The Grenada sentinel., 1921-09-16
WELL WRITTEN ARTICLE GIVES
EARLY HISTORY OF GRENADA
First Meeting seectmen Recalls Organization
Town Intense Rivalry of Towns of Tulahoma and
Pittsburg Shown.

The Sentinel has on more than one
occasion published the early history
of the City Of Grenada, how that two
rival towns, after years Of rivalry
and strife, decided to bury their diff
merge themselves into a new town TO
be called Grenada" which merger
was solemnly and sacredly made by a
formal marriage at a public dinner
given by the citizens of the two towns
July 4. 1896, Rev. Mr.. Lucas, a
Methodist minister afficiating.
Through the kindness of Mr.. E. l..
Gerard, Sr., The Sentinel has recent
ly had entrusted to it, the book con-
tanning the minutes of the first meet
ing of the Selectmen or as it is now
called the City Council of Grenada,
and the first bylaws or regulations
for the government of the town. This
meeting was August 9, 1886. The
book is well preserved and the writ
ing is clear and distinct. The sigma
ture of John NJ Phillips, President or
Mayor, appears to these first City
records. The Minutes of the meeting
of June 10th, 1885, Of the Selectmen,
shows the following members: Z. P.
Stratton. president, J. c. Abbott, w
! G. Kendall, B. D. Smith, W. p Bryan,
and H. VI. Canaday, recorder.
In a graduating paper which MIR.
, Z. L. Gerard, Jr., prepared when ne
; finished the high school course in
/ Grenada in 1915, the history OF The
early life Of Grenada is so splendidly
told that liberty is taken mere to re-
Iproduce the greater part of it. This
paper feels sure that vast majority
/ Of .Arels VIII - ~ Jry with
( iiL.-.Sst. hos ever cad
- ~-4v4, will .nu Of peculiar .nter-
/ est. To those who knew the story it
VIII be as one that never grows old:
Early in the nineteenth century,
about 1920, when this country still
belonged to the Indians, there came
from Massachusetts 10 Mississippi a
band Of missionaries TO Christianize
the Redmen. A few years later. by
the Dancing Rabbit Creek Treaty, the
lndi@ @Hs ce2e4 70 tSe-Jni nile.i .,e.ees
NADIA County. When the Indians left,
| the white settlers remained and
founded the two rival towns of Pitts
burg and TullahOma at what was then
known as the head Of navigation of
the Yalobusha river. Franklin E.
Plumber was the founder Of Pitts
burg and Hiram G. Runnels was the
founder of Tulahoma which was
east Of Pittsburg. Most Of the pio-
Ineers were from the older Southern
states and represented the best peo-
pie of the South. Some came up the
river in keel boats but the majority
came overland IN wagons, bringing
their families, negroes, stock, house
hold effects and farming implements.
''Pittsburg contained six business
houses. It's original settlers were
James Sims. merchant; DR.. Allen Gil
laspee, 10 whose memory monument
has been erected by the citizens Of
Grenada; DR.. Frank DOsSett; G. d.
Mitchell. teacher. NJ II. Mellon. black
smith; Ralph Coffman, merchant; c.
H. Grey, planter; Jonathan Carl,
er. The original settlers Of Tullaho-
ma were: John Balfour, ferryman;
Maj. Jack Williamson, hotcl-keeper;
Joseph Bullock, drayman Larkin
Cleveland, merchant; Mrs. Annie
Parker, hotel-keeper; Mr. Dabbage,
baker; Geo. r. Morton, merchant;
William Marshall, silversmith; Daniel
Robertson, town marshal. Mrs. Smith,
planter; John B. Pass, planter, Henry
William, and Levin Lake, merchants.
''The growth Of the two towns was
greatly retarded by the bitter rivalry
that existed between them. This
rivalry was paralleled by the political
enmity existing between the founders
of the two towns. The rivalry be-
tween Pittsburg and Tullahoma was
very bitter. during the political CAM
paign of 1885. On the occasion of
a joint discussion between Plummer
and Runnels. partisan feeling ran so
high that bloodshed was narrowly
In 1885 there we're seven
or eight houses and as many saloons
in Tullahoma. There we're two doc
tors, one lawyer and no churches.
Pittsburg was somewhat larger and
had the only newspaper, the post
Office, and one small school. The |
Pittsburg paper was named "The
Bowie Knife" and was the first news
paper in this section. The editor,
John / Hamilton, became indebted
to the citizens of Pittsburg, who held
a mortgage on his press. When the
citizens Of Tullahoma took up the
mortgage he agreed to move the
paper to Tullahoma, and by the aid
Of the press Tullahoma secured the
oost-office. Later Pittsburg got the
post Office back but failed to get the
paper. In the early days there were
two rival ferries across the river.
The upper one was controlled by
rullahoma, the lower one by Pitts
burg.