The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1888-07-07
SOME "REMINISCENCES OF THE PAST


note Published in the Herald, that |
/ made mistake 10 his grand
fathers given name. He, like
many others, had a nickname
which / had been accustomed to
hear applied to those named Will
ham. This led me into the mis-
take, which | might have avoid 4
ed if | had reflected a little. /
sec too, from Col. Galtney's COM j
munication, that ! placed the
Natchez tornado a year or two
tco early, having to depend on
memory alone for the date.
have thought that some ac-
count of the citizens Of this coun-.
ty generally, when | first became
acquainted with it in 1890, might
be interesting to many of your
readers, as large portion of the
present population are their de-.
scendants. The majority of the
people at that time was the Sec
ond gcaeration in this county, al
though there were many still llv-
ing who properly helaneed to the
first. The first settlers in this
county were a hardy, brave and
enterprising race, for none but
meu Of that class would have en-
countered the difficulties, hard
ships and dangers incident to a
Journey from the older States to
the Mississippi Territory. AT
that time the Creek, Cheiokee,
Choctaw and Chickasaw nations
of indians lay between the othci
States and this portion of the ter
litorx. A journey through those
nations ut that time was not con.
siderod very safe. Some Tre-
ferred to 60 to The Tennessee
river, and thence down said river
III fiat boats to the 0hi3, down
that riverto the Mississippi, and
down that river to Nafchez, or
some poiut below, rather thai
lisk a Journey through those ma
tions. suppose that none Of
them lsrpugh' much wealth with
them, aud they raised thcir chi
dren to DO Industrious, honest
and frugal. So thst IN 1880
many of this second generation
had added much 10 the property
which they had inherited. More
of what might be c.nssed with The
first generation hved in the Thick
woods precinct than IN any Other
part of the county, The Snileys
Dixon, Germany, Ander 0 n
Smith, commonly called Yanke'
Smilh, Land, Van Houton, Gen
eral Davis, L. Jones Stewart, th'
Castons, Pemble. Johnson, fh'
Boatners, Gcralds, Geyle, th'
Graves, the Dunns, Gilmore
Johns, Reeves, Gunby Atkinson
Ramsey and Talbert owned rear
" the whole Of said precinct
They were all men of considera
bic property, and many ct then
among the early settlers. Their
were also quite 4 number OF me-
scattered over the balance of 1h
county who owned a considerabl
amount of property. but the
were minority Of the people
There were considerable mum
ber who did not own any slaves
but they were generally indus
trious, and made a comfortabl
LIVING The people were INTEL
geEt, law abiding and very hos
pitabls. Tie stranger tnat cam
y among them and proved hlmsel
worthy, soon found himself anon
friends. They were not carrie
away by any Specializing scheme
busrrlicd on honest industry
incrcase their wealth. The cred
~ Of the county stood high ID NaIchs
aud other poiuts where the pee
pie tradedand sold their product
They had very little 10 do wit
banks, and when the great foal
eial crash came, between 1886 al
40, they passed through that trl
ing ordeal without being seriou