An Early History of Simpson County, Mississippi by Bee King
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An Early History of Simpson County, Mississippi by Bee King Compiled by Frances B. Krechel AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED TO: Mrs. L. H. Holyfield (Beulah Boggan) (Electronic version prepared by NP Computers for Mendenhall Public Library, Lu Ann Bailey Librarian) Due to her life-long (b. 1893) interest, and being a native Mississippian, Miss Beulah has gathered together many historical articles and books, and it is basically from this remarkable and vast collection that the enclosed material has been taken, her love of Mississippi history proved to be contagious. So it is with deep appreciation and a sincere “Thank You” for the special help and encouragement, that another chapter has been added to the extensive recording of the state’s heritage. Miss Beulah has also meticulously and lovingly chronicled the names and dates of her Boggan and related families and it is through this mutual family connection that the compiler became interested in the events concerning the early days. All of the stories have been selected from a series of articles written by the late Bee King, who was a well- known lawyer, historian and writer. The Simpson County News began running the series in their weekly newspaper in 1937 and continued until 1948. Mr. King’s writings are a graphic presentation of the life and times of early Simpson County. He interviewed the elderly citizens through out the area and uniquely recorded for posterity the experiences of the people in day to day living. The picture shows Mr. King in his office when he was Mayor of Mendenhall, the county seat of Simpson County. 1928 Long before the coming of the white men to this county, there was an Indian encampment at or near what was afterwards known as Westville, and two or three well defined Indian trails crossing there; one running from a point on Pearl River near Rockport to the northeast through the Six Towns capital near the old gravel pit south of Weathersby, and another from the northwest and on in a southeast direction toward Mobile. Still another ran eastward through Smith and Jasper counties. These trails were used by the early traders and trappers who came into the county prior to the coming of regular settlers The first real settlements made in the county by white settlers were made about 1816, and after that time settlement was very rapid. By 1820 the Indian trails had been developed into roads over which wagons could pass without much difficulty. About 1800, William Gibson, an Indian trader, decided to locate near the Indian camp at the crossing of these trails, as he found it would be more profitable to have a permanent location than to travel about. He was a man of considerable means and was the owner of several slaves, and with the help of his slaves and such other help as he could obtain; he built a large rambling house. This house was located a few hundred feet north of where "the old courthouse used to stand, and was of course built of logs, which were hewn with broadaxes. The floors were made of plank, which were obtained by sawing the logs with a ripsaw. (Rip saw: a saw with coarse teeth, for cutting wood along the grain) This was a saw very similar to a cross cut saw, but the log had to be put in a high frame and well fastened. One man stood on the top of the frame and another stood under it, so that the saw was drawn up and down, like the sash saws of later years. It was slow work, but two strong men could saw several logs in a day. The four main rooms of his house were about 20 feet square and there were side rooms also. The chimneys were large and the fire places about eight feet wide. The window shutters were made of plank and there was a wide hallway and wide galleries. The kitchen stood about forty feet away from the dwelling and had a dirt floor. The slave quarters were further away, as were the barns and outhouses. Gibson built a large house so that he could take care of the many traders and travelers coming that way and soon had a good business. A short distance away he built another house which he used as a store house, where he traded with the Indians, swapping them beads, trinkets, knives, blankets, whiskey, etc., for furs. The furs were afterwards sold to fur traders or sent to Mobile to be sold or exchanged for things needed in a frontier settlement, most especially salt. Gibson's house soon became generally known as Gibson's tavern and adventurers of every kind Buffalo Hunting The first capital of the Six Town Indian Nation was probably near the old gravel pit south of Weathersby. The Six Town Indians had lived in this part of the country for hundreds of years before the coming of the white man. Until that time, their weapons were bows and arrows and blowguns. They were every one expert in making bows and arrows and in using them. A strong, well-trained Indian would sometimes shoot an arrow entirely through a deer or panther. Their method of killing a panther was for one Indian to shoot an arrow into the panther's body with great force, and then while the panther was trying to pull the arrow out, the other Indians would begin shooting until they killed it. One of their methods of killing deer and buffalo was to have an Indian to disguise himself as a deer or buffalo. This was done by covering himself with the hide of a deer or buffalo, and go into the woods where they were supposed to be and then imitate their call. When the hunted animal got close enough, the disguised Indian would shoot it with an arrow. This method of hunting required a great deal of skill as well as patience. The Indians were very expert in curing and dressing the skins of animals, and when the hide of a deer or buffalo was finally dressed, it was as soft and pliable as cloth, and every Indian chief was anxious to have a buffalo robe. When the first white traders and hunters came into the country, the Indians purchased guns as fast as possible and the use of bows and arrows was rapidly abandoned, and it was a rare thing it for an Indian to use the disguise of a deer or buffalo. About 1820, a young Indian, called Red Bird by the Indians, decided to kill a buffalo by the old plan of disguising himself as a buffalo. He had heard that there were a number of buffaloes on the north side of Strong River; so one morning he slipped away from the village, carrying his new gun and a buffalo robe. After crossing the river, he put on his robe and waded up the east side of a creek for a mile or more. When he thought he had gone far enough, he began to imitate the call of a buffalo. After calling at intervals for an hour or more, he heard the low bellow of a buffalo on the west side of the creek. Bending over to be sure that the buffalo would not notice his disguise he kept answering the buffalo and noticed that it was getting nearer. He had waited but a few minutes when he felt a dreadful pain in his head, and fell to the ground, as he heard the report of a gun. He knew no more for several hours. When he woke, he found a strange man sitting beside him, bathing his head with warm water. The man was a white hunter who had mistaken the Indian for a buffalo. When he was able to walk the white man carried him to the village and explained to the Indians the mistake he had made. They took it good-naturedly and asked the man to remain in their village. When the man brought the young Indian back to the village he had called him Charlie and after that the Indians called him Buffalo Charlie. There was no more hunting in disguise after that. In referring to the Encyclopedia Americana 1946 A.H. McDannald Editor. The description of TANNING- reads Converting skins or bides into leather by an astringent acid derived either from vegetable sources, such as the bark of the oak, hemlock, willow, chestnut, sumac, etc., or with a-astringent mineral substances, of which Alum may be taken as a characteristic type. In general, any acid, which has what would be called a “puckery” effect, will act upon a skin to convert it into leather. It toughens the skin, condenses it and coagulates all the albuminous matter so that it is no longer putrescible. That is to say, it preserves it from rotting. The manufacture of leather is as old as history itself, The Persians and Babylonians passed the art over to the Greeks and Romans and so down to us. The American Indians were also well versed in the art although their method was entirely different to that of the ancient races. HOW TO TAN SKIN - a brief method copied from an old book. (From the ingredients it sounds like an early-American recipe, rather than from the Indians) Spread the skin out- flesh side up. Prepare a mixture of ½ salt peter ½ Alum Mix with two parts Salt. Pound this until very fine. Spread on the flesh side and roll up and leave a few days until the powder becomes dissolved.