CLAY COUNTY
Chapter XLV, pages 706-710
Clay County, irregularly shaped, lies in
the northeastern part of the State, in the second tier of counties from
Alabama. It was erected May 12, 1871, during the administration of Governor
Alcorn, and marks the southern boundary line of the old Chickasaw Indian
territory. It was originally organized from parts of Chickasaw, Lowndes,
Monroe and Oktibbeha, and named Colfax after Schuyler Colfax, a Republican.
In 1876, after the Democrats came into power and had thrown off carpetbag
rule, the name was changed to Clay in honor of the great Kentuckian.
The county has a land area of 408 square
miles, and is bounded north by Chickasaw and Monroe counties, east by Monroe
and Lowndes, south by Lowndes and Oktibbeha, and west by Webster and Chickasaw
counties.
Its county seat is West Point, a prosperous
and attractive city of 4,500 inhabitants, located at the junction of three
lines of railway—the Illinois Central, the Southern, and the Mobile and
Ohio. Within easy distance of the Alabama coal fields and possessed of
excellent railroad facilities, the city is growing rapidly and manufactures
have attained to important proportions. There are no other large towns
in the county, though there are a number of thriving small ones, among
which may be mentioned Cedar Bluff, Pheba, Montpelier, Abbott, Griffith
and Siloam. The Tombigbee River washes a part of its eastern border and
the Tibbee, Line Houlka, Sun, Chewah and Chuquatonchee creeks, tributaries
of the Tombigbee, afford it ample water. The three lines of railway above
mentioned give the county excellent shipping facilities and many northern
settlers are now coming into this region.
The surface of the county is generally
undulating and level with considerable open timber and fertile bottom lands.
The timber trees consist of all kinds, of oaks, hickory, ash, gum, poplar,
chestnut, walnut, beech and maple. Artesian water has been found in various
parts of the county. The soil is rich, being largely of the black prairie
and sandy varieties and will produce cotton, corn, oats, wheat, sorghum,
field peas, and grasses in great abundance, as well as all kinds of fruits
and vegetables grown in this climate. Alfalfa grown in Clay County by B.H.
Strong was awarded the gold medal at the World’s Fair in St. Louis. Many
northern people have embarked extensively in live stock raising, especially
the breeding of cattle and working horses, and have found it very profitable.
Clay County has remained nearly stationary
in population since the Federal Census Bureau made its first enumeration
in 1880. Its population was then given as 17,367; that for 1920 at 17,490.
Between those years, however, the population has reached higher figures;
in 1910 it was 20,203.
But the county shows a steady increase
in the value of its farm property, which was valued at $2,708,000 in 1900,
at $6,013,000 in 1910, and $9,611,000 in 1920. The value of all its crops
is placed at $3,233,000, of which cereals constitute $864,000 and hay and
forage, $479,000. The farmers of Clay County have made a pronounced success
in the raising of alfalfa. According to the latest figures accessible,
they have cultivated 2,800 acres to alfalfa and raised over 6,000 tons
per annum. Their 27,000 acres covering the cotton fields produced more
than 7,000 bales. Vegetables are also one of their chief sources of wealth.
Their live stock was valued at $1,500,000 and their dairy cattle (valued
at over $323,000) stand high.
