USGenWeb ProjectCharleston Courthouses from 1900-1974

"This is a sketch by Mrs. Dorothy Turman of the Charleston courthouse built in 1900. Mrs. Turman has many more sketches of old buildings in Charleston and is thinking of publishing a book with them. The corner stone from this courthouse is sitting on the east lawn of the present courthouse. I well remember this court house as a child growing up in Charleston. When they tore it down and built the new one, a piece of history went with it. But I suppose this is "progress".


"This is a sketch by Mrs. Dorothy Turman of the Charleston courthouse built in 1900. Mrs. Turman has many more sketches of old buildings in Charleston and is thinking of publishing a book with them. The corner stone from this courthouse is sitting on the east lawn of the present courthouse. I well remember this court house as a child growing up in Charleston. When they tore it down and built the new one, a piece of history went with it. But I suppose this is "progress".

"This is the courthouse built in 1974 after they demolished the one that was built in 1900. Picture taken by my husband, Dusty Arnold".


"This is the courthouse built in 1974 after they demolished the one that was built in 1900. Picture taken by my husband, Dusty Arnold".

CHARLESTON
Tallahatchie County was founded on December 31, 1833 and ranks twenty-eighth in the area. Tallahatchie is an Indian name meaning Rock River and the county is one of ten in Mississippi with two county seats, Charleston and Sumner. Charleston was the first countyu seat, and Sumner was organized later in 1872.
Charleston was founded in 1837, but its history goes back prior to that. A settlement of five communites had grown up along the forks of Tillatobia Creek.
In 1833 the land was opened for settlement. There were no roads only indian trails. Most of the settlers entered the county over what was called Charley's Trace, an Indian trail that came across from the Mississippi river and entered the hills about where Leverett is now located. Here the trail merged with a trail from the south and passed near the present sight of Charleston.
Colonel Thomas Bailey came from Kentucky and formed the first settlement on the north fork of the creek which was about five miles to the northeast. He was later joined by James Bailey, Samuel Caruthers, William Flemming, M. Johnson, Willam Kendrick, Robert Thrasher, A Patterson, and Kinchen Mayo who extended the settlement along the creek toward the Junction. Another settlement was started by the Priddy's, the J. Houstons, Cade Alford and the Carson family who extended the settlement along the creek to the junction of three forks.
DeKalb and Tillatobia were founded on the north fork of the creek just west of the present town. Both towns wanted to be county seat of Tallahatchie, and Tillatobia succeeded. In 1837 the Board of Police found it necessary to abandon Tillatobia. There was a section of unsettle land in the heart of the first five settlements. This section of land had been granted to Greenwood LeFlore under the terms of the Dancing Rabbit Treaty of 1830. J.S.Topp & Co. had acquired this section of land and proposed to build the town of Charleston (named for Charleston Sc.) and to have this as the permanent county seat. In 1843 the county seat fight flared up again. The board voted to abandon Charleston, but Mr. Steel the president of the Board of Police refused to sign the minutes which killed the rally.
J.B. Sumner moved to this section in 1872 and founded what is now Sumner. The present sight was a dense forest. He donated land for the railroad right-of-way. railroad park, courthouse square and jail lot. In 1873 there was a Presbyterian Church that was known as Maria Church. A post office was established in 1885 and the town incorporated in 1900.
From 1882 through 1884 disastrous floods and overflows of the river forced the people of Sumner to go by boat to Webb (which was called Hood) for their supplies. From 1931 through 1933 there was overflows which inundated thousands of acres of farmland and destroyed much property.
The first court house was built in 1902 and destroyed by fire in 1908. The records were saved, but in 1909 the entire business section of the town burned and all records were destroyed.
Listed are some dated that may be helpful in your study of Mississippi.
The following important events in the history of Mississippi affected political boundaries, record keeping, and family movements.
1699 The French established a settlement called Fort Maurepas on Biloxi Bay.
1716 Fort Rosalie, now Natchez, was established by the French on the Mississippi River.
1763 France ceded its claims to the Mississippi region to Great Britain.
1783 Britain ceded the Gulf Coast area to Spain. The rest of the Mississippi region was claimed by Georgia. The boundary was in dispute until 1795, when it was set at the 31st parallel, about sixty miles north of the coast.
1789-1794 The Georgia legislature authorized the Yazoo land sales. Hundreds of people moved from the Atlantic Coast states to the Mississippi area.
1798 Congress organized the Mississippi Territory. Georgia abandoned claims to the Northern portion in 1802, and the Gulf Coast portion was acquired from Spain during the War of 1812.
1817 The eastern part of the Mississippi Territory was organized as the Territory of Alabama. Mississippi became a state.
1861 Mississippi seceded from the Union. It was readmitted in 1870.

CHARLESTON Tallahatchie County was founded on December 31, 1833 and ranks twenty-eighth in the area. Tallahatchie is an Indian name meaning Rock River and the county is one of ten in Mississippi with two county seats, Charleston and Sumner. Charleston was the first countyu seat, and Sumner was organized later in 1872. Charleston was founded in 1837, but its history goes back prior to that. A settlement of five communites had grown up along the forks of Tillatobia Creek. In 1833 the land was opened for settlement. There were no roads only indian trails. Most of the settlers entered the county over what was called Charley's Trace, an Indian trail that came across from the Mississippi river and entered the hills about where Leverett is now located. Here the trail merged with a trail from the south and passed near the present sight of Charleston. Colonel Thomas Bailey came from Kentucky and formed the first settlement on the north fork of the creek which was about five miles to the northeast. He was later joined by James Bailey, Samuel Caruthers, William Flemming, M. Johnson, Willam Kendrick, Robert Thrasher, A Patterson, and Kinchen Mayo who extended the settlement along the creek toward the Junction. Another settlement was started by the Priddy's, the J. Houstons, Cade Alford and the Carson family who extended the settlement along the creek to the junction of three forks. DeKalb and Tillatobia were founded on the north fork of the creek just west of the present town. Both towns wanted to be county seat of Tallahatchie, and Tillatobia succeeded. In 1837 the Board of Police found it necessary to abandon Tillatobia. There was a section of unsettle land in the heart of the first five settlements. This section of land had been granted to Greenwood LeFlore under the terms of the Dancing Rabbit Treaty of 1830. J.S.Topp & Co. had acquired this section of land and proposed to build the town of Charleston (named for Charleston Sc.) and to have this as the permanent county seat. In 1843 the county seat fight flared up again. The board voted to abandon Charleston, but Mr. Steel the president of the Board of Police refused to sign the minutes which killed the rally. J.B. Sumner moved to this section in 1872 and founded what is now Sumner. The present sight was a dense forest. He donated land for the railroad right-of-way. railroad park, courthouse square and jail lot. In 1873 there was a Presbyterian Church that was known as Maria Church. A post office was established in 1885 and the town incorporated in 1900. From 1882 through 1884 disastrous floods and overflows of the river forced the people of Sumner to go by boat to Webb (which was called Hood) for their supplies. From 1931 through 1933 there was overflows which inundated thousands of acres of farmland and destroyed much property. The first court house was built in 1902 and destroyed by fire in 1908. The records were saved, but in 1909 the entire business section of the town burned and all records were destroyed. Listed are some dated that may be helpful in your study of Mississippi. The following important events in the history of Mississippi affected political boundaries, record keeping, and family movements. 1699 The French established a settlement called Fort Maurepas on Biloxi Bay. 1716 Fort Rosalie, now Natchez, was established by the French on the Mississippi River. 1763 France ceded its claims to the Mississippi region to Great Britain. 1783 Britain ceded the Gulf Coast area to Spain. The rest of the Mississippi region was claimed by Georgia. The boundary was in dispute until 1795, when it was set at the 31st parallel, about sixty miles north of the coast. 1789-1794 The Georgia legislature authorized the Yazoo land sales. Hundreds of people moved from the Atlantic Coast states to the Mississippi area. 1798 Congress organized the Mississippi Territory. Georgia abandoned claims to the Northern portion in 1802, and the Gulf Coast portion was acquired from Spain during the War of 1812. 1817 The eastern part of the Mississippi Territory was organized as the Territory of Alabama. Mississippi became a state. 1861 Mississippi seceded from the Union. It was readmitted in 1870.

We are grateful to Nick Denley, Chancery Clerk, Charleston Tallahatchie County for helping us with the information you find on these pages. He has made our job so much easier. Thanks Nick.
Return to Main History Page

We are grateful to Nick Denley, Chancery Clerk, Charleston Tallahatchie County for helping us with the information you find on these pages. He has made our job so much easier. Thanks Nick. Return to Main History Page

Updater: This page was last updated Thursday, 08-Mar-2007 19:18:45 MST

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