The first, Abstracts of the Winston Signal, covers the years of 1882, 1885, 1886, 1889 and some of 1890. The Winston Signal was an early Louisville, MS, newspaper owned by Mr. W. J. Newsom and containing historical and genealogical information not only from Winston County but items copied from other weekly newspapers of that time period from Noxubee, Kemper, Neshoba, Attala, Choctaw and Oktibbeha Counties.

Mr. Newsom recorded births, deaths, illnesses and marriages of the day and included the news of accidents, fires, “blunt” comments on the citizens and events of Louisville, local advertisements, lists of Grand and Petit jurors, election managers, election results, homestead notices, court cases, lists of people visiting Louisville and those departing Winston County for Texas. There is even a list of petitioners supporting a business being able to sell–of all things–spirituous liquors in a county that is to this day still dry!

Mr. W. T. Lewis, an early Winston County historian, contributed articles on families of South Carolina who were prominent in the Revolutionary War that had descendants to migrate to Winston County. Mr. Lewis also wrote about the coal (lignite) and other natural resources of Winston County some 121 years before the present day interest in this energy resource.

This 211 page, spiral bound, soft cover abstract is fully indexed with over 1100 different surnames. It is priced at $30 plus 7% MS sales tax for Mississippi residents and $4 shipping and handling.

The second volume is a reprint of the 1882 History of the Louisville Baptist Association by Dr. L.S. Foster. This rare manuscript covered the years 1840-1882 and has been retyped and printed exactly as the original with the exception of two statistical tables which were missing.

Dr. Foster told of the rules and regulations of the early Association which included churches of Winston, Noxubee, Attala, Choctaw and Neshoba counties. He gives a year by year report of the early work of the various ministers in the Associational Missions. Starting with 1840 he provides a year by year report on churches received and those dissolved in the association as well as a brief biography of the early ministers of the Association.

This spiral bound, soft cover volume is 51 pages in length and costs $10 plus 7% MS sales tax and $2 hipping and handling.

Orders for both volumes should be placed with Taunton Publishers, P.O. Box 400, Louisville, MS 39399-0400.

DOES ANYONE KNOW …

… Sarah Graham Miller (

cpsmiller@intop.net

) is seeking information on JOHN GEORGE GRAHAM who was born in 1862, place unknown. He was living in Lauderdale County, MS south of Meridian at age 17 according to the 1880 census. He was working in a brick factory and living with D.H. BARKER ( born in Georgia), age 40, and his wife EMILY C. BARKER , age 34. Sometime later John George married MATTIE M. MAUM of Rankin County. The couple had 10 children and lived in the early years of their marriage around Richton and Hattiesburg, MS doing brick work. Three of the children died at an early age and are buried in Richton. Does anyone have information on this family prior to the 1880 census? Can any reader help?

… Karen Walsh (

virtuentippy@yahoo.com

) is searching for information about the parents of ELIZABETH BALES who was born in 1862 in Liberty, MS. Elizabeth was the sister of JAMES A. BALES who was born about 1850. James and Elizabeth were living in McComb, MS about 1880. They have one other known sibling, MARTHA JANE BALES, but no birth date is known for her. Elizabeth married JOHN JACKSON CRITTENDEN who was born in Louisiana in 1865 and the couple lived in McComb. They had five daughters by 1890. Does anyone have information to share on the Bales family?

Please send your announcements and queries to FAMILY TREES at 900 Main Street, Natchez, MS 39120 or email to

famtree316@aol.com

. All queries printed free of charge. We look forward to hearing from you!