The Aberdeen examiner. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1866-current, 1922-08-11

or less hilly. The prairie region of
the west was preempted almost en-
tirely by the Shareholder, who rap
idly grew rich, and who there estab-
lished plantations of lordly dimen-
sions. Splendid colonial homes
abound, the sites of former gran
deur. Many of these plantation
owners in the prairie belt lived in
Aberdeen and Columbus, towns from
the very beginning noted for social
refinement, and whose inhabitants
were always distinguished for their
intellectual qualities.
Aberdeen was slbstant ally the
head Of navigation for the Tombig-
bee, though steamboats,, in high
water, went as far north as Cotton
Gin Port and Comargo, south of Tu-
pelo.
Being the head of nav gatoa be-
fore the Civil War, Aberdeen was
famous as the home of many wealthy
merchants, who shipped their goods
by the Tombigbee River from Mobile,
where they came from the East, by
sea-going vessels, and at Aberdeen
these goods were exchanged for
cotton, which was hauled by the
planters to Aberdeen for transporta-
ton, for seventy-fve m les around
Much wealth accordingly accumulat-
ed here. During the sos, the Mobile
e. Ohio railroad was projected north
from Mobile, through the very heart
Of the prairies, and, just before the
Civil War, was built on north, and
located some fifteen miles we Of
Columbus and glt mile west os
Aberdeen. Strange t. say the pant
ers OF Aberdeen and Columbus We're
Indifferent about the nr.se.ce Of
the IT, road On Oe-oee- 14.h. 1859,
taa branch from A5er'eea tn .lul-
don, nine niles in le1E d. WAS CONF
r.e.eE. putting Aberdeen i1 touch
with the commercial c0tz Of the
world. The Illinois Cent al Raj
Road was built into tie iowa in
1884, and the Kansas City, Memphis
& Birmingham, now tie Frisco, was
completed in the wear 1885. These
competing trunk Ines give u usual
facilities for the transportation Of
goods, and, as a result, they have
practically put steamboat transpor-
tation out of BUSINESS. Until the
branch road of the Mobile & Ohio
was built from Muldon, goods and
passengers were transported from
Aberdeen by private conveyance to
the stations of Prairie and Egypt on
the main line.
During the Civil War, the rich
prairie lands were one of the granar-
les for feeding the southern armies.
During the last years of the war,
corn was bought by the Confederate
government and stored in rail pens
along the roads for miles, wherein it
could be transported to the fighting
men at the front. Little cotton was
then raised, because of the embargo
of the Federal Government. The
prairie lands were not only product
i've of cotton and corn of the finest
quality, but they are as fine alfalfa
lands as the world affords; which in
recent years made it extremely at
tractive to farmers of the West, who
know the high feed ng qualities and
the great profits in alfalfa.
Aberdeen and Monroe County have
always extended hearty welcome
to citizens from other states and
countries, who constantly are at
tracted by the rich soil and salub-
rious climate. Very little timber is
found in the black lands, but alorg
the Tombigbee River, and in the
eastern portion of Monroe County
are tremendous quantities of the
finest pine ard hardwood, and the
lumber industry has always been a
leading one. Aberdeen has three
splendid banks, and abundant cap
ital for all reasonable needs.
Geo. J. Leftwich.