Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.
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Coming of the Railroad to Tunica
The WPA records about Tunica County contain a great deal of information. One of the stories I found in the three boxes of papers and interviews deals with the coming of the railroad to Tunica County. Here is the story typed word for word: The first railroad to actually operate in Tunica County was the…
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John Booth (Dean family of Claiborne County, MS)
Claiborne County is located in Southwestern Mississippi below Vicksburg and is included in an area referred to as the Natchez District. The Natchez District was one of the first settled regions of Mississippi and there are a number of old cemeteries located there. My Grand father’s family moved from Claiborne County around 1915 to the…
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The Dowd Legacy in Tunica and Coahoma Counties
William Francis and his younger brother Andrew Sidney Dowd were two extra ordinary men who had to deal with the carnage of the Civil War and the aftermath of Reconstruction. They managed to master both in their own ways. Let me start off by saying a few things. I am not related to either man…
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Thompson-Moore-Hornor House
The saga of the Thompson-Moore-Hornor House is not just about a house or family, it is the story of Helena-West Helena, Arkansas. Three names can be associated with this house. Those names are Thompson, Moore, and Hornor. From the time it was constructed, the house witnessed the growth, destruction, expansion, and change that has…
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Dark Day in Lula: 1908
“Not all history is positive. Not all history is negative. We cannot just focus on the history we like, but must focus on all history to truly learn about the past.” Cliff Dean, 2019 Through the years, I’ve repeated that comment or sentences like it a great deal. We must sometimes focus on the dark parts…
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River of Death: Chickamaugua and the 44th Mississippi (Chapter 4)
After their defeat at Murfreesboro, the men of the Army of Tennessee slogged southward. Major Thompson retained command of Blythe’s regiment. According to company records, they marched from January 4th to Shelbyville which was about 25 miles. They then marched about 28 miles to another location and then back to Shelbyville. It was here that…
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Comes a Preacher: Jaquess Family in Tunica County
After the Civil War, a man came to live in Tunica County with his family who was bigger than life. His name was James Frazier Jaquess. He also brought his son William Garrison Jaquess along. Although he would not remain in Tunica County long, his family would live out their lives here and become prominent…
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Maggie Busby, A Lonely Grave
Maggie Elizabeth Busby was born on October 28, 1866 in Winchester, Tennessee. Winchester is a town in Franklin County on the Alabama state line. She was the daughter of Jackson Steel Miller and Priscilla Ann Estill. Maggie Miller was part of a large family with with twelve brothers and sisters. Jackson Miller is listed…
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Life and death of a Partisan
On March 16, 1863 the 3rd Iowa Cavalry marched into the small settlement of Mound Place in Northern Coahoma County. They were led by Major John Willock Noble who stationed his men at Hunt’s Mill. Hunt’s Mill was a saw mill at the center of this farming community. Even though the area was occupied territory,…
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Legend of Johnnie Keyhole
As a child, I grew up listening to my Grandparents tell me the story of Johnnie Keyhole. Remember a legend is just a story that is passed down from one generation to the next so this story became the Legend of Johnnie Keyhole. Johnnie Keyhole and his wife lived out from Sledge in the late…
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