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1

Will Vann’s barber shop

Will Vann’s barber shopThe story goes that he promised children a pony if they would sit still for him to cut their hair.

2

Rondel Logan’s Blacksmith Shop

Rondel Logan’s Blacksmith Shop - 103 North Olive

3

Calvary Baptist

Calvary BaptistThis building was built in 1974 and replaced one already located there. Calvary Baptist represents the merging of two Black Baptist Churches in Okolona in 1920. The earliest Baptist Church for Blacks in Okolona was organized in 1868. Okolona College began here.

4

Black Business District

Black Business District - North side of Main Street was Black Business District-300-316 West Main Street

5

New Era Masonic Lodge

New Era Masonic LodgeStreet-formerly a Dance Hall upstairs and shops on first floorMary Wheeler’s Millinery Shop- Millenary shop with clothing and fashion for women: hats, gloves, under garments, trimmings, etc. sold by a millinerDr. Charles Wheeler’s office- Dr. Wheeler, Sr. was a licensed practicing physician. His father was a slave of General Wheeler, a prosperous and slave-holding farmer before the Civil War. Dr. Wheeler graduated from high school and taught several years in Chickasaw County. He climaxed his career by serving as principal of the Houston Colored School. After that he decided on the career of medicine as his life’s vocation and entered MaHarry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee. After graduating with honors, Dr. Wheeler came back to Okolona and began a practice of medicine among his race. He was successful, not only as a doctor, but also in the religious, civic, and political life of the blacks of Okolona. No doubt his success is due partially to his wife, Mary McIntosh, an honor graduate of Illinois University.

6

Mary Wheeler’s Millinery Shop

Mary Wheeler’s Millinery ShopMillenary shop with clothing and fashion for women: hats, gloves, undergarments, trimmings, etc. sold by a milliner

7

Dr. Charles Wheeler’s office

Dr. Charles Wheeler’s officeDr. Wheeler, Sr. was a licensed practicing physician. His father was a slave of General Wheeler, a prosperous and slave-holding farmer before the Civil War. Dr. Wheeler graduated from high school and taught several years in Chickasaw County. He climaxed his career by serving as principal of the Houston Colored School. After that he decided on the career of medicine as his life’s vocation and entered MaHarry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee. After graduating with honors, Dr. Wheeler came back to Okolona and began a practice of medicine among his race. He was successful, not only as a doctor, but also in the religious, civic, and political life of the blacks of Okolona. No doubt his success is due partially to his wife, Mary McIntosh, an honor graduate of Illinois University.

8

Buchanan Laundromat

Buchanan LaundromatFormer Oscar Brumby’s Cafe/Pool Hall/Laundry Mat

9

CW Gilliam General Store

CW Gilliam General Store - now a vacant lot.Mr. Gilliam owned and operated a general merchandise store in Okolona for more than 70 years. "He was an inspiration to many"Charlie W. Gilliam. widely known Negro merchant and one of Okolona's oldest residents died April 19th, 1962 at his home in Okolona. The 92-year-old familiar figure had owned and operated a general merchandise store in Okolona for more than 70 years(C. W. Gilliam General Store). He had managed his own business since its organization. His old-fashioned, mirrored, handsomely carved soda fountain, and other unusual features, attracted much attention.Charlie, as he was known to his host of friends, white and colored, assisted in the founding of the Okolona Industrial School, now Okolona College, in 1902, and had been a trustee since its inception and for the past few years had been the only living charter member of the board. Last year when the Henry Rockwell, Fund, Inc., of Houston, Texas, made a donation of $75,000 to the City of Okolona a substantial gift was also made to Okolona College in special honor of the work done by C. W. Gilliam.He was an authority on Okolona's early history and his information was often sought relative to dates, places and persons. When very young he was a porter at Memphis's old Gaston Hotel and later was a Pullman porter for the Frisco Railroad.He claimed to be William R. Moore's oldest customer and he prized a letter written to him by the firm when he was ill in a Memphis hospital. He kept a large interest file including letters from Booker T. Washington and invitations to speak at Tuskegee and other Negro colleges.Source: The Okolona Messenger, April 26, 1962, Page 2.

10

Earl Collins’ Shoe Shop

Earl Collins’ Shoe Shop – 306 West Main

11

Carter/Lowery Funeral home

12

Grace Episcopal Church

Grace Episcopal Churchc.1908 Tudor-This church building is a replica of an English chapel. It was consecrated by Bishop Dubose Bratton in 1909. Organized in 1851, the first church was located on the corner of Church and Main St. The bell is from the only steamboat that traveled up and down The Tombigbee River (Source: Mattie Buchanan in Okolona WPA). The designs of this church and Church of the Resurrection in Starkville are based on that of St. Columb’s Chapel in Jackson. Included in the Inventory of the Church Archives of Mississippi – Protestant Episcopal Church – Diocese of Mississippi (1940) (#37, pp. 72-73) and Historic Churches of Mississippi (2007).

13

Gilliam-Carouthers

Gilliam-Carouthers1896-Classic Queen Anne with Italianate influence. Stained glass windows from torn down Presbyterian church once on site. Church used as hospital during Civil lar with rumored tunnel to the Shell house across the street.

14

Knox-Fitzgerald-Brannic

Knox-Fitzgerald-Brannic1850-Built before the Civil War and was once a girls’ school. Used as a hospital during the Civil War caring for wounded soldiers from the battles of Shiloh, Corinth and Brice’s Crossroads. Former owner, Frances Brannic, avows to nighttime mysteries: “The distant sound of string music is heard very clearly in the house”.

15

Bar B Que King

Bar B Que King-312 West Washington

16

Charlie Gilliam home

Charlie Gilliam home-306 West Washington

17

Wheeler/Walker House

305 West WashingtonDr. Charlie Wheeler/Nurse Marjorie WalkerMiss Walker was a registered nurse and served as a nurse for the late Dr. A.F. Wicks and Dr. DeVan Hansell in their clinic and later Dr. Hansell until his death in 1949. She was a nursing instructor at the Okolona College for many years. She was well-known and loved by many friends and relatives.

18

Okolona Children Park

Okolona Children ParkFormerly Meridian Street School-corner of North Olive/West Washington-First public school for Black children in Okolona. C 1920-1958-1st-8th grades. After finishing 8th grade, students went to high school at the Okolona Industrial (Okolona College) to complete 9th-12 grades. Meridian Street changed an era from school being taught in area/rural church to public schools.

19

Mt Pisgah United Methodist Church

Mt Pisgah United Methodist ChurchThis building of the 1990s replaced one built in 1896 that stood practically in the same location. Mt. Pisgah, organized in 1867, was the first church in town established solely for Blacks.

20

Okolona High School-Fannie Carter School

Okolona High School-Fannie Carter SchoolDr. Howard Gunn Street-Mrs. Fannie Carter’s first training was by her white owners, the Fields family of Okolona. She attended Rust College and was given financial help by her former owners. She was married to Monroe Carter. She returned to Okolona and opened a school for Black children in a Methodist Church (Mt. Pisgah CME Church) with her sister. Mt. Pisgah was the first Black church in Okolona to open its doors to be used as the first school for black children to attend. The people of the community selected a name for their new school, Fannie Carter. Elementary and High School (1958-1970). Fannie Carter Elementary and High school has 22 classrooms, library, home economic department, science laboratory, trade shop, cafeteria, teachers’ lounge, office, storage room, combination gym/auditorium. In 1969 schools across the state were integrated and Fannie Carter High school became Okolona High School.

21

Hotel/Boarding House

Hotel/Boarding House-West Jefferson/North FlemingThis hotel was for Black railroad workers and consisted of a register area, dining room, kitchen parlor with lion foot design piano, pantry, back entrance, 2 baths and 11 guest rooms. The owners were King and Edna Wilson Darden.

22

Okolona College

Okolona CollegeFormerly Okolona Industrial College was founded in 1902 by Wallace A. Battle. He talked to several groups of interested citizens and got support as he felt that the answer to the “race problems” was a proper education for blacks. Some white families, including the Stovalls, Chandlers, Edens, Morrisons and Abbotts, became interested in the school and served on the Board of Trustees. They also served as Good Will Ambassadors of the community, thereby easing animosity concerning education for blacks. A. T. Stovall served as President of the board until his death. R. W. Chandler was Treasurer for many years and served on the Board of Trustees. In 1933, the school became a Junior College with emphasis son ‘Teacher Training’. The first class graduated in 1935. May graduates went on to other colleges to obtain Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. In 1964, a study showed that 85% of all black teachers in the tri-county area were graduates or former students at Okolona College. All the bandmasters of the period had studied in Okolona. During the peak years, enrollment reached about 300 students, including day and boarding students. Until 1959, there was not a county high school for blacks. Okolona College provided high school training for the county students for a tuition fee paid by the county.In 1965, after 63 years of service to the community, the Okolona College closed. Many outstanding citizens and leaders of our town graduated from Okolona College and later went to senior colleges to obtain higher degrees. To mention a few: Nellie Adams, school principal, City Councilman Archie Raspberry and his wife, Ida, and Ambrose Kirk who was school principal. After successful careers, Mrs. Winfred Coleman and Mrs. Frances Brannic retired and came back to Okolona and invested in homes. They were excellent citizens of our town.Mr. and Mrs. J.L. Raspberry lived on the campus of Okolona College and were teachers and promoted the college, their church and were always an asset to Okolona. Their son, William Raspberry of Washington, D.C., was a famous syndicated newspaper columnist. His articles were in many newspapers all over the U.S. Dr. Charles Wheeler practiced medicine here for many years. Matt Prophet and his wife, Elzira, were always highly regarded citizens of Okolona. Elzira taught music and Matt was an excellent interior and exterior decorator. In his earlier years, Matt had a dance band. Matt served as city councilman in his later years. Their son, Matthew W. Prophet, Jr. had a high rank in the military and has excelled in the field of education administration. Charlie Gilliam was owner of C.W. Gilliam general Merchandise store and was one of Okolona’s oldest merchants on Main Street.

African American Tour
22 Stops