Monticello Live

Last week we discussed the portion of South Main Street between the corner of South Main and East Gaines Street and the present Drew County Courthouse. This week we’ll look at the courthouse “property” and continue to Jackson Avenue.

The current Drew County Courthouse is the fourth courthouse to be built for the official business of Drew County since the county’s 1846 beginnings. Since a fairly thorough description of the building of the “new” courthouse and its history was written by me and published in the 2007 Drew County Historical Journal, I won’t repeat all of that at this time. (Multiple copies of the 2007 Journal may be purchased at the museum for $5.00 each.)

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I want to look briefly down West McCloy Street now to share information about the location of a public “meat storage locker” that once operated near the Square. Bill Dunlap, a kind gentleman who is a former Drew Countian and brother of the late Martha Sue McClain, called and supplied some information about the business. He also suggested I call his cousins, Shirley Burks of Wilmar and Hardy McKinstry of Banks, to hear their memories. I did and heard some delightful memories!

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By popular request we’ll continue our tour of Monticello’s Main Street by looking at the history of South Main Street. Let’s start of the corner of South Main and Gaines Streets and continue south. This corner spot has a colorful history that is still changing today. An old photograph made in the 1880s shows a two-story wooden building sitting there. This structure housed R. C. Bennett’s saloon on the ground floor; the second floor held a poker room.

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Now let’s begin our look down the north side of West Gaines from the Square to North Hyatt. Today that first block is filled with the main branch and drive-thru of the Commercial Bank.

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This week we will continue our tour of Monticello by looking from the Square down the south side of West Gaines Street.

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Here are the links to the series of articles on Sheilla Lampkin’s “Tour of Monticello’s North Main Street

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8
Part 9
Part 10
Part 11
Part 12
Part 13
Part 14
Part 15
Part 16

This week we will continue our “look” at some remembered businesses along the south side of East Gaines Street in Monticello. Starting at the business on the corner of East Gaines and South Main, one of the earliest businesses there was a dry goods store owned by a Mr. Ely, a Russian Jew. It has been pictured as a two-story building with a wooden sidewalk on the south side.

However, records also indicate that one of the two water wells for the courthouse preceded the mercantile store. (There were originally two wells for the 1870 structure – one for people and one for the livestock.) That well is believed to still be buried under the present buildings.

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Before we journey down South Main Street, let’s look briefly at the business history of the primary streets that begin at Monticello’s Square. We’ll start on the corner of East Gaines Street and travel to the railroad tracks, but first let’s examine how Gaines Street was named.

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Before we continue our historical “tour” and head down South Main Street, we should revisit our Square itself and again look at its fascinating history.

The Square is located in the “heart” of the original 83-acre tract of land donated by Fountain C. and Polly Austin in 1849 for the establishment of the city of Monticello. The town was laid out with 35 numbered blocks and one unnumbered block in the “center” designated for a courthouse square. This square was to be a 170 foot square.

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At last we come to the west side of the historic Monticello Square. In many ways this side may have been the most colorful and exciting! Let’s start on the south end of the block. The earliest business on this corner that has been related to me was a service station operated by the White brothers (George and Ed). I also understand that Monticello’s first telephone office was formerly located on the second floor. (Telephone service first came to Monticello in 1898 with 65 phone lines. This office would have been at that location at some point between that date and 1929 when the office was moved to the cornet of Trotter and Church streets.)

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Let’s continue our look around the Square by looking at the east side of the Square, beginning at the north end of Main Street where it intersects with East McCloy and continuing south to its intersection with East Gaines.

As we look at that east side today, we see the several storefronts that encompass Discount Merchandise. Most of these buildings are two-storied. The northernmost building formerly held Plantation House Furniture. That business was preceded by Van-Atkins before their move to Northpark Mall. Before Van Atkins moved to this corner the location housed Sterling’s, a variety store, followed by Dozier’s Shoes and Trotter’s Grocery, operated by Charlie Green. Mr. Dozier’s shoe store was in a narrow space and was known as the “smallest big store in town” to reflect his large stock of merchandise.

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This week we’ll discuss the history and evolution of the south side of Monticello’s Square. Earliest memories recall a wooden two-story building on the southeast corner that housed the R. C. Bennett Saloon in the 1890s, as evidenced in an old partial picture of the Square we own at the museum. The second story once held a “private” poker room.

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Let’s continue our look around the Square by looking at the east side of the Square, beginning at the north end of Main Street where it intersects with East McCloy and continuing south to its intersection with East Gaines.

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Last week we stopped at the charming little orange brick structure formerly known as the “Finn McCloy” house. Now we’ll move on south to the next McCloy house.

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This week we will discuss the last block on the west side of North Main. I have chosen to try to cover the entire block because it not only faces Main Street, but also the heart of Monticello – the town’s Square. I had stopped earlier at the First Baptist Church so we could return and review some of the other businesses on that last corner block on North Main Street as we begin our “sentimental journey” around the Square.

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Since we began taking our little “imaginary stroll” down historic North Main Street the Hyatt family name has emerged several times so I wanted to begin this week by enlightening readers about this legendary family’s history.

The first Hyatts migrated from Chester County, South Carolina, in 1846 when Rev. Benjamin Culp Hyatt bought 40 acres for $80 on Rough and Ready Hill and moved his family to Drew County. There he operated a boarding house, preached at Scrough Out Church, practiced medicine, taught school and was a carpenter.

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This week we’ll resume our journey south down historic North Main Street and begin at the handsome buff brick Tudor-style home sitting on the attractively manicured lawn at the beginning of the next block on the east side of the street. Built in the late 1920’s by Henry Trotter who married Lucille Simmons from Pine Bluff, the home is one of the most admired in the city. (Henry Trotter was a son to V. J. Trotter and grew up in the house that is now the Trotter House, a bed-and-breakfast.) In 1937 the young couple moved to Pine Bluff and Dr. Johnny Price bought the home. Dr. Price’s daughter, Ann, has many delightful stories and memories centered on growing up in the beautiful home. It was there that Ann was married to Dr. James F. Clark in 1964. (more…)

This week we’ll continue our tour of Monticello’s North Main Street by returning to the north end of the street where the site of the new library sits and “strolling” down the east side of North Main Street.

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Click here for the first edition of the series.

Last week we stopped our tour of North Main Street at the First Presbyterian Church, so we’ll pick up here this week. This location was formerly the site of the “first” hospital in Monticello – the Mack Wilson Hospital.

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Earlier, we “walked” the blocks of North Main that hold the First Presbyterian Church, the noted Allen House and the forlorn block that once was the home of Monticello’s earlier elementary schools in our “tour” of Monticello’s North Main Street.

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For the next several weeks we’ll take a “fun” tour down Main Street in historic Monticello. We’ll begin on North Main at the “old” hospital grounds and continue down the street taking one side at a time. When we come to the Square, we’ll take a walk around the Square and see how it used to be. Then we’ll continue down South Main Street. I am relying on the excellent memory of many of my good friends as we take this journey down historic Monticello’s Main Street and I want to thank them from the beginning for their insightful recollections. Enjoy! 

Let’s begin on that large, lovely lot at the end of old North Main that is now known as “the old hospital” grounds.

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The old Drew County Courthouse, on the Town Square

In light of Monticello’s recent improvements to the town square, my thoughts again turn to the old courthouse square and what a treasure it is for Monticello. I can’t help but regret the demolition of the old courthouse that once stood there though.

A brick from he "Old Courthouse on the Square."

Since the old courthouse was torn down in 1933, there are few Drew Countians who remember what a regal structure it was! Built in 1870, it proudly stood in the center of the Square and watched over daily activities in the growing city for 63 years. Its 110-foot tower held a four-faced clock and a large bell. (The clock is lost in antiquity, but the courthouse bell sits proudly by Weevil Pond on the UAM campus.)

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At a recent meeting, the discussion turned to the membership of most organizations in Monticello and it was observed that most civic groups’ memberships are held by older citizens. The future of many organizations may become questionable unless more younger people can be recruited and become involved.

Again I was reminded that history repeats itself when I recalled a newspaper article in the December 17, 1907, which listed seven organizations, referred to as lodges, that were hale and hearty 103 years ago in Monticello. Today only two still thrive and the others’ names have been largely forgotten in today’s Drew County. (more…)

The center span of the old Greenville Bridge over the Mississippi was lowered to a barge on Tuesday afternoon as part of the demolition of the structure.  Courtesy of AshleyCountyLedger.com.

A history of the Greenville Bridge is posted below

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With Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs opening Saturday, this seems like a time relevant topic for this week’s “memory”.

I had heard for years about a race track that formerly existed in Drew County. The late Walter Moffatt spoke of family outings there in his boyhood. Most folks knew about its existence but had neither seen the racetrack nor knew where it was located. It was lost in antiquity. However, through GIS and aerial photography, I recently saw the old racetrack clearly from the skies and lying on the southwestern edge of Monticello.

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Every time I head west from the Square down West McCloy Street and make that big turn by E-Z Mart onto North Hyatt my mind goes back to the late 1960s and the mouth-watering food served at restaurant there called Bee Dee’s! (Actually Bee Dee’s sat on the corner of West Gaines and North Hyatt.) (more…)

Nearly every city has allegedly experienced a brush with a famous person whether he is “good or bad”. Bonnie and Clyde reportedly once visited Monticello. Tillar, a small farming community, also had a visit from legendary outlaws – the notorious James boys.

This event was recorded by Hie C. Birch of Tillar and found in the Drew County Archives. Mr. Birch was born August 24, 1874, on Macon Bayou and died in McGehee on January 10, 1956. At some point before his death he wrote his memories of the James’ visit to Tillar during his youth. This article is a summary of that ignoble visit. (more…)

by Sheilla Lampkin

In light of the current restoration work being done at the Drew County Courthouse; we’ll look at the history of the present Drew County Courthouse (more…)

This week’s column will be devoted to a dire situation for a historic landmark located in Drew County – the 1874 Selma Methodist Church. This unique, little structure stands in great peril and can only be “saved” by immediate action. Let’s begin by reflecting on the history of the beautiful building. (more…)

This week’s reflection will summarize the history of an American institution in Monticello from its beginnings to its end. This product, symbolic of America itself, was known for generations as “the pause that refreshes” – Coca-Cola. (more…)