Forrest Cooper to speak at July society meeting

The Rankin County Historical Society Post Office Box 841 Brandon, Mississippi 39042 RCHSInc@aol.com news@rankinhistory.org www.rankinhistory.org Proposed calendar The Brandon Historical & Genealogical Society (BH&BG) and the Rankin County Historical Society (RCHS) voted in 2011 to hold joint meetings to share speakers. These shared meetings will be at 7:00 P.M. on the 4th Tuesday of the month. RCHS hosts meetings at the Brandon Library; BH&GS at the Board of Supervisors Room in the Courthouse Annex. July 24, 2012, Tuesday, RCHS/ BH&GS joint meeting at Brandon Library; host RCHS August, no meeting September 25, RCHS/BH&GS joint meeting; host BH&GS October 6, Antiques Showcase with Anne Stratton November 27, RCHS/BH&GS joint meeting; host RCHS December, no meeting January 2013, Munch on History, noon at Library February, Munch on History March 26, RCHS/BH&GS joint meeting; host RCHS April 20, Saturday, Heritage Day May 28, RCHS/BH&GS joint meeting; host BH&GS July 23, RCHS/BH&GS joint meeting; host RCHS August, no meeting September 24, RCHS/BH&GS joint meeting; host BH&GS RCHS Meeting Tuesday, July 24, at 7:00 P.M. Forrest Cooper to speak at July society meeting Forrest Lamar Cooper, author, historian, archivist, retired customer service agent with Delta Airlines, information officer for the USDA Forest Service, and native Rankin Countian, will be guest speaker at our July meeting. The July meeting is set for Tuesday the 24th at 7:00 P.M. at the Brandon Library. The Brandon Historical and Genealogical Society will be joining us for an interesting evening. Mr. Cooper is a historian (Continued on page 2) We ve got it covered now! Good News! Mayor Tim Coulter has announced that the City of Brandon will fund the installation of a new roof for the Wilson-Neely House to the amount of $2700. Reiford Castens, RCHS member, will be donating the roofing material. Mr. Castens made a gift of the roof that is now installed on the Atkins- McRae store. The store serves as the main part of the society s museum. In keeping the with the trust agreement that RCHS made last year with the Rankin (Continued on page 4) RCHS June 2012 Page 1

Forrest Cooper... Rocking chairs come home (Continued from page 1) who has covered all corners of the state in essays written for Mississippi Magazine. His newest publication, Looking Back Mississippi: Towns and Places; is a collection of 29 of his essays relating stories dating from the mid-1800s to the 1930s. The volume, published by University Press, offers an alternative history of Mississippi, emphasizing the obscure and small-scale. Postcards from his private collection accompany each essay. Much support and help has been given by Mr. Cooper to the historical society as he shared many historic pictures from his private collection to use in RCHS publications. What is a southern front porch without a rocking chair to sit in while you slowly rock away the cares of the day? Roy Wilson of Richland built two rocking chairs and one straight chair to be enjoyed on the porch of the home built by his father Henry S. Wilson, and now known as the Neely- Wilson home, a part of the RCHS museum. Over 30 years ago Marjorie Wilson gave those chairs built by her husband to her close friend, Judy Williams, to use at her home in Morton. Judy and her husband Billy recently thought perhaps the historical society would like to replace the chairs on the porch of the Neely-Wilson home. A couple of e-mails later the chairs are once again at home. They will be stored and proudly brought out for events involving the museum. Mrs. Williams gave the society members who were there to accept the donation, a tour of the house as she remembered it while visiting Roy and Marjorie Wilson at the home. Now part of the Rankin County Museum, this house was originally located in Richland on land deeded to Nancy Williams by a US patent dated Feb. 10, 1840. Upon their marriage in 1904 this typical southern dwelling became the home of Henry S. and Ina Neely Wilson. Ina Neely Wilson and her father, David B. Neely, were descendants of Nancy Williams. McDonald s has built a restaurant at the site on Highway 49 South. Sympathy offered to Castens family Our deepest sympathy goes to Mr. Reiford Castens and his family on the death of his brother, Lynn Castens who died on June 12 near Oxford. Progress is being made in Flowood with the construction and widening of Flowood Drive, but along with progress comes loss as the bottle house, a landmark in the area, has been removed. Wonder if they recycled the glass? RCHS June 2012 Page 2

Time capsule does not reveal secrets of 1907 The time capsule placed in the base of the Confederate Monument did not survive the Gold Award winner completes RCHS Museum inventory Allie Otting, a Girl Scout and junior at Brandon High School, earned the highest honor the Girl Scout organization offers, the Gold Award in April. To complete her required project, Allie spent many hours cataloging, photographing, and relabeling items included in our years; no secrets were revealed when the cornerstone was opened as needed repairs were RCHS museum collections. Allie then recruited members of her troop to help place removable labels on the museum items. The girls received a history lesson as they matched labels and items; a first time for the girls in locating sheep shears, hames, or butter paddles. Brandon High Key Club assembles calendar sets for society Members of the Brandon High School Key Club took on a big project for the Rankin County Historical Society in sorting and assembling sets of calendars for each of the 30 years they were published. Having complete sets will enable the society to have the calendars readily available for pickup or shipping when they are requested. Key Club is sponsored by Kiwanis International. High to be made to the base. A crack in the stone work of the base allowed moisture and insects into the base, destroying the container and all the items placed there when the monument was dedicated by the United Daughters of the Confederacy in November 1907. Members of the Mississippi Archives and History Staff were consulted but the contents of the capsule could not be reclaimed as the picture shows. A new time capsule was deposited in the base of the monument on April 11 filled with items selected by many groups and individuals from Brandon and Rankin County. Side Saddle donated to RCHS museum Lynda White of The Colony, Texas, has donated a ladies side saddle to be displayed in the RCHS museum. The saddle was used many years ago by her great grandmother, a resident of Rankin County. school members must fulfill 20 hours of service per year in their communities, they also learn leadership skills through planning projects and conducting meetings. Brandon High School Key Club sponsors are Cheryl Sanders and Rebecca Russell. RCHS June 2012 Page 3

We ve got it covered... quested from the Board. Last fall a work team from the Mississippi Department of Corrections helped start work on the museum structures by closing the chimney opening in the roof of the store; they then built the scaffolding for the roofers and demolished the Goshen Post Office Building. Efforts are being made to determine the stability of the house before work can begin. At this time,a date has not yet been set for the start of construction. (Continued from page 1) County Board of Supervisors, additional funding for maintenance and repairs is being re- Engineer Needed Do you know a structural engineer? RCHS needs the help of a structural engineer to evaluate the stability of the Wilson- Neely house before any work can be started on a new roof. If you can help, or you know someone who will meet with members of the board of directors, please call Anne Vanderleest at the Brandon Library, 601-825-2672, or at 601-594-9013. Learning more about Rankin history In March, RCHS brought together nine groups dedicated to the preservation of our county s history. This Symposium allowed the sharing of information about aims, missions, and goals through displays and comments. Participants were Aileen de la Torre, grants administrator, Mississippi Department of Archives and History; Gay and Fay Nobles, Shiloh United Methodist Church and Campground; LTC (R) James R. McLeod, Hebron Academy; Jo Hubbard, Daughters of the American Revolution; Kay Weathersby Garrett, Piney Woods School and Museum; Mary Alice Hydrick, Steens Creek Heritage Room; Kathy Denton, Mississippi State Hospital; Penny Schooler, representing both the Brandon Historic Preservation Commission and the Brandon Historical and Genealogical Society; and Anne Vanderleest, Rankin County Historical Society. A question and answer period and a tour of the Rankin County Museum followed the presentations. Officers and Board Members President Anne Vanderleest, 601-594-9013, jetplex@bellsouth.net Vice President, Paul Davis, 601-951-9791, polywog1@comcast.net Secretary, Joan Singletary, 601-825-6490, josing@bellsouth.net Treasurer, John A. Haliburton, 601-919-1523, johnahaliburton@aol.com Nathan Bradshaw, 601-420-3158, jnbradshaw33@bellsouth.net RCHS June 2012 Page 4

Here are some snapshots made during Rankin County Heritage Day. A variety of craftsmen demonstrated their skills while Civil War reenactors showed how it was done. Our thanks to all! Go to page 6 to read the story about Rankin County Heritage Day 2012 RCHS June 2012 Page 5

Rankin County Heritage Day 2012 declared a success See more pictures on page 5 Cold wind and the threat of rain and thunderstorms proved once again that Southerners come from sturdy stock. In spite of the weather, visitors began arriving early on Heritage Day to meet local craftsmen, to watch Camp 265, Sons of Confederate Veterans, set up their camp, and ready their cannon to fire and to visit the RCHS Museum buildings. Craftsmen who spent the day demonstrating their skills and answering questions about their crafts were Sue Perry, punch needle; Vonda Richards, rug hooking; Betty Grant and Ran Jones, knitting; Laura Wells, smocking, and Alan Kolodny, tatting. Quilting was shown by members of the Brandon Quilters under the leadership of Jill Matlage, while Mike Mayberry headed up the Pearl River Wood Carvers Guild. Larry and Jennifer Howard offered wagon rides to children of all ages while members of Chief Red Jacket and Lefluers Bluff Chapters of the Daughters of the American Revolution, dressed in ante-bellum costumes, served as hostesses to museum visitors. James Gould, along with the Brandon chapter 1057, Vietnam Veterans of America, and the Marine Corps League kept traffic moving smoothly while also selling water; Brandon Firemen offered tasty hotdogs with all of these groups donating proceeds to the library and the historical society. Special thanks go to Cici and Michaela Bankston who sold popcorn and ran errands all day and to Sahil Singh who did whatever was asked of him. Also helping to make it all possible was Brandon Mayor Tim Coulter and his administrative assistant Tahya Dobbs and District 4 Supervisor Walter Johnson who furnished the shuttle van. The first step in much needed repairs to the Atkins- McRae building was the installation of the roof. RCHS June 2012 Page 6