Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1922-10-12
Carly History Of 4afa4ette younty|
By MISS sALLIE BELLE DUNCAN

A great part of Northern Missis'
sippi in the early thirties was occu'
pied by the Chickasaw Indians. BY
the treaty of October 20, 1882, con-
cluded at Pontotoc Creek, this terri
tory was ceded to the United States
by these Indians, after which 9
survey was made, the land being
known as the Chickasaw Cession.
After the survey was made, patents
were issued to the Indians for certain
amount of the land; patents were also
;ssned to white settlers. These In
dams were allowed to select their
own home in the territory beyond the
Mississippi River. They were slow in
finding them a suitable place, but
finally in 1884, selected the land IN
the Indian territory, beyond that &C.
cupied by the Choctaws, and most OF
them had moved by the close of 1885.
The first record of any sale of land in
Lafayette County was in the year
1886.
Lafayette was one of ten counties
into which the Chickasaw Cession was
divided. This county was established
February 9, 1886. 1t was named in
honor of a distinguished friend of the
American Republic, the Marquis De
Lafayette. 1t has an area of 720
square miles. The two earliest set
elements in this county were at Eaton
and Wyatt both of which are now ex-
tinct.
Eaton was located about Is miles
west of the present site of Oxford on
the Tallahatchie River. A ferry boat
was established here enabling the set
tiers of Pamela and Lafayette coun-
ties, to cross on their way to Oxford.
Dr. Corban was prominent farmer in
this neighborhood in the early thirties.
This incipient town was destroyed by
the panic of 1887.
Wyatt was located about IS miles
from the present site of Oxford on the
supposed head of the Tallahatchie
River. 1t was settled about the time
of the Chickasaw Cession and flurish-
ed before Oxford had been named OF
Holly Springs even thought of. This
town was incorporated by an act of
the legislature of 1888. This was a
shipping point for large section of
the county and boats piled between
this place and New Orleans. The
Brooks gin manufactured here was
widely used in North Mississippi.
Here dwelt for time the famous DR..
Robert Watt, called the best physician
in North Mississippi; Thomas H. AL
len, A. Giles; Andrew Robertson,
Mayor Aston, DR.. R. o. Caster, and
DR.. Edward McMuchen. This town
decayed rapidly after the panic of
1887.
Goodlow Buford was the first set
tier of College Hill, hamlet, six
miles north west of Oxford. He
moved to this place in 1885 and decided
several tracts of his land for the
benefit of a school and church. This
place received its name from the Col
lege that was established here in 1910.
The Shaws moved to this place soon
after the Bufords, and the Tankers-
leys and Welup were among those
that came later.
John j. Craig, John Chisholm, and
John d. Martin settled on the present
site of Oxford in 1885. While living
among the Indians they negotiated
with them in 1886 for the sale of the
north half of section % and south
half of section Fl, and portion of the
northern half of section FL in town
ship s, south, range 8 west, as indi-
Gated by the Chickasaw Survey. The
first owners Of record of these two