DRY CREEK COMMUNITY

(Taken from the Prentiss County History Book published by Curtis Publishing in 1985. This article was written by Mrs. Mills & Mrs. J.J. Harden.)

Dry Creek Community is situated along a creek which runs north along the north end of the western boundary of Prentiss County, Township 4, south, range 6, east with Mississippi Highway 4 crossing it.
This creek was somewhat dry until it was dredged years later. Hence, the name "Dry Creek" not only for the creek, but also for the community and the road on the west side of the creek which was the division line of Prentiss and Tippah counties.
Beginning with Highway 4, the Dry Creek road runs south about two miles to the Marion Cartwright place where it turns westerly into Tippah County. Then about a mile farther it turns southward and continues about five miles. These people along Dry Creek in Tippah County consider themselves as part of Prentiss County. They do business in it and have Prentiss County telephone service.
Families settled along both sides of the creek. North of Highway 4 in Prentiss County one of the early families was Columbus "Pluck" Eaton. Aaron Green lived farther north in "Sugar Orchard" along the creek before it runs into the Hatchie River.
Settlers along the southend were: Ed Carpenter, Jim Ledbetter, Dee and Sanford Jumper, Jim Hicks, Joe Michael, Marion Cartwright, John Henry Green whose sons were Willie, Sam, Joe and Lloyd. The Blassingames had sons Buddie, Ed, Arthur, Alec, and Dr. Charlie of Memphis. There was Madison Kuykendall and wife, Nora Ledbetter, daughter of Jim and Fannie (Carpenter) Ledbetter.
The Hugheys who settled at the head of Dry Creek had a son, George. Jim Grisham, Clinton Criswell, Mark and Blake Rinehart, Homer Green, Jim Davis were some of the Tippah County Dry Creek families; also, Jess Harden, Noah Morgan, Bob Murley, Arthur Anderson, Baxter Anderson, Tom Cox, John Dee, and Josh Tollison were others. The Wallis families were Leon, Arthur and Fate.
The churches, schools, and stores were in Tippah County. The churches were Mt. Hebron Methodist and Paul's Chapel Methodist which church was served by the Rev. Jim Gullett for many years. Bro. Joe Crawford was pastor of Concord Baptist Church several years. The County Line Cemetery is near Blackland.
The first school was the Jumper School, a one teacher school. The second was Dry Creek Grammar School. Some of the teachers were: Dalton Wallis, son of Fate, Miss Myrtle Bartlett, Mrs. Velma Green, Mrs. J.J. Harden, R.C. Prather, Lloyd Saylors and Grady Tollison.
Arthur Wallis had the first store which was on the south part of the creek. Will Jumper had one in Tippah County about the middle of the creek but lived across the road in Prentiss County. Later, Tom Cox had a store near Concord Church. Another store was owned by Jodie Wallis. Sanford Jumper bought the Cox store which was built across the road from the Wallis store. In later years Mrs. Velma Green owned a store across the road from Paul's Chapel, northeast of Concord Church. Jessie James Harden operated a store on the south end of Dry Creek on land formerly owned by Baxter Anderson.
Early doctors were: Dr. Green once lived at the Mark Rinehart place about one mile south of the Concord Church. Dr. Holman lived near Dry Creek. He was a medical doctor as well as a chiropractor. After others doctors left, Dr. Whilhite came in as a chiropractor. Dry Creek schoolhouse is now used as a Community Center called "Tippah County Development Club (TCDC). The Blue Grass Festival is held every July in this clubhouse. The Festival was founded by Mrs. Leola (Tollison) Mills.
This history given by Mrs. Mills who now lives at 213 Felker Street, Booneville, Mississippi, and Mrs. J.J. Harden who lives in Tippah County Dry Creek.