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WPA History of Lamar County, Mississippi
LARGE AND HISTORIC TREES
In Lamar County there are many trees, none of any
unusual size of historical value. The pines, oaks, blackgum,
poplar and magnolia grow larger than any other. The County was
once called the "Piney Woods" as this was a forest of large pine
trees. In any community on the creeks, all over the county can be
found oaks that measure from 9 to 11 feet. The average pine tree
in the county at present time is from 5 to 8 feet in
circumference. These are mostly short leaf pines and grow in old
fields and swamps. Blackgum, sweetgum and poplar average from 5
to 9 feet. Magnolia is the largest flowering tree that grows in
the county, the average size also being 5 to 8 feet.
Historic Trees
Just outside the corner of Bay Creek Cemetery stands a
red oak tree that measures 11 feet in circumference four and one
half feet above the ground. The people of this community used to
hold elections under this tree. The place was called "The Oaks".
Near Myrtle Grove church in the Baxterville community,
Lamar County is an average sized Black-haw tree (these trees
never grow large). This tree was planted by Mrs. Rebecca
Standford, a lady with who Governor Longino's wife spent the
night enroute to visit relatives in Lawrence County. Mrs. Longino
was riding horse back and carried this switch to coax her pony
along. On leaving she left the switch. Mrs. Standford found it
and out of curiosity planted it out and to her surprise it lived
and turned out to be a Black-haw tree.
On the old Daniel Slade place in the Yawn Community there
is a live oak about 85 years old, this tree has low swinging
limbs, measures 11 feet in circumference four and one half feet
from the ground. The top is some fifty feet broad. This tree was
planted from an acorn brought form Pass Christian by Daniel
Slade, settler of the place. On this same place there are a
number of large oak trees, one red oak that measures 12 feet 6
inches four and one half feet from the ground. Another measures
11 feet 3 inches, four feet from the ground.
In the year of 1884 Mr. John Carley who had just built a
new home on Main Street in Purvis, had a man who was in the
lumber industry in Marion County, now Lamar, to look out for some
water oak trees to set out in his yard. One day Mr. Alfred Bufkin
was having some pine trees cut in Holidays Creek and he noticed
that there was five tiny water oaks. He dug them up and brought
them to Mr. Carley. When Mr. Bufkin reached Purvis he noticed
that the leaves on the trees were all withered and almost dead.
He told Mr. Carley that he was sorry about the trees looking so
dead but the other man said what difference does it make for an
oak tree, for it will live just the same. They set the oak trees
out in the front yard about fifteen or more feet apart. Today
these trees measure the following, four and one half feet above
the ground:
10 feet 4 inches
10 feet 2 inches
8 feet 10 inches
10 feet 2 inches
These water oak trees are 43 years old. They afford a
very pretty shade for the home. The new concrete side walk is
near the trees and afford a beautiful street scene in Purvis.
Fifty-two years ago Mrs. Mary Hendricks set out a water
oak tree on her grounds in Purvis. Later when Dr. S. E. Reese and
family lived in this home he built a shed around the tree for his
children to play in. Today the tree measures 13 feet and 10 1/2
inches, four and one half feet above the ground. The tree is the
property of Mrs. Lee Dixon.
Following is two clippings showing the size of trees that
have been in the county. Nothing is being done to preserve trees
in Lamar County.
A Big Tree
Major John W. Watson of the Seminary one of the World's
Fair Commissioners for this district, has made arrangements to
send to the St. Louis exposition a sample of Mississippi's short
leaf pine. The tree, which was cut on the J. J. Newman land, four
miles from Sumrall, Miss., in the new county of Lamar, measured
20 feet in circumference at the stump and 6 feet, 8 inches in
diameter, its entire height being 160 feet, 75 feet from the butt
it measured 10 1/2 feet in circumference and 3 feet 4 inches in
diameter. The top end of a 16 feet cut measures 14 and one eighth
in circumference. Mr. Watson will also ship for exhibition a 1000
pound of rosin, put up by Lieut. Governor Carter at his
turpentine still at McCallum.
Huge Dogwood Log Cut
A dogwood, unusually large for that kind of tree, was cut
near Purvis, Miss., in Lamar County by Mr. H. M. Blye, manager of
the Meridian Bank Mill. The log measured 8 feet and 9 inches in
diameter at the top. It will be shipped to the public museum in
Denmark. Mr. Blye states he ships an average of 25 carloads of
dogwood blocks from South Mississippi to Europe each year.
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