Old Brownfield, Mississippi

Downtown Brownfield, Mississippi
late 1800's

    Brownfield is located in North Tippah about three miles north of Walnut near the Tennessee line. Originally called "Gatlin's Crossing' the name was changed after the railroad was built. Mr. William H. Brown had a large farm northeast of the present community that had a general store and gristmill located there. Trains would stop there and they referred to the stop as "Brown's Field", and the name changed to Brownfield shortly after.   The town is now extinct but during the first half of the last century had a cotton gin, a doctors office, a dentist office, a general merchandise store, a grocery store, a school and a Methodist church.
    Today, Brownfield is a small community boasting a population of 40 folks, it still has a Methodist Church, a Baptist Church and a shoe repair shop. Most of the homes built in the 19th century have either been torn down or burned. The stores closed and the merchants either died or moved away. Brownfield school closed in 1950, when they consolidated and moved the students to Chalybeate. The rock school house that was used from 1937 until it's closing, still stands and is now a private residence.
    Some of the original families were Bell, Braddock, Brock, Brown, Burns, Clark, Cox, Gatlin, Glover, Ford, Hopkins, Hudson, Malone, Roten, Spencer, and Voyles.

Brownfield Cotton Gin
early 1930's- James Henry Ford, Sr. is the man leaning against the wagon wheel.

Doug McCoy's Cafe and Grocery Store
circa 1940
This typical neighborhood store was located in the heart of Brownfield on Hwy. 15, and had all the needed conveniences including groceries, a post office, cafe, barber shop, gasoline and at one time a slot machine. Lillye McCoy, Doug's wife, was postmaster in Brownfield from 1943 until the store closed in the 1950's. The location was right next to Dr. Hugh Stephen Ford's office, which you can see to the left in this picture. Dr. Ford practiced in this office in Brownfield from 1910 until he passed away in 1950.

Dr. Hugh Fords Clinic - Downtown Brownfield
Built in 1950 after the first one burned.

Brownfield Train Station
If you recognize anyone in this picture send an email and let me know and I'll post their name. A special thanks to Henry Ford for providing the pictures of the Gin, the Train Station and Dr. Ford's clinic.

(None of the buildings pictured here are still standing).

Brownfield School Children - 1939

Teachers were Robert Lee Mohundro and Ruth Thomas Gatlin. From the bottom left kneeling are; Calton Voyles, Joe McCoy, Charles Crawford, Wilson Blackwell and Vance Voyles. 2nd row standing are Mr. Mohundro, unknown, unknown , Earl Spencer, George Marshall Crawford, Doris Ford, Amos Sides (we think), and James Henry Ford, the girl behind Amos is Evelyn Voyles, next to her is unknown, Magaline Boyd, and Mary Elizabeth Boyd. Third row standing are Roy Voyles, Hugh Brock, B. G. Spencer, ___ Oswald (we think), unknown, Joe Ford, Jo Francis Thomas, Grady Spencer, Ruth Thomas Gatlin, (teacher) 4th row standing are; Geraldine Spencer, unknown, Mildred Brock, J. D Voyles, William Crawford, Troy Brock, Ruth Boyd, Mary Ida Crawford, Sarah Ruth Wilson, and Jean Hopkins. They moved from this school building to a new school building made of Tishamingo Stone in 1940. While the new school was being built they had school in the Brownfield Methodist Church. Brownfield operated a school until it consolidated with Walnut. The children would finish their first years of schooling in Brownfield then transfer to Chalybeate.

A special thanks to Charles Crawford for his help in identifying these folks and giving a brief history.
If you can identify any of the unknown children please contact me.