Towns, Cities and Churches

If you have any information on towns, schools, post offices, historical churches, founding fathers, location, history, etc., please submit the information to me for inclusion on this site.

These are a few of the towns and cities in Sunflower County. I chose to start with the smaller locales and communites genealogical researchers might find difficult to locate. Suggested additions are always welcome. Where available, I have listed the information available from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) website.

Some of the "clickable" map links are part of the USGS Geographic Names Information System Map Server (GNIS). It has a reputation of being "down" somewhat more frequently than it really is. If a map does not appear please try "clicking" again or hit "refresh". Most of the time it will then appear. Thank you.

Ark - see Caile [no USGS data]

Arley - Near Baird. Post office 1903-1904. Postmasters were George B. Oswalt, and Hugh Ella Wilson. Mail was transferred to Baird in 1904. [no USGS data]

Baird - [Feature Type: Populated Place; USGS 7.5' x 7.5' Map: Moorhead; Latitude: 332530N Longitude: 0903500W]

Ballston - (Bailston?) Ballston is cited as being 2 miles south of Drew, which is the exact same location as Galen. Established on the Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad in 1901, it subsequently became the headquarters for the E.A. Looney plantation. In the 1890's it was owned by the J. T. Arterbury family but left the delta for the more healthful "hills" in Montgomery County after six members of the family died from malaria. [Feature Type: populated place; Variant Name(s) Baliston,Ballston; USGS 7.5' x 7.5' Map: Drew;Latitude: 334710N Longitude: 0903200W]

Baltzer - Eight miles from Lombardy, a community on the Yazoo and Mississippi Valley railroad. Post office established in 1913 and discontinued in 1956. [Feature Type: populated place;USGS 7.5' x 7.5' Map: Baltzer; Latitude: 335855N Longitude: 0903541W] Map

Barksdale - Near Fitzhugh. Post office 1899-1906. Postmasters were William M. Hancock, Joseph N. Sandidge, Oliver W. Chesnut and in 1906 mail was transferred to Fitzhugh. Advertisments showed that O. W. Chestnut had a general merchandise and drug store in Barksdale in 1906. [no USGS data]

Blaine -13 miles north of Indianola on U.S. Highway 49-W and the Illinois Central Gulf Railroad. Also known as Vance's Crossing, until a conflict with Vance, Mississippi, was renamed to Blaine. Blaine, as a postal stop, was closed in March 1968. [Feature Type: populated place; USGS 7.5' x 7.5' Map: Sunflower; Latitude: 333628N Longitude: 0903121W]

Bowles -

Boyer - 5 miles north of Indianola, the community was founded around a General Store in 1884. [Feature Type: populated place; USGS 7.5' x 7.5' Map: Boyer; Latitude: 333212N Longitude: 0903816W]

Bridesville - near Indianola. Postal service 1897-1898. Postmaster was Frank C. McBride. In 1898 mail was transferred to Indianola. [no USGS data]

Brooks -

Burnice - Post office Mar-Jul 1906. Postmaster Helen H. Hampton. [no USGS data]

Caile - a small community 4 miles south of Invernesss that was orignally settled in the 1870s. Also known as 'Lawrence Deadening' . To avoid confusion with Coila in Carroll County, the town was approved as a post office under the name 'Ark,' although the community was still known as Caile. Milroy, another flagstop 3 miles south of Inverness was really part of Caile [Feature Type: populated place; USGS 7.5' x 7.5' Map: Inverness; Latitude: 331800N Longitude: 0903524W] Map

Commissary - Post office 1915-1919 with John E. Clark as postmaster. [no USGS data]

Cottondale - or Cottondale Plantation. Three miles south of Ruleville. Postal service established in 1918 and discontinued in 1920. [Feature Type: populated place; USGS 7.5' x 7.5' Map: Ruleville; Latitude: 334124N Longitude: 0903234W]

Crahen (historical) - Three miles north of Moorehead inn 1914. It was a sawmill settlement and was gone by 1930. [Feature Type: populated place; USGS 7.5' x 7.5' Map: Moorhead; Latitude: 332938N Longitude: 0903115W] Map

Craig Plantation - less than a mile away from Woodburn across the Sunflower River, owned by J.F. Craig. [Feature Name: Craig Plantation (historical); Feature Type: locale; USGS 7.5' x 7.5' Map: Kinlock; Latitude: 332210N Longitude: 0904300W]

Crumps - Near Freeman. Postal service 1905-1913. Postmasters were Abram E. W. Davis, Solomon Murphy and Mattie Brisco. In 1913 mail was transferred to Freeman. [no USGS data]

Dockery - Founded in 1895, this plantation community and former post office is on Highway 8 six miles west of Ruleville. Ceased to be a voting precinct in 1976. [Feature Type: populated place; USGS 7.5' x 7.5' Map: Ruleville; Latitude: 334343N Longitude: 0903700W] Map
Additional information about Dockery from Dot Welch who grew up there, "It's four miles west of Ruleville and six miles east of Cleveland."

Doddsville - five miles south of Ruleville, is one of Sunflower County’s smallest municipalities and the last to be incorporated. Yet, it is better known throughout the country than any other place in the county because it is the home of United States Senator James Oliver Eastland.

Dogwood Plantation - see Heathman

Dogwood Ridge Plantation - see Heathman

Drew -

Dwiggins -

Dwyer - Two miles north of Sunflower on the Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad. Postal service established in 1908 and discontinued in 1921. There was also a ticket office, a freight house, two stores and two gins. The store was owned by Matt Mosby and Walter Lott. The gin was operated by the Kelly brothers. Other residents of Dwyer were the J. L. Alfords, who had a large general store, Sam Clower, the Peytons, Joel Kelly was the postmaster in 1908, other postmasters were Frank McEachern, Dick Neely, and L. Dewitt Peyton. The post office was closed and the mail sent to Sunflower on January 31, 1921. [Feature Type: populated place; USGS 7.5' x 7.5' Map: Sunflower; Latitude: 333351N Longitude: 0903143W]

Eastland -

Elmwood plantation - near Heathman. [Feature Type: locale; Variant Name(s)Elmwood; USGS 7.5' x 7.5' Map: Kinlock; Latitude: 331751N Longitude: 0904211W]

Englewood - near Moorehead. Postal service 1902-1905. Postmasters were Charles S. Potts, Lillie Cotton and Mils Ogle. In 1905 mail was transferred to Moorhead. [no USGS data]

Erie - near Lotus. Post office 1896-1903. Postmasters were Ella M. Cresswell and Sarah E. McCormick. In 1903 mail was transferred to Lotus. [no USGS data]

Fairview - Northwest of Indianola, the community lies on the west bank of Indian Bayou. First settled about 1894, the area was still a voting precinct in 1976 even though a post office was never established. [Feature Type: populated place; Variant Name(s): Upper Indian Bayou; USGS 7.5' x 7.5' Map: Boyer; Latitude: 333033N Longitude: 0904448W]

Faisonia -

Fitzhugh - Flagstop, post office and plantation 3 miles south of Parchman, named for the landowner. Postal service established in 1899. The postmasters were John Kirkpatrick, Zilpah M. Stokely, George R. Stokely, Charles E. McDaniel, John L. Jones, James A. Johnson and Perry L. Berryhill. Service ended in 1914. [Feature Type: populated place; USGS 7.5' x 7.5' Map: Baltzer; Latitude: 335318N Longitude: 0903031W]

Four Mile Lake - East of Inverness, Four Mile Lake was settled soon after the Civil War and had 28 registered voters in 1892. [no USGS data]

Frazier - Six miles east of Shaw with postal service established in 1903. It was also the site of a sawmill. The Jacquith Brothers were manufacturers of hardwood and cypress lumber in 1903. Postmasters starting in 1904 were William F. Bacon, James F. Frazier, Walter W. Frazier, and John F. McGehee. Mail was forwarded to Shaw after postal service ended here in 1928. [Feature Type: populated place; USGS 7.5' x 7.5' Map: Boyer; Latitude: 333401N Longitude: 0904355W]

Freeman - Postmaster Henry C. Freeman in 1908. Mail transferred to Sunflower in 1915

Furry - One mile south of Sunflower, Furry was named for W.E. Furr. He came to the Delta from Pontotoc and lived at the hotel in Sunflower. [Feature Type: populated place; USGS 7.5' x 7.5' Map: Sunflower; Latitude: 333113N Longitude: 0903147W]

Galen (historical)- A lumber and logging camp, before 1918, 2 miles south of Drew that fell into disuse after the Perry and Barksdale sawmill moved in 1918. When the mill was moved in 1918 the plank road was pulled up. Few people remember there was ever a Galen in Sunflower. [Feature Name: Galen (historical); Feature Type: populated place; USGS 7.5' x 7.5' Map: Drew; Latitude: 334700N Longitude: 0903205W]

Giano - a post office near Cottondale in 1905. Service moved to Cottondale in 1918. [no USGS data]

Gilmer Post Office - located west of Sunflower, it existed from 1894 until 1899. Postmasters were Mrs. Mary E. Gilmer (Mrs. J. W. Gilmer) of the Gilmer Grocery Company family, Mary E. O'Neal, Joseph B. Barnes, James W. Lewis and Robert Lowry. When the postoffice closed the mail was sent to Pentecost. [no USGS data]

Goldfield - Once headquarters for a 4,000 acre plantation that lay 5 miles north of Drew with a big general store and a gin. It was also a flag station and post office. The post office was established in 1915 with William K. Herrin, Jr as postmaster. Other postmasters that served before it was closed in 1926 were Thomas J. Collier, 1917; Thomas S. Yarbrough, 1918; Charlie A. Coon, March 1923; Thomas P. Boone, December 1923; and Clarence L. Coon, 1925. Originally the property of J. W. Cuterer of Clarksdale and later was owned by the Connecticut Life Ins. Co. [Feature Name: Goldfield Plantation; Feature Type: locale; USGS 7.5' x 7.5' Map: Baltzer; Latitude: 335235N Longitude: 0903032W]

Halstead - Four miles east of Boyle on the Peavine branch of the Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad. The postoffice was established in 1902 and terminated in 1934 when the track was taken up. Mail was then sent to Boyle. Postmasters were Roxie Davis, Jules B. Davis, Florence V. Davis, Vernon L. Hoggatt and Festus A. Ringold. [Feature Type: populated place; USGS 7.5' x 7.5' Map: Cleveland; Latitude: 334214N Longitude: 0903829W]

Hardwood - Near Shaw. Post office 1899-1901. The Postmaster was Ryland N. Love and in 1901 mail was transferred to Shaw. [no USGS data]

Heard's Landing - Originally known as Vick's Landing, the site was 2 miles south of Indianola on the Sunflower River. This name goes back to the old steamboating days. It was a loading and unloading site on the sunflower river, two miles south of Indianola. The name was changed in 1889 when Mr. Heard acquired the plantation. After the railroad came in 1898, the landing was no longer used. [no USGS data]

Heathman - or Heathman Plantation was first known as Dogwood Plantation or Dogwood Ridge Plantation, comprised of about 8,000 acres in 1871. Postal facilities established in 1888 and discontinued in 1956. [Feature Type: populated place; Variant Name(s): Dogwood, Dogwood Plantation, Dogwood Ridge Plantation, Heathman Plantation; USGS 7.5' x 7.5' Map: Indianola; Latitude: 332624N Longitude: 0904313W]

Hodge - Near Inverness. Postal service 1908-1916. Postmasters were Jasper Ford, Robert A. Ford and Joseph G. Prichard. Mail was transferred to Inverness in 1916.[no USGS data]

Huttonville - Post office Feb-Aug 1905. Postmaster H. T. Hutton. [no USSGS data]

Jacquith - Headquarters of the E.C. Stansel plantation, about 2 miles north of Ruleville. Probably associated in some way with the Jacquith brothers sawmill. [Feature Name: Stansel Plantation (historical); Feature Type: locale; USGS 7.5' x 7.5' Map: Drew; Latitude: 334607N Longitude: 0903205W]

King's Landing - It was known as this when it belonged to a Mr. King in 1885. Also known as the Johnson Barrett place in 1976. Five miles south of Indianola on the Sunflower River, the railroad's arrival spelled its demise. I[no USGS data]

Lawrence Deadening - see Caile [no USGS data]

Lehrton (historical) - Three miles west of Ruleville where the old gravel highway 8 crossed the Sunflower River on the old iron Bridge. It was founded by Marcus Barritt, who named it after his wife's family. [Feature Type: Populated place (historical); USGS 7.5' x 7.5' Map: Ruleville Latitude: 334332N Longitude: 0903450W]

Linn - Five miles west of Doddsville, the post office was established in 1898. [Feature Type: populated place; USGS 7.5' x 7.5' Map: Ruleville; Latitude: 333935N Longitude:0903659W]

Lombardy - Once a plantation, this community in the northwest part of the county had a railroad station on the "Owl" railroad line. The post office was opened in 1909 and discontinued in 1941. [Feature Type: populated place; USGS 7.5' x 7.5' Map: Baltzer; Latitude: 335420N Longitude: 0903625W]

Lotus - near Inverness. Post office 1901-1916. Postmasters were Thomas Liddon and Wordney Liddon. In 1916 mail was transferred to Inverness. [no USGS data]

Marguerite (historical) - A flagstop on the Blue Goose branch of the Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad two miles east of Parchman. Named in honor of the daughter of a Mr. Trotten who in partnership with W. B. Bradbury, owned the 1,000-acre plantation on which the stop was located. Established about 1908. Branch line service discontinued in 1930. [no USGS data]

Marie - Near Indianola. Post office established in 1904 and terminated in 1914. Postmasters were Lee reeves, John A. Wasson and Texa Smith. [Feature Name: Marie School (historical); Feature Type: school; USGS 7.5' x 7.5' Map: Boyer; Latitude: 333105N Longitude: 0904252W]

Markham - also Markham Plantation. A flag station established in 1902 and named for Charles H. Markham who became president of the Illinois Central Railroad in 1910. According to legend, the graves in an old cemetery in the vicinity, were those of railroad workers from a local labor camp who had died of yellow fever. [Feature Type: populated place; USGS 7.5' x 7.5' Map: Moorhead; Latitude: 332417N Longitude: 0903340W]

Marshall - located on "Dr. Pink Peeples' place" near Ruleville. Named to honor A. L. Marshall who held the first postmasters appointment until succeeded by Robert L. Allen. Other postmasters were Deroy P.Sanford, Edward W. St. Clair, Sallie Marshall, Robert J. Givens and Eula St. Clair. Postal service established in 1892 and ended in 1906. Mail was then transferred to Ruleville. [Feature Name: Marshall Cemetery ; Feature Type: cemetery; USGS 7.5' x 7.5' Map: Drew; Latitude: 334547N Longitude: 0903524W]

Mattoon - Flag stop on the Columbus and Greenville Railroad two miles east of Moorhead in 1905, named by two men from Mattoon, Illinois, who built a sawmill there. [Feature Type: populated place; USGS 7.5' x 7.5' Map: Colony Town; Latitude: 332704N Longitude: 0902816W] Map

Milroy - a flagstop on the railroad 3 miles south of Inverness, it was actually part of Caile. [Feature Type: populated place; USGS 7.5' x 7.5' Map: Inverness; Latitude: 331825N Longitude: 0903525W]

Minot - A sawmill, post office and flagstop two miles north of Parchman. F. H. Hicks & Sons were advertised as manufacturers of cypress shingles at this point. The mill was bought by G. W. Stillions in 1910 and moved to Rome. The post office opened there in 1900 with John B. Thomas as postmaster, followed by Levi Thomas but it was closed in 1911. The mail was transferred to the Parchman office. [Feature Type: populated place; USGS 7.5' x 7.5' Map: Rome; Latitude:335631N Longitude: 0902923W] Map

Pennington - Near Halstead. Post office 1907-1908. Postmaster was Luther Childress and mail was transferred to Halstead in 1908. [no USGS data]

Pentecost - a post office 1 mile south of Blaine. Mail service transferred to Blaine in 1904. [Feature Type: populated place; USGS 7.5' x 7.5' Map: Sunflower; Latitude: 333505N Longitude: 0903143W]

Phelps - possibly named for W.G. Phelps of Elmwood plantation, it was a voting precinct in 1894 with 23 registered voters. Precinct changed to Heathman in 1895. [no USGS data]

Pollock (historical) - Also known as Pollock's Flats. Four miles east of Indianola on the Columbus and Greenville Railroad. In 1976 it was the property of ElJ. Murphy family. [Feature Name: Pollock (historical); Feature Type: populated place; USGS 7.5' x 7.5' Map: Moorhead; Latitude: 332610N Longitude: 0903615W]

Porter Bayou - Near Fasonia. Post office 1879-1881. Postmasters were Thomas O'Rinnion and William O'Rinnion. In 1881 mail was transferred to Faisonia. [no USGS as populated place]

Quarteroak - Near Indianola. Post office 1899-1900. Postmaster was George L. Warren and in 1900 mail was transferred to Indianola. [no USGS data]

Retus - near Halstead. Postal service 1901-1909. Postmasters were John James, James B. Futch and Joseph W. Greenlee. In 1909 mail was transferred to Halstead. [Feature Name: Retus Post Office (historical); Feature Type: post office; Description: Approximately 1 mi south of Halstead.; USGS 7.5' x 7.5' Map: Cleveland; Latitude: UNKNOWN Longitude: UNKNOWN]

Ringold - Near Linn. Post office 1905-1906. Postmaster was William E. Ringold and in 1906 mail was transferred to Linn. [no USGS data]

Roeville - Post office Sep-Dec 1905. Postmaster was Charles F. Peterson. [no USGS data]
Roundaway - It is eleven miles north of Indianola. Story is told that the road from Shaw to Indianola twisted around and around, following Jones Bayou, and so the name of the community was established as Roundaway, because it was located away around the bayou road.

Ruleville - Ruleville is along U.S. Route 49W.[3] Ruleville is about 15 miles (24 km) from the Mississippi State Penitentiary (Parchman).

Steiner - Three miles from Linn and 12 miles northwest of Indianola. Post office established in 1894 and discontinued in 1912. [Feature Type: populated place; USGS 7.5' x 7.5' Map: Sunflower; Latitude: 333658N Longitude: 0903704W]

Stephenville - An area about 5 miles nothwest of Indianola along the east side of Bear Bayou. Founded by a group of about former slaves headed by Daniel Stephens, its first post office was established in 1897. Service discontinued in 1914. [Feature Type: populated place; USGS 7.5' x 7.5' Map: Boyer; Latitude: 33253N Longitude: 0904018W]

Sunflower Plantation - First developed by Taylor & Crate of Buffalo, New York in 1888, the area was comprised of 10,000 acres of deeply wooded land. In 1937 the government bought the land and divided it into 40 acre tracts which were rented out. Many sharecroppers paid for their 40 acre tracts and today none of the land is owned by the government. [Feature Name: Sunflower Plantation (historical); Feature Type: locale; USGS 7.5' x 7.5' Map: Drew; Latitude: 334850N Longitude: 0903700W]

Vance's Crossing - see Blaine

Vick's Landing - see Heard's Landing [no USGS data]

Wade - 4 miles northeast of Drew, the settlement was named for R.T. Wade. [Feature Name: Wade (historical); Feature Type: populated place; USGS 7.5' x 7.5' Map: Brooks; Latitude: 335027N Longitude: 0902752W]

Wells Mills - Near Ruleville. Post office 1908-1909. Postmaster was Schuyler F. Wells. Mail was transferred to Ruleville in 1909. [no USGS data]

Whitney - or Whitney Plantation. Post office and depot two and one half miles north of Drew on the Yazoo and Mississippi Railroad. Post office established in 1907. Service discontinued in 1920. [Feature Type: populated place; USGS 7.5' x 7.5' Map: Drew; Latitude: 335052N Longitude: 0903058W]

Woodburn - or Woodburn Plantation. At one time the largest plantation in Sunflower County, its first postmaster was named in 1881. Service was discontinued in 1883, but re-established in 1883. Disocontinued again from 1884 to 1886, service was restored from 1887 to 1907. [Feature Name: Woodburn Plantation Feature Type: locale; USGS 7.5' x 7.5' Map: Kinlock; Latitude: 332218N Longitude: 0904211W]

Sources: Marie Hemphill's Fevers, Floods, and Faith; United States Geological Survey website; Early History of the Town of Ruleville by John A. Robertson and Tom W. Conger, Jr.; and "Post Offices in Sunflower County", The National Archives.