also deeded land for the Masonic Lodge, Barkley Lodge #494, which stood until 1966 when it was torn down. Now there is a cotton gin which is owned by the Chipley family and a large General store which is owned by Harvey and Electa Furr. Mrs. Furr is a descendant of the Demp Doss family for whom the town was named. Mrs. Julie Orr was one of the last persons to run the post office when it was abolished for a rural route from Carthage. In checking the County Line cemetery records, a list of the oldest markers was compiled; Dr. James Riley Dodson, William H. McGivney, James Lyman Chipley and his wife Susan Emaline Thomas Chipley, Russell Orr, John T. Doss, W. A. Kinlow, Elizabeth P. Hawthorn, J. R. Collins, C. A. Collins, R. C. Coleman, B. F. Wooten, Carr A. King, Amanda Pickle Mills, G. W. Doss, N. A. Fox, George Teat, Dr. William Teat, George James Hanna, Matthew Carpenter, J. H. McKay and Corp. James P. Smith.

DOTY SPRINGS
     Doty Springs was located on the Old Wire road. This was a hilly section of land drained by Bear Creek, which runs into Lobutcha and then on into the Pearl River. Doty Springs was bounded on the north by Harmony and Edgefield churches, on the east by Rural Hill church, on the southeast by East Macedonia and on the west by Providence. The community was named for a large spring on the land of one of the earliest settlers. Doty Springs Baptist Church was in being around 1850 and has had a continuous organization. The first church house was built of long pine poles with puncheon seats; later when sawed lumber could be obtained, a frame building was erected. The cemetery at the church has always been well kept. Some of the earliest burials there were; George W. Burchfield, died 16 January 1868; Joseph Graham, died 22 June 1867; William G. Ray, died 13 April 1864; Louisa M. Ray, died September 1860; Jane F., wife of Jesse Shumaker, died 3 June 1846; Simon McNeal Ray, died 29 May 1852. In lieu of other sources of information, a cemetery and its markers can tell much about the history of any area. Doty Springs Cemetery shows kinships, heartbreak, was casualties and longevity of lives as well as material things.

      Doty Springs subscription schools were first taught in the church; a public school was established early and continued until consolidated with Providence. Early teachers were Richard McCool, I. P. Lansdale, A. J. Johnson and T. J. Fowler. Mr Fowler was born on 9 March 1849 in Lumpkin County, Georgia and moved to Fayette County, Alabama in 1857, on to Pontotoc County, Mississippi in 1877 and down to Attala County in 1878. Mr. Fowler never went to school until he was nine years old in 1858. When he went to Military Springs Academy in Lamar County in 1871, he was twenty two years old and already married and the father of two children. On January 6, 1868 he started teaching and taught and went to school alternately. The Fowlers settled near Carson Ridge in '78 but moved to Doty Springs in 1882. T. J. Fowler was ordained a Missionary Baptist preacher in May 1876 in Fayette County, Alabama; he taught in private schools and served as a preacher at the same time. In 1889 Fowler was elected Superintendent of Education for Attala County and served in that capacity for a total of six years.

      Guy Ray was an early settler in the Doty Springs community; his son, Rev. John Ray, became a prominent citizen, owning a gine, grist mill and store. The mills were operated by horse power until 1879 when steam power was used. By 1939 there were no saw mills or gins in the area. Joe Steed was manufacturing brooms at the old Doty Springs. The very earliest settlers were the Dotys; others were Guy and John Ray, Jim Weems, W. W. Cummins, Jesse Massey, and the Taylors, in addition to those names already given from cemetery records.

EAST MACEDONIA
     East Macedonia was so called to distinquish it from the Macedonia north of Kosciusko. This commmunity was located eighteen miles east of Kosciusko. Earlier it had been moved from two miles west across Bear Creek. The terrain was table and creek bottom land formed when small branches ran into Bear Creek and on into Lobutcha to the south. It was good average farming land. In the early days B. F. Ray had a horse gin which later was owned by W. O. C. Taylor and next by Fletcher Taylor. As time passed it was converted to steam power.

     East Macedonia Church was probably organized around 1845. the first building was an old log house; even the logs had been moved from across the creek in early days. The community built a frame building in 1893 and a new building in 1939, located in an oak grove. The cemetery has been in contiuous use ever since the church was built, but the earliest marker is that of Francis M. Ray, deceased 22 August 1872. However, the Kelly family graveyard is about three miles aoutheast of East Macedonia and many of the early settlers used it as a burial place as early as 1858. It is supposed that there was a Subscription school; howeverr, one of the earliest public schools in the oounty was taught at the church. About 1912 a separate school building was erected on church grounds. When Macedonia and Pansy were consolidated, the school became known as Glendale.

     Two families of Masseys (not related) Thomas D. and Thomas J. Massey settled here early and reared large families. Other early residents were Sam Ray, Eli Porter, Alf Moore, Sanford F. Jones, E. H. Watts and W. O. C. Taylor.

EAST UNION
     East Union was settled by Daniel McMillan about five miles northeast of Kosciusko. He owned large tracts of land and many slaves. At the time he settled there were still Indians around. He turned his land and slaves out after the Civil War. Daniel became blind and lived with a niece until his death. Before the Civil War the Lutherns built a church called East Union one mile northeast of Marvin Chapel on the Wells road, not a public road at the time. A school was also taught for a time in this church building. After the Civil War there were not enough Lutherans in the community to carry on their work, so W. J. Fondren, the last of his faith in the area, sold the property to the Trustees of the Public School. T. J. Porterwood was an early teacher. In 1910 the school was discontinued and annexed to Greensboro. In 1920 it was consolidated with the New Progress School District. Another teach at the old East Union School was H. E. Allen. East Union Cemetery, located at the site of the old Lutheran church was used for a community burial place until 1888. It is located on land next to the home of J. B. Adams, and though abandoned for a time, it is now kept fairly clear. There is also a cemetery located across the road from Marvin Chapel Methodist Church which has been used continuously since it started after the Civil War.

     Johnnie Biggs had a horse powered gin from before the Civil War until 1885. Jack Biggs had a steam powered cotton gin and grist mill which he operated until 1918. Among other early residents were: Capt. P. G. Stevens, Dr Edwards, Rev. William McWhorter, Cagles, Westbrooks, Burrell Fullilove, Brunts, Bells, Walkers, Pees, Banes (Baines), Wards, Hines, and Millers.

EDGEFIELD
     Edgefield was located on the edge of Hudson's field on a dividing ridge lying between Yockanookany and Lobutcha rivers. The road was known as the Kosciusko-Louisville road. Bob Hudson owned three sections of land and donated the acres for the church, which he built in 1859 as an incentive to get the community settled. The church was built of hand-hewn lumber, cut with a broad aze. This old house stood until 1937 when a new building was erected. It was first used as a school house and gathering place for the community. Edgefield School was built in 1873 of hewn logs and handsplit-out boards for ceilings with hewn logs for seats. It had been moved from a few miles away where it had previously been called Turnipseed School. In 1939 another building was erected with two rooms and two teachers. Early settlers and supporters of Edgefield were Bob Hudson, Major James P. Allen, Abemelic Ray, Dave Knox, John Townsend, Wash Norris, Sam Blaine, B. F. Mabry and D. W. Eakin.

ETHEL
      Ethel or the place whereupon Ethel now stands was known in 1882 as "Davis' old field." This land was then purchased by a Mr. Lane and Mr. Charles Bell. Bell built a residence and erected a steam mill upon his portion of the land and Lane also made some improvements of his section. This was all that existed in this area until the coming of the railroad. With the building of the Illinois Central Railroad through Attala County in 1883, a station was constructed and named for the daughter of one of the railroad officials. Ethel came into existence and a boom period commenced as town lots were laid out. Among the first residents of the new town was T. J. Middlebrook who was appointed as Post Master. J. A. and Ella Brown opened the first drugstore. The first storehouse was operated by Charles Bell in 1883. Charles Rabern also opened a mercantile business about this time. In 1884, Doctor J. S. Collins opened his practice of medicine. Other doctors would follow; Dr. J. T. Heald, Dr. W. R. Pope, Dr. W. S. Claitor, Dr. H. H. Puryear and Dr. W. W. McBride.

     Several miles north of Ethel, area residents established the Presbyterian Church at Stonewall. Stonewall Cemetery was in use before the town of Ethel was established. Although it was a Presbyterian cemetery, many of the people in the area were buried in the cemetery regardless of their denomination.
For a time, if someone inquired about the Ethel Cemetery they would usually be referred to the Stonewall Cemetery.

      In 1887, a schoolhouse was erected on the lot that would later be occupied by the Masonic Hall Building. The first teacher at the school was Rev. W. P. McBryde. It was 1894 when the Methodist Church was organized with the Rev. Parrott as pastor. The Baptist Church was established in 1896 with the Rev. John Ray as its first pastor.

     By 1897 Rev. John Ray, Burris Ray, J. R. Riley and A. E. Gregory were the principal merchants of Ethel. Additionally, Mr. Claitor had a millinery shop, R. J. Bell operated the steam mill and gin, E. M. Gregory operated an axe-handle factory and steam saw and planing machine amd these latter enterprises constituted the leading manufacturers of the town in the late 19th century. R. J. Bell also owned a pear orchard that proved to be the source of considerable revenue.

     The town of Ethel was incorporated in 1911. The first brick school building was erected in 1916 with Mr. F. A. Elkin as Principal. He was ably assisted by four teachers.

     In the late 1970's, Ethel with about six hundred inhabitants was the second largest town in Attala County.

FORREST
     Forrest was first located one-half mile south of the old Wasson Tanyard on the old Rockport Road. Forrest community was rolling hills and good springs, as heads of small branches of streams drain in three directions into Hurricane Creek on one side and into Scoobachitta and Zilpha on the other. It is bounded on the north by Pilgrim's Rest, on the east by Liberty Chapel, on the northwest by Shady Grove and on the southwest by Pierce's Chapel. This place was settled by John Henderson in 1836, and in 1849 Planters Bank took over the property. In 1860 it was sold to Robertson Sweatt. In 1869 the place was again sold for $2.50 in back taxes. Like a bad penny which keeps turning up, the place was again sold in 1896, this time to R. C. Reaves, son-in-law of John Wasson, the same Reaves who once served as Post Master of Wells.

     Forrest Public School was established as early as any other public schools, in the early 1870's. It was abolished in 1905 with the students to attend Pierce's Chapel School. In 1908 Forrest School was reestablished and in 1916 was again abolished along with Munson's and Pierce's Chapel for a consolidated school. Again that same year (1916), the school was reestablished, showing the determination of the residents of Forrest to have their children educated at home. For at least twenty years a Sunday School was taught in the Forrest Schoolhouse, for there was no church building at Forrest. However, residents of the community worshipped at Liberty Chapel Methodist Episcopal Church four miles northeast and at Pilgrim's Rest Church one and three-forths miles northeast. Cemeteries at these two churches along with McCord's Graveyard, located one and a half miles southeast, served the community. One of the earliest graves in the McCord Graveyard is that of Isom Wilson's son buried in 1851. John Roberts was buried there in 1863 and Anthony Peeler in 1865. Reverend A. R. Hines settled early about one and a half miles east of Wasson's Tanyard. Other early settlers were: Kellys, Matt Crow, Browns, Adams, Jones, and Crosbys.

GLADYS
     Gladys was located on the Old Louisville Road near the Yockanookany River and was formerly known as the Hanna Plantation during the War between the North and South. Andrew and Annie Hanna settled here long before the war. They were a wealthy and cultured family, owning much land and many slaves. They educated their slaves, which was unusual at that time. The family was nearly made extinct in 1863 by what is supposed to have been Spinal Meningitis. Those that perished are buried on the plantation in a family graveyard. About 1865 Elijah Grefory bought this land and operated a store. During this time the Gregory Post Office was established and Mr. Gregory donated a strip of land to the railroad for the establishment of a station, called Gregory's Station. S. B. McAdams bought the land from Gregory and lived there awhile before moving on to Arkansas. Dave Austin, a former slave, who had taught the Negro School and whose home joined the Gregory Plantation, secured the Post Office and kept it for a few years. At that time Jeptha J. Mauldin kept a store, ran a mill and served as Postmaster. Later he bought the Gregory Plantation.

     This was surely a "Timber Paradise" for most of the industry in the area was involved with lumber. In 1890 Gregory had a saw mill and an axe handle factory; in 1907 to 1910 McAdams ran a saw mill. From 1910 to 1912 Memphis capitalists, W. P. Pride and others, operated a large saw mill in the area. Charlie Higgins had a mill here from 1914 to 1916, when J. J. Mauldin started in the mill business. Mauldin's Mill ran until 1932. During the time that the mills were in operation, there was a mill boarding house. Some of the workers stayed in private homes. There was a large boarding house for the Negroes from 1912 to 1917.

     Gladys Public School was active from 1919 until 1932. The school was established by Jeptha Mauldin and in 1932 was consolidated with Ethel. Hanna Negro School was located a half mile south of the Railroad Station at Lenora Chapel Methodist Church. There is a cemetery northeast of the church. Zion Pilgrim Baptist Church was also in the same area.

GLENDALE
     Glendale was formed from parts of East Macedonia, Doty Springs and Pansy and was located sixteen miles east of Kosciusko on the Old Wire Road. It was named Glendale because the first school at Glendale was located in a glen and because G. W. Landsdale was one of the early settlers and community builders of this neighborhood. Sam J. Owens, formerly principal of the East Macedonia School, influenced the building of the Glendale Consolidated School, named it and became its first Principal in 1916. When the building burned in 1931, its location was moved two miles north on Old Wire Road and further consolidated with other school districts. In 1939 Glendale had become an outstanding rural Elementary School with four teachers for eight grades; the High School students were transported to Zama. Churches included in this area were Pleasant Hill Primitive Baptist Church, Doty Springs Baptist Church and East County Line. Cemeteries are located at each church.

HESTERVILLE
     Hesterville was formerly known as Ayer's Shop, but this must not be confused with the Ayers located in the southeastern part of the county. Colonel Lansford Ayers was a planter, woodworker and blacksmith. Ayers Shop made plows, wagons and other agricultural implements from before the Civil War until 1875. Hesterville, is presently located on Highway 35, the community was named for Green Hester, who had a General Store and a Whiskey Store. He was also the first Postmaster; the Post Office was established in 1881. The mail was started on a Star Route in 1889 and this carrier was R. G. McCoy. In 1897 Frank Hudson was the Postmaster, having served many years. Hastings G. Plamer was the first settler and was a planter and slave owner. . . the Masonic Hall was named for him. The first school was held in Palmer Hall and a Mrs. Carlisle was the teacher. There is no longer a school there as the students attend the Kosciusko Separate Schools. James Craft ran a tanyard from 1872 until 1900; he manufactured shoes and boots. Green Cagle had a water mill which ginned cottom and ground meal. The Portwoods were early settlers; Reverend Portwood was a Baptist minister and Dr. J. H. Portwood practised medicine in the community prior to moving to Kosciusko.

     Hesterville had a Presbyterian Church. Today there is a Church of Christ in Hesterville on the old Kosciusko to Vaiden Road just past there the old Masonic Hall stands. There are several cemeteries and graveyards in the area. There are two Brister cemeteries, the Williams' Graveyard and the Palmer Graveyard on the top of the hill to the southwest of the crossroads, overlooking Cummings Grocery.

HUGHES
     Hughes was short-lived; it was named for the E. E. Hughes family. The community was located ten miles northeast of Kosciusko on the West Station Road. It was established in 1894 when Mrs. E. W. Hughes moved here and was extinct by 1910. Mrs. Hughes kept a store and was Postmistress of the Hughes Post Office from 1896 to 1906. The Post Office was then moved one and one-half miles east and kept by Reverend W. P. Ratliff until 1908. Next R. F. Campbell was Postmaster until a rural route from West came through and Hughes Post Office was "no more". A saw mill was operated near the Post Office by Mr. Jim Hughes from 1904 until after the Post Office was discontinued. Springdale Baptist Church was located near Hughes Post Office.

JOPLIN
     Joplin was named for John Joplin who had moved into this area from the New Hope community around 1870. It was located nine and one-half miles southeast of Kosciusko just a half mile off the Louisville Road. Joplin established a saw mill, cotton gin and grist mill which was run by steam and operated it until his death in 1902. He brought in Burns and Gibbs, white families to work at the mills. He bought his land from the government and he later sold parts of it to Negro families.

     Joplin School was established about 1880 and located one-fourth mile north of the intersection of the Zama Road and the Louisville Road. Mrs. Margaret Berry, widow of Confederate Soldier John Berry, bought the land on which the first school was built. The school was later moved a fourth mile and a new school built. O. M. Brown, Mrs. Berry's son-in-law, lived there until 1919. Burns School, which was about 45 years old, and Joplin were consolidated in 1917; in 1919 there was a consolidation with New Hope. There was no church in the community but an old graveyard was found on Mr. Joplin's land; it was of no size. No one knows who was buried there before it was abandoned.

JOSEPH
     Joseph was located ten miles southwest of Kosciusko and four miles southwest of McAdams. It was named for Mr. J. W. F. Guyton who had moved there from a former home three-fourths of a mile away around 1889. He and Charlie Morgan established a saw mill, a gin and a store. Mr. Guyton also kept the Post Office from 1894 until it was combined into a rural route from Sallis. Around 1904 a school was established at Joseph, being called Bethel by some and Joseph by others. In 1919 the school was consolidated with McAdams.

KEITH
     Keith was located on the Louisville Road about nine miles southeast of Kosciusko and two and a half miles south of New Hope Church. The Post Office was kept by Joe Keith in the 1890's for a short period of time. When Keith resigned, an office was established near Joplin and called Wambo.

KNOX
     Knox, located eight miles south of Kosciusko, was named for an early educator and settler, David W. Knox. This territory had good farming land, slightly rolling with much creek-bottom land. The Knox community was bounded on the south by the Attala County part of the Dossville community, to the east by Nile, on the west by the Yockanookany River and the McVille settlement and to the north by Cunnahoma. Bogue Phalia, Cunnahoma and Sockey creeks lie in, or border on, this settlement. Joyce Sanders' freat great grandfather, John C. Chipley settled here before 1840, having come here from Hinds County, Mississippi to help build the first brick (rock) jail. He also built the second jail and courhouse which was burned in 1858 by Morgan Ivey. Chipley supervised the brick work on the third building which was completed in 1861. Having been indentured to a beickmason in Portland, Maine after the death of his parents, from Cholera and having stowed away on a boat which landed him in New Orleans, John Chipley had made his way to Hinds County, where his work so pleased the sonstruction man that he was offered a job in Attala County. He was the first brickmason in this area. Mr. Tom King told me in 1967 that there was still evidence on Sockey Creek where the clay was dug and the bricks were baked. Charles Fletcher, whose ancestors antebellum home still stands with its four perfect chimneys, also said that John Chipley made the bricks and built those chimneys; Fletcher claimed that a written record exist that, after competing a chimney, Chipley would lay a twelve inch board across the top and stand on his head.

     The Fletchers were one of the earliest, if not the earliest, settlers of this district. Captain L. D. Fletcher lived seven miles east of Kosciusko and fought in both the Mexican and the Civil War. His land still belongs to his direct descendants.

     George Hanna had a horse-gin which had been in operation before the Civil War; Nathaniel W. Hanna operated a saw mill and grist mill from 1921 to 1925. They were descendants of Andrew Hanna, an early settler in the county. Leonides (oney) Smith ran a steam cotton gin and grist mill for fifty years and a saw mill for ten years; he was the son of Joyce's other great, great Grandfather, James Smith. Lewis Pickle's Jug Factory was located in the Knox School District immediately following the Civil War. Mr. Pickle was a stone-ware manufacturer, and for many years he supplied the whole county with stone jugs, jars and other wares. During the War, it was impossible to purchase tableware, such as cups and saucers, bowls, pitchers and plates. Mr. Pickle supplied the wants of the people in manufacturing a very good substitute at his factory.

     An old log school building which had been moved from another location was erected in the community before the Civil War. This may have been the one which Lewis Pickle had deeded to Carr King as a school trustee on 22 October 1860. The deed was for two acres to be used for school purposes. Soon after the War between the states, a long, one-room box building was erected; it had a stove at each end of the room, thus providing for both elementary and advanced pupils. David W. Knox was Principal of this school for several years. It was known as the Knox Academy. He influenced the leaders of the community to build a better school after the building was destroyed by fire. This was one of the first public schools in a rural area of Attala County. In 1895 N, T, Hanna gave land to the Knox School Trustees. Around 1912 Knox School was consolidated with Dossville, but in 1926 the school was reestablished. One of the earlier teachers was E. T. Morgan. Later the district was transferred to Kosciusko with transportation being provided for the children. Rayford Negro School was located one-half mile from the old Knox School on a community road, the road on which Attala Memory Gardens is located. In 1939 it was a progressive school with two teachers. Today the school is no more, and the school children attend Kosciusko schools.

     Salem Methodist Church is now located on Highway 35 south of Kosciusko near the site of the Old Knox School Building. Before the Civil War, Salem Church was located further down on the Leake-Attala line just in behind Deliddy Negro Baptist Church and was known as South Union Methodist Church. There was a cemetery there where a number of Turnages are buried, the last being W. B. Turnage, who desired to be buried there by his children. His last child was buried there in 1875. A split occurred in the church and a portion of the members organized Salem and held services in the schoolhouse until a church house was built in 1894. Nathan Sweatt made a deed gift to the Methodist Church South on 10 January 1889. The Salem Church building was burned by an arsonist in January 1895 and the present building was then erected. Salem is still an active church with some thirty members, and there is a cemetery behind the church where many of the old settlers rest. There are also some graves across the road on the old Hanna Place, now the home of J. A. Doty. The Dotys keep the church and cemetery grounds cut and neat. There is a Dodd Cemetery at the site of the old William Dodd home just west of Davis' Store. The land was deeded by William Dodd. Further down this community road, past the Fletcher house, is the Fletcher Graveyard, which is still in use. Thomas J. Fletcher gave the land for this cemetery and for the Slave Graveyard near it. In the general area of the Knox community were early settlers; James Smith, W. B. Turnage, carr King, James Scott, Alex Noah, a Mr. Sweany, John Turnage, John Chipley, James Polk Chipley, George Hanna and N. W. Hanna. Many distinquished doctors, lawyers, editors and educators are descendants of these men.

LANGLEY
     Langley was a Post Office that existed for only two years. This Post Office was located one mile west of Shady Grove Church. Mr. J. B. Jackson was the Postmaster. The exact timeframe for this Post Office has not been ascertained.

LIBERTY CHAPEL
     Liberty Chapel lies between Berea to the northeast, Oak Ridge a little west of North and McCool to the east. Liberty Chapel Church is located about fifteen miles northeast of Kosciusko on the Rockport Road near Black Creek and the Natchez Trace.

      The first settlers in this area were four families from Georgia; the John A. Wassons', the Kimbroughs', the Bridges', and the family of Nathaniel and Elizabeth Hines. They referred to the area as "Little Georgia". James T. Mathis operated a shoe shop in the community. The Old Phoenix Mills was located one and a half miles east of Liberty Chapel on the Rockport Road and was owned by Thompson and Joe Kimbrough. The mill was powered by steam, even before the Civil War, and was used to saw lumber as well as grinding flour. A number of young men indicated that they were from 'Phoenix Mills' when filling out forms for service in the Confederate States Army because, at that time, Phoenix Mills was a designated Post Office. In 1866 the mill was moved two or three miles away and became known as Cook's Mill. James G. Riley was a well-to-do slave owner and planter before the war. He also operated a gin, driven by horse power before and during the war. Ben Clark was an early settler and the father of Dr. B. W. Clark of Bear Creek and McCool, where he practiced medicine. W. J. Clark, an early settler of Liberty Chapel, was the father of J. C. Clark who was editor of the "Kosciusko Messenger" during the 1880's. Zeke Veasey, and his brother the Reverand Bill Veasey, were early settlers in this area. The Rev. Bill Veasey was a Baptist preacher and a teacher in the community.

      The Liberty Chapel Methodist Church and Cemetery, which is located on the Old Rockport Road, was organized before the Civil War. The Brown Graveyard is about one and a half miles southwest of Liberty Chapel Methodist Church and the Riley Cemetery is about the same distance north. A Masonic Hall occupied a two story building with the first floor being used for educational purposes and the upper floors being used as a Masonic Hall. In 1875 a public school was established. In 1908 Liberty Chapel was made a separate district. About 1939 the Nash Creek Negro School was organized one and a half miles east of the site of the Old Phoenix Mills on the Jake Veasey place.

LIBERTY HILL
     Liberty Hill is a hilly section with two small creeks; Panther and Beech, running through the community. It is located three and a half miles west of McCool and one and one-half miles north of highway 12 East.

     The Liberty Hill Methodist Church was organized about 1850. Dr, James A. Carlisle donated five acres for a school, church and cemetery. James G. Carlisle was an early pastor. There have been at least three buildings. The first one made of logs was purchased by Leonard A. Winters for use as a barn. The second was built after the Civil War and the third in 1890.

     Liberty Hill Public School was active in early days but was discontinued in 1927 for consolidation with McCool. There was a horse gin there in early days which was operated by L. A. Winters. A Mr. Irving operated a business there from 1890 to 1895. Among the early settlers were; Jimmie Hubbard, Si Boyd, Stephen Boyette, Ezekiel Bridges, Bennett Proctor, Jim Atterbury, Sam Lewis, Johnnie Harris, Jesse Davis and Andrew Seawright.

LILY
     Lily had a Post Office located eleven miles north of Kosciusko on the Vaiden road. It was established around 1894 and extinct by 1904, when it was put on a rural route from West Station. The Post Office was located within three miles of three churches. Sand Hill, Bethel and Macedonia, but was closest to Sand Hill so was considered to be in that community. Alexander F. Daniel went North during the Civil War but returned afterwards to run a store, a saw mill, a grist mill and a cotton gin. His sister-in-law, Miss Loula Annette Duncan, was the Postmistress for the ten years that Lily existed. In 1920 Dr. C. O. Groves, Minister of the First Presbyterian Church of Kosciusko, purchased the Daniel home. In 1939 it was being rented by Percy Rainey. There was a Daniel Graveyard located one-fourth mile north of the Daniel house.

MACEDONIA
     Macedonia was formerly called Rochester and was located seven and a half miles northeast of Kosciusko near the site of the Rochester Flour Mills on the Lower Greensboro Road. In the late 1850's the Methodist worshipped at Bethel and the Baptist at Macedonia. They were Missionary Baptist. The first church at Macdonia was built on the west side of the road with the cemetery joinging it. The second box house building was erected in 1881 on the opposite side of the road. A third building, a good frame house, was put up in 1900; at the same time a new school house was built on the west side of the road, joining the cemetery. There was a school called Rochester Academy there from 1860 to 1868; Macedonia Public School was taught in the church from 1875 until 1894. When the new school was built in 1900, it continued until consolidated with the new Rochester Public School. It was all consolidated with Shady Grove in 1938.

MARVIN CHAPEL
     Marvin Chapel was formerly known as East Union and is located four and one-half miles northeast of Kosciusko on the Greensboro Road and the Natchez Trace. The church was named for Bishop Marvin of the Methodist Conference. Marvin Chapel Methodist Church was organized in 1876 on land donated by J. A. Comfort. The people had been having summer revivals under brush arbors. The first pastor was T. A. S. Adams, an early Attala County educator. The cemetery was established in 1888 when Lottie Brunt was buried there.

McADAMS
     McAdams community, as it is known today, was settled very early; land records at the Courthouse list the following as having been granted land in the area by the United States Government in 1834: James M. Jenkins, Allen Dodd, Wm Dodd, James Mallett and wife, Axsa and William M. Jenkins and wife, Lucinda. In 1835 grants were received by James Simmons, Thomas Mc Gee, Thomas Coopwood, Henry I. Pope, William Ayers, John T. Abernathy and wife, Sarah, Anthony Winston, Daniel McBride, Isaac N. Mallett, Richard Pace, Humerick Nichols, Ezekiel Nash, Osamus L. Nash, Joseph Harris, Charles A. Lacost, Solomon S. Pender, Gordon D. Boyd, Stephen Stapleton, Job P. Weatherby, John M. Henry and Alphronson Allen. The next year land was acquired by: Hile Smith, Wli S. Thornton, Zachariah Rector, James L. Martin, William Thompson, Sylvester Pearl, Richard Ross, Elizabeth McNeil, Thomas J. Wigley, John Y. Rainey, Thomas Warren, and John C. Vaughn. In 1837 the records show that Silas Elliott and John Eubanks moved, or bought land, in the area. Hugh Montgomery purchased land in 1845 and Henry Musslewhite in 1849. Alexander Terry became a land owner here in 1848. The year 1853 brought in James McAdory and 1854 was the year that Henry B. Brown and Alexander Gowen appeared. The 1850's offer proof of the estate of Joseph Terry being administered by William S. Ross: these years also being about the appearance of Andrew S. McKinnon, Elisha Coleman, Samuel Coleman, Uriah W. Thweatt, Lycurgus Brown, Matilda C. Herring, Charles Fuller, Neil McKinnon and wife Janett who bought the land of Elizabeth McNeil, John Craft, James K. Coffey who had a Military Land Warrant, William Sudduth, James Shelly, Elbert G. Thweatt, James B. Ellington, and wife, Rebecca, and Charles R. McNeal. John Wigley bought land in 1860, Lamkin S. Terry bought from Samuel Coleman in 1866 and in 1869 John R. Ware appeared. Here we need to be reminded that McAdams today covers a large area...from Bluff Springs, Springdale, Pleasant Ridge south to Sallis, Newport, Zemuly and on to Kosciusko and Thomastown. As in previous communities, it is hard to pinpoint a family to just one area. The boundaries remain loose. We must also remember that all persons acquiring land did not necessarily live on it. There were many "speculators", some like Dodds, Gordon B. Boyd, Sylvester Pearl and Joseph Coffey, who lived in other areas of the county, and some who never came to Attala County to live, but had agents to look after their interests. There are many descendants of the early settlers still living in the McAdams community today. Samuel Coleman, Thomas P. Terry and Uriah Thweatt were still citizens of McAdams in 1896. Tom Terry served several terms as both Justice of the Peace and as Constable and could still walk six miles into Kosciusko in spite of his years. Uriah Thweatt was a veteran of the Mexican War and had lived in his home for almost fifty years. "Uncle Sam" Coleman was the oldest inhabitant of the community in 1896, being a self-sufficient and diversified farmer. Another inhabitant at that time was Jeptha McAdams. A mile or so north of present McAdams was Kelly's Crossing, where Tom Yates was postmaster for many, many years.

McCOOL
     McCool was, at one time, one of the fastest growing towns in the County. It was named for the Honorable James F. McCool, who was hired in 1882 to secure the railroad right of way through Attala County. Lots were sold in 1883. A Post Office was established in the fall of 1883 with Charles W. Thompson as Postmaster and John W. Ball as assistant. L. A. Ball operated a store. There were four saloons opened about this time. Construction of a church and school soon followed. Mrs. Halfacre opened a hotel. F. C. Robinson opened a store and the Ward Brothers opened a Photographic Gallery. The town of McCool was incorporated in 1884 with the following individuals serving as the newly installed officials: Mayor Charles W. Thompson; Aldermen J. W. Ball, A. F. Ball and Frank C. Robinson; Marshall T. P. Quarles; Treasurer Reuben Hunt.

     By 1885 McCool boasted sixty houses, eleven stores and a population of two hundred souls and a Baptist, Methodist and Presbyterian churches. Other individuals that were active in commerce in McCool about this time were: S. C. Conley, General Merchandising; E. Hughston, General Store; Alex Spears, Blacksmith Shop; L. A. Winters, Merchant; Will Brown, ran the train depot and was the telegraph operator; Dr. B. W. Clark and R.J. Clark, Drug Store; W. W. Searight, owned the "Cleveland House"; Mabry and Boswell owned a store; W. G. Beauchamp, proprietor of the Star Hotel.

     McCool's business district suffered three separate fires. The first was in 1885, the second in 1903 and the third in 1907. Each time the business section was nearly destroyed and each time, it was rebuilt.

     McCool prospered until the decline of cotton and the total desolation of the timber trade. With these events, the town stopped growing and gradually a steady downward decline began.

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McVILLE
     McVille......This Yockanookany River community was settled very soon after the county was opened-up to settlement by the removal of the Choctaws. The rich soil of the river bottomland and the location on the Natchez Trace was an attraction for many rich slaveowners. The earliest known white settlers to live here were the Dobbs, Glasses, Iveys and Easts, but they moved on and left nothing of permanence to remind us that they had passed this way. This community comprises a strip of territory about three miles wide and seven miles long. Lying west of, and immediately along, the Yockanookany River this strip was first known as Yockanookany; it was named for the Baptist Church which was founded around 1842. On the northern edge of the community on the exact spot of the home of C. A. Ballard in 1936, there was once located a Spanish Trading Post. Many Spanish coins were found at this location in the past. A Trader told Mr. Owen Sanders that, at the time he started his Trading Post, he was the only white-skinned man between the Tombigbee settlements and Mt. Salus, now Clinton. There was also an Indian Arrowhead Factory when the McMillian and Sanders families settled in the early 1840's. This factory, as well as a large burial ground for the Indians, were located on the McMillan land, just one-half mile east of the McVille store. Early settlers, many of whom have direct descendants living here today, were: Col. Enoch Sanders, who sold to J. T. McKinnon and moved to Kosciusko; Mrs. Mary Burt, whose father was Dr. Foreman, on of the earliest physicians of the area, lived just south of Enoch Sanders; Owen Sanders; Alsey Atkinson operated a stagecoach inn here; Mrs. Anne Sanders owned a small farm adjoining the Atkinson place on the west; To the south was the home of Andrew Searight, a raiser of fine stock and the proverbial honest man; next was the farm of David Sanders, being later owned by John Dear and Mrs. Nancy Isaacs; William and John McMillan, related to the Sanders' family, settled almost in the center of the area. John died during the Civil War and William became known as the father of the sidows and orphans of the post-war period; Jefferson Riley was the wealthiest man ever to live in this section, owning over one hundred field hands; after this comes the John Nash house, better known today as the Sevier House. Out in the western edge we find a group of Georgians, the Cooks, Robys, Davis and Beauchamps. They were wealthy and cultured people and identified with every move for upbuilding their community. Dr. Frederick Zollicoffer, a Swiss Baron, extensive planter and slave holder, introduced mule-raising to this section.

MULLENVILLE
     Mullenville was located nineteen miles southeast of Kosciusko on the Madison County Line. It was named for Will McMullen, who bought lots and built house and store and secured a Post Office in 1906. He later sold it to John Spain. The following is from an interview with Mrs. J. W. Bailey in 1939: "Dr. J. W. Bailey moved to Mullenville in 1909 and we lived there for two years. At that time it was a thickly populated community of mostly small home owners. Most of the community lay in Madsion County. Governor McWillie's old home at Kirkwood was only a few miles away. The plantation belonging to Dr. Albin was about two miles from Mullenville, even though at that time he was practicing in St. Louis. His son had come to manage the father's farm, had fallen in love and married a little country girl and took her back to St. Louis. At this time Ulysses McDaniel ran the store, and the one-teacher Line School was taught by Miss Hattie." The last person who lived in the house at Mullenville was John Wilson.

MULTONA SPRINGS
     Multona Springs was located three miles west of Liberty Hill Church on the Rockport Road between Liberty Hill and Liberty Chapel. Mr. Bob Harris, a pioneer citizen, operated a store here before the Civil War. He hauled goods to Multona Springs from New Orleans and Yazoo City. For a time, their was a Post Office at Multona Springs as well.

MUNSON
     Munson was named for Dr. Henry Munson who was one of Attala County's earliest settlers, coming here from Evans Mills, New York. He was already practicing medicine in Kosciusko when his youngest brother Samuel arrived in 1837. In 1845 Sam Munson married Ann Buchanan Anderson and in 1860 built her a fine home three miles east of Kosciusko on the old Knox Road. This community became known as Munson and the Yockanookany River crossing just below the antebellum home as Munson's Crossing. For years this area of the community was a paradise for hunting and fishing. The Munson family lived in the very beautiful house for over ninety years, moving into Kosciusko in the early 1950's. Early on 13 June 1975 the pre-Civil War building went up in flames, the victim of an arsonist. In 1890 to 1919 the Munsons operated a saw mill, a grist mill and a cotton gin. In 1880 Dr. I. A. Herring moved near the railroad crossing, but he had his Dentist office in town. Munson School was established about 1919. New Progress School District was established in 1924 and Munson was included. Buffalo School, Church and Cemetery for Negroes was located two miles northeast on Highway 12.

     Today many industries are located on the original 868 acres of lnad that at one time belonged to the Munson family; namely, Sheller Globe, a Drive-in Theater, the Moose Lodge (on the old home site), pulpwood yards and nurseries.

NEW HOPE
     New Hope was named for the church which was organized in 1859 and was located eight miles east of Kosciusko. The Yockanookany River bounds the community on the northeast; small creeks running into the river make good farming land. Williamsville lies southwest and the former Joplin community is to the south. Early settlers raised wheat, which they took to a flour mill nearby. A Mr. Thompson, who lived north of New Hope, also ground wheat. From an interview with Mr. E. W. Dean in the late 1930's, Miss Ruby Haynes wrote: "Up to the time I was fifteen, people carded, spun and wove their own clothes. Some wore cloth for sale. Steve Rimmer bought jeans from my mother after he went into business in Kosciusko." From the gravestone, we find Eswin W. Dean to have been born in 1862. He and other members of his family are interred in the Brooks-Rimmer-Dean Cemetery on Highway 14 East. John Joplin had a sawmill and grist mill here in 1865 but moved it to Joplin in 1880. Captain Henry Jamison had a horse gin before the Civil War and operated it until about 1865. Other such mills and gins were run by Manzy Jamison, Sam Peeler and Josuha Brooks at about the same time.

     An old log school house, located two and a half miles south of the present site of New Hope Church, was used before the Civil War. Peeler School, a subscription school and located in a box house a half mile northwest of the present church, was taught by G. C. McCool and was in session for two months in the winter and two months in the summer. New Hope Public School, established before 1880, was located on a community road one and a half miles north of the present site; it was moved to the location of the new church around 1910 and was consolidated with Williamsville in 1938. At the location of the New Hope School is a negro graveyard. New Garden Public School for Negroes was located six and one-half miles from Kosciusko on the Louisville Road as was the Mount Vernon Baptist Church. New Hope Baptist Church was located two miles north of its present location in 1859; the church was moved in 1910. New Hope Cemetery, formerly known as the Claiton Graveyard, is located at the present church building.

     Early settlers of the New Hope community were: Jamisons, Claitors, Deans, Boyettes, Brooks, McCools, O'Briants, Rimmers, Whites, Pressleys and Davises. you will find descendants of all still living in, or near, the New Hope area.

NEW PORT
     The village of New Port is located a few miles west of Bolatusha Creek. In 1812 Mrs. Rutherford and her son Franklin came into this part of Mississippi, crossing the Yockanookany River, nearly opposite where McVille would someday be, and settled near the Indian Village of Bolatusha, thus becoming the first white settler in this area. After Mississippi was admitted into the Union of States in 1817, and particularly after Attala was organized as a county in 1833, the Governement opened Indian land in this area to homesteaders. On land just south of where New Port would be established, a Stephen R. Wilson homesteaded land in Township 12 Range 4 East as early as 1831. In the general vicinity of what would become New Port, Joseph Wilson homesteaded in February 1840. Franklin Rutherford was granted a patent in February 1841 as was a William F. Rutherford. Benjamin and Thomas Frasier also homesteaded in February, 1841; Mr. Jeremiah Ellington and Mr. Washington Ellington also filed for land in February 1841. Jeremiah filed on seven parcels while Washington filed on four parcels of land. In December, 1840 William L. Wilson filed a homestead claim. Mr. Asbury Wilson homesteaded in the area in 1847, Mr. Steven N. Chennault purchased a homestead in September, 1848 and Mr. Robert McMillan was issued a land patent in December 1849.

     In 1854 the village of New Port could be found at the cross-roads of the Kosciusko and Goodman Roads and the Thomastown and Sallis Road. This same year, ownership of the land began to change. John Waugh owned the section, or lots, where New Port became a town. At this time Robert McMillan operated a store on the Waugh property on the east side of the Sallis road. By 1869 Mr. Waugh had a store down on the Thomastown Road at the top of the hill. Both of these stores were built of rough lumber. In 1869 the first move was made to develop New Port; John Waugh sold seven acres to Samuel Martin and Martin sold part to H. K. Barwick. They then worked together and sold five business lots in order as named: William F. Drennan, Samuel Martin, H. K. Barwick, James E. Harmon and James W. Simmons. In 1871 Waugh sold Dr. Kendall some land and Kendall got the original McMillan store in the deal. By this time, two other stores had been built south of the Dr. Kendall property. Harmon and Stingley operating the one in the corner and J. H. Buster and Brown the other. Other owners of stores in the 1870's were J. K. Roby, James Meek, Maddox and Hazlett. Also in 1871 Fannie Stebbin bought a lot which she later sold to Mrs. Emma Pearce. The school house for this thriving town was located just north of this lot. Mrs. Pearce sold her land to John Simmons in 1874 and he had also owned a small lot adjoinging the Pearce land. Somewhere on this land was situated a Cabinet Shop, which built China Cabinets. Other newcomers were; M. F. Harris, B. D. Redmond, David Hemingway and wife Mary. The Hemingways built a small house in the sideyard for a New Port Post Office. Mrs. Mary Catchings Hemingway appears to have been the only Postmistress that New Port ever had, as the Post Office was discontinued after 1904. Mr. David M. Hemingway owned and operated a water mill on Seneasha Creek to grind the meal used in the surrounding area. Between 1871 and 1900 there were twenty-one stores in operation in New Port. There were two doctors, namely, Dr. Kendall and Dr. Love. There was a Brick Kiln, a Cotton Buying Platform and a Blacksmith Shop.

     By 1898 lots of changes had taken place; the railroad was destroyed and stopped by the outbreak of the Civil War. When it was rebuilt, the route was changed and the line went six miles north of New Port and through Sallis. The once booming little village of New Port began to disappear, and in 1898 there was only one store being operated. Today there are two stores in the New Port community. The Salem Methodist Church is also still there after all these years. There was a school in the late 1800's just northwest of the Hemingway home and Post Office. Three of the teachers of this school were Sally Commander, Annie Commander and Violet Hartness, all unmarried ladies. The New Port School burned in 1910 and the rest of the term was taught in the Doctor's office. Before the next school term, a new building was erected on the west side of the George Hutchinson place. Some of the teachers in this school house were Ab. Sanders, Mary Gober, Beulah Neaves, Mamie White and Elizabeth White. This building also burned in the 1920's and the next one was built on Dave Hutchinson's place. School was held here until March 1932 and the last teacher was Miss Louise Hutchinson. New Port was consolidated with McAdams in 1932.

NEWTONVILLE
     Newtonville was a small community located twelve miles east of Kosciusko on the Old Wire Road; it was also just two miles east of Doty Springs. It is not clear when Newtonville came into being or exactly when it ceased to exist. There is a reference to Newtonville in an article in the Kosciusko newspaper dated 11 November 1876 and another in September 1879 when James F. McCool praised the Tabernacle Methodist Revival. At this time the McCools were still in Newtonville. Nothing more can be said for Newtonville other than that the community is extinct.

NILE
     Nile was, of course, named for Judge Niles. The community was located ten miles southeast of Kosciusko. Two Lewis brothers, Oscar and Jim, were the first landowners in this community, having one hundred and sixty acres of land under their ownership. They sold Jake Pickle eighty acres in 1878, when he and Miss Nannie Doss were married. The Lewises had built a small log cabin in which the Pickles started their housekeeping. The only other families there at that time were Bailey Oliver, Tom Evans, John Atkinson and Green Wells. Later settlers were: Jasper Sanders of Winston County and his sons, Ode and Rufe; Lazarus, Emmett and Walter Summers; James Polk, Lyman Chipley and Jim Bailey. Most of these early settlers still have descendants living in the Nile area. Reverend Sam Easom established the Nile Post Office and then sold it to Jim Mills, who kept it for five or six years. Mills sold to Oscar Stevens, who ran it until it was discontinued about 1915. It was replaced with a rural route from Dossville. Stevens also owned a store, which was bought by Ode Sanders; this store is still being operated today by Rhetta May Sanders (1970's) and her brother, Arthur.

     Line School on the Attala-Leake County line was the first school in the area; being located one and a half miles southwest on the Dossville-Center Road. Established around 1875 it was discontinued in 1909 when the Nile School was organized. In 1915 Beula and Cunnahoma Schools were consolidated with Nile; in 1928 Nile moved into the Barnes District in Leake County.

     The earliest and nearest church was Beula which was located one and one-half miles northeast of Nile School. There was no cemetery in Nile prior to 1924. The Nile Church of Christ was organized around 1924 and services were first held in the schoolhouse. After the school was moved, a church building was erected and in the late 1930's a cemetery was established. Other cemeteries used by the community were Rocky Point and County Line Baptist Churches...both in Leake County.

NORTH CENTER
     North Center was twenty-two miles north of Kosciusko and one mile south of Montgomery County on the Vaiden-French Camp Road. It was called Center before the Civil War, when the first house was built one mile west. The house was a box house with hewn stick chimney; in the 1870's the house was moved one mile south and became a Public School and was called North Center, to distinquish from the Center south of Kosciusko. The school remained this way until 1919 when it was incorporated with Friendship District. Alex Amason taught here. In 1935 part of the District was transferred to Carmack.

     Mitchell's Mill was the first voting precinct and was located near Zilpha. William Riley Briscoe had a sawmill, gin and grist mill located near the second location of North Center School. He is claimed by both North Center and Zilpha communities. Dudley W. Harvey, an early settler, was a chairmaker. John Curtis of Boydston, Virginia moved to the area in 1834; he was the father of William and Howell Curtis, who helped organize Friendship Methodist Church. The Curtis property including the Family Cemetery was later purchased by W. I. Canon, who deeded one acre of land for use as a cemetery to the trustees of Friendship Church on 3 July 1913. Martin Van Buren Tyler settled in the community near the old schoolhouse in 1854. Andrew Jackson Strahan settled one and a fourth miles from the school. E. C. Brister settled a half mile from the location of the school and he ran a store, sawmill and gin. Other early settlers were Billie Smith, Joe Campbell, Austin Harvey, Kennedy Bailey, Emphraim Cannon and Lige Ellis. These people stayed put. All members of the church are descendants of the charter members, except the two Lower families.

OAKLAND
     Oakland was a thriving community between 1840 and 1870. Located eleven miles northwest of Kosciusko at the crossroads with the Old Rockport Road, it was settled about 1838. Oakland was extinct by 1900. Lumber was first cut by handpower with a ripsaw by the Guess family. There was also a grocery store, tin shop, blacksmith shop and a saloon in the community. An unsuccessful attempt was made to operate a watermill on the creek. A small school was established here in the 1840's. After the Civil War a public school was kept up for several years. Zebediah Guess moved here in 1835 and the Guess Graveyard is three-fourths of a mile southwest of the extinct Oakland School. Other early settlers were Isaac Ellard, Thomas Land, William Teague, Rigbys, Praters, Stovalls, Sweany and Cagle. Cagle's Mill was located two miles east of Oakland.

     The old settlers were pleasure-loving people, who raffled off beeves and other products. They would pick a target to shoot at, and the best shot won the beef. Goose pullings were a popular amusement; a live goose, or gander, was selected, its head and neck plucked and greased and then hanged from the limb of a tree by its feet. This tree would have to be close to the road and the goose hung at just the right height to be reached from horseback. The contestants rode horseback down the road, pulling the neck as they passed. Later, singings and parties became popular. In the years that the W.P.A. History was being written, Miss Ruby Hayes wrote that "the land is growing up in pasture and timber. None of the old residences can now be found".

OAK Ridge
     Oak Ridge lies on a ridge extending north and south, about fifteen miles north of Kosciusko. The Oak Ridge Church is located on this ridge which lies between branches of Zilpha Creek. Oak Ridge is bounded on the north by Montgomery County, the northeast by the Chapel Hill Community, on the southwest by Liberty Chapel and to the south is Shady Grove. According to the Federal census Elder Joel N. Harvey was in Attala County prior to 1840. He, his son Jasper Harvey and his nephew Elder Louis Harvey were early ministers to Oak Ridge Church. Jasper was also a coroner and Ranger. Thomas Black owned several hundred acres of Lnad; David and William Toole were moneylenders before the Civil War. Other early settlers were; Hal Pullin, Anderson Hubbard, Thomas Holland, William Crossley and Coleman Leonard. Soon after the War Captain J. F. Peeler operated a gin and grist mill in the area. It was waterpowered and changed to steam in 1900. Joe Simpson and sons, James and Jones, settled after the Civil War, as did J. S. Steen, W. A. Barr, Thomas Townsend and W. Lafayette Bowles.

     Oak Ridge School was established in the 1870's and in 1939 was consolidated with Shady Grove with part going to the Friendship School and the Attala-Montgomery line. Oak Ridge Primitive Baptist Church has had three buildings with the third burning in 1939. Oak Ridge Christian Church was organized around 1924, and in 1939 was holding services in the former schoolhouse. Oak Ridge Cemetery is located at Oak Ridge Church today.

     A Post Office called Tolerton was established in the early eighties. It was named for the John Toler family, who were also early pioneers. S. L. Heath kept the Post Office in a side room of his house for ten or twelve years. After it was discontinued, an office was established at Wasson's Store and called Creek. Before the Civil War the voting precinct was called Burk's Box, but around 1899, was changed to Peeler's Mill. It is still called that today.

PANSY
     Pansy has had two locations; the first one mile south of the Old Wire Road and the second was located one and a half miles south of the Kosciusko to Louisville road and approximately sixteen miles east of Kosciusko. The name was selected from a list of names, which had been sent in by Doss C. Ray; this was a name selected to be sent in by Ray's five year old daughter Sallie. It was chosen as the name for the Post Office because there was no other by that name in the state. this was in 1899 and this Post Office was run there until 1907 when the Post Office was moved a half mile south. At this time Miss Ethel Ray became the Post Mistress; she later married Allen Massey. Mr. Taylor Reynolds and his family kept the Post Office for awhile after the Masseys. In 1912 the Pansy Post Office was discontinued for a rural route from Ethel. Pansy School was located a fourth mile from the Post Office and was established in 1908. Later it was discontinued for consolidation with a larger school.

PILGRIM'S REST
     Pilgrim's Rest was located thirteen miles north of Kosciusko and seven miles northwest of Ethel on a community road. The community was settled years before the War between the States. The date of the organization of Pilgrim's Rest Baptist Church is uncertain. The earliest date of death on a marker in the church cemetery is that of Leonard Rice, who died in April 1857. This fact proves that the community was in existence at least that early.

     Ben Clark had a horse-powered gin, located one and a half miles southeast of the church; it was in operation before, and during, the Civil War. Early personalities were: Elisha Toler, Ezekiel Veasy, William Veasy, Tom Beach, Leonard Rice, James Brunt, A. J. S. Monk, Edmund Kirk and Coleman Leonard. There was no recorded school in the community, so far as can be determined. Shady Grove was three miles west, Liberty Chapel was two and a half miles east, Oak Ridge was four and a half miles north, Forrest was two and one-half miles southwest and Stonewall was three or four miles south.

PILGRIM'S REST #2
     Pilgrim's Rest School was located two miles north of Zama. It was established before 1887 and is now extinct. The school was located on Kyle Creek, being a branch of Lobutcha River. There was a school here, but in 1905 Ayres and Pilgrim's Rest schools were consolidated. The Protestant Methodist held their services in the schoolhouse.

     There was an old water mill near the schoolhouse, and it was used to run a gin and grist mill by Samuel Ray, one of the earliest settlers of the area. James Brown was living here in 1855 as was an officer in the Confederate Army during the War. James' brother Judson Brown was also an early resident; so were the Thrashers, Norris and Mangrums.

     After Zama began to grow and operate as a lumber town, many of the land owners sold out their interests and moved into town. In 1939 Sam Peeler owned all the land in the immdediate area and was permitting it to grow up in timber. All the old homes were deserted and falling down.

PLANTATION
     Plantation was located five and a half miles east of Kosciusko on the railroad and on the Yockanookany River. It was so named because of the large plantation of James F. McCool, which was used as a Flag Stop on the railroad. Mr. Alford had a saw mill there for five or six years; after it was shut down, the Flag Stop was discontinued. Plantation School was closed in 1937 and Plantation Church was moved to old Highway 12 around 1938.

PLEASANT RIDGE
     Pleasant Ridge Community was first settled around 1837 and was located just a few miles north of the present Highway 12 west of McAdams. It can be reached by turning right at any of the Sallis intersections after passing Bluff Springs Trading Post. Apookta Creek is the division line between Pleasant Ridge and Springdale communities. The church was organized on 25 May 1847, according to church records, but "old timers" contend it was started in 1837 and the One hundredth anniversary was observed in 1937. The original building was a log structure located about three miles north of the present church. The story goes that the logs from the original structure were used as sleepers when the new church was built around 1877. This is when S. J. and Martha Ann Russell deeded six acres and also two acres to include the springs and pool to Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church. The church, so named because it was built on a ridge and surrounded by beautiful shade trees, is still active.

     Pleasant Ridge was settled by many industrious people. Turpin Atwood had a factory which manufactured gin stands, ginned cotton, ground flour and meal. It was run first by water and then a large steam boiler with two flues was installed at the mill, which was still in operation in 1874. Cain's Mill was a gin and grist mill which was built in 1842. It was water-powered and was the origin of Cain;s Lake. All of the dirt being hauled out with wheelbarrows. In more recent years the lake has been known as Crawley's Lake. On the old Durant highway south of the creek there was a water grist mill with an overshot wheel. Records show that the first owner was named Teakle and the second was Stovall. Mr. A. J. Campbell and Mr Webb Hughes has a sawmill, grist mill and gin from approximately 1865 to 1895. Mr. Ed Hughes built a horse gin, sawmill and grist mill soon after the Civil War; he converted them to water-power from 1885 til 1895. H. J. Weeks had a steam sawmill, grist mill and gin. When Breathwitt put in a big sawmill here, Weeks sold out. This mill operated for about four years, or until 1919 when all the timber in the community was used up. Jim McAdams had a steam-powered sawmill and gin. Needless to say, that with all the gins and mills, there must have been a lot of cotton, wheat and corn being grown in this area of the county.

     Jim Dodd settled near the Steeds and worked as a foreman in Atwood's Factory. Jack Spear from North Carolina was here very early as a foreman of slaves. Charlie England was one of the early settlers. Mr. J. C. Temple ran a store one mile north of the old Durant Sand Road. It was kept first in his house. In 1900 he secured a Post Office and later built a separate building for the store and Post Office. The name that Mr. Temple suggested was not accepted because there was already a Post Office by that name in the state. It is not known what his original choice was. However, Temple then suggested "Earlyville" because "we have to get up early". The Earlyville Post Office was kept here until 1906 when it was discontinued for a Sallis rural route. J. C. Temple invented a spraygun for use in painting bridges, house tops and barns; afterwards he moved to Greenwood to supervise the painting of bridges and other structures. His father Mr. A. F. Temple had moved to the community in the 1870's.

     Besides the Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church cemetery, there was also a Morgan Graveyard, which was located two miles east of the church. There is also a negro church and cemetery near the Pleasant Ridge Church. Bethlehem School and Cemetery were also nearby.

     A subscription school taught by Mr. Haddick and called Haddick's School was established soon after the War between the States. It was built of logs and had a huge fireplace and wooden shutters. Benches were split logs with pegged legs. There was no blackboard and slates were used for all written work. Pleasant Ridge Public School came into being in 1874 and was situated one mile east of Pleasant Ridge Church. The school was a box building and judged fairly good for the time. The first teacher was Ovie Edmond. This school had seven different locations...one building was moved five times and there were two other new buildings. Mr. G. W. Gunter suggested that "the school be put on wheels so it would be easily moved". The final location was east of Earlyville Post Office and for a while a good eight-month school was conducted with M. G. Campbell as Principal. But progress caused it to be consolidated with McAdams in 1928.

     Other early settlers to Pleasant Ridge not before mentioned were Amos Richardson, Sam Teague, Joe Yates, Reverend Benton McAdams, and A. G. Noah, who was appointed sheriff and then elected for two terms. G. W. Gunter came to Attala County around 1840 as a hog-drover, helping drive a large drove of hogs from Fayetteville, Tennessee to Natchez. He went back to Tennessee, accompanied by A. G. Noah, to kidnap the two children of his deceased sister from their alcoholic father. One of these little girls, who was brought back on a pillow, was later married to William Campbell.

POSSUMNECK
     The small village of Possumneck is located in the western part of Attala County. This unusual community is a neck of land which lies between Big Black River on the west, Sharkey Creek on the east, Sharkey and Apookta Creeks on the south and Rocky Point on the north. The early settlers came from the Carolinas, Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee. There are no definite records as to when these people first began to migrate to this area, but land grant records show that in June 1835 Duncan McMillan, Elisha Sharp, Anthony Winston and Byran Whitehead acquired acreage; in 1847 a Mr. White acquired nearly two hundred acres. Olive C. Woods and Thomas Anderson purchased land in the Indian Reservations. During this period Robert Cade lived in the community and served as Sheriff of Attala County from 1839 to 1845. Prior to 1847 the area was commonly known as "The Neck", taking its name from the shape of the land.

     Before the War between the States there was a place on the Big Black River bluff known as Rockport. This was where travelers crossed the river. Some of the travelers continued on westward, and some came to buy slaves at an auction which was held just across the river. Sometimes floodwaters forced the travelers to camp and wait for the waters to recede. At one time there were several stores at Rockport, including a saloon. A famous race track called Bucksnort was built here. To pass away time the men played poker, bet on the horse races, gambled on anything and sometimes fought just for the fun of it. This caused the place to be known as the "Dark Corner" of the county. It is assumed that it was here the community got its start. These people liked a good time and nearly every weekend there would be a social gathering, or square dance at the log schoolhouse or in some home. From all the reports of the "Old Timers" some of these parties were rough and wild. Outsiders were not welcomed; many times these visitors were rudely and roughly shown the way out of the "Neck".

     W. M. Herod was living in the northern part of the community about this time, and he was known as "King Herod". During a term of court in Attala County a case was called up before the Judge which involved some of the boys from "The Neck". King Herod was referred to and the Judge asked what he was King of. The witness replied, "Oh, Judge, you know the Neck where we catch all them possums". The Judge gave a laugh and replied, "Oh, yes, King of Possumneck". Thus was originated in 1847 the name of Possumneck.

     Soon after the Civil War many new people came to possumneck to make their homes. Among these were: Felix Cade, John Evans, J. W. Dean, Robert Rigby, J. M. and M. M. White, E. A. Love, J. W. Seawright, Samuel, Nathan, Levi and John Murff. Alfred, John W. and Thomas Guyton, Lawrence Cherry, E. A. Ercanback, J. M. Weeks and J. C. Alexander. In 1875 Allen Rhodes Weeks and his brother John came from the Soringdale community to build their homes. These homes are still standing today. In the late 1880's the Weeks brothers built and operated a saw mill, grist mill and cotton gin. John Weeks did not like the mill business, so he went back to farming. His oldest son, Joseph Allen Weeks, joined the uncle in the mills. The Possumneck store was built for a Mr. Cochran to run, but by 1890 Allen and Joe Weeks bought the business from Cochran as they needed the availability of supplies for the mill workers. For years the store operated under the name of A. R. Weeks and Company. It was in this store that the Possumneck Post Office was established on 18 October 1893 with Joseph Allen Weeks as Postmaster and his sister Emma as Assistant Postmistress. The Post Office was closed on 14 September 1905 and replaced by a rural route from West Station. In the late 1920's W. A. Henley came to work in the store and in 1934 bought the store business. The store was closed in May 1966.

     Possumneck has become widely known because of the outstanding Tennessee Walking horses which are trained and shown from the Possumneck Stables. In late 1940 this unique enterprise was started when the Charlie Maddoxs bought their first brood mare; her colt proved to be a real show horse by the name of Governor Wright. The stables were named the Joe Annis Stables for the niece and nephew of Mrs. Maddox. Jimmy Holloway came to the stables as trainer in 1954 and in 1971 he bought the stables and additional land in Possumneck. Jimmy trains horses for other people at the Holloway Stables. People from all over the United States visit here, and a sign outside the stable reads, "Visitors are always welcome".

     The first school house was also used as a meeting house for the people of Possumneck; this house was made of hand-hewn logs. The school's location was moved many times. Once close to Smyrna and once was known as North West School. Miss Bettye Ayers was one of the teachers in the late1800's and Mrs. Whit Weeks taught there in the early 1900's.

     Unity Baptist Church was built in 1885; the old wooden building was replaced in 1954 with a brick house. This church was built by local men with no indebtedness against it. The community has give cemeteries: Smyrna, Unity, Guess, Thornton and Armstrong. Possumneck citizens are proud of their community; the place that has excited the curiousity of every one that hears the name, Possumneck.

ROCHESTER MILL
     The mill at Rochester Mill was built in 1848 by William B. Thompson, T. S. Rosamond, Charles Clark and Sam Rosamond. The engine was fired by Jim McMillan, a slave whose master had hired him to the mill for that purpose. His master was probably Daniel McMillan, an early settler of this area. At one time Jim fired the engine forty days and nights in succession, reminiscent of the Great Flood of Noah's day. This was during the Civil War; Jim was a very effecient engineer and, it seems, no one else could be found to take his place.He thought he could do the firing and take a nap between fifings, but it caused his nerves to crack. He could not go to sleep, and it required two doctors, G. W. Galloway and another, to finally put him to sleep. The boiler was a fifty horsepower with two flues. It had been hauled from Yazoo City. Each flu was ten feet, or more, long and eighteen inches in diameter. The engine was governed by what is termed a "butterfly". Wood was used for fuel, and a wagon load of ten foot poles was required to fire it.

     There were lumber mills, flour mills, a grist mill, cotton gin, carding mill and bedsheet factory located at Rochester. A Mr. Holly operated a grist and flour mill here and in the 1850's Rochester Mill was such a boom town that it even had a hotel. The community of Rochester Mill was located near the old Kosciusko to Greensboro Road. There were two large springs which formed the headwaters of Taylor Creek, running Scoobichitta into Zilpha and on into the Big Black River.

ROCKY POINT
     The little village of Rocky Point was situated twelve miles northwest of Kosciusko on the old Rockport Road. The old Rockport Road crossed the Big Black River at a bluff which was called Rockport. Sharkey Creek runs through this little community and Apookta Creek runs in to Big Black. It was a hilly flint rock section which had its beginnings in a tanyard which was erected in 1842 by Armstrong and Black. Sources indicate that at one time, "twenty-one head of cattle were exempt from taxation, hence the farmers always had a number of beeves to butcher. The hides were tanned on shares, or exchanged for leather. Many of the farmers knew as well how to make a shoe as how to run a furrow. The tannery was sold in 1843 to Benjamin F. Rowe, who erected a home and a store. In the same year a jew by the name of Marks sold goods in this store, and then Bartain Evans ran the store for a while. About this time a Post Office was established at Rocky Point. In 1847 Williamson McAdory bought the store and the surrounding farms. In 1850 Cooke and Thweatt were issued a license to sell liquor at this place. Rocky Point then became a popular place for marksmen; many shooting matches were held here. It was also the "muster ground" for the county for many years.

     Other industries at Rocky Point over the years included the following: Jim Shanks and Jim Richberg had a tanyard. They made fine leather boots and saddles. They made shoes by taking orders and they, most likely, furnished leather for the Confederate Army. They had sale houses for the distribution of their goods, and the tanyard was still in operation as late as the 1890's. Jim Cade has a horse gin before Dr. Land bought it and converted it into steam. Matt Rigby and Williamson McAdory operated gins in the community for a few years before the Civil War. J. W. Ratliff operated a steam gin and mill around 1908.

     Dr. Riley taught the very first recorded school. Thomas Guyton taught school in Smith's School near Rocky Point before 1867 when he married. A house for an Academy was built and high school was taught in the early 1870's by Bob Cochran. The first schoolhouse was constructed of logs with a huge fireplace, which used logs eight feet long as fuel. Out of the fire one day ran a long rattlesnake which frightened the girls. The boys could not succeed in killing the snake; they only made it mad. So the teacher went outside, got a small stick and killed the snake. School continued! Public School was moved to Hesterville in 1920.

     No church was ever organized in this community. Graveyards that had been used in the early days were the Wiley Green and the Kimes Graveyards. Neither were still in use by 1939; however, there was and is a negro church and cemetery there.

RUTHERFORD
     Rutherford was a very rugged and broken country and was named for the Rutherford family. Mr. Frank Rutherford moved into the community in 1879; he had four sons and three daughters, and all made their homes there. The community was formed around 1904 from parts of the New Port and Zemuly School Districts. It was located on the old New Port to Thomastown Road, being located fifteen miles southwest of Kosciusko. It was one and a half miles southeast of New Port and one and a half miles southwest of Zemuly. The community of Rutherford was only a half mile from the northwest corner of Leake County.

     A small public school was established around 1912 for the convenience of the Rutherford children. This school had been located across the line in Leake County and called Fisher School but was moved into Attala, while the Leake side of the district transferred to Venitia Grove School. The Rutherfords had constructed a small house for the school, and when it was destroyed, an old dwelling was used for the school until the lack of children caused it to be closed sown. The old dwelling was said to have been used as a cow barn. A Pentecostal Church organized since then, and located about two hundred yards from the site of the school, was called Cow Barn Church.

     Cemeteries used by the residents of Rutherford were the McLean and Salem Cemeteries which are located near New Port.

SALLIS
     Twelve miles west of Kosciusko in the western part of Attala County is located the town of Sallis. Sallis, as a town, was not established until the building of the railroad in 1870. The community that was to become Sallis was first settled by Dr. J. G. Sallis in 1848. Before the creation of the town of Sallis several communities were established nearby, namely the communities of Attalaville, Bluff Springs and New Port.

     With the increase in the population it became necessary to form a government and the community of Sallis was incorporated as the town of Sallis. The main street of town was called Lloyd Street after the beloved Baptist preacher, William Butler Lloyd. The street fronting on the railroad tracks was called Front Street. At that time, Sallis consisted of twelve or more General Stores, a Blacksmith Shop and Livery Stable. With the decline of cotton and timber, Sallis too, like its former neighboring communities, would begin to fade a little from its former glory.

SAND HILL
     Sand Hill was probably settled around 1885. It is located about twelve miles north of Kosciusko and a few miles east of Highway 35. It is bound on the north by Carmack, on the east by Macedonia, on the south by Hesterville and on the west by North Union. The father of A. F. Daniel operated a horse gin here very early and A. F. Daniel operated a steam saw mill, grist mill and gin. Dr. Robert Smith had a harse gin before the Civil War. Hock Brister lived in the community until 1900 when he moved to Texas. The Turnbulls came into the Sand Hill community from Georgia; they later changed their name to Trimble. Ira Greer and Tom Singleton and Gabe Conner moved into the area about 1886. Conner was Chancery Clerk of Attala County in 1893 for one term. William Perry Rigby moved into the area in 1889, lived here for thirty-two years and served as Justice of the Peace. Dr. Rufus Heald lived on mile south of Sand Hill at the crossroads, having moved here in 1898, for twelve years. Mr. Joe Smith, who was reared in Sand Hill, was a religious leader. Andy Wiltshire lived here for ten years, from 1899 to 1909, and ran a store. Reverend T. L. Oakes, a Methodist minister with a reputation as a singer, lived here in the Sand Hill community for forty years before his death in 1939. Jim Downs moved into the community in 1898; John Alexander lived here for thirty or forty years. There were also Penders, Hodges, Thorntons, Weavers, Monroes, Crows and many others. Sand Hill and New Salem Churches serve the area for worship and funeral needs.

SHADY GROVE
     There were so many little Post Offices, churches and schools that it is difficult to draw any clear and distinct borders for the community of Shady Grove. There was Wells, Langley, Sims and Liberty Chapel. So many of the early settlers have been claimed by too many other communities. Wasson's Tanyard was established after 1852 between Liberty Chapel Church and the Shady Grove Church; it lay between the homes of John A. and Eliza B. Copeland Wasson and their oldest son, William John Wasson. The owner and operator was William John Wasson, who was a tanner, a schoolteacher, a farmer, a Methodist and a Mason. In his tanyard raw hides were tanned and made into shoes and other leather products. In 1870 the Wassons also established a steam-powered saw mill, grist mill and cotton gin. On 8 December 1874 a boiler in the tanyard exploded, killing the owner. For three years his father-in-law, John Toler operated the tanyard. W. J. Wasson had established a Post Office before 1870; it was kept there until 1877, when John Toler moved it a mile north to near the Rockport Road. Toler resigned in 1878 and Amos Allen was Postmaster from 78' to 1890 with the location on the Greensboro Road. In 1906 it was discontinued for a Rural route.

     Newton Copeland Wasson, brother to William John Wasson, was engaged in many varied enterprises. He was a traveling circuit Preacher, a farmer, as well as a saw mill and cotton gin owner. He had three sons who made preachers and a daughter who was a Missionary. He was the first Wasson to be buried at Shady Grove Methodist Church. His parents and other family having been laid to rest at Liberty Chapel.

     Other early settlers gleaned from the tombstones in the Shady Grove Cemetery are: N. G. Almon, whose wife, Anna was buried there in 1877; Hohn H. Boyett, whod died in 1878; Elisha Treadway lost his wife Mary C. in 1879; as did David Dees lose his Sarah E. in 1880; Reverend Newton Copeland Wasson was buried in November 1883; Lou Sims Wilson, John W. Ryals and Taulula Alsworth in 1884; Turner S. Price in 1890; J. H. Toler in 91' and Cornelia Alice Sweatt in 1895.

     As industries closed and schools were consolidated, people began to move away; the migration from farms to town began in earnest. Today there remains the Methodist Church and Cemetery and the Community House. For awhile a few years back there was a store with a Bookmobile Stop. The Community Club is one of the best in the county and keeps Shady Grove from "dying on the vine", as have so many others in "yesteryears".
(note: this was penned in the 1970's time-frame.)

SHROCK
     Shrock is located in the extreme southwestern corner of Attala County, about seven miles from Goodman and eight miles from Pickens. Crossing the Big Black River swamps and heading south, the scenery begins to change gradually from the low flat bottom lands to hilly red clay hills covered with hardwood and pine trees. In this region, the view is not too different from the mountain foothills, and has the same beauty of high ridges and fascinating hollows. The roads have not gashed through the countryside but rather have flowed with it, not making for the fastest travel but certainly for the most interesting and beautiful. The face of the country seems to have changed little from the time Captain Joseph K. Shrock rode into it in the 1850's with his wife Caroline Fitler and their six children. He purchased twelve hundred acres of land, built a house and reared his family; and in so doing, established the community of Shrock.

     During the dark and stormy days of the Civil War, he built the Shrock Methodist Church, giving the land and the building to the Methodist Conference. The church stands as a landmark today, and still has an active congregation. In 1962, the 100th Anniversary of Shrock Church was a very special event. Surrounded by a community of needy people, during the War between the States, the Shrock grist mill was the means of relieving a lot of suffering. This mill also supplied meal for the Yankee Soldiers. Having a practical knowledge of physic, Joseph Kilpatrick Shrock ministered to the physical needs of the community where medical help could not be obtained. He was respectfully known as Captain Shrock. In 1865 he built a general merchandise and drugstore with two sons as partners; Hal Fletcher Shrock and William Fitler Shrock. Will was a pharmacist, educated in Pughkeepsie, New York. It was at this store that Mrs. Ellen Marshall Ratcliff Jordan bought the medicines which she used in her "Midwifery". Ellen Jordan is buried in the Shrock Cemetery, where the H. H. Schrock family lie. There must be a connection as Absalem J. Ratcliff, her first husband, was listed in the H. H. Shrock household in the 1860 Leake County census. As a conservative Democrat, Joseph Shrock represented Attala County in the Mississippi Legislature in 1875 and 1876. He was a charter Mason. His wife preceded him in death in 1882 and he died at Shrock in 1897. His six children spent most of their mature life in Attala County.

     On 7 April 1888, William Fitler Shrock applied for location of a Post Office which was established at Shrock on 8 May 1888 with W. F. Shrock as Postmaster. He would be the only Postmaster to serve the community. The Post Office was discontinued in 1911, having served a community of approximately 2,000 persons listed on the first application. Among those having lived in the Shrock community were the Riley's, the Dr. Covington's, the McAtee's, the Terry's, the Parker's, the Mabry's, the Hearst's, the Allen's, the Clower's, tje Carson's, the Thomas', the Ousley's, the Fitler's, the Burden's, the Smith's, the Hanna's, the Simpson's, the Holly's, the Mitchell's, the Burwell's, the Donald's, the Fleming's, the Hemingways's, the Paulette's, the Branch's, the Dickerson's, and the Williams'. Millard Fillmore Williams was a first rate schoolteacher and taught in this area until his death. His widow, Ella Colton Williams, married C. T. Dickerson and Shrock became their home. The community still boast of the renoun personage of Dr. Blance Colton Williams being from Shrock. Also, author Wirt Williams Jr.

     Many descendants of the early settlers live around Shrock today. Mrs. Ellis Arnold is the daughter of the late John Burwell. The Suggs Mabry family is another of the old families. Others are the Porter's, the Noel Covington's and the McCrory's. Joe Burden is the descendant of the late Will Burden. Mr. McDaniel is a grandson of the Clower's. At Senasha we find the Smithson's who are descendants of the Parkers and Allens. Judge John F. Allen was Circuit Judge for Attala for many years and was known for his fair and impartial verdicets. His wife was Miss Nannie Parker and was a Past Grand Worthy Matron of the Order of Eastern Star for the State of Mississippi. "Miss Nannie" was the daughter of Elijah B. and Eudora Roper Parker, who celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary on 19 December 1916. Present with them on this occasion was Harry and Elvira Stewart, married fifty years, and William amd Martha Herrin, married almost fifty years. Living in the old Allen home is Eudora Allen Smithsonl; nearby is the modern home of Pat Smithson, who is the great grandson of the judge.

     Joe Shrock, Jr. is the only Shrock still living in the community; his home being one of the two original Shrock homes. It is at this home that his mother, Lula Williams Shrock, decorated the huge natural tree each Christmas; people came from many miles to see it. This house is over a hundred years old and was approriately named "Oak Trees" because of the huge oaks that surround it. It was from "Oak Trees" that Mrs. Shrock wrote the news for the Star Herald for sixty years. It stands on a hilltop in front of the old store house.

     At the intersection of three roads, nestled in one of the hollows of Shrock, the old store still stands. It has been a voting precinct throught the years. It only comes alive on voting days. The grist mill and the cotton gin are gone. A little further down the tree covered road is the second of the two Shrock homes; it is owned by members of the Shrock family and has been restored to its former classic Pillared style. Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Bunch live there now.

     The Shrock children attended a private school, which Captain Shrock built at the same time as the church. The daughters went from this one-room school to Grenada Cllege and ole I.I. & C., now Mississippi University for Women and became teachers.

     This is Shrock. A place of fond memories, a place to call home for the Yesterday generations, a joy for those Today people and a hope for those Tommorrows. "Shrock still survives, but has seen better days". The Senasha Creek still flows, and overflows.

SIMS
     Sims was located about two miles south of Shady Grove around 1900. The Post Office is not extinct. The Post Office at Sims was first kept by Oscar Johnson, who mysteriously disappeared and supposed to have been murdered. The the offcie was moved a short diatance to the home of George Toler and kept by him until 1902, when he sold out and moved away. The next location of the Sims Post Office was about two miles south, and the Postmistress was Mrs. Sue Collins, who after one year decided the job was too much for her so she gave it up. The final location was at the intersection of the Rockport and Greensboro roads at the home of Dick Reeves. Reeves kept the Post Office until it was discontinued for a rural route from Kosciusko.

SMYRNA
     Smyrna is located on Paley Creek on the Center Road. The community was named for the Smyrna Presbyterian Church. The earliest grave marker in the church cemetery is that of Joseph C. Graham, buried in April 1869. Other Grahams seem to be the earliest people to have been buried there. S. N. Graham died 3 December 1885; W. C. Graham died 12 May 1890; both have Masonic emblems on their tombstones. John L. Graham, son of S. N. and E. Graham, died 25 August 1883, aged 26 years, 9 months and 16 days. This is the burying place of the Chennaults; Stephen N. was born on 17 January 1818 and died 3 December 1881; his wife, Charity Allen was born Valentine's Day of 1827 and died February 1913. There were many other Chennault descendants and their relations. Thomas Woodson Conn born in 1853 and died in 1934 lies with both his wives; Mollie S. Channault, wife of Thomas was born in 1858 and died in 1901 and Maggie Pickle Conn born in 1871 and died in 1914. Here lies Elias Phillips and his wife, Mary. Elias taught school in the first public school at Smyrna which was located in the Smyrna Church in 1875. Before this there had been a private school taught by Mr. Council Scoggins. This may have been Cooper's Institute, but this could not be confirmed. There was a Col. F. C. Cooper who served in the Confederate Army and who is buried in the Smyrna Cemetery. Others who lived and died here are: Jesse Ferguson, Willie Furr, Elias Simmons, James B. Owen, Irvin Owen, G. W. Furr, John R. Pinckard and James Wilson Gilliand.

     Jerusalem Baptist Church was organized in 1849 with the Reverend W. W. Nash as the pastor. In the minutes of the church of April 1850 it states: "Jerusalem Church is to be thirty feet square of hewn, or split logs, raftered and covered with three feet boards. It is to have two windows, two doors, or more is necessary, seats amd a pulpit. Brother Garner M. Dotson is appointed to oversee the work, which is to be finished by August." William W. Pettit deeded the property, where the present church is located, in 1891. There are five generations of the Pettit Family active in Jerusalem Church today.

     A Methodist Church was organized in the Presbyterian Church building. In 1901 a church house of their own was erected, but around 1936 the congregation was absorbed by other denominations and the building was removed.

     Industry in the Smyrna Community did not vary greatly from that in other parts of the county. The Parker Brothers had a gin run by horse power; later, Phillips and Chennault operated a gin which was discontinued around 1855. The Pettits' gin was of a similar kind. Grom 1895 until after 1939 the Chennault's steam-powered mill and gin was in operation.

     Other teachers in the community were Mr. A. R. Reynolds, Mrs. Ellen Phillips Shumaker and Miss Bettie Ratliff at Smyrna and Mrs. Mary Phillips, kin of Elias was once a teacher at Jerusalem. In later years the schools were consolidated with Williamsville and with Barnes over the Leake County line. Family names in Smyrna Community from 1850 until 1900 were; Bell, Boyett, Brooks, Chennault, Culpepper, Day, Dickens, Dodd, Doss, Dulin, Fletcher, Franklin, Gregory, Hollingsworth, Horne, Jamison, Hohnson, Kershaw, Lawran (Lawrence), McAdams, McClain, McClanahan, McCool, Newlin, O'Briant, Peeler, Pettigrew, Pettit, Proctor, Quarles, Reynolds, Sills, Taliaferro, Wheat, Wilson and Wilkerson. These go in conjunction with those already named.

SMYRNA #2
     This Smyrna was located about fouteen miles northwest of Kosciusko just north of Highway 14. Established long before the Civil War, the community has been all but extinct since 1930. Smyrna was a hilly community with a small stream known as Smyrna Branch. Big Black River was known as Smyrna's west boundary. Smyrna was once a prosperous and populous area. Some of the most important families in the county hae once lived here; Squire Hyman, William Gordon, D. T. Guyton, John Evans, F. E. Cagle, Bob Cagle, Joe Cade, Col Davis, J. A. Campbell, Joe and Richard Cross. Wash Ammon had a small steam saw mill one mile northwest of Smyrna before the Civil War. D. H. Rhyne operated a saw mill at the same place from 1920 to 1930. In the eighties there was a Garner's Gin about three miles north of Smyrna.

     Smyrna Methodist Church was established long before the Civil War and was one of the oldest in the county. Gravestones tell us some of the first to be buried here. Campmeetings used to be held here. Smyrna Graveyard is located at the site of theold church and is still being used today. There is an unnamed burying ground on the old Cade Place two and a half miles north of here, and the Old Hyman Graveyard is a helf mile west of Smyrna Cemetery. Two miles east of here on the Harvey Thornton old homeplace is the Thornton Graveyard. The church was discontinued before a school was established, so the building was repaired and used as a school around 1908. In 1920 it was consoldiated with Possumneck.

SPRINGDALE
     Springdale lies in a rolling hilly section which slopes to Apookta Creek, along which lies very good bottom land. To the west lies Possumneck, to the south is Pleasant Ridge, to the east was Center Point and to the north and northeast for several miles lies a broken hilly, thinly settled section, which was so-named because of the several good springs in the area, located some ten miles northwest of Kosciusko.

     A box type school was built here about 1868, being used for both education and salvation purposes. A public school was established about eleven miles from Kosciusko, moved a mile and rebuilt in 1898. This two-room school was used until 1920, when the school was moved another mile closer to Kosciusko on the public road. In 1928 the school was discontinued and the students transferred to Kosciusko. Gallilee Public School for Negroes was located about two miles northeast of Springdale Baptist Church in 1939. Mount Zion Negro Church and School was located on the West Road about six miles from the county seat.

     Springdale Methodist Church was probably organized earlier than the Baptist, but both denominations worshipped in the school house for several years. When the Farmer's Grange was organized in the community in 1874, the Grangers helped to build the Methodist Church, a two-story building with worship on the lower floor and Grange meetings on the upper. Captain Dave Love donated land for the church and cemetery, which lies just south of Highway 14 about two miles west of the present day Baptist Church, behind the Dean home. The Methodist disontinued worship services prior to 1939 because there were not enough of their faith in the community to support the church.

     Springdale Baptist Church was organized in 1868 at the location of the Springs at the old schoolhouse. Later, a church house was built at the Springs; it burned in 1931. The schoolhouse was still being used as a Baptist Church in 1939, but since that time a new modern brick has been erected, along with a nice pastorium.

     Henry Musslewhite donated land in the eastern part of the community for a Family Graveyard. It is well kept and has always been used by the other families in the Springdale Community.

     Reverend Jimmie Scott, Primitive Baptist Minister and Pastor of Scott Creek Labanon Church across Apookta Creek, lived near Springdale in the early days of the county and sold the land to Capt. Love. Henry Musslewhite had a small water mill in the early days of settlement. Zack Ratliff bought his land early from a Mr. Wingo who had lived there. A bridge, built before the Civil War of hand hewn white oak timber, was the only bridge in the section and was called Wingo Bridge.

STEELE
     Steele was located one and one half miles east of McCool. The railroad station at Steel was in Attala County while Beulah Church and School were in Choctaw County. The community was located on the Aberdeen Branch of the Illinois Central Railroad, on the Ackerman public road and on the Yockanookany River. It was named for the Steele family. Henry Steele and his wife, Sarah Catherine Grigg Steele of South Carolina settled in the area around 1840 and the community of Steele grew around their plantation.

     Other early settlers in this area of the county were; John Lane and his wife and Carlisle Black, his wife, Betsy Pool Black and their children. Milton Black (Carlisle's brother) and his wife Fannie A. Winters Black and their family accompanied Carlisle to Mississippi from Alabama (1842), but settled further north in the Bear Creek area. Middleton Pool, Betsy Pool Black's brother would in time join his sister in migration to Attala. He and his family removed from their home in Pickens County, Alabama to Noxubee County, Mississippi in the 1840's and then on to Attala in the 1850's.

     Beula Baptist Church, located east of Steele, is on the Choctaw County side of the Steele community and was organized just before the outbreak of the Civil War. Charter members of the church were John and Elizabeth Bowie, Henry and Sarah Catherine Steele, Carlisle and Elizabeth "Betsy" Black, Milton L. Black (son of Carlisle Black), and his wife, Narcissa E. Black, George Edleman and wife, Newton Reagan and wife, and John Brown and his wife.

     An early Masonic Lodge, originally known as the S. C. Conley Lodge #283, was chartered on January 26, 1866 and met in Conley's Mill half way between Steele and McCool. The first installed officers were; S. C. Conley, Worshipful Master; Milton L. Black, Senior Warden; John McKnight, Junior Warden; Robert J. Bowie, Senior Deacon; J. J. Bishop, Junior Deacon; and Amzi Weeks, Tiler. At some point the lodge became known as the McCool Masonic Lodge #283. In 1927 a new two story lodge was constructed and meetings were held there on a regular basis. If the lodge still existed it would be celebrating its 136th year.

     Many of the early settlers to this area were buried in the Beulah Cemetery except for the Brown's who moved to Kosciusko and Milton and Fannie Black who are buried at Bear Creek.

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TABERNACLE
     Tabernacle was founded before 1840. Tabernacle located five miles southeast of Ethel, is part of the Old Turkey Creek Community. It was named by Stephen Rone. The terrain is rolling hills with small streams providing good land. Bounded on the north by Turkey Creek and Carson Ridge, on the southeast by the Providence Community, on the east by Doty Springs and on the west by New Hope. Louis Pressley, with sons, Tom, Charlie and Levi, had a water mill before the Civil War. Tom Burchfield kept fine horses and had dogs trained to find runaway slaves. Isaac Rone and brother, J. S. Rone came from South Carolina in 1869; they ran a saw mill, gin and grist mill, which was first water and then steam driven. These mills in operation from 1876 to 1933 were claimed by both Carson Ridge and Tabernacle communities. Amos Wheeless had an old horse gin in the seventies and eighties, which later changed to steam. In the 1870's A. G. Lowery came in a wagon from Alabama, bought virgin timber, stayed sixteen years and left with $25,000 clear. In 1897 Lloyd Rone had a Shingle Manufactory on Turkey Creek; it turned out many thousands of heart-pine shingles every day.

     In searching the gravestones of the Tabernacle Cemetery it can be determined that these individuals were among the early settlers: M. R. Ballard, born in Franklin County, Georgia in 1820 and died in Attala County, Mississippi in 1889; Isaac S. Rone, died in 1892 and his wife in 1887; Stephen Burkes born in 1831 and died in 1892; John W. Burkes, born in 1826 and died in 1907; Samuel J. Russell and John Plyler, both Confederate Soldiers; William Hiram Akins, born in 1829 and died in 1903; L. Vina Laney Akins died in 1894. Much can be learned about any community by searching the tombstone records.

TANK
     Tank was located five miles east of Kosciusko on the Ethel Road. The Tank School was a very early school and was taught first by E. A. P. Lucas. It was taught secondly by W. W. Sinclair. Sinclair came here around 1850 from South Carolina and then went to Browning School to teach after 1875. Tank Church was a Primitive Baptist one. They had a good building. The Grangers also met there. The church was discontinued around 1875. The cemetery in back of the Old Tank Church was where most of the early families buried. Some of the earliest settlers were R. M. (Gum) Williams, J. K. Lanbkin, Green Browning, Murdock Baine and Ben Rook.

THOMPSON
     Thompson was located on Turkey Creek about fifteen miles east of Kosciusko on the Ethel to Louisville Road. Providence bounds it on the north. Carson Ridge on the west, Edgefield on the east and Doty Springs on the south.It was established around 1970 and was named for the Elisha Thompson Family, which orginated in Georgia but came here in 1866 from Illinois. Sherrill Thompson settled near Eisha's home on a place with good, clear springs. In 1939 this water was still being used and was known as Sherrill's Springs. Other important settlers with descendants still living in the county are Robert P. F. Doty, John Aiken, G. W. McCool, Sr., the Middlebrooks and the Donaldsons.

     Thompson Public School, established in 1880 was taught continuously for over sixty years. Harmony Baptist Church was first located in the Thompson School building. The church house wa erected around 1885. Cemeteries are located at Harmony Church and at Donaldson's Graveyard one and a half miles southeast of Ethel.

VALENA
     The village of Valena was located on the Big Black River, on the western part of a plantation owned by Silas H. Clark. It was an early trading center for the surrounding country and was a regular stopping place for flatboats from other points on the river. Clark's Ferry was located south of Teague's Ferry on the Big Black River. Clark built a bridge at this place before the Civil War and charged a toll for travelers.

Clark's Ferry   Rider—25¢ Buggy and Horse—40¢ Double team and Buggy—50¢ Single team and wagon—$1.00 Double team and wagon—$1.75 Walker—10¢

     The bridge was two miles long and ended in Goodman, across the river in Holmes County. The first saw mill in Attala County was built in Valena. At the time of its greatest prosperity, Valena was comprised of two, or three stores, a blacksmith shop and a Grog Shop. In 1902 Mr. W. A. Harman of Sallis wrote, "The site of the village is in a field that has long been in cultivation, early vestige of the village having disappeared years ago. I recollect when I first saw the place, when I was a boy, one solitary roofless old log house, well on the road to total decay, marked its site..." The site of the former village of Valena is about eight miles southwest of Attalaville and about one and one-half miles east by southest of Goodman.

WAMBO
     Wambo was located one and a fourth miles southeast from Joplin's Mill. Frank Gregory moved there in 1882 and kept the Post Office from 1890 until 1902.

WEEKS
     Weeks was located in the western part of the county. South of Earlyville and Pleasant Ridge. Mr. Jabez Weeks was one of the earliest settlers. He was there before the Civil War and operated an old horse gin. Weeks also boasted of a saw mill, grist mill and of a steam molasses mill out on the main road. There was a Post Office there from 1899 to 1906. There was a Weeks Negro School there as late as 1930; it was only taught for four months out of the year, as the Education Board Records show.

WELLS
     Wells was a Post Office kept by John Toler in 1880; later it was kept by Dick Reeves on the Greensboro Road ten miles north of Kosciusko. Dock Bell had a store on Hurricane Creek and the Post Office was one mile south of the store. The school house for the Natchez Trace School was located about halfway between the store and the Post Office. It is said that John A. Wasson started the Wells Post Office on 29 January 1857, that he was its first Postmaster and that he served it at different times over a period of several years.

WHITE'S
     White's was located four miles southwest of McCool on the old Louisville Road. It was named White's because it was once a Presbyterian white organization, composed of slave holders before the Civil War. Some of these were the Bloombergs, Hudsons, Portwoods, Austins and Hannas. Dr. Chappell Hughes lived where Frank Tims once lived near the White Church. Hughes was married to one of the Hanna girls. When the old families disposed of their land and moved away, they deeded the Presbyterian Church amd the seven acres on which it was located to the negroes, who named it White Church. A large cemetery is located at this church.

WILLIAMSVILLE
     Williamsville is a widely scattered community. From the Yockanookany River Bridge where Ray and Qujette Lawrence run a Grocery Store, across the highway to the Yockanookany Bait Shop and up thirty-five to the Riverside and Citgo Service Stations, the community extends to Service Supply and on to McQuirters Grocery. Travel back down the road to the main street of Williamsville and you will pass Ellen's Keepsakes at the intersection of Highway 14. The log house makes an interesting setting for an Antique Shop. On main street on the right is the Antique Shop of Randall Lindsay and next the Dendy Carpet Store. Across the street we find Lynn Pettit's Store and then the R. D. Lindsay Store which is operated by Frank Lindsay. Proceed on to the east and we pass the Community House, Plunkett's Gin, Jay's Grocery, then the Crossroads Grocery, which is run by Johnny and Janice Dean. Just down the Highway is the Wonder Potato Chip Warehouse, Jack Rhodes Garage, Kosciusko Marble and Granite Works, Edwards and Otts Monument Place and Mavis' Curl Castle.
(special note: the above paragraph describes Williamsville as it was in the early 1970's. The paragraph was left intact for the sole purpose of showing those, that are familiar with Williamsville today, just what changes a scant thirty years can wrought.)

     Williamsville of yesterday is a different story; the business district was very complex. For many years the acreage did not change hands. Then "Whammo". What follows is not in strict chronological sequence, as this would be nigh on impossible. An attempt has been made to list as many of the different businesses as possible, so that they would not be forever lost to mind. There have been several blacksmith shops; Wallace Johnson's father had the first. This was located where Ivy Johnson's house is now. Then there was the Jones Smithy, run by Ant Jones, father of Briscoe. Mr. Tom Cook was also a blacksmith; he is the father of R. D. Cook, who still lives in the town. Thomas Monroe Williams had one of the first stores. Later his father Elisha came to live here. It is for this family that Williamsville was named. Among other store owners there were: Sam and Tom Mooney, Clark, Man Berry, R. D. Lindsay, J. Niles Boyd's Store run by Roy Burroughs, Arthur Moore, Clude Mauldin, Robert's Store, Doug Ratliff, Bill Mayo, Claude Jennings, Gally Ray, Earl Ray, Mrs. Ray and Lula Ray, Graydon Pettit, Cliff Barrett, J. J. Hartness amd Durward Hartness. There was a Monroe's Seed House at one time; he shipped seeds all over the country. In 1911 there was a Woodman of World Hall built in Williamsville, mumber 867. In later years Mr. J. Will Owen ran a store in this building and was also Justice of the Peace. Then Owens Store was moved into a new building he had erected between what is Pettit's and Lindsay's today. After Owen moved out of the W.O.W. building, S. B. Terry had a grocery and a hamburger place in it. This building was located near where the Graydon Pettits live today. There have been two gins in Williamsville; this was unusual for a place this size. Perhaps this was because it was a crossroads, more or less, geographically. John and Jim Joplin were brothers and operated a gin, saw mill and grist mill in Williamsville. Later Hugh Joplin ran the gin and sold it to Max Lindsay. The other gin, which is still in operation by Grady Plunkett, was started by Allen White from Ethel. Herbert Mayo once owned a service station in the Forks of the town; Elmer Richardson was a good mechanic who had a shop here. Ewing had a furniture store here. There was also a hamberger place, which was run by Ben Teston of McVille and which had its own floor show on Saturday afternoons; the star of the show was little Stanley Hartness, who buck-danced for hambergers. Apparently the talent runs in the family as Mrs. Hartness used to be the Dancing Star of the Minstrels which were held at the schoolhouse.

     The schools in this community are no more. There used to be a small school on the Charles Temple Road called the Pulltight School and there was also a small one-teacher school near where Mrs. Clara Whittigton now lives. The school at Williamsville, located where the Baptist Church is today was known as East Union; it was consolidated with smaller schools in the area, Joplin, Cunnahoma and New Hope. In the late 1930's the high school was transferred to Kosciusko, giving that place many needed basketball stars. Later, the elementary students were also transferred into town.

     Williamsville history would not be complete with out covering the Meat Peddlers; Richard Dickens was the first one that the Hartness Family can remember. He was the father of Dan Lou Dickens, a fine citizen of the area today; he started his meat route in a buggy and later bought a car. The next was Porter Ashford and then Ham Triplett. It seems that the Hartness had a little dog who knew when Triplett was coming before he rang his bell. It seems that Ham always saved a few scraps for his canine friend. We could say the way to a friends heart is through his stomach!

     For awhile the people of Williamsville had a barber service and a pressing shop. Dan Dickens would come into town and cut the hair of the people of the town. He would also bring in his huge iron to Terry's Store and press clothes. Later, Dan owned and operated a store near his house. McQuirter owns the store but Dan and Vi Dickens still live in "their house by the side of the road" where they "are a friend to man".

ZAMA
     Zama did not come into being until 1912. This area of Attala County was covered with beautiful virgin timber. The few houses in the area were built of logs as there were no mills to saw the timber. Industrialist A. L. Franklin and a Mr. Bolinger came to the area, recognized the potential and proceeded to build a big "band" saw mill to harvest the timber. An existing small saw mill was purchased and brought into the area to cut timber to be used in the construction of dwelling houses, camp houses and all the other buildings that the new "Big Mill" would require. It was a three year effort and provided jobs for everyone that could use a hammer, pull a saw, drive a yoke of oxen or manage a team of horses. In time, a short-line railroad was built to aid in the gathering and hauling of timber.

      Zama became a boom town in the truest sense of the word. Mr. Franklin named the town, Zama for his oldest daughter. The town of Zama grew by leaps and bounds as row upon row of neat little two bedroom houses were built. In short order, there was a Hotel for Whites, a Hotel for Blacks, a Depot, Commissary, Jail, Bank, Post Office, and a School. These were followed by General Stores, Garages, Cafes, Blacksmith Shops, Barbershops, grist mills, Skating Rink, Tea Room, a Laundry & Dry Cleaning business, Express Office and Ice House.

     The "Boom Town" lasted for a period of just twelve years. When the timber began to get scarce and the Depression era began, the "Big Mill" moved to Bessemer, Alabama. Many of the buildings were sold and relocated. Some that remained were destroyed in a fire. The High School survived until 1965, the grammar school closed in 1968, but was reopened a short time later when the few remaining citizens of Zama brought suit to have it reopened. The case ultimately went all the way to the Supreme Court before a favorable ruling was handed down.

     Today, little remains of the town that once was Zama.

ZEBULON
     Zebulon Post Office was named by Colonel C. L. Anderson for Zebediah Guess, who was Supervisor at that time. G. W. Guess owned and operated a cotton gin, saw mill and grist mill near Zebulon from 1885 until his death in 1898 until 1910 when the Post Office became part of a rural route from Kosciusko. Gor churches, industries and personalities see the Macedonia community.

ZEMULY
     Zemuly is still located twelve miles southwest of Kosciusko and was named for Mrs. Zemuly Morgan, wife of Charlie Morgan. It comprises low hilly land which is drained by small streams which form the headwaters of the Seneasha Creek. It is bounded by Leake County on the south, Newport District on the west, on the north by Joseph and on the east by the Palenstine Negro community.

     Morgan School, located one mile north of Zumuly Store, was established early and was taught first, and for several years, by E. F. Morgan. The second school building was located in 1906 about two hundred yards east of Zemuly. South Union School was located opposite a store at the church from 1909 to 1939. Cedar Grove Negro Public School was situated three-fourths of a mile north of the store.

     Cedar Grove Baptist Negro Church was one mile east of Zemuly just off the Kosciusko-Goodman Road. Bethel Methodist Church was established in 1882 about one and a half miles northeast of Zemuly Store, moved two miles east and later rebuilt where it is located today, at the intersection of the Thomastown and Kosciusko-Goodman roads, just up the road from Charles Payne's Store. Jenkin's Graveyard is about three miles northeast of Zemuly, near the site of the Bethel Church, the second site which was on the road to Goodman. McKay Graveyard is one and a half miles southeast of Zemuly on the Thomastown Road.

     Bolatusha Post Office a mile southeast of Zemuly and was established in 1895 by William Allen. He kept the Office until the spring of 99' when he moved away. The Post Office was then moved across the Leake County line and kept for many years by Miss Bettie Simpson. Zemuly Post Office was kept from 1902 until 1907 by Charlie Morgan.

     Reverend E. B. McKay and his family lived here before 1845; he was a Methodist Episcopal preacher and a slave owner. Reverend Jesse P. Morgan, Lutheran minister, settled here very early. He was the father of Charlie Morgan, who had a saw mill, gin and grist mill as well as being Postmaster for five years. Mr. Frazier, father of William and Samuel, settled here at an early date. Jacob Pope was one of the earliest settlers. Also in the 1870's there came W. C. Dubard, George Meek, L. R. Hines, W. C. Lewis, William M. and J. S. McAtee, brothers who operated a steam saw mill, gin, grist mill and shingle mill about 1885 til 1910. L. R. Hines also ran a water mill, gin and grist mill from 1872 until 1905. Today there remains one store and the church, which is distinctive because, even though it stands at a crossroads, it shows no favoritism to either side. The front of the church faces the point of the roads crossing with its square tower keeping watch on all who pass that way.

ZILPHA
     Zilpha was located twenty miles north of Kosciusko on the Vaiden Road, which is now Highway 35 North. It was named for Zilpha Creek, on which many of the early settlers made their home. The creek formed by many small branches runs into the Big Black River. W. B. Briscoe settled there in 1883; he ran a saw mill, a gin and a store. Later, around 1891, he secured a Post Office, which he kept until his death in 1893. Then Mr. John G. Weatherly moved into the community and succeeded his father-in-law until a rural route was established. Zilpha was also a voting precinct in the very early years of the county. Zilpha Creek is still important today; many Kosciusko residents still go fishing up on Zilpha.