The Simmons-Wright Company: Taking a Step Back in Mississippi History BY BRANDI PERRY Long gone are the days when family-owned general stores dotted Mississippi’s backroads and byways, taking with it the sense of community and the ability to buy your hardware or houseware right down the road. Fortunately, there are still a few general stores still standing throughout the state, but very few of them are still open for business. However, just 20 minutes north of Meridian sits the small town of Kewanee. Population counts have not occurred here in a long time, and besides the rumble of trucks passing by or the whine of a train as it comes through town, things move a little slower here. That may be exactly why the Simmons-Wright Company survived all these years. The original store was made of solid wood and was built here in 1884 by William Simmons and Tom Wright. What is now the back of the store was facing the Old Dixie Highway and ran from Meridian down to Key West, Florida. The
location of the store was not only important for the highway but also for the railway. Being so close to the railroad allowed the train to stop and deliver goods needed by the farmers in the area. This one general had such an incredible impact on the livelihood of the people in this community. By the 1880s, the store included a blacksmith shop, a gristmill for grinding corn and wheat, a cotton gin, and a sawmill, plus it carried everyday items such as groceries, clothing and other necessities. Money was a funny thing back in the day because farmers from the community were able to pay off any debt, they had in the store by using the cotton from their fields. In return, the farmer and the store owner get exactly what they needed. Even though farmers nor anyone else can use cotton as currency here anymore, that seems to be about the only thing that has truly changed here in Kewanee. The original store burned to the ground in 1926 and was
eat. drink. MISSISSIPPI • 17
