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Community News

Potts Camp News
Dale Hollingsworth

Works enjoy camping at Wall Doxey

We hope all the mothers had a happy Sunday. Being a mother and grandmother is the best job in the world!

Peggy Ford has returned from a month’s visit with her family in Hattiesburg. Her husband was buried last year in Potts Camp Cemetery and her sister has been hospitalized for a few weeks. Her stepchildren and others were happy to see her safe return by bus.

Andy and Connie Work enjoyed a camping trip over the weekend at Wall Doxey Park.

Betty Fincher prepared dinner for her family on Sunday. Her son, Tony and Tammie Fincher live in Memphis, and grandchildren live in other towns.

My Prayer

Dear Lord, I pray at the end of each day, you’ll find I’ve helped someone, some way. That I’ve not failed in word or deed, to lighten the burden of someone in need. Though my talents be few, I pray that you will find me a credit to you. For Christ’s sake, amen.

Thoughts

II Chronicles speaks for itself: “If my people which are called by my name shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and forgive their sins and heal their lands.”

Times have changed since I was a child. Pastors came to our school and spoke to us. Now they are not allowed. We read the Bible and sang gospel songs. Now they have changed that. I’m sorry they have.

Mothers

The dearest gift that heaven holds, the very best ever, comes made from one same pattern. The angels smiled and said “Well pleased compared to all others. This pattern is so wonderful, let’s just use it to make mothers.” And through the years, a mother has been sweet and good and clever and there’s some of God and love in all true motherhood.

Things to Remember

1. Before you condemn others, remember that not one of us is without sin, and we answer to the same God.

2. Before you complain how you look, think of the injured and crippled.

3. When your home is dirty, think of those who live on the streets.

4. When you are depressed, smile and thank the Lord that you are still living.

5. Every day is a precious gift of God.

6. People always remember the words you say to make them happy!

It’s not what we do for the Lord, but what He does through us that enlightens others. We must be satisfied to be a bright and shining lamp that is drawing from the resource of the indwelling spirit of God.

This comes from continued fellowship with Jesus our Savior. Our role is to help others see the glory of His light. If it is possible, as much as it depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Romans 12:13.

Prayer list: (all who have lost loved ones); Irene Gandy, Henry Tutor, Charles Henderson, Mary Jarrett, Betty Rose Jones, Sank Owen, Bob Hollingsworth, Jimmie Hart, Lena Faye Work.

Memories

A house bought through Sears & Roebuck still stands in Winborn.

The old landmark in Winborn is still standing!

When Will Allen came to Potts Camp Post Office to pick up his order from Sears & Roebuck and Co., he had to use his wagon and horses. It was a two-story house, shipped in bundles and had the directions for its assembly. The first man hired to build it looked at the blueprints and walked away.

Memphis Mining Company ordered the house. At that time, iron ore had been discovered in the hills around Winborn, two miles from Potts Camp. After a few years, the mining company moved away, and the two-story house made of redwood and brick with seven rooms and a bath was rented. About 1915, my dad, Benton Potts, a young man, became the depot agent at Winborn, so my parents rented rooms in the new two-story house and my older brother, James Potts, was born there in 1916. I have a picture of James, a cute little boy, and my mother in front of the house and I was in a baby buggy nearby.

About 1929, Dad was hired at the Potts Camp depot so we moved here.

Daddy had grown up in the Potts Camp area and had met my mother in Plantersville, where he held his first job on the railroad, before moving to Winborn.

Sears & Roebuck offered houses in their catalog from 1908 to 1937. They were priced from $650 to $2,500.

Tony Nichols’ father rented the entire two-story house for his family in 1920 and they lived there until his death. Then Tony and his wife Eddie purchased the famous house in 1945. They have one son, James Edward Nichols, who married Jean Simmons. They live in Oxford. Jean was the daughter of my friend, Ethel Simmons.

The old landmark was the first house in that neighborhood to own a bathtub. (The old Williams Hotel had the first one in Potts Camp.) Because of the power supplied by the mining company’s furnace, the old house was built complete with lights and running water, indoor plumbing and huge steam radiators.

Mr. and Mrs. Tony Nichols were wonderful friends and neighbors to all who knew them. He never met a stranger.

Betty took my picture on the front porch a few years ago.

Did you know?
Richard Simmons

True patriotism and Southern hospitality

During the Revolutionary War, Rebecca Motte, a wealthy widow, had her home taken over by British Commander Lt. Daniel McPherson and 175 British soldiers.

The British fortified the house, surrounding it with trenches and parapet (low wall) and called it Ft. Motte. The homeowner was forced to take up residence in a smaller nearby house. A Patriot force led by Francis Marion and Lighthorse Harry Lee laid siege to the home. It was evident to get the British out they would have to set fire to the house. When Lee told Mrs. Motte of their decision, she responded that she was “gratified with the opportunity of contributing to the good of her country, and should view the approaching scene with delight.”

The widow presented Lee with a bow and a set of arrows and told him to put them to use. When the roof was on fire the British surrendered and the Patriots quickly put out the flames.

That evening, in true Southern hospitality, Rebecca Motte served dinner to both the American and British officers in her dining room. It happened on the Congaree River in South Carolina between May 8 and May 12, 1781.

Re: The American Almanac by W. Bennett and J. Cribb.

This Week’s Question

She worked for her employer as an interpreter and carried precious cargo on her back for thousands of miles. After their boat was swamped she saved most of the articles that were washed overboard and were floating away. She was able to get the needed horses for climbing mountains; she has a river named after her in Montana; she worked for her employer as an interpreter; her name means “bird woman” and she has a U.S. coin minted with her image. Who is she?

Answers to Last Week’s Question

Name the following movies.

Starring Fredric March, Dana Andrews, Harold Russell, Myrna Loy, Teresa Wright, Virginia Mayo and Cathy O’Donnell. Three soldiers return home after WW II and struggled to pick up the threads of their lives.

Answer: The Best Years of Our Lives, 1946

Starring Morgan Freeman, Jessica Tandy, and Dan Aykroyd. A story about a rich Jewish widow and her black chauffeur and how their relationship developed over a 25-year period.

Answer: Driving Miss Daisy, 1989

Starring June Allyson, Margaret O’Brien, Elizabeth Taylor, and Janet Leigh. A story set in the Civil War period and how four sisters learn about family strength.

Answer: Little Women, 1949

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