Smoke Signals and other news
Happy New Year! Let's strive to make this year the best year ever.
Some had family in for the holidays. Others went to visit family. We had our daughter Ellen and her family from Georgia in for a few days. Enjoyed the visit, but never long enough. The kids have begged for a puppy since their dog disappeared a few months before they moved. On this trip, they got their wish.
He is adorable and so well-behaved for a young dog. So far, they are taking excellent care of him.
So many dogs being “dropped” in the area. They are so sad. Shelters are full, and pet lovers usually have as many as they can handle. One wandered up to a neighbor's house just before the blizzard hit. Sweet, friendly girl. They were feeding her and had made a nice shelter for her in the garage. Suddenly, just before the cold hit and the snow started, she decided my house was the place to be. I built her a temporary shelter on the porch (not possible to bring her in, but she was warm with protection from the wind and snow and lots of blankets). The next day I was able to make her a better place where she happily stayed, eating all the food offered her, gaining weight, and greeting me with a happy tail wag whenever I went in or out. Another neighbor took her to his home today to see how she would fare with him. Hopefully, it works out for her.
The Byhalia Library has so many great activities for all ages. Follow their Facebook page for postingsRuth B. French (Byhalia) Library.
Be careful out and about shopping. The folks with card “scanners” are out there too. This happened to someone I know this week when she went into a local store for a few things. She noticed a man standing especially close to her in the checkout line and thought it unusual and creepy. By early the next morning, someone had tried to use all of the debit and credit cards she had in her wallet. They were only successful with one, and the charge was not outrageous, but it is so wrong and so inconvenient for the owner.
I had a “meta pay” charge on my debit card this week, also. I had never even heard of meta pay, so I definitely had not made that charge. After several minutes on the phone with people, I could barely understand and asked ridiculous questions; the charge will be “investigated,” and I had to order a new card meaning I must use cash or a check until the new one comes in and change the info on all the sites I use my debit card to pay online bills.
Our community and our county have lost so many citizens over the last few weeks. Prayers go out to all family members.
In reaching out asking for news to include, I received the following story….as it turns out, Byhalia is still helping people, those you don’t even know. When it was time for our granddaughter to decide where to go to college, she visited various schools from her home in Huntsville, AL. One school that she checked out was Missississippi State, largely because of her family heritage, especially her granddad (Austin French) being from Byhalia. With the help of a wonderful scholarship, she enrolled there and did very well. She enjoyed journalism and became the editor-in-chief of the school newspaper. Her younger brother joined her at Mississippi State two years later. Byhalia was instrumental in helping our family at a crucial time. Instead of a time of indecision and concern, it became a time of great blessing. We’re thankful for the heritage that helped bring that forth.
In the next couple of weeks, all communities should be enrolling youth in tee ball, softball, and baseball programs. The Marshall County League expects to be strong this year. Byhalia is ready to enroll your child. Potts Camp should be enrolling soon. While I have not had a full commitment, Holly Springs is expected to play in the league this year. Sports teach children so much more than the game they are playing. Citizenship, respect, teamwork, loyalty, responsibility, and so much more is taught and encouraged. Every child needs something they are passionate about.
Byhalia Drug Company and R & R Tax Service have installed tasteful new signage on their building on Highway 178 across from Reed’s.
And now for your history lesson. After the sad removal of the Chickasaw Indians from the area, on October 28, 1828, the Shelby County Court of Tennessee directed a road be marked out from Memphis "in the direction of Love' settlement," about where the town of Pontotoc is now located. The road followed the lines of the old Chickasaw Bolivar Trail known as the Pigeon Roost Road. In the 1890s, the Memphis portion became Lamar Avenue, with the Mississippi section becoming Highway 78. Marshall County, established February 9, 1836, with a land surface of 707 square miles, was named for Chief Justice John Marshall. The original area had about 23 townships of 828 square miles, but in 1870 it gave up part of its territory to Benton County and in 1873, another section to assist in the formation of Tate County. Byhalia was an ideal location for an early settlement, lying near the crossroad where the Pigeon Roost Road ran from Memphis to Oxford and Pontotoc. Another fork went toward the present site of Chulahoma and on to Old Wyatt on the Tallahatchie River. There was also a road that led to Collierville and West Tennessee. This geographical setting provided a focal point that was a vital factor in becoming an early trade and educational center. The first businesses to be established were blacksmiths, furnishing stores, saloons, and doctors.
Please share your news with me either at jchwagg@gmail.com, or message me on Facebook, and text or call 901-246-8843.