TRIP: Guntown, Lee, MS

1930 Guntown, Lee, MS federal census, showing his street address as Burlington Highway. He was married to his 3d wife, Callie (Bonds), however little to nothing is known about her. He would return to Nancy, his second wife, before his death in 1940.

This was an older home across from the City Hall on Bryson St, just off I-45. I just loved it. The porch. How children probably ran through the trees when they were small (both the children and trees!) I wish I had more $$ and ability-I would love an older home to restore back to its glory days.

For some reason I am seeing most of Guntown and Potts Camp in black and white. I don’t know why I want to reverse time on them -but you’re seeing more what I think Howard might’ve seen.

Guntown water tower, literally around the corner from the City Hall and across the street from the Post Office.

Now, whether the post office was there when Howard was, is possibly doubtful, but if it waste, this is what it’d look like (haha not really but, go with me here)

And almost an futuristic sketch of it for planning. But notice the building to the right. I’d love to know what belonged there in the 1930s and 1940s.

For years researching Howard and looking on maps, I’ve imagined Guntown and Tupelo quite a distance apart. Imagine my surprise how truly close they where when I drove them during my stay. This is why I love to go to the places of my ancestors,’or family, to personally experience the area. To drive from place to place, and think of things like how possible it was for families to have met given logistical considerations of the era they lived. Other things like the size of the towns, the terrain and housing. Are the cities condensed and close together in a central area then once outside, the land opens up into wide open space. Or is it a town, much like Guntown, where the central part of town is still spread out, even the houses are not in each other’s backyard, and once outside the central hub-the land is open but it’s homes on considerable land, so your nearest neighbor is a few acres away-door to door. I consider these a bit less centralized cities compared to others where it’s a town and then nothing outside it’s heart.

Howard for some reason appears to have been the wanderer of the family. He lived in Iuka, Blackland, Florence, Potts Camp, Guntown and Tupelo, also of course his city of birth, Pleasant Site, AL. From personal family history I know he spent an extended time in Vicksburg between the 1930 and 40 censuses, setting up a cobbler shop, which his son took over and Howard returned to Tupelo or Potts Camp. It’s believed he did this after Callie’s death, but as I mentioned I’m unable to find any information about her post 1930.

So upon my next trip, I will be sure to explore more of what Guntown has to offer. This was a day before my departure and I was not well. I could barely find my thrill of being where he had once been, let alone even consider getting out of the car to take hoots or find a cemetery. I would have one more stop before I returned to my hotel and began packing and to bed. I truly can’t wait to go back!

TRIP series posts. They will be posted below in order of the trip (not necessarily in order of when they appear here). You can review the overview post to learn what locations are yet to come.

And, in case you started with this post, there are more in this trip series. (And more still to come). Here they are so far.

TRIP overview, a first must read.

Old Rondo Cemetery, Texarkana, AR

Weatherbee Cemetery, Franklin County, AR

Potts Camp & Bethlehem Church Cemetery, Outside Potts Camp, MS

Guntown, MS

Trees of the cemetery: a combination of sites