The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1886-04-07
nIsroRIcAn NOTES.

Some write for glory,f some Tor pas
time, but | shall write for the purpose
of handing down to other generations
such history as perhaps would be lost,
which, If preserved through the medium
of the press, would be a surprise TO
some and a source of satisfaction TO
others. The sketches which propose
to write will be of persons and incidents,
some of them of more than eighty
wears ago, when this part of our
State was first settled by white men
when we ha6 no steamboats, or railroads,
churches, courthouses, school houses or
even wagon roads; here settle a hardy
and fearless set of people, every one
trying to improve his situation.
Jefferson county was one of the two
first counties organized in the then
Territory of Mississi ppi, as early as the
year 1854 aud was then called Pickerins,
which was in after years changed 10
Jefferson. The county seat was called
Greenville, which was situated on what
for more than 50 years has been known
as the 0ii Nqtches trace, being distant
from Natchez, going north, % miles aud
bein, south % miles from Port Gibson
on the Bayou Pierre. This was the regular
Indian road or trace from Natchez TO
Columbus on the Bigby River, IN the
eastern part Of the State.
Greenyilie, the county seat of jetfer-
son county, was situated IN the beautiful
valley OF Platner's Creek, one the nnesl
corn aud cotton growing sections OF our
county, and here now Is land which mas
been cultivated more than 50 years, pro-
ducing remuneration crops; here Is nne
cane and grazing land, and every tning
looks prosperous. There about 1910,
Abiiah Hunt erected the first cotton-gln
every erected in the county. About the
sa,ae time Dav d Greenleaf built another
gin on the line of Jefferson and Adams,
which which was known as the fuoile
Gin of Andrews. This was on the
Natehez trace, twelve miles from
Natchez and near Shroses mound. Inns
mound was thrown up long before the
white man came, and was done, perhaps
by the Indians.
The Hnnt gin became the property
of Or. Rush Mutt. who resided many
years in the neighborhood OF Rodney, on
wb;eb he made the fine cotton that
rendered his name so famous IN ne"
Orleans and Manchester. This cotton
old for two cents or three cents above
the market. and not bale was ever
sampled till it reached the mandatory
IL could never be made to gin more
than one bale per day This gin was
used as late US 1913. 1t is now gone
having been burned some years since
In mentioning the name of Abijah Hunt
it is doing tardy justice to his memory
to saw that he was the pioneer OF Missis
sippi enterprise. Had he lived fe"
wears longer, he would have LEFT repn
tation which the prondest might have
enyied. But in the year 1911 he Tough,
a duel with Governor Poindexter and
was killed.
When we look back some eighty year,
ard there was but one road that traversee
the State aud now look and see tn'
change we ara amazed. The old Natche'
trace is in the same place, and now u
1886. the l.. n. o. a. T. X. X run
parallel 20 it from Port Gibson 10
thirteen miles when it makes detou Y,
10 Harriston; then again the ~ " q
r. r. runs from Natchez for tweis'
miles parallel to the 0lG trace, mere -.
diyerges at the old Andrew'sgin OF loo'
and runs to Fayetie and harfislo'
twenty-eight miles, and on through IN
county over hill and valleys towars
Jackson. From Hsrrisfon the n. Y
x t. X. n runs south through ~
county into Franklin and then on =
New Orleans. In my next 4 Will q
back to Greenville ahd give some fh''
road history. A. p WAfk'sSs