Prentiss County Mississippi
Carrollville65
The village of Carrollville was founded in 1834. It was once a
place of considerable importance, being a trade center for the
southeastern portion of old Tishomingo County. It was situated
on the old Tuscumbia and Pontotoc road, sixty-five miles from
the former and thirty-five miles from the latter place.
Among the early settlers of Carrollville was Wylie Belsher, who
kept the first tavern; Jack Thompson, Joe Galling, and the
Holcombe Brothers, merchants; George Wilburn, the saloonkeeper;
and William Gates, the "village blacksmith." In 1836 R. B.
Clayton took charge of the village tavern. In 1838 Guilford
Stocks and A. I. Taylor, and in 1840 D. M. Allen and Robert
Traylor settled near the village. The surrounding country was
soon thickly settled by an intelligent class of people from
Virginia, Georgia, and Alabama. In the decade from 1840 to 1850,
which was the period of greatest prosperity in the history of
this place, it had five drygoods stores, belonging to the
Robinson Brothers, Clayton & Walker, Robert Lowry, James
Robinson, and T. B. Stubbs & Brother. Three saddlers' shops were
then operated by W. H. H. Tison, William Smith, and P. Langley;
two shoe shops by William Waldrow, and John Outlaw; two
blacksmith shops by William Waldon and John Rogers; two
tailoring establishments by Moffitt and Carpenter; a tan-yard by
Sam McCarley; a mill and gin by Sprightly Williams. The medical
profession was represented by Drs. Burton, Boothe, Scruggs, Long
and Smythe. There was one church house in Carrollville in which
all denominations worshipped. It was also used as a school
building and as a Masonic hall, where the Blue Lodge, No. 108.
Royal Arch Chapter, No. 57, held its sessions.
In the early history of Carrollville all cotton was hauled to
Memphis, Tennessee, by wagons, a distance of one hundred and ten
miles, and all freight and goods were brought from that city in
the same way. In later years shipments were made to and from
Eastport, on the Tennessee River, forty-eight miles distant.
When the Mobile and Ohio railroad was completed as far as
Baldwyn (1860), two miles away, the village of Carrollville
rapidly declined, all business men moved away the former place
absorbing most of its business and its population. The Hon. Wm.
M. Cox, who is at present a member of the Legislature from
Prentiss County, now lives on the old site of Carrollville.
Among some of the noted residents of this place were the father
of Ex-Governor Lowry, Hon. John M. Allen (who was born and
reared in the village); W. H. H. Tison, member of the
Legislature and Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Extinct Towns|
AHGP Mississippi
Footnotes:
65. This sketch is based
upon information derived from Mr. Thomas G. Stocks, of Baldwin,
Mississippi, whose mother removed to Carrollville in 1838, and
is now living in Baldwyn, Mississippi.
Source: The Mississippi Historical
Commission Publications, Volume V, Edited by Franklin L. Riley,
Secretary, 1902.
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