Web Hosting by Netfirms | Free Domain Names by Netfirms

Page 2

Drew History

Taken from the 50 year celebration August 11, 1949

    A large part of the territory that is now Drew and its immediate vicinity was overflow land obtained from the State of Mississippi by Mr. Jeff McLemore shortly after the end of the carpetbagger era.

    The earliest nearby settlement was in what is now known as North Drew.  One, if not the earliest settler was Mr. Jack Daniels, who came here in 1882 and built a home at the present site of Dr. Stallworth's home.  Mr. Howell Brown and A. C. Carter, sons-in-law of Mr. Daniels, also settled nearby.  All obtained land from Mr. McLemore.

    Also buying home sites from the original McLemore grant and settling in the vicinity were Mr. C. A. McGowan, who came in 1889, and some time later built a home on the spot where Barnard Booth's home now stands, and Mr. Nathaniel Ware, who settled about three quarters of a mile northwest of the McGowan home.  Mrs. Webb Jennings and Mr. Ottie Miller are descendants of the McGowans, while Mrs. Oscar Schubert and Mrs. Josie Stratton are daughters of Mr. Ware.   Others settling on the old McLemore holdings were the Stokely brothers, George and Ernest, the Green family, whose sons, Dr. Ben, Dr. John and Roscoe, lived here for many years.

    The first post office was started in 1897 and was located on the spot where Mrs. W. S. Brock's home now stands.   The first postmaster was Mr. A. C. Carter, father of Mrs. Ernest Bishop.  The mail came by Star route--on mule back--from Lehrton, then a promising river town on the Sunflower River.

    The first railroad started operation in the 1890's, and ran from Tutwiler to Chambers Landing (now known as Isola).   Due to some disagreement between the railroad operators and the McLemore interests, the railroad built its depot at the present location of Drew proper.  From that time on the town of Drew in its present location began to grow, and gradually the trading center was established here, and the post office also was moved here.

    Just before the turn of the century the Parks brothers bought land, also from the McLemore holdings.  Watson Parks came and settled here in 1897.  In 1899 Mr. and Mrs. Robert Parks moved here and built one of the first houses in the territory that had regular windows and doors.   The house was on the same lot as Mrs. Robert Parks' present home.  A short time later Mr. Tom Parks brought his family over, and he too built a home on the site of his present home.

    About the same time Mr. Resse Manning, who had bought and cleared a tract of land, brought his family in .  Shortly thereafter some of his brothers also came up from their homes in south Mississippi and settled around the Drew trading area.  The Finleys and the Montroys are the other citizens who settled here, and their descendants still occupying the original home sites, or nearby sites.  The Prewetts and Upchurches cleared land, settled out on the west side of Blue Lake, and some of the descendants are still in the community.  The Blackwoods came here almost 50 years ago, and their descendants too are still a part of the community.

    The first store operated in Drew was owned by Mr. John Philly in the early 1890's, at about the location of Herman Arst's present store.   The next store was opened by the Parks brothers.  Other pioneer merchants in Drew near the turn of the century were Goff, Grittman & Company, Max Kaplan Louis Sklar, Dave Miller, E. B. Johnson, Herman Arst and Green's Drug Store.

    The first licensed physician in this territory was Dr. B. H. Booth, who came here in 1903.  He was followed a year later by Curtis Smith, who settled in the Sandy Bayou community, and Dr. J. A. Clark, who settled in Ruleville.

    The first school in this community was in North Drew, in a building situated near the present home of Mr. W. C. Briscoe.  One of the first teachers was Miss Alice Stokley, later Mrs. Ben Green, who still resides in Drew.  The first church services in the community were in this same building, and were conducted by itinerant preachers or missionaries.  The first church services held in Drew itself were held in Parks' store on the Main Street where the City Hardware and Variety Store is now.  The first preacher was the Reverend Davenport.  The following Summer church services were held in the lumber shed, then located just back of the Illinois Central depot.  The first Sunday School was organized by Mrs. Robert Parks in 1899, who was its first superintendent. The first Methodist church, which was the first church of any denomination, was built on the site of the present church land contributed by the Parks brothers, and was built with labor furnished by them.

    Mr. Ernest Jasper was an early resident of Drew, and collected the money for the erection of the First Baptist church in town.

    The first school in Drew proper was held in an upper room of the store building on Main Street, and Mrs. John Howell was the first teacher.  At that time no provision was made for paying a teacher's salary, so Mrs. Robert Parks gave Mrs. Howell (then Miss Lessie Travis) room and board, and Mr. Resse Manning paid her salary.  Later a school was built where Mr. O. S. Anderson's home now stands.  This was a two-story wooden structure and the lower floor was the school house, and the Masonic Lodge (founded in 1903) used the upper story.  One of the first teachers in the new building was Miss Mary Clark, a sister of Messrs Fletcher and Albert Clark.

    The Sandy Bayou community northwest of Drew, fifty years or so ago was more thickly settled and more progressive than Drew.  However, gradually this community has been to a large degree absorbed into a cultural and financial life of Drew.  Many of the old settlers of Sandy Bayou have long been identified with all phases of the development of our town, and any enumeration of names must include such names as Fred Grittman, the May family, Paul Roth, the LaMastus family, the Watson family, the Becks, Dwiggins, the Bibbs, the Newtons, Lusingers, Shaws (one of whom is Mrs. R. O. Smith), the Adam, and the Millen families.

    With the building of the railroad and the first beginning or our public roads, the lumbering industry became a dominant factor in the life and community.  Saw mills and logging camps sprang up in all directions, bringing in an  entirely new type of people--the itinerant rowdy "logger."  Many passed on with the end of the "logging" days, while others stayed on and entered other businesses.  One of the earlier lumber firms was Douglass and Walkley.  They sent a young man just out of college down from Virginia in 1903.  That was Mr. P. H. Brooks, who stayed on after the saw mills left to become one of the most respected citizens.