More Maps Digitized!

On December 6, 2011, in Maps, by Amanda
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A map of the states of Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia comprehending the Spanish provinces of east and west Florida as fixed by the Treaty of Peace between the United States and the Spanish dominions, ca. 1792. Call Number: MA/92.0022(a) MDAH Collection

A map of the states of Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia comprehending the Spanish provinces of east and west Florida as fixed by the Treaty of Peace between the United States and the Spanish dominions, ca. 1792. Call Number: MA/92.0022(a) MDAH Collection

Take a look at these maps which were recently digitized! Click the title to view the map image or click “View the catalog record” to see that map’s catalog record.

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Hall of Fame: Greenwood Leflore

On September 13, 2011, in Artifacts, Portraits, by Amanda
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Nominations are currently being sought for the 2011 class of the Mississippi Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame honors women and men who made noteworthy contributions to the state. Consideration for the Hall of Fame takes place only once every five years and any Mississippian—native or adopted—deceased at least five years may be nominated. The deadline for nominations is October 1, and elections will be held at a special meeting of the MDAH board of trustees in December. Click here for complete nomination guidelines.

This series recognizes members of the Hall of Fame, whose portraits hang in the Old Capitol Museum. Special thanks to Anna Todd, University of Southern Mississippi student and MDAH summer intern, for researching this post.

It is the responsibility of the nominating entity to fund the portraits, thus some members of the Hall of Fame, including Greenwood Leflore, do not have portraits.

Greenwood Leflore (1800-1865), son of a French trader and a Choctaw woman, was born in 1800. His mother was the niece of Choctaw chief Pushmataha. At age twelve, Leflore was sent to Nashville by his father to receive a formal education. Despite being generally disliked by the tribe’s full-blood men, he was elected chief of the Choctaw Nation while he was still in his twenties due to his maternal heritage. As chief, Leflore supported “civilization,” and he encouraged dramatic legal, religious, and educational reforms to the tribe. Leflore’s role in the 1830 Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek, which arranged for the sale of the remaining Choctaw lands in Mississippi to the United States, lost him support among the Choctaw.

Shortly after negotiating the treaty, Leflore settled in Carroll County, where he won election to the state House of Representatives and the state Senate. He was a prominent man in society, and close friend of Jefferson Davis. By the 1850s, he owned more than 15,000 acres of land and was one of the state’s wealthiest cotton planters. His mansion, Malmaison, was one of the most elaborately decorated in the state. Lefore occupied the mansion until his death in 1865, despite having lost his cotton crop, slaves, and other property during the Civil War. The city of Greenwood, Mississippi, and Leflore County are named in his honor. He was inducted into the Mississippi Hall of Fame in 1996.

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Pushmataha

On February 8, 2011, in Digital Archives, Portraits, by Amanda
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Pushmataha. Call Number: PI/COL/1984.0002 (MDAH Collection)
Pushmataha. Call Number: PI/COL/1984.0002 (MDAH Collection)

Pushmataha (c.1764-1824) was a leader of the Choctaws during Mississippi’s territorial years and early days of statehood. He was noted for working with the government while also trying to preserve the culture of his people. He joined forces with the Misssissippi militia against the Creeks in 1813 and also fought with United States during the War of 1812. Pushmataha served as a Choctaw representative at the negotiations which led to the Treaty of Doak’s Stand in 1820. He died a hero and is buried in the Congressional Cemetery in Washington, D.C. Pushmataha is a member of the Mississippi Hall of Fame and his portrait hangs in the Hall of Fame exhibit at the Old Capitol Museum in Jackson.

Source: Westley F. Busbee, Jr., Mississippi: A History (Wheeling, Illinois: Harlan Davidson, Inc., 2005), 65, 76, 81.

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State Historical Markers: Treaty of Doak’s Stand

On October 18, 2010, in Photographs, by Amanda
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This month we’ll highlight our State Historical Marker program by featuring markers that are associated with the month of October from around the state. The photographs of the markers are by Gerald Johnston, who in an amazing feat, photographed most of the historical markers in Mississippi. Used with permission.

Located on Hwy. 16, a few hundred feet west of Hwy. 17 (Madison County)

Marker text must be challenging to write–imagine condensing an important event or person down to just a few words, when probably whole books were written about the subject! It almost seems like an impossible task, but the historical markers we’ve seen here do a great job of giving the highlights on their subjects. They pique your interest or impart a fun historical fact to know. Most importantly they honor the memory of what is written on them (in 574 words/spaces or less!).

Historical markers commemorate historic events, places, and people from Mississippi history. Over 800 have been placed at sites throughout Mississippi. For more information about historical markers and sponsor application forms, visit the State Historical Marker webpage. Special thanks to William Thompson, coordinator of the marker program, for compiling the October markers.

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Clarksdale Bell

On September 29, 2010, in Artifacts, Museums & Historic Sites, by Amanda
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Accession Number: 1990.2.1 (Museum of Mississippi History Collection)

This Clarksdale Bell from the collection of the Museum of Mississippi History was a trade bell, or a small trinket used by early Spanish explorers as a trade item with the native population. Clarksdale Bells were the earliest variety of trade bells, and the ones found in Mississippi are most likely associated with Hernando de Soto’s 1539-1543 expedition.

Artifacts in the collection of the Museum of Mississippi History are available for viewing by appointment only. Please contact Cindy Gardner, Director of Collections or Nan Prince, Asst. Director of Collections by email to schedule an appointment.

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