Mystery in the Mississippi Delta

While you are *hopefully* helping me identify some historic homes in Columbus, Mississippi, maybe you can help me identify some sites in the Mississippi Delta.

These shots are some more "Through The Windshield" shots. At best, Gordon gave me time to step one foot out of the van to snatch the shot.

We drove to Ruleville to give a program, and then we drove to Doddsville to grab some photos mentioned by the Delta natives in the meeting.

Photo 1: Highway 8 West on the outskirts of Ruleville. This must have been a farm owner's home at one time. I don't think farm managers would have had a two story house. It does look a little like the Masonic meeting buildings I have seen in other communities. If you know the family that built this house or the name of the farm to which it was affiliated, please let me know.

Photo 2: This was shot on Highway 442 East of Ruleville. The name of the plantation is posted on the barn in the form of wooden cut-out letters. Some of the letters have fallen, making the name of the Delta farm a mystery to me. Do you know?

Photo 3: Farms of all sizes are called Plantations in the Delta. On a large farm/ plantation, there would be a Commissary (store) and maybe some community churches like the one in Photo 4.

Photo 4: The First John MB (Missionary Baptist) Church on Highway 442 East of Ruleville. It's location was probably in a long-extinct community. If you know the name of the community, surrounding farm/ plantation, or the year of the church's founding, please share that information.

Photo 5: I think this is the remains of the Scruggs Commissary on Highway 442 (West, I think) of Ruleville. That would mean the family farm/ plantation on which the commissary was built was the Scruggs family.

Photo 6: Heading west of Ruleville on Highway 442, you come to the little community of Doddsville. Today Doddsville is not too much more than a few houses and some farm buildings.

The family plantation of former U.S. Senator James O. Eastland, is in Doddsville, in Sunflower County, MS. I think the plantation is still owned by the Eastland family.

Eastland was in the U.S. Senate for 36 years, leaving a well defined stamp on our history.

Photo 7: Eastland Plantation Commissary. The building was tantalizingly open, but we did not get off of public ground (highway). I know how I feel about people poking around our farm without permission, so Gordon and I give the same courtesy to other property owners.

Photo 8:  Eastland Plantation Commissary

Photo 9: Eastland Plantation Commissary

Photo 10: One of two dwellings on the highway at the Eastland Plantation. Were these the plantation owner(s) homes or the plantation manager homes?

Photo 11: Was or is there a big, grand Eastland family home on this large plantation?

Comments

[Beth]

Our daughter is stationed at Columbus AFB. It is fun for me to see the countryside in her neck of the woods. Its SO different than her native Arizona!