—Simpson County Heritage Trail —
What is the Simpson County Heritage Trail?
The Simpson County Heritage Trail
was established through the Simpson
County Development Foundation
in 2011. Each stop along the trail is
of historic significance to Simpson
County, showcasing points of interest
and facts about the origins of the
County.
Mendenhall Then
The original town Edna was
named for the wife of developer
Philip Didlake. When the post
office application in 1900 revealed
that an older town was named
Edna, the name was changed to
Mendenhall in honor of Thomas
L. Mendenhall, a prominent
citizen and lawyer in Westville.
The first postmaster was R. H
Coke, and the Coke Building, built in 1928, still stands on Main Street. Westville
was a thriving town and had served some 70 years as the county seat when, at
the turn of the century, the Gulf & Ship Island Railroad bypassed it in favor of a
direct route through the country. A legal battle, lasting some years, ensued over the
location of the county seat. Finally, in 1905, the State Supreme Court decided in
favor of Mendenhall.
The Courthouse
On December 4, 1906, the Board of Supervisors advertized for bids to build a
courthouse in Mendenhall. Following the design of the United States Capitol,
the adopted plans were submitted by New Orleans architect Andrew J. Bryon.
The contractor selected was M. W. Land of Jackson, MS, who bid $59,000. The
courthouse was completed on December 21, 1907, one year after the contract was
awarded, at a cost of $59,000.
The Simpson County Courthouse—"The most beautiful courthouse in
Mississippi"—was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August
29, 1985 and was restored in 1987 to conform to its historic detail at a cost of
$1,750,000.
Mendenhall Now
County Seat — Mendenhall, the
County Seat of Simpson County
is today the second largest retail
center in the
county and the home
of Simpson General Hospital.
Historic Preservation — Several
period buildings, such as the Coke
Building, still exist along Main
Street. Several turn-of-the-century and early twentieth century houses remain. The City Hall is housed in the historic Thames House, a beautiful turn-of-the-century Victorian.
Mendenhall Ministries — A nationally known community development
organization—dating back to the days of the Civil Rights Struggle-Mendenhall
Ministries was founded by John Perkins in 1962 as Voice of Calvary Ministries.
In later years, the Mendenhall ministry became a separate entity from the
Jackson ministry. Today, they are considered a model for faith-based community
development. The continuing success of Mendenhall Ministries was recognize
in 1991, when President George W. Bush presented them with the Number 541
Daily Point of Light Award.
Inset
An Anecdotal History of Simpson County
From the Columns of Bee King
The Simpson County News
1937-1948
All the stories appearing on the Trail markers
under "An Anecdotal History of Simpson
County" are extracted from a series of articles
written by the late Bee King, who was a well-known lawyer, historian, and writer. Mr. King served as mayor of Mendenhall and is buried in the Mendenhall
cemetery. The Simpson County News began running the series in
their weekly newspaper in 1937 and continued until 1948. Mr. King's
writings are a graphic presentation of the life and times of Simpson
County. He interviewed the elderly citizens throughout the area and
uniquely recorded for posterity the experiences of the people in day-to-day living.
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