First Baptist Church Wiggins began meeting in 1896 in the Wiggins school. The first building was completed in 1902 at the present site . First Baptist Wiggins is almost 117 years old as an organized church body.
Church Website: http://www.fbcwiggins.org/
Source: A History of Wiggins First Baptist Church 1896-1982
Pal and Bettie Sue Roberts and Tommy and Bennie Cain opened the Frosty Mug in the early 1960s. It was a favorite hangout for Stone County teens. Some of the menu favorites included Lotta Burger, Chili Bun, and Cherry Coke. The Mug’s most famous customer was baseball legend “Dizzy” Dean. His favorite menu item? A Pineapple Milkshake!
Over 50 years later, the Frosty Mug is still operating at 514 South Magnolia Drive in Wiggins.
Source: Mike Cain (Frosty Mug); Photo from the gallery at http://baseballhall.org/hof/dean-dizzy
Did you know that the George Austin McHenry House in McHenry is the only property in Stone County on the National Register of Historic Places? The older photo in this post shows the house in the early 1900s. Standing in front of the house with “Ponnie” as he was known by his grandchildren are his wife Una and son Floyd.
The House was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1988 thanks to the efforts of Dolores McHenry Mauldin. Hannah Mauldin Cliburn (great-grand-daughter of George Austin McHenry) today lives in the house with her husband Joe.
http://www.nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com/ms/Stone/state.html
http://nrhp.focus.nps.gov/natregsearchresult.do?fullresult=true&recordid=0
Photos are from the family’s collection.
Finkbine Lumber Company, also referenced in some texts as Finkbine-Guild Lumber Company, purchased the two sawmills belonging to Niles City Lumber Company in 1901 for $13,300. W. E Guild , Treasurer of the company, became general manager of the Wiggins operation in 1903. Until the mills and timber lands were sold in 1929, Finkbine’s Wiggins mill capacity was over 175,000 board feet per day. The company also operated over 50 miles of track within the area of operation.
Primary timber processed was long leaf yellow pine. It was processed for both domestic and export (via Gulfport) purposes. Finkbine built a number of houses and other other structures in the growing town of Wiggins over this period. Some of those remain today especially along Pine Street.
Sources:
ds.com/Finkbine.htm
http://ookaboo.com/o/pictures/topic/21494759/FinkbineGuild_Lumber_Company
See what you learn when you “think” you remember something! I should have verified this with Daddy in the first place (Dr. Mc).
Did you know that the building which now houses the Wiggins Police Department at 303 First Street South was home for over 40 years to the Wiggins Clinic. Wiggins Clinic became associated with Hattiesburg Clinic in the 1990s and in time moved to their current location on Hall Street. The Clinic was original located on the corner of 1st Street and Bond Avenue. He remembers that the larger (2nd) clinic facility was built around 1958.
During the years “the Clinic”, as we called it, operated on First Street, four primary care physicians roamed the long hallway from exam room to exam room. These are: Dr. H.F. Campbell, Dr. Bob Prevost, Dr. Gordon S. McHenry, and Dr. James W. Holmes. While other primary care physicians joined the medical staff at different times, these doctors come to mind when we we think back to trips to the doctor during the late 1950s-1980s. You probably even remember the nursing and front office staff, the glass jars with suckers in the exam rooms, the green tiled minor surgery room, and the long hallway down the back. And if you were lucky enough, you might even remember hanging out in the “lounge” spreading peanut butter on crackers with a tongue depressor and drinking cokes from the old ice box that stood in the corner!
Recollections of Cille McHenry Litchfield, personal family history; thanks to Russ Hatten and Dr. Gordon McHenry for corrections to this post!
Niles City was the name given to the village established on the homestead of Madison Hatten in 1886. When the village of Niles City petitioned the United States government for a post office, they found that Niles City was already taken. The local folks renamed the village Wiggins in honor of Madison Hatten’s father, Wiggins Hatten.
Did you know the award winning Stone High Pride was one of 12 bands selected to participate in the 2002 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade?
Enjoy this video of their 2002 “Big Apple Sketches” show celebrating their selection.
If you have “Fun Facts” about Wiggins, Stone County, and her communities, please email those to us at:
oldfirehousewiggins@gmail.com.
Be sure to check your facts and include supporting references. We look forward to learning from you!
Most Stone County folks know that Wiggins once was home to the largest pickle factory in the world. With the timber industry in decline, the Finkbine Lumber interests founded the American Pickle and Canning Company in 1912 in order to process crops produced from the cut-over timber lands.
While pickles were the primary product, in 1918-1919, sweet potatoes, beans and blackberries were canned and shipped from the Wiggins plant.
The Pickle Factory, under several different operators, remained a key component of Stone County’s industry until the 1980s.
Of the 82 counties in Mississippi, Stone County was the 81st county established when Harrison County was subdivided in 1916. The county was named for Mississippi’s 31st and 33rd Governor of Mississippi, John M. Stone.
The Old Firehouse Museum 