The vidette. (Iuka, Tishomingo County, Miss.) 1912-1967, 1923-08-02
VOLUME xxx NO 4S
IUKA

sss416nor of an Indian chief of that name
sslf'ho, so tradition says, lived at what is
.snow known as the Brinkley place.
u (, Long before the foot of white man
!, had trodden the primeval wilderness,
the mineral springs, which still consti-
tute the greatest attraction here, were
: Tpatronized by the aborigines. The sick
were brought here for many weary
siniles that they might drink of the life
giving waters, which have given Iuka
4. 4 worldwide reputation. Wigwams,
uss;i;tE Ecupied by Indians in search of health,
We're scattered over the adjoining hills.
~ The building of the Memphis and
Charleston railroad, (now known as
Y the Southern,) was the direct cause of
s.the towns location. When the first
4. surveys were made there were only
two families living inside the limits of
the first incorporation. These were
David Hubbard, who lived at the
Brinlley place, and Lem Hubbard, who
lived at the s. NJ. Dean place.
llE PASSPORT was then the commercial
metropolis Of this section. 1t had sew
eral hundred inhabitants and did an inn
mense business. Situated at the head
). of low water navigation on the Tennes-
see river, il was the shipping and buy
l ing point for hundred miles south
Great caravans of wagons were plying
almost incessantly during the fall and
winter, bringing cotton and carrying
back goods When the railroad sur
y.teys were made those in charge OF the
,fpterprise made propositions to the
NNpsople of Eastport, looking to the
building of the road to that place. They
4 asked for donation of $4,000 as
4 bonus. The short-sighted people OF
that flourishing place refused to do
anything, thinking the railroad would
be forced to come by. After it was too
late they saw their error and read the
doom of their town.
4 The first train passed through luka
{ in 1856 The town was not then IN
X corporated. Indeed, strong effort
was made to locate the depot at Bly,
:, thes crossing, u miles east OF the
( present depot Shelby Ussery and his
son -in-law, ], J. Blythe, lived there and
were men of influence, but the superior
attraction of the mineral springs de-
cided the contest in favor of Iuka.
y The first mayor of Iuka was named
William Settle. The town grew quite
rapidly. Gradually the business men OF
Eastport. finding they could not COM
pete with steam transportation, moved
their business to Iuka. Just as the
town was getting on its feet, SO to
I speak, the Civil war came on and stop
ped further developments. Situated
ON the border line between the con-
tending forces, it was in the possession
of each alternately until the close of
the war. An important battle was
! .efoupht two miles southwest OF town on
September 49, 1862, between the Con-
federates under General Price and the
IF ederals under General Rosencrans.
/ 8Roth sides claimed the victory but the
rf advantage lay with the Confederates,
though General Price was forced to
evacuate the town next morning be-
cause of a thanking force under zen.
Grant which was advancing from
Burnsville. Other historical events
connected with the war occurred III ana
around Iuka, but we have not space III
this article to go into details. The bat
tIefield is now the site OF. the beautiful
home of Mr.. r. U. Woodley, Battle
Heights.
When the war was over it lett the
people of this section greatly im-
poverished 1t was i'll worse con-
dition than many other portions OF the
state becaase of its location on the
border line OF warfare. But the recu-
perative powers of an indomitable race
such as the Anglo Saxon. are beyono
calculation. The soldiers returned H.
rags and penniless, and in many cases
Ito behold the charred and blackenee
/ ruins of what had been happy an.
prosperous homes, but despite the ac'
cumulated misfortunes of war ane
poverty they set themselves to work i
rebuild their shattered fortunes
Gradually but surely Iuka began t'
grow. Business was again opened u.
and the tide OF commerce and trad,
began to move.
The first mayor of Iuka after th'
war was John M. Stone. afterwards
county treasurer, state senator, ane
governor. The first marshall was j. !
Weaver, the noted scout. The hrs
postmaster was G. P. Hammerly. H'
was appointed by President johnson
and served six months.
The first merchants to resume bust
ness after the warMeere ]. ID. Martin
AT. Matthew G. P. Hammerly
James H. Doan, and Dan Coleman
There were three or four saloons III th'
tqAH at this time. but in 1882 they were
batlished after a bitter fight and nc
saloon has been in the town since.
The old hotel, occupying the SIT
of the preseat brick, was built beior'
the WAR and escaped destruction