Pontotoc Visitor's Guide 2021 by Journal Inc

VISITOR’S GUIDE 2021

Pontotoc is a great place to visit, shop, eat and live. We are the center of hometown hospitality. Our Tanglefoot Trail offers 44 miles of cycling or walking pleasure to help you unwind after a hard day. Our towns also offer a variety of places to eat, visit and shop, so make sure you catch what you can at each little town along the way.

WELCOME

We Welcome You To Our

Beautiful County

s a new Director but life-long resident of Pontotoc, there are not enough words for me to describe my love for Pontotoc. The goodness of our people and the beauty throughout our county is something to brag about! You won’t have to travel far to experience our hospitality and picturesque photo opportunities from our quaint downtown to our beautiful cotton fields. A visit to Historic Downtown Pontotoc is a must. Our Antique Shops and our Town Square Post Office will make you feel as if you walked back in time. If you love to shop in boutiques, you’ll have plenty to choose from! 0ur gifts shops have beautiful merchandise, and you’ll find other shops ranging from makeup to pageant dresses to jewelry repair downtown. Our flowerpots are normally full of color, and our Court Square will fill your heart with patriotism with the abundance of our country’s flags displayed during Patriotic Holidays. Cyclist from near and far rave about our Tanglefoot Trail ®. This former railroad track is now a first-class biking trail. You can get on the trail at the First Choice Bank Trailhead Gateway located in downtown Pontotoc. You can enjoy 21 miles of scenic views in Pontotoc; however, the trail is 44 total miles running north to New Albany and south to Houston. If you don’t bike, don’t feel left out. You’ll see walkers and battery-powered golf carts on the trail too. If you enjoy fresh homegrown-tomatoes or farm-fresh eggs, visit our Farmer’s Market located Downtown. The Farmer’s Market normally opens on Saturday mornings when the first tomato of the year is ripe and ends when the last purple hull pea has been picked. The Farmer’s Market is also a great events venue when vegetables aren’t being sold. Food is always high on the list, and Pontotoc has plenty of choices. Whether you travel north, south, east, or west in Pontotoc County, there is delicious food in every direction. Our downtown has several locally owned restaurants, and in the Hwy 15 area, you’ll have choices of locally owned restaurants, food trucks, and franchises. We have restaurants out in the county locals as well as outof-towners love too. From Catfish to Plate Lunches, we’ve got you covered. If camping and fishing in a beautiful setting is on your bucket-list, then you’ll want to check out Natchez Trace

Beth Luther Waldo

Director, Pontotoc County Chamber of Commerce & Main Street Association

WELCOME

Lake. You should also visit Howard Stafford Park. You can camp, fish, and cool off at the splash pad. Add the Fourth of July Fireworks Show to your list of things to do at Howard Stafford Park also. Did you know Amish reside in Pontotoc? Take a ride in the southern part of Pontotoc County, and experience a feeling like no other when riding by their farmhouses. You’ll see signs at the end of their drives advertising what can be purchased. During the summer, fresh vegetables abound. If you’re looking for Pontotoc’s version of a Hallmark Movie Set, check out Downtown Ecru. The revitalization is beautifully done. You’ll find a locally owned grocery store, home decorating shops, restaurants, and character. You’ll also want to stop by the Town of Algoma; travelers of the Tanglefoot Trail frequently visit the Country Store located on the Trail. Locals and out-of-towners alike flock to Seafood Junction also located in Algoma. The rolling hills of the Town of Thaxton are pretty to see. And, you may want to plan a trip to the Town of Toccopola on Meatloaf Day at Toccopola Grocery; you can thank me later! Whether you’re planning fishing, food, fireworks, fashion, or physical exercise in a scenic setting, you’ll be welcomed in Pontotoc with open arms and hospitality! Come see us!

INFORMATION

VISITOR’S GUIDE 2021

Published by the Pontotoc Progress in partnership with Pontotoc County Chamber of Commerce

Welcome to Pontotoc Pages 4-13 Board of Supervisors...........7 Pontotoc City.......................8 Town of Algoma..................9 Town of Ecru.....................10

Places to Visit Pages 14-35 Wise Family Farms............34

Places to Stay Pages 36-39 American Inn.....................37 The Cottage, Inzer Street...38

Ricky Ferguson..................11 Melinda Nowicki...............12 Van McWhirter..................13

Cherry Creek Orchards......35 Bodock Bed & Breakfast...39

Places to Shop Pages 3; 40-63 Friendship Travel Center.....3 Pure Bliss...........................41 Lundi’s Comfort Co...........42 Ella Ivy...............................43 Price Cutter........................44 Wood & Cloth....................45 The Rack...........................46 Pontotoc Antiques.............47 Tanglefoot Market.............48 Walker Hunting & Fishing Supply............49 Delta Daisy.........................50 Mulberry Cottage..............51

True Value..........................52 Moore’s.............................53 H & R Jewelry....................54 Christian Connections.......55 Needleart Fabrics..............56 The Gift Shop....................57 City Mercantile..................58 CK Walls/Trend to Pretend.59 The Carousel.....................60 Market Basket....................61 Ultra Violet........................62 Pontotoc Shell Express......63

Places to Eat Pages 64-77 Algoma Country Store.......66 Snow Cream Corner...........67 The Tin Nickel...................68 Happy Day Cafe................69 Lep’s BBQ.........................70 Seafood Junction...............71

Toccopola Grocery............72 Nate’s Steakhouse.............73 Montgomery’s on Main.....74 Montgomery’s on Oxford..75 Blacksmith’s BBQ.............76 Yamato...........................77

Places for Help Pages 2; 78-100 Southern Garage..................2 Patty Turk Properties..........80 Young’s Tire Store.............81 Johnson’s Wrecker.............82 Shannon & Graham...........83 Boyles Tire.........................84 Mossy Oak Properties.......85 Renasant Bank...................86 Peeples............................87 Picken’s Pest Control........83 Napa - Service Supply..89, 96

Rick’s Auto Repair.............90 Southern Hills Realty.........91 Ivy Greene Academy..........92 Montgomery Drugs...........93 Bank of Pontotoc...............94 Wood Eye Clinic...............95 Friendship Fitness................97 Friendship Pharmacy...........98 Friendship Medical Clinic...99 First Choice Bank............100

Pontotoc Progress

P.O. Box 210 • 13 Jefferson Street • Pontotoc, MS 38863 Phone: 662-489-3511; Fax: 662-489-1369 • pontotoc-progress.com

VISIT

We Are Glad

You Came

o one is more happy to see you than the folks that live in this area. We practice hospitality and warmth and smiles because we enjoy meeting new people and letting them see our garden spot of the world. You are invited to sit and rest a spell on the many benches in front of the businesses that are tucked into the towns from Ecru to Algoma. The city of Pontotoc also welcomes many visitors because it is the county seat, the library and the museum are within the downtown area. There, too you have the welcome mat out from one end to the other of town. Beyond this there are places you can go to enjoy bird watching, reading, learning history or just riding your bike and enjoying a quiet afternoon fishing. We want you to know where these places are and how to get there so use these next pages as a guide to an enjoyable afternoon or weekend visit in this place we call home.

VISIT

Howard Stafford Park

here’s nothing like the glint of the sun on the water and the sound of children at play on the swings. If fishing is your thing, check out the Howard Stafford Park on Highway 9 South where you can spend a quiet afternoon on the lake bank or fishing from the various docks. When summer’s heat calls children can enjoy a trip under giant arching water falls from the splash pad that will cool them off on the hottest summer day. The park is utilized by fishermen, campers and parents who just want to get out and enjoy nature for awhile. When ever you need to unwind from the day, make sure to check out Howard Stafford Park because it offers a relaxing enjoying time for all.

VISIT

Trace State Park

f you want to get off the beaten path for sure, drive out to Trace State Park located off of Highway 6 East on Faulkner Road. The 600 acre lake features the best boating, skiing and fishing around. You can stay in the woods with all the amenities of home by renting a modern cabin, or you can camp out in your own RV or tent. The park offers some of the best bird watching around.

VISIT

Golf Course

ne of the best kept secrets in Pontotoc is the ability to spend the afternoon relaxing with your golf clubs. If you enjoy sinking a birdie Pontotoc has a full 18 hole golf course on Highway 6 East. Set in the picturesque green hills as you wind through the course you may also catch site of fish jumping and eagles flying because one of the coves of Trace Lake come up to the recreation spot.

Amish Community

oung and old visitors alike enjoy watching the horses and buggies make their way down the road as the clip clop of the hooves resound in the air. If you want to watch folks enjoy life as it was at the turn of the century, take a ride down on Hwy. 9 South and visit the thriving Amish community where you can see the arts of saddle making, plowing with mules and in the summer buy fresh vegetables.

ocated on Main Street just east of the Tanglefoot trail, the Dixie Regional Library is easily assessable and you will find a friendly helpful staff ready to answer any questions or meet your reading needs. The library has an exceptional space for you to enjoy spending time on the computer, perusing a newspaper or checking out your favorite novel. It is also kid friendly with computers just for kids as well as a reading section for young children. So come on in from the weather and take it easy with an afternoon of learning.

VISIT

Pontotoc County Library

VISIT

Tanglefoot Trail

ur Tanglefoot Trail offers you the relaxing walk you want or a good course to keep fit. The trail is for the serious rider or the leisure walker or just for the grandmothers who want to enjoy a sunny afternoon with their grandchildren on the golf cart. Whether you are at Algoma, Ecru or the City of Pontotoc you get a birdseye view of the 24 miles of the Tanglefoot Trail that is located in Pontotoc County. If you ride the trail throughout the county you are treated to the sounds of children playing baseball at the local park or the birds twittering the trees, soft babbling creeks and the leaves quietly falling in the autumn months. Each mile is marked off for you so you can know how far you have walked or ridden. It is patrolled every day by sheriff’s department officials who are there to keep you safe. The trail is a total of 45 miles long stretching from New Albany in Union County to Houston in Chickasaw County. Pontotoc County has a main gateway in the city and two whistle stops; one in Ecru and one in Algoma. At the First Choice Gateway, you can even walk in the security of a well lighted path after dark, crossing the footbridge that remains lighted all night. And if you want to gather with friends there is a lighted pavilion there as well. Enjoy the adventure and relaxation you can find on the Tanglefoot.

VISIT

Chase Your

History

f you want to spend the afternoon enjoying a peek into life in the far distant past of Pontotoc you can find it right on Main Street. Whether you are wanting to know if you have long lost relatives in the graveyards around here or just want to learn about the famous people who roamed these clay hills, the Pontotoc County Post Office Museum is the place to go look. This hands on museum makes people constantly donate to it because they know others can get a feel for the local history they once knew. Located on Main Street the interactive museum features history in every nook and cranny. Plan on spending the afternoon and coming back the next day. You can book classroom group tours or just drop in by yourself. Call 488-0388.

VISIT

Take In The Sites Of Our

Beautiful County Battle of Tupelo (See monument at Harrisburg) Date: July, 1864. Confederate losses: 153 killed, 794 wounded, 49 missing; Union losses: 77 killed, 559 wounded, 38 missing. Commanding Union Army: Gen. A. L. Smith. Confederates: Lt. Gen. S.D. Lee and Mal. Gen. N. B. Forrest. In 1864, this site was part of Pontotoc County.

The Natchez Trace Marker (See monument at Harrisburg) Date: July, 1864. Confederate losses: 153 killed, 794 wounded, 49 missing; Union losses: 77 killed, 559 wounded, 38 missing. Commanding Union Army: Gen. A. L. Smith. Confederates: Lt. Gen. S.D. Lee and Mal. Gen. N. B. Forrest. In 1864, this site was part of Pontotoc County.

Bullen’s School Bullen’s School was the first school in this part of America and was begun in 1799 by the son of Rev. Joseph Bullen probably on the site of the Black Zion Cemetery. The Bullens resided at the home of James Gunn, site of the A. M. Ray home. The name Pontetok was first used in the report of the school’s establishment to educate the Chickasaws.

Old Pontotoc was located about five miles southeast of the present town of Pontotoc. Allen’s Tavern was the “town hall” of the Chickasaw villages. It was located on the Natchez Trace on Tubbee’s Ridge, in Sec. 23, T10, R3. James Allen, the proprietor and attorney from Nashville, had married the daughter of his friend, Maj. Gen. Wililam Colbert. Historians tell us that Gen. Andrew. Jackson, more than once, stopped for a visit and to spend the night with the Allens.

The Chickasaw National Council House Formally located about one half mile southeast of the Mississippi Archives and History marker at the intersection of Hwy. 342 and C. R. 853. Actual location on 1834 surveyor’s plat indicated council house by a small square topped by a cross and labeled “Council House.” Andrew Jackson spoke to the Chickasaws here when the Treaty of 1816 was signed. In the Pontotoc Creek Treaty, which was signed here on October 20, 1832 Chickasaws ceded more than 6 million acres to U. S. Government.

Federal Land Office Located on the corner of what is now Oxford and North Brooks St., the land office was built to handle the sale of Chickasaw lands following the signing of the Treaty of Pontotoc Creek. Appointees of President Andrew Jackson were sent from Nashville down the Natchez Trace, to handle the transactions. Among those appointed were Patrick Henry Fontaine, John Bell and D. B. Anderson.

VISIT

Allen’s Tavern

VISIT

Chicasa or DeSoto’s Camp In the winter of 1540-41 Historian Dunbar Rowland tells us that DeSoto’s camp was in “Sec. 21, overlapping south into the N 1/2 of Sec. 28.” It was in this camp on Christmas Day, 1540, that the first Christian marriage in America was performed between Juan Ortiz and Sa-Owana, a Seminole princess held captive by the Spaniards. A mural in the Pontotoc Post Office in Pontotoc, MS depicts this scene.

Campground Methodist Church Located west of Hwy. 41 and the Archives and History marker is at the intersection of the Campground Road. It was started in an Indian hut in 1836 and was on the Natchez Trace.

The Pontotoc City Cemetery The cemetery was given to the City of Pontotoc by the Chickasaws and the U.S. Government on June 22, 1852, because “many Chickasaws and their white friends were buried there.” Maj. Gen. William Colbert was buried there in 1835. The Rev. Thomas C. Stuart, missionary to the Chickasaws, is also buried in the City Cemetery.

On a ridge just east of Hwy. 41 are 11 tombstones inscribed, “Unknown Union Soldier.” Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest’s cavalry pursued Union General “Sooy” Smith in a running fight from Okolona to just south of Pontotoc.

Chickasaw Female College, 1836-1936 On November 4, 1836, Thomas McMackin gave the land for the use of female education. The school was incorporated as Pontotoc Female Academy; then Chickasaw College, owned and operated by the Presbyterian Church. The site is located just behind the present Pontotoc Hospital.

Tockshish or Mclntoshville Near where Toxish Church now stands, was established by John McIntosh, a British agent, before 1770. Mclntoshville was Mississippi’s second post office and was established in 1801 as a relay station between Nashville and Natchez.

Route of the Invaders Union Armies came to pillage, loot and burn beginning in late 1862. Pontotoc Countians lived with these tactics almost to the war’s end. The last great raid was the 15,000 man army of Gen. A. J Smith that ended in the Battle of Tupelo. (Harrisburg)

VISIT

Graves of Unknown Union Soldiers

VISIT

Lochinvar The antebellum home of Drs. Forrest and Janis Tutor, was built by Robert Gordon in 1842. Gordon bought the land from a Chickasaw woman, Molly Gunn, daughter of William Colbert and wife of James Gunn.

The Stephens House This two-story pioneer home is on the west side of old Cherry Creek Road and was built in the early 1840’s. It was the first meeting place of the Cherry Creek Baptist Church, which was organized there in 1844.

Defeated for reelection to Congress in his home state of Tennessee, he gathered a drove of horses and brought them down the Natchez Trace to the Pontotoc area. He joined friends already here and built a horse corral in the middle of what is now Trace State Park and ran a thriving business. When Davy Crockett learned of the Texas revolt and the troubles of his friend, Sam Houston, he closed his horse trading business in order to join him in Texas. He was later killed at the Battle of the Alamo on March 6, 1836.

Pontotoc’s Oldest House Just across the street and south of the United Methodist Church. It was built in the 1830’s for the founder of Pontotoc, Thomas McMackin.

Battle of Brice’s Crossroads Five miles west of Baldwyn, just past the crossroads, and some nine miles down the road to old Pleasant Hill Church. Confederate losses: 96 killed, 396 wounded; Union losses: 223 killed, 394 wounded, 1,623 missing. Skirmishes in fighting, by a 15,000 man army, reached the northeastern corner of what was then Pontotoc County.

Old Cherry Creek School The old school is standing near where Cherry Creek Normal was started by B. R. Webb, before the Civil War.

VISIT

Davy Crockett’s Horse Corral

VISIT

Cates Place Just south of Hwy. 342 was a council house or chief’s house, sometimes called Topulkah’s house. Much tribal business took place here when the Chickasaws began selling their land to the U.S. Government, they came here to collect their annuities. A huge campground was here on the Natchez Trace near Jackson’s Springs, which was named for Gen. Andrew Jackson who camped there with his troops during the War of 1812. Battle of Ogoula Tchetoka, locally known as the Battle of Tubbee’s Ridge. In the spring of 1736, D’ Artaguette, governor of the Illinois Territory, was sent with a huge company of French soldiers and their Indian allies from the north to destroy the Chickasaw Nation. However, they were defeated by the Chickasaws and D’ Artaguette, along with Father Senac and several Frenchmen, were burned to death by the victorious Chickasaws.

Ingomar Mounds This temple mound is the largest prehistoric structure in this part of the state. Excavation by the Smithsonian Institute in 1885 revealed that one of the mounds had been built after European contact as it contained a fragment of green glass bottle and another artifact with a Spanish coat of arms. It was here some historians believe that DeSoto made his second camp in the spring of 1541, before proceeding toward the Mississippi River.

Local tradition places DeSoto’s Winter Camp to the north on the Old Natchez Trace Route. The early town of Redland, which thrived from 1840-1880, extended from the present cemetery south.

Betty Love Allen Historical marker on old Toccopola School ground marks the grave of Betty Allen, wife of Maj. John Allen and the daughter of Thomas Love, a Chickasaw. Litigation over a slave given to her by her father and claimed by her husband’s creditors in 1829, resulted in the establishment of the rights of women to own property not liable for the debts of husbands. Mississippi Legislature enacted this Chickasaw tribal code into law to become the first government in the world to give women the right to own property outright. Another historical marker is at the intersection of Hwy. 6 and C.R. 843.

Old Natchez Trace Route America’s most historic path stretches from Natchez, Mississippi to Nashville, Tennessee. These markers show the actual route of the original Natchez Trace as it ran through Pontotoc County.

VISIT

DeSoto’s Camp and Redland

VISIT

Battle of Mud Creek, June 20, 1863 Confederate forces under Gen. Daniel Ruggles routed Union forces under the command of Lt Col. Jesse J Phillips in a running fight at Mud Creek. Union losses were: 50 killed, 90 wounded; Confederate losses were: 2 killed and 17 wounded.

Monroe Mission School The first religious building erected in North Mississippi. Monroe Mission was established by the Rev. Thomas C. Stuart in 1821. Stuart was commissioned by the South Carolina Presbytery as a missionary to the Chickasaw Indians.

Williams-Thompson House A landmark in Southern Pontotoc County, built about 1838 by Senator Thomas Hickman Williams, a native Tennessean who moved to Pontotoc County and served as United States Senator from Mississippi. He was instrumental in the organization of the University of Mississippi.

Buttermilk Springs The family that operated the Stage Coach Stop kept cold buttermilk in the spring and sold it to the thirsty passengers. Presently called Thaxton for Dr. M. C. Thaxton.

VISIT

STAY

We Want

You To Rest

e know that traveling can be tiring and when you stop in our friendly town we want you to have the best night’s sleep ever. Whether you are staying here over night or for a week, one thing is for sure, there is a bed waiting for you. Our hotel on Highway 15 offers a place to stay that is convenient to all major highways in and out of town. If you want to sleep in a room that feels like home, Pontotoc also has cottage comfort. And if you want to rest and relax by the water, you can get a cabin at the Trace State Park. We wish you the best nights sleep so you can have a refreshing morning.

SHOP

Come Search For

Treasure Here

ho doesn’t enjoy a treasure hunt? Pontotoc is full of antique stores and many other boutiques to peak your interest. Whether you are looking for that unique antique or that beautiful piece of jewelry, a place setting or that special one of a kind treasure you will find it somewhere tucked into a nook or cranny in the shops all across the county while you enjoy chatting with your friends. You can’t beat the friendly hospitality of the store owners who want to make sure your shopping experience is both pleasant and fruitful.

EAT

Satisfy your

Tastes Buds

e know you love our southern hospitality when it comes to eating, and we don’t want you to be shy about pulling up to the table and setting a spell while you chat with family and friends over a good meal. Or if you just want a cool snow cone, we can get that for you as well. You will find great places to eat in little out of the way places from Ecru to Algoma where you can get that sausage and biscuit in the morning or a full seafood meal at night. In the heart of the county you can have have good ole’ smoked BBQ, chicken, oriental, or a number of other kinds of meals to suit your taste. You will find something that suits you and your friends just right. So come on in and set a spell and let us feed you.

EAT

HELP

We Offer Our

Helping Hands

art of our hospitality is going out of our way to help you when life brings you trouble during your stay with us. Emergency care is just a step away at the many acute care places or the hospital is on Main Street. You can also find eye care and a multitude of other places for help in our community. You will find ATMs for quick cash or you can go in and find help during business hours at our local banks. If your bicycle is in trouble there are bike repair stations along on the trail. The trail is also patrolled so if you need any help don’t hesitate to ask. So ride the trail in the safety and security of knowing we are here to help you get back rolling if you need us.

HELP

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