Tag: Wiggins

Fun Fact: Emilie and Marie Stapp

Around 1928, Emilie and Marie Stapp moved to the small town of Wiggins, Mississippi where they had acquired 80 acres of land two miles east of town on Mississippi Hughway 26. They named their new property Friendship Farm. In the quiet solitude of southern Mississippi, Emilie Stapp could fully devote herself to creative writing. Upon the fertile ground of Friendship Farm, Emilie and Marie Stapp established a pecan orchard and built their home named The Dolls’ House. The home received its name from a rare collection of over 400 dolls of historic significance, that the Stapp sisters acquired from their world travels and prominently displayed there.

Soon after their arrival in Wiggins, Mississippi, Emilie and her sister Marie, became actively involved within the community. In 1932, they deeded 12 acres  of land and a club house to the Women’s Club of Wiggins, and with a donation of over 4,000 books, they established the first lending library in Stone County. Becoming concerned with the dilapidated condition of the old post office, the Stapp sisters funded construction of a new post office for the City of Wiggins.

The collection of dolls and their personal papers are part of the McCain Library and Archives at the University of Southern Mississippi.

Emilie Stapp
Emilie Stapp

Marshall Ramsey: River of Stone

This short story appeared today on artist/columnist Marshall Ramsey’s website.  Wiggins and the Dizzy Dean rest area are mentioned. I took a little personal liberty as webmaster to share this because I believe in many ways, he describes many South Mississippians I have known my entire life.Enjoy River of Stone.

Fun Fact: Stone County in the Mississippi Code

Map_of_Mississippi_highlighting_Stone_County

While it was the will of the people to create a new county from Harrison County, this officially occurred by act of the Mississippi Legislature in 1916.

Miss. Code Ann. § 19-1-131. Stone County.

Stone County is bounded by beginning at the northwest corner of section six, township two, south, range thirteen, west; thence running south along the eastern boundary line of Pearl River County to the southwest corner of section thirty-one, township four, south, range thirteen, west; thence running east to the southeast corner of section thirty-six, township four, south, range thirteen, west; thence running north to the northeast corner of section twenty-five, township four, south, range thirteen, west; thence running east to the southeast corner of section twenty-one, township four, south, range nine, west; thence running north along the eastern boundary line of Jackson and George Counties to the northeast corner of section four, township two, south, range nine, west; thence running west to the point of beginning. The county site is Wiggins.

HISTORY: SOURCES: Codes, Hemingway’s 1917, § 3892; 1930, § 3953; 1942, § 3088; Laws, 1916, ch. 527.

Fun Fact: Wiggins School 1905

Wiggins High School 1905
Wiggins High School 1905

Did you realize the original Wiggins High School was a boarding school? Built in 1905 on the location where Blaylock Park now exists, this school was for boys and girls. Note this was still while Wiggins was a part of Harrison County!

Fun Fact: Pine Hill Bricks

Pine Hill Bricks
Pine Hill Bricks

In case you are wondering when Pine Hill was first bricked, all you have to do is look back at the Thursday, December 15, 1927 edition of The Stone County Enterprise. According to this article, the bricks were stacked and ready for installation!

 

Fun Fact: Wool Day

Wool Day, Wiggins
Wool Day, Wiggins

Another find in the USM McCain Library digital archives. This photo is undated but based on the look of the trucks and cars in the photos, it could be the 1940s. What do you know about this?

Source: http://digilib.usm.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/manu/id/12465/rec/34

Fun Fact: Wiggins Kiwanis Charter 7-15-1954

Wiggins Kiwanis Meeting 7-15-1954
Wiggins Kiwanis Meeting 7-15-1954

Found this photo when surfing through the digital archives at USM. The associated data indicates this was when the Wiggins Kiwanis Club received their charter.  I think I recognize Dr. Prevost (front row, second from left). Do you recognized others?

Source: http://digilib.usm.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/waller/id/1438/rec/33

Fun Fact: Red Creek Blueway

Red Creek
Red Creek

Growing up in Stone County, you probably learned to swim in one of two places – the Perk pool (at then Perkinston Junior College) or in Red Creek. The latter was more likely the case. Chances are that your “spot” of choice was either at City Bridge or at the Highway 49 Bridge just north of the Perk turn-off. The clear waters with their reddish tint provided must relief on many a hot afternoon as well as provided lots of food for the table.

Today Red Creek is, in part, protected and promoted by The Land Trust of the Mississippi Coastal Plain. The Red Creek Blueway is a public waterway from Highway 26 west of Wiggins to its joining with Black Creek and has been designated one of Mississippi’s Scenic Streams.

The easternmost segment of the Blueway begins at Cable Bridge and ends at Highway 15. Along this segment, you will see the natural springs that feed the creek close to the historic site of the historic Ramsey Springs Hotel.

Sources: http://www.ltmcp.org/admin/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Blueway_brochure_low_web.pdf;  http://www.wlox.com/story/15598988/non-profit-to-restore-old-ramsey-springs-hotel-site, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramsey_Springs,_Mississippi

Fun Fact: Finkbine Lumber Company

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:

http://www.msrailroa

English: Letterhead from Finkbine Lumber Compa...
English: Letterhead from Finkbine Lumber Company, 1907. Digital representation of original Finkbine Lumber Company letterhead in private family collection. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

ds.com/Finkbine.htm

http://ookaboo.com/o/pictures/topic/21494759/FinkbineGuild_Lumber_Company

Fun Fact: Niles City

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.

Source: http://www.stonecounty.com/wiggins_history.htm