The “genesis” of Marshall County; chapter seven


Thursday, August 16, 2007
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The “genesis” of Marshall County; chapter seven

The next entries in Minute Book #1 were orders to locate the first roads from the town of Paris (Holly Springs). Most do not know that before Highway 78, the road to Memphis was the “old Hernando Road” which is Chulahoma Ave. and west to Lee’s Crossing and on to Hernando. While the entry is wordy, it is the only place where Randolph’s team, that designed and layed out most of the town, is named.

“Friday June 3ed 1836

Ordered by the court that William L. Randolph, John Hardin, James N. Hill, David H. Hall, William Polk, Herman Barber, B.C. Harley, William Davis, Iasiah Ship, William Kyle, James Glover and A.P. Armstead be a Jury of View to view, mark and lay out a road from the Town of Paris to Tallaloosa and that said Jury meet at Paris on the 22nd day of July next.”

Next, the same list of names is directed to lay out a road “from Tallaloosa to the County line of Marshall County in a Direction to Memphis.” In the next entry, the same crew is appointed to “Meet at Paris on the 11th of July next and view, mark, and lay out a road from Paris as far as the line of Marshall County to the Direction to the County Seat of Tippah County.”

And next the same crew was told to lay out roads to Wyatt, Chulahoma and Hudsonville and on toward LaGrange. In the next entry, Daniel McNeil and Kemp Holland apply for a loan to build a “Grist and Saw Mill” about eight miles South East of town.

The next entry changed the history of the town!

“Saturday June 4th 1836

Court met according to adjournment present L.R. Guy, President, Kemp L. Holland, Martin Tally, Shipman Denton and William Allen members of the Board of Police, Williams Bourland, Clerk and Livi McCroskey, Sheriff

Pursuant to and ordered of the Police Court on the 27th day of April 1836 for the purpose of building a Temporary Court House in the Town of Paris for the County of Marshall.

According to the said order the loan was let out and taken by Simpson Young at three hundred dollars payable on the first day of January next. The said Young entered into Bond and security which was received by the county for the Good and Faithful performance of said task.”

And so, we are about to become the “legal center” of North Mississippi and the town name returns to the original.

“The County seat of Marshall County was on the 26th April 1836 located and called the town of Paris, finding now it is the wish of the citizens generally – it is ordered by the court that the County Seat of Marshall County shall be changed to the Town of Holly Springs”

And so it returned and stayed – the legal center was Holly Springs.

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