Author: Old Firehouse Museum Wiggins

This is the public website for the Old Firehouse Museum, the official museum for Wiggins and Stone County, Mississippi,

Fun Fact: Local News from August 5, 1916

Another Fun Fact from the August 5, 1916 edition of Stone County Enterprise:

LOCAL NEWS

“C.H. Lindsey, representing X.A. Kromer, Architect of Magnolia, was here Tuesday for the purpose of showing plans and specifications for a new courthouse.

W.R. Smith, member of the county board from beat 5 was in town Tuesday.

Miss Roberta Simmons will return to Purvis today after a week here with Miss May Boone.  Miss Boone will return to Purvis with Miss Simmons to visit friends.for several days.

B.T. Price is nursing a bad hand caused by sticking a splinter in it a few days ago.”

Thank You to the Museum!

The Stone High Class of 1973 was thrilled with the SHS Class of 1973 exhibit at the Museum.  Thank you so much for hosting the open house for us.

Here are photos from our visit there.  The Class of 1973 is grateful for the work you have done to preserve the history of Wiggins and Stone County.

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Fun Fact: SHS Class of 1973 Celebrates 40 Years

Class of 1973 - 10th Reunion Photo
Class of 1973 – 10th Reunion Photo

The Stone High Class of 1973 celebrates their 40th Reunion today.  The Old Firehouse Museum will honor the Class of 1973 with a special exhibit and open house today from 9am-11am at the Museum.  As you can see from the baby photos in this post, “Things Have Definitely Changed”.

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Fun Fact: Darryl Tillman

Darryl Tillman, a member of the Stone High Tomcat football team from 1984085, was the on the receiving end of one of the “Best Hail Mary Passes in College Football History”. Darryl played for University of Southern Miss. with another star, Brett Favre.

Check this pass and pass reception out on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziDPsDRQJzI&feature=share

For stats on Darryl’s career with the Arena Football League: http://www.arenafan.com/players/Darryl_Tillman-1602/

Fun Fact: The Stone County Industrial Board

The following is an excerpt from  “The Story of Stone County Industrial Board”  written by Brax H. Batson  (July, 2009):

The Stone County Industrial Board 

 The Stone County Industrial Board, which had a brief life of about  12 years from 1957 to 1969, but had a profound effect on the Wiggins and Stone county we know today.  It is a story of what can be done with good leadership and a group of civic-minded citizens, working as a team for the greater good.

The Board composed of ordinary business and professional men of the community, all volunteers, at times using their own money, facilitated the following projects between 1957-69:

 Wiggins Lumber Co. — employing 70 persons at the plant

Neely Lumber Co. — employing 30 persons at the plant

Brown – Miller Pickle plant expansion — saving 200 jobs for 30 years

Southern Paper Co. –employing  180 persons  (changed to Coastal Paper)

Kuttnauer Enterprises, a sewing plant –  employing 30 – 50 persons

International Plywood Mill  (Now Hood Industries)

International Wood Treating Plant

Wiggins- Stone Airport

Flint Creek Water Park

New Post Office Building

Fun Fact: Bessie Merle Breland

WIGGINS GIRL DESIGNS COMIC STRIP COSTUMES

“Followers of the Dixie Dugan comic strip in the (Hattiesburg) “American” may be surprised to find that the costumes of the five girl characters in today’s (sometime in the 1930s-1940s) sketch on the comic page were all designed by a South Mississippian, Miss Bessie Merle Breland  of Wiggins.

Miss Breland is credited with the designs in a note in the lower left had corner of the strip.”

Note:

Miss Breland was later married and became Mrs. Bessie Merle Peacock, who was a community minded  and generous lady.  (Owner of Peacock Bed & Breakfast)

Dixie Dugan

For more information, check out – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dixie_Dugan

Fun Fact: Ode Burrell

Ode Burrell Rookie Card
Ode Burrell Rookie Card

Among the coaches of the 1984-85 championship Tomcat football team was Coach Ode Burrell. Coach Burrell was an athlete from an early age excelling in football and track.  He received a degree from Mississippi State University and played with the Houston Oilers from 1964-1969 as a tailback. He received many awards including Senior Bowl MVP, Liberty Bowl MVP, Blue-Gray Game MVP,  MVP of Houston Oilers 1967,Pro Bowl 1967, College All American to name a few.  He coached at various schools Bogalusa High School, Holmes Community College, Vancleave High School, Stone County High School,  St. Stanislaus High School and Gulf Coast Community College where he retired.   He was a member  of the MSU “M” Club, Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame, Mississippi Coaches Association, Holmes Community College Hall of Fame,  Mississippi State University Sports Hall of Fame,  Mississippi Junior College Sports Hall of Fame, NFL Alumni Association

Fun Fact: Stevon Moore

Stevon Moore
Stevon Moore

 Stevon Moore (born February 9, 1967 in Wiggins, Mississippi) is an American former football player who was selected by the New York Jets in the 7th round (181st overall) of the 1989 NFL Draft. A 5’11”, 204-lb. safety from the University of Mississippi, Moore played in nine NFL seasons from 1990-1999.

OBTW – he was a member of the conference winning SHS 1984-1985 Tomcats football team!

Fun Fact: Stone High Tomcats 1984-85

The write-up in the Stone High yearbook described this team as follows:

Graceful, poised, determined and classy, these are words which perfectly describe the 1984-85 football team.  With precision coaching, hard practicing, and perfectly executed plays the 84-85 football team was developed into a mean-lean fighting machine.  Finishing the season with a 9-2 record the Tomcats easily clinched the conference title.

Coaches were. Floyd Davis (Head Coach), Chris Calcote,  Ode Burrell.

Fun Fact: Wiggins Professionals 1916

From Stone County Enterprise   August 5,1916

 This listing was entitled  PROFESSIONAL:

 

H.D. Pickering

Lawyer

Wiggins

 

E.R. Davis

Lawyer

Wiggins

 

W.C. Batson

Attorney-At-Law

Wiggins

 

A.W. Bond

Attorney and Counselor at Law

Wiggins

 

U.B. Parker

Lawyer

Office in Post Office Bldg

 

Dr. J.A. Leggett

Dentist

Wiggins

 

Dr. J.S. McWilliams

Dentist

Second Floor Drug Store Building

Wiggins

 

Dr. Barber

Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat Specialist

Carter Bldg.  Hattiesburg

Dr. W.M. Shepherd     Dr. Z Causey

Office on Pine Street