CALENDAR EVENT: The Simpson County Bicentennial Fair will be held in Magee, MS, on April 13th, as a kick-off to a two week span of history, celebrating the County's era of Pre-1824 through the year 1874. The Bicentennial Fair starts at 9AM, downtown Magee, MS.
Period/Costume attire is encouraged for all events!
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Official Merchandise for the Simpson County Bicentennial can be found at the following locations. (see flyer)
Merchandise includes: A. T-Shirts B. Embroidered Caps, in White or Gray C. Calendars D. Can Coolers E. Stickers F. Wristlets Visit them, today, to obtain your Official Merch. for the Bicentennial events. Thank you! ONLINE ORDERING, NOW AVAILABLE! www.CampbellsCreekCandleCo.com Simpson County Courthouse Rotunda Community Artifact Display:
To have your artifacts of history displayed for the Bicentennial Kick-Off, January 27, 2024, please meet members of the Bicentennial Executive Committee on Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024, at The Miller Building, W. Court St., Mendenhall, for numbering, cataloging, and obtaining any information for display. Thank you! HAPPY BICENTENNIAL! We are so excited about the upcoming celebration of our county turning 200!
The Bicentennial festivities will begin at 11 AM on Saturday, January 27, at Alice Davis Park in Mendenhall. The luncheon will be hosted at the The Church of Mendenhall Fellowship Hall, from 12:15 PM to 1:15 PM, providing an opportunity for community members to fellowship and celebrate together. The celebration will then transition to a special moment at the Simpson County Courthouse at 1:30 PM, where a birthday cake will be served, symbolizing the shared history and future of Simpson County. We will have memorabilia on display in the courthouse that includes period clothing, photos, antiques and artifacts, documents and newspaper clippings, etc. It will be an opportunity to take a stroll through time and see what has helped formed our County into the great County it is. We encourage all to attend, young and old, to see our County's past and form a vision for our great future! There will also be a silent auction in the Courthouse Rotunda, featuring our Bicentennial Limited-Edition Christmas ornaments by renowned local artist Wade Stephenson. With only 100 pieces created, these ornaments represent the unique spirit of Simpson County. Ornaments numbered two through four will be exclusively up for auction, offering a rare opportunity for patrons to own a piece of this historic celebration. We will have Bicentennial merchandise available for purchase as well! The Simpson County Historical & Genealogical Society will open the doors of their museum from 1:30 to 2:30, located at 150 West Court Ave, Mendenhall, for visitors to tour and explore. The museum's exhibits offer a deep dive into the County's storied past and the defining moments which have shaped our identity. We cordially invite all residents and friends of Simpson County to join us in this historic celebration. Your presence will honor our past, celebrate our present, and inspire our future as we continue to build our community together. *Period Costumes encouraged at all Bicentennial events! * Happy Birthday, Simpson County, MS Bicentennial - 2024!
Our year long celebration begins with this historical content calendar. Simpson County will begin celebration activities on January 27, 2024, in Mendenhall. Beginning in April, various communities across the county have planned events which are listed on the calendar dates. Definitely, a keepsake item, and only $15! Wall Calendar size: 12"x12", opens to 12"x24". IN STORES, NOW! Also, Now available at Simpson County Courthouse, Tax Office. Are you ready for an amazing Walking Cemetery Tour? Are you interested in the early history of Simpson County? Plans are underway for the Westville Cemetery Walking Tour, a part of the Pinola Bicentennial Celebration, set for Saturday, May 11, 2024!! Twelve actors and actresses will portray the stories of twelve notable people who are buried in the Westville Cemetery, bringing to life their lives and accomplishments! Sincere thanks to the great historian Kevin Davis for his assistance in researching the lives of our characters. Very much appreciated! Simpson County’s Bicentennial Committee has unveiled the logo to mark the county’s historic 200th birthday in 2024. The logo was created by the Steering Committee of the Simpson County Historical & Genealogical Society that was formed in late 2022 to guide the efforts of the county’s Bicentennial.
The logo will appear on all official marketing and advertising materials relating to the celebration. It will also be featured on official Bicentennial merchandise that will be sold throughout 2024. The logo, featuring the colors of navy blue, gold, and gray, gives a nod to school colors prevalent in the county over the years. “Mississippi” and “Simpson County” sit atop the primary visual element, the number “200”. Within one of the zeros in the “200” is an acorn, representing the acorn finial that crowns the Simpson County Courthouse. Underneath is “1824-2024” highlighting the years of the county’s existence. The acorn was determined to be the obvious centerpiece for the Bicentennial logo when Rosalind Rhodes Lee, steering committee member and lifelong county resident, recommended it be a key part of the logo as it is easily identifiable, and representative of our past, present and future. Lee also noted that the acorn is rich in symbolism and meaning and has a long and fascinating history associated with it. The small nut has been revered across cultures for its ability to sprout into a mighty oak tree. It is symbolic of new beginnings, strength, resilience, potential, growth, abundance, and good luck. She explained all of these qualities make it a powerful symbol that can serve as inspiration to Simpson Countians as we celebrate our Bicentennial. The Simpson County Bicentennial Committee members are Don Steen, Chairman; James Davis, Dr. Scottye Holloway, Jean Allen, Judy Lee, Virginia Montgomery, and Kevin Davis. Richard Rankin of the Simpson County Historical and Genealogical Society was chosen by the committee to serve as Secretary-Treasurer for the committee. Simpson County’s Bicentennial year kicks off on Saturday, January 27, 2024, with a Birthday Celebration that will be held at the Simpson County Courthouse in Mendenhall. Details will be announced soon. The Committee has established a website, simpsoncounty200.org, that contains details on events, programs, and business sponsorship opportunities. Social media presence includes a Facebook page, Simpson County, MS Bicentennial – 2024, which will be updated with information as well. All questions about the Bicentennial can be emailed to info@simpsoncounty200.org. Simpson County, Mississippi, is celebrating a huge milestone in 2024 – our 200th Birthday!
We have a history to honor, a present to invest in, and a future to celebrate. The Simpson County Historical & Genealogical Society and the Bicentennial Committee are working to plan events and programs that promote pride in and knowledge of our history and how we’ve changed over 200 years. The 2024 Bicentennial Kick-Off Event will be held at the Simpson County Courthouse, Mendenhall, MS, on January, 27, 2024. The local events will be spring and summer months (April The celebration will culminate on July 4 opening of the Sesquicentennial Time Capsule and the burying of a new time capsule. in your local community to help us make 2024 a year of celebration and community to remember for the next 200 years.) Volunteer in your local community to help us make 2024 a year of celebration and community to remember for the next 200 years. JOIN the 200 CLUB is for anyone who holds Simpson County near and dear in their heart, to support the Bicentennial efforts as an individual contributor. As a member of the 200 Club, your contribution will support all the wonderful things we have planned to celebrate Simpson County’s 200 program for the Opening Event in January. Please send check to Simpson County Bicentennial, P. O. Box 154, Mendenhall, MS 39114. Although Mendenhall is the County Seat of Simpson County, many do not know that Simpson County has had six court houses in its history.
#1 was a log cabin in Westville #2 and #3 burned in Westville #4 lasted about thirty years in Westville #5 was used for about 5 years and was located in Edna #6 is the current building in Mendenhall. Here is a court house history up until May 11, 1907. Simpson County News, May 9, 1907. The laying of the corner stone of Simpson County's new court house in Mendenhall, Miss., on May 11, 1907, marks a new age, and we believe a new era in Simpson county's history. The laying of the corner stone will be held under the auspices of the Masonic Lodge, the exercises of which will be in the morning and aside from that there will be an address by Hon. C. H. Alexander, a prominent attorney of Jackson. In the afternoon there will be addresses by Hon. John Sharp Williams, candidate for United States Senator, also addresses by Hon. E. F. Noel, Judge Jeff Truly, Hon. Earl Brewer, and probably an address by Hon. E. N. Thomas all candidates for Governor. The county site was soon afterwards located at Westville, it being at that time a cross road where a country store was kept by Nathaniel Freeman. The first court house was a log building about 20 by 24 feet, located on south east corner of ex-sheriff Bush's lot. The second court house was frame building standing near where the present one stands. It and all the records were burned in 1844: the third, a brick building with all the records were burned on the night of May 9, 1872. The Supervisors then built offices for the clerk and sheriff, which were also burned a year or so afterwards. The present courthouse was built in 1874 at a cost of about $12,000..." At this time, perhaps, it would not be amiss to say something of our past history, relative to our former court houses, locations, etc., and in doing so, we are aided a great deal by the "Reminiscences of Simpson County," written by our late Hon. T. L. Mendenhall, who practiced law in this county for a great many years, and for whom the town of Mendenhall was named: "...On the 23rd day of January, 1824 an act was passed creating the new county of Simpson, embracing all the territory of Copiah County, east of Pearl River, and named in honor of Hon. Josiah Simpson. The completion of the construction of the G & S. I. Railroad from Gulfport to Jackson during the year 1900 through Simpson County so revolutionized and changed the condition of things that a demand arose for a change of the court house from Westville, which was in the interior, to some point on the railroad. Therefore a bill was passed by the legislature of Mississippi and approved March 10, 1900, providing that the Board of Supervisors of Simpson County order an election submitting to the qualified electors of said county the question of the removal of the seat of justice . In accordance with this act the Board of Supervisors ordered said election to be held on the 27th day of May, 1900, to determine whether or not the county site of said county should be removed. The only place in nomination was Edna, now Mendenhall. The election resulted in the following vote: For removal, 644, for no removal 260, total for Edna 625. At the July meeting of the Board of Supervisors, 1900, acting upon the results of said election, changed the Seat of Justice from Westville to Edna, now Mendenhall, having purchased a building in the town of Edna, now Mendenhall, form W. L. Heflin, paying therefore $1,500 and designated said building as the court house of Simpson county. The records were moved from Westville to the court house in Mendenhall on July 1st, 1900. The members of the Board of Supervisors at that time were J. J. Hilton president, F. G. Ponder, H. P. Smith, W. R. May and T. W. Allen; J. F. Thames, clerk, and L. E. Magee, sheriff. Soon after the records were moved to Mendenhall a suit was filed in the Chancery Court by T. J. Buckley and others charging that the records of said county were not lawfully and rightfully removed to Mendenhall and that Westville was in fact the county site, etc. The complainants in this suit were represented by Hon. R. N. Miller, a prominent attorney of Hazlehurst, who later was assisted by Watkins & Easterling, prominent members of the Jackson bar. A demurrer to the bill was interposed by the defendants, who were the Board of Supervisors and county officials. The demurrer was overruled by the Chancellor, and on appeal to the Supreme Court of Mississippi was affirmed March 2, 1903, Justice Calhoun rendering the opinion of the court. The suit was then heard on its merits, and the Chancellor, who was Hon. R. B. Mayes, now member of the Supreme Court, rendered a decree for complainants, the people who brought the suit against the board of supervisors, and ordered the records to be removed to Westville. The case was then appealed to the Supreme Court and its opinion was rendered by Justice Truly affirming the decree of the Chancellor March 27, 1905 ordering the board of supervisors to remove the records back to Westville within six months. Ex-Chief Justice J. A. P. Campbell assisted Alexander & Alexander and C. M. Whitworth in the argument of the case before the Supreme Court on the final hearing of the cause. [sp?] The board of supervisors composed of A. J. Brown, president, J. A. Walker, A. D. Kennedy, I. N. Armstrong and L. W. Murray, entered an order at their regular September, 1905 meeting ordering the sheriff to remove the records back to Westville on or before November 12, 1905. In accordance with the decree of the Supreme Court, and Sheriff D. C. McInnis did on the 10th day of November, 1905, remove the records of the county back to Westville, where they still remain and will until the new handsome court house is completed, which we hope will be in the near future. Upon the urgent request of a large number of his constituency, Hon. J. D. Wilkinson, Representative in the Mississippi Legislature from Simpson County, introduced a bill in the House authorizing the board of supervisors to order another election submitting the question as to whether or not the seat of justice should be removed from Westville. This bill was introduced at the 1906 session of the legislature. After a hard fight before the committee on Local and Private Legislation, the bill was favorably reported and passed the house without a dissenting vote through the able leadership of our Representative Hon. J. D. Wilkinson. It was then carried to the Senate, where after another hard fight before the Committee on Local and Private Legislation it was again favorably reported and passed the Senate with only one dissenting vote, by the able management of our worthy Senator Henry Mounger of Columbus. After the act was approved by Gov. James K. Vardaman, the Board of Supervisors then ordered an election to be held on the 12th day of July, 1906, which was accordingly done, and the questions voted on in said election were first "Removal or No Removal," and for some place in nomination for the county site. The points placed in nomination were Mendenhall, Pinola, Merit, and Modena. The election Commissioners of said county, composed of Franklin E. Shivers, G. M. Phillips and H. A. Geiger, met the following day to declare the results of said election, and after having canvassed the vote they declared the results thereof to the board of supervisors, which was as follows: to wit: Removal, 1041; No-Removal, 405; Mendenhall 937, Pinola 360, Merit 85, and Modena 7. The board of supervisors there upon declared Mendenhall the properly elected county site. At the regular August, 1906, meeting the board of supervisors ordered Chancery Clerk J. F. Thames to advertise for plans and specifications for a court house to be erected in Mendenhall, and at the September, 1906 term the plans of A. J. Bryan, Architect, of New Orleans, were adopted, and after the proper and legal notice had been given for bids to contractors for the building of the court house according to the plans formally adopted, the contract was on the 4th day of Dec. 1906, awarded to M. W. Land, contractor of Jackson, for the sum of $59,000. This is the court house the corner stone of which is to be laid on May 11, 1907. Let us hope that the strife and political turmoil which has agitated our county for the past seven years will be forever buried in the laying of this corner stone; and that as this beautiful building rises higher in its beauty and splendor the political passions the settling of this question has caused will be forgotten. As a common brotherhood, ever working for the good of our people, may we strive at all times to place our good old county higher up in the ranks, and around the laying of this corner stone let us determine to bury all political or private ill will that may have arisen by reasons of the past and all as one united citizenry resolve that as a people and as a county, we will set the pace for other peoples and other counties to follow. |