Jasper County Mississippi
Garlandville42
Garlandville was probably the oldest town in Jasper County,
Franklin, once county seat, was not a town, the courts having
been held probably in a private house. Garlandville was settled
early in 1833, and was the place from which the first Choctaw
Indians emigrated. In the early 30's Mr. John H. Ward opened a
tavern in a small house owned by John Garland, a half-breed
Indian, who gave it to the landlord's wife. She in return named
the town in honor of him.
Very soon after the removal of the Choctaw's the town and county
were settled very rapidly. It was a beautiful level situation,
covered by a grove of oaks and hickories, a healthful and
desirable place. The town was soon surrounded by a wealthy class
of planters, who made it an important business point. Among the
early settlers were the families of Watts, Brown, Hodge,
Williams, Dellahay, Beard, Cowan, Layerly, Hamlet, and Harris.
The town reached its greatest prosperity about the year 1860. At
the outbreak of the War Between the States two companies were
raised at this place. They were Capt. Chatfield's of the 20th
Mississippi, and Capt. Lopo's of the 37th Mississippi. The war
having ended disastrously to the large slave owners, the
merchants moved to the railroad, and the splendid town, once so
flourishing, now reminds one of Goldsmith's "Deserted Village.''
A small business is still done at this place, and some of the
good people of long ago remain here, but the great prosperity it
once enjoyed passed away because of the disastrous results of
the war.
Extinct Towns|
AHGP Mississippi
Footnotes:
42. The information upon
which this sketch is based was derived from Mr. A. J. Brown, of
Newton, Miss., author of a History of Newton County.
Source: The Mississippi Historical
Commission Publications, Volume V, Edited by Franklin L. Riley,
Secretary, 1902.
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