Eastern Towns

Sadly, you are correct that 90-odd miles of Columbus & Greenville are not currently being operated. In Spring of 2001 a trestle collapsed under a train near milepost 100, just west of Carrollton. The wreck was not particularly serious as these things go, but it did bring home the poor condition of many C&G bridges. Since traffic over the old C&G mainline from West Point to Greenwood had been declining for years (and indeed most local business had disappeared) the railroad embargoed the track between those points. I am enclosing a letter mailed to C&G stockholders shortly after this happened. While I believe the letter indicates the track would soon be abandoned, I don't believe this happened. In fact, under current laws, if track is not operated for three years, it can then be abandoned virtually without a fight. While the three year period was up in 2004, an abandonment notice was not filed to my knowledge. The large majority of C&G business is currently west of Greenwood (mostly at Heathman, the catfish food people, and at Greenville), at West Point (reached by trackage rights over the KCS from Columbus) and on the Lux Valley operation east of Columbus.

Louis Saillard, March 2005

The charm of West Point will hold you spellbound, as you stroll along her quaint downtown sidewalks and through her picturesque parks. West Point embodies what was best about America a generation ago. Neighbors are friendly, family values are held close, and the cost of living is affordable. Although we enjoy four distinct seasons, our community is blessed with a moderate winter which does not hamper an active lifestyle.

West Point, Mississippi

small but dark storm area was drifting in my direction, and only a mile or two away. I wanted to get my plane into a grove of pine trees at one side of the slope behind me, and tie the wings down before strong wind gusts arrived. So I opened my throttle, blew the tail around, and taxied across the little meadow at the highest speed I dared. It was too late to stop or ground-loop when I saw a ditch ahead, almost completely hidden by grass. I had barely time to pull the throttle shut. There was the crash of wood as my wheels dropped in and the propeller struck the ground. The tail rose, like a seesaw run amuck, until it was almost vertical in air. I though my Jenny was turning upside down. Then it settled back to an angle of some forty-five degrees. I climbed out of the cockpit down to the wing, and then to the ground, and surveyed my damaged plane. It was splattered with mud, but I could find nothing broken aside from the propeller. If I’d followed my landing tracks, or if I’d even been ten feet farther over, I wouldn’t have hit the ditch at all. Raindrops began to patter on fabric. Northwest treetops were boiling in the wind. The rudder drummed against the flippers with a heavy puff. Several men and boys came running up. What’s the name of the nearest town? I asked. Well suh, if you go nawtheast, you come to the city of Maben. If you go sauthwest, you come to the city of Mathiston. When you all landed, you jist about split the difference between ’em. What’s the closest big city? Well suh, if you go ’bout a hundred miles sauth, you come to Meridian. That’s about the biggest un we got ’round heah. Meridian, Mississippi! That’s where I’d started from — I’d flown north instead of west! I thought they were going to say I was in Louisiana.

Charles A. Lindbergh / The Spirit of St. Louis / 1953

Located along the historic Old Natchez Trace, the area that became Mathiston was about one mile north of a famous trading post owned by Choctaw Chief David Folsom in the early 1800s. In 1889, the Georgia Pacific Railway established a route for an east/west rail line that ran just north of the Big Black River through Webster County.

William Gideon “Bill” Mathis donated land for the purposes of establishing a depot near a spot of land that was known as “Natchez Trace” and adjacent to the famous original Natchez Trace. On Saturday, May 25, 1889, Mr. Mathis planned a community meal, prayer service and a sale of lots for the new town around the depot that the railroad had named “Mathiston” in his honor. In addition, he donated lots for a school and churches. He was the first marshal as well as the first depot agent. In February 1890, the legislature officially declared Mathiston a municipality. The town grew and influence with the introduction of a rail crossing in 1905 after the Mobile, Jackson, and Kansas City Railroad came into existence. Thus, it may be said that Mathiston owes its existence to the railroad industry.

From the early days of the railroads, to the modern settings of today, Mathiston has endured and is now thriving with an increase in business and industry, growth in population and efforts to increase our cultural and recreational opportunities. We are proud of our past and look forward to sharing with our citizens the bright future that is ahead.

Town of Mathiston

Eupora is a sleepy, historic town nestled between two of Mississippi's most prominent public Universities at the intersection of Highways 9 and 82 which offers a small town feel in an accessible location. We also offer desirable public schools with B ratings, a North Mississippi Medical Center with Emergency Care Facility and a caring, close knit community readily accepting newcomers in this time of involvement and growth.

Eupora, Mississippi

The Eupora Depot, a former Columbus and Greenville Passenger Depot, was acquired by the City of Eupora with the help of the Eupora Beautification Committee. Funded by the Mississippi Department of Transportation Enhancement Grant the building was fully restored from the foundation to the roof. The remaining building fabric was restored, including beaded board wall and ceiling in the office/ticket areas, cabinetry, doors and windows, brackets, exterior siding and much of the wood trim. New elements were incorporated into the building to meet the functional needs of the facility. The freight room was enclosed with flush boards to provide a multiple purpose room for the community. The wood storage cell was developed into a small kitchen area. New partitions were sensitively added to provide bathrooms, storage and utility spaces. A large undeveloped parking area was removed north of the depot and a small town park was developed in the location of the original city park which was removed 40 years ago. This park has brought the community together and allowed a local industry to generously give back to the community through donations to the park. The depot and park restoration [in 2002] has helped spur additional development in downtown Eupora.

Belinda Stewart Architects, PA

Welcome to the City of Winona, Mississippi. We are the original crossroads of North Mississippi! Winona is the only place in Mississippi where Hwy 82 intersects Hwy 51 and I-55. We are located approximately one hour and fifteen minutes north of Jackson, Mississippi and one hour and thirty minutes south of Memphis, Tennessee, on US Highway I-55 interstate. Winona is located in Montgomery County, Mississippi, and is the county seat. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 5,043. The name of the city comes from the Sioux word We-Noh-Nah meaning "first-born daughter."

Winona, Mississippi

Carrollton, Mississippi, established in January 1834 and designated as the county seat of Carroll County, was incorporated on February 19, 1836. Located in North Central Mississippi and approximately eight miles east of the Mississippi Delta on U. S. Highway 82, Carrollton is proud to be the ancestral home of two U. S. Senators, one of whom was J. Z. George, a primary author of the present 1890 Mississippi Constitution. Carrollton also proudly claims to be the home of native author Elizabeth Spencer as well as noted “blues” composers Shell Smith and Willie Narmour. Boasting of the fact that Carrollton is restored and not renovated, Carrollton is one of the largest historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in the United States. There are approximately eighteen historic sites located around Court Square, making a walking tour an enjoyable event.

Carrollton, Mississippi