The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1900-08-18

tioheef DasSs
AS was promised several weeks ago
we herewith present some remin-
~isenc.s of olden days in Grenada coun-
ty as remembered by Mrs. James K.
Crump, mother of Mr.. Walter Crump,
of Parsons, now in her seth year and
with her mind as clear as a bell. Mrs.
Crump came to Grenada county with
her husband in 1885. Where Grenada
is now located there we're then two lit
tie towns, named Pittsburg and Talla-
homa. Tallahoma was the part Of town
here w. L. Smiths residence Is now
located, while the present business
portion of Grenada was the town OF
Pittsburg. The street running north
and south past the Methodist church
was the dividing line between the two
rival settlements, and across this line
many battles we're fought for suprem-
acy. Finally the warning factions were
r~econciled and the two towns we're
| united under the name of Grenada, the
uame being selected by DR.. Gillespie,
long since gathered to his fathers.
Further down the river, on the west
bank, was a little town called Troy,
which is now known as Tuscahoma
Ferry. What is now known as Choc-
chuma was then a town consisting oil
five business houses besides the saloons,
other little shops, three hotels and five
boarding houses. These towns ship
ped their cotton and received their
goods by boat. AT almost any time
you would look out on the river boats
of some kind could be seen. They not
only carried cotton and goods, but car
ried passengers, both white men and
Indians. Boats large enough to carry
800 bales of cotton we're running. Choc-
chuma was Mrs. Crump's first home in
this county, and there she lived for ten
years. 1t was while she lived there
that the Choctax Indians left Missis-
! sippi and went &c the Territory. The
land sales of 1888 took place in her
house.
At Guys corner there was a large
school building, then known as Tusca-
loosa Academy. This was burned in
1S47 while Mr.. Jack Lampkin, father
of Mr.. 7. P. Lampkin, was teaching.
Mr.. J. M. Duncan now owns the bell
that belonged to the Academy when 1t
was burned. Mrs. Crump tells Us that
in the fall of 1885, on the 10th of Sep
TENDER, there was a killing frost. Wild
turkey, bear, deer and small game
were plentiful all over the country.
Indians killed game and sold it to
the white men. OF course the Indians
knew very little Of the value OF any
thing, and as a matter oil course made
very poor trades.
Mrs. Roster came TO Chccchuma a
few years before Mrs. Crump. She
was very anxious to get a stock oil fine
chickens which belonged TO some In
dians and made repeated offers for a
pair OF the fowls but to no effect. One
day Mrs. Rosters little boys were out
fishing when the Indians came along
and saw them catching fish with a
hook, something they had neve seen
or heard OF before. They we're SC
charmed and delighted that they were
ready to trade for a hook, so the boys
gave them a hook for a chicken and
Mrs. Roster succeeded in getting
all the chickens she wanted by giving
a fish hook for each one.
Mrs. Crump's mind is saturated with
these "reminiscences OF the pioneer day
in Mississippi and we hope to presen
more OF them from time TO time.
There things are a reminder that tn
history of Grenada county lives only II
the minds OF men. The few who tool
part in the trials aud triumphs OF 1t
early settlement have nearly all passe'
over the river OF the shadow and whe
they are gone our history will be gon
with them forever. 1t should be tn
It pride and duty OF some one to collec
e the scattered fragments and put ther
on paper so that in the days TO come
r somewhat exact history will be extan'
II must be done soon or never. tn
y SENTINEL will be glad to publish any
e thing that pertains to the days OF tt
10 far past.