Water Valley Main Street Association
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HISTORIC WATER VALLEY
Main Street in 1879
Early History of Water Valley
as described in a 1937 article by Addie Sue Parham and Lena Hooper
The
corporate limits of the city of Water Valley embraces an area of a little over
three square miles, the first white settlement made within those limits was a
house put up by Mr. George W. Humphrey in February 1834 and stood almost
exactly where the Catholic Church now stands (North Main Street).
That same year, Mr. Josiah Ship, located some slave
quarters on the bank of town creek near the residence of Col. Frost. These
workers cleared out the flat lands now owned by Dr. Young and the Johnson
fields south of O'tuckalofa Creek. In August, our friend and countryman J. H.
Mathews put up a double log cabin.
John Falkner, who was then camping with his family in the
cane to where the house was built. This house stood where the Carr house stands
(north side of Wood St. near Railroad St.), owned by Mrs. Montgomery, in rear
of the Lamar Block (southeast corner of Wood and Railroad Streets)
The valley, where now stands immense blocks of buildings,
where busy streets cross and recross, where railroad tracks and side tracks
spread out webs, where the busy hum of commerce, of manufacture and of trade
are heard from “early morn to dewy eve" was at this time one dense,
impenetrable cane break.
In the fall of 1834, Carter Cannon put up a cabin on the ground
now occupied by Shaw's Foundry (the southwest corner of Main
and Panola). About the same time, John Barnes, a son-in-law of Cannon, made an
improvement where A. Tabor now resides. In 1835, Josiah Ship, father of the
venerable F. G. Ship of our day put up a popular pole cabin just at the end of Main . In 1836 the elder Mr. Ship moved to Marshall County
In 1834 and 35, the neighbors in the vicinity of the
valley were, Charles Cox, residing two miles south of town, where George
Dickson now lives; Miles and Josiah Goodwin, and Simpson Parks resided three
miles north, on lands now owned by Mr. M. D. Wilson; and Mr. Wm. Weatherly who
lived three miles south east.
In 1836 and 1837, settlers flocked in from all quarters and the country aroundWater
Valley
As before stated the valley in which our town is located, being a large cane break, for many years it was noted as the most favorable camping ground fromYalobusha River to Tennessee
Bonds of Matrimony
One other item for which this valley and this "Tennessee road" was noted in these days: it will be remembered that Yalobusha county was organized early in 1834, and for two years after that, all that country north of our county line to the Tennessee State line was in its Territorial condition consequently the forms of legal contracts could not be entered into or enforced. Hence parties who wished to enter the holy bonds of matrimony living in the territory were compelled to come to the organized portion of the State to get the necessary license and have the ceremony performed.
In these days it was customary for the groom and his friends to leave home one day in advance of the bride and her party, proceed to Coffeeville, obtain the license, and pick up an officiating minister or officer, then return, and all parties would meet at a certain big stump which stood just where said road crossed the Yalobusha County line. There all hands would dismount and a genuine wedding would take place. That stump stood very near where Shaw's Foundry now stands. Many a couple has been made happy at that place.
In 1836 and 1837, settlers flocked in from all quarters and the country around
As before stated the valley in which our town is located, being a large cane break, for many years it was noted as the most favorable camping ground from
Bonds of Matrimony
One other item for which this valley and this "Tennessee road" was noted in these days: it will be remembered that Yalobusha county was organized early in 1834, and for two years after that, all that country north of our county line to the Tennessee State line was in its Territorial condition consequently the forms of legal contracts could not be entered into or enforced. Hence parties who wished to enter the holy bonds of matrimony living in the territory were compelled to come to the organized portion of the State to get the necessary license and have the ceremony performed.
In these days it was customary for the groom and his friends to leave home one day in advance of the bride and her party, proceed to Coffeeville, obtain the license, and pick up an officiating minister or officer, then return, and all parties would meet at a certain big stump which stood just where said road crossed the Yalobusha County line. There all hands would dismount and a genuine wedding would take place. That stump stood very near where Shaw's Foundry now stands. Many a couple has been made happy at that place.
