Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1922-10-12
rounding the. same.

.
Craig. DR.. T. D. Isom then young
man, was the first clerk in this store,
and it was used as trading post for
the Indians. 1t was located on the
present site of Blacks Transfer Co.
AT that time there was hickory tree
standing in front Of what is now Mrs.
Moor's boarding house, which was
used as the point from which the first
lots of the town were surveyed. There
is a large red oak tree standing on
North Street which was evidently
here when Oxford was first settled.
When the property on which it is
standing was purchased by William
F. Strong from the County Board of
Police in 1874, this tree was about
the size of mans arm.
The frs houses built here were
made of rock. Some had dirt floors
and some puncheon (puncheon floor
was one made of planks cut from the
trees with an ax). John Craig built a
sawmill on Yellowleaf creek, now
known as Lincker's Mill, about 1888.
Some of the early settlers of Ok
ford were the Jones, Phipps, Kendels,
Pegues, Thompsons, Andrews, Dun
cans, Avents, Isoms, Triggs, Buck
ners, Furrs, Nelson's and Howreys.
This place grew rapidly and was
chosen as the county seat of Lafayette
County. 1t was named for the Eng
lish University town of the same name
in anticipation of it's subsequent select
ion as the seat of the States chief
institutions of learning. Oxford was
incorporated by the legislature in
1887. The early records of this town
are missing, having been burned
with the court house during the Civil
War; but it appears from the deeds
recorded that the governing body of
the town was composed of a Presi-
dent and Board of Select-men which
is shown to have been in 1866 as
follows: E. R. Belcher, Pres, w. H.
Smithers, Angus Mcleod, Thomas Fl.
Robinson and w. S. Nelson.
The following notation is found on
page 90 of Minute Book No. of the
Probate Court Records: "The public
enemy under Gen. A. j. Smith came
to Oxford Mississippi, OH 22nd day
of August, 1864, and burned the town,
including the court house, and robbed
the inhabitants, therefore there was
no court held on the 4th Monday in
August, 1864" All of the business
portion of the town was burned ex-
cept the one building where Buford's
Furniture store now is and it has
burned since. Mr.. Charles Roberts
was the first to erect a store after the
war, on the ruins of the former town.
The county court house was rebuilt in
1871 and the Federal Court house
was erected in 1885. Lafayette
Springs was quite popular watering
place before the war. People came
here from quite distance. This place
has decreased in Importance since
then. The above mentioned places
were the most important ones in the
early history of Lafayette County.
! The first Board of Police of this
county was composed of the following
gentlemen: George Pullin, Andrew
Herring, Samuel T. Rayburn, George
Mcfarland, and John N. Houston,
they acting in the capacity now exer-
cised by the Board of Supervisors.
The first Probate Judge of the
county was William T. Hewlett and
the first sheriff was Chas. G. Butler
John Rayburn was senator from this
county in 1887, 49, 49,, and
Thomas B. Hill in 1910. The repre-
sentatives were as follows: Horatio
Nelson in 1897, Robert Josselyn in