State Bank/Brookhaven Trust/Lincoln-Lawrence-Franklin Regional Library John Holly Williams Collection

Abstract: Collection of 100,000 photographs and photo negatives of Brookhaven. Original photographs from second half of the twentieth century, and collection also includes reproductions of nineteenth and first three decades of twentieth century.

Biographical Sketch

John H. Williams was a descendent of John H. Williams, born ca. 1767, in North Carolina and later died in Mississippi, December 25, 1851. This John Williams and his wife, Rhoda Strickland Williams, moved to Mississippi with their family between 1817 and 1818. John Williams established a homestead in the E½ NW¼, S29, T9, R18W and filed claim to this homestead on March 3, 1829.

John H. Williams, a photographer and proprietor of the Art Studio in Brookhaven, Mississippi, spent many years taking pictures of buildings, people, and activities in this community. The majority of photographs and negatives in the collection are from 1946-1970. Included are pictures of local community buildings, schools and school groups, churches and church groups, and weddings. Also included are some early oilfield, logging, and Stahl-Urban pictures. An extensive number of items are portraits of local individuals and family groups. These photographs are an outstanding memory of the citizens of Southwest Mississippi--depicting faces and special moments in their lives.

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Historical Sketch

Brookhaven, Mississippi was given its name in 1818, but the town's real growth began with the contruction of a route from New Orleans to Jackson, Tennessee along the New Orleans, Jackson and Great Northern Railway (later, Illinois Central). Primary industry in the area has been agricultural, mostly cotton and then timber. Whitworth College opened to students in the first decade of the twentieth century.

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Scope and Content Note

Includes photographs and photo negatives of scenes and people of Brookhaven, Mississippi between 1850 and 1970. Most photographs are 8x10, with a several 5x7, and other various sizes. Also contains oral histories and a camera.

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Arrangement of the Collection

I. John H. Williams

A. Photographs of John H. Williams and His Relatives

II. Community Life

A. Hospitals and Medical Services

B. Whitworth College

C. Water Carnival

D. Miscellaneous

III. Business and Industry

A. State Bank

B. Logging

C. Oilfield

D. Stahl-Urban

E. Railroad

IV. Houses and Buildings

A. Business and Commercial Buildings

B. Houses and Street Scenes

C. Mill at “Ole Brook”

V. Sports Groups

A. Baseball and Softball

B. Basketball

C. Football

D. Other Sports Groups

VI. Schools and School Groups

A. Schools, Teachers, and Younger Groups of Students

B. Older Students and Student Groups

C. Graduation Pictures (Groups)

D. Graduation Pictures (Individuals)

VII. Churches and Church Groups

A. Church Buildings

B. Church Groups

VIII. Families

A. Identified Family Groups, 1850-1920

B. Identified Family Groups, 1920-1980

C. Unidentified Family Groups

IX. Portraits

A. Children

B. Men

C. Women

D. People in Uniforms

E. Couples

F. Couples with Children

G. African-American Women

H. African-American Men

X. Groups

A. Groups of Two

B. Groups of Three or More

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Topics Covered

Brookhaven (Miss.)

Copiah County (Miss.)

Franklin County (Miss.)

Lawrence County (Miss.)

Lincoln County (Miss.)

Pike County (Miss.)

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Administrative Information

Provenance:

Photographs from the estate of John Holly Williams, purchased by State Bank and Trust.

Restrictions on Access:

Restrictions on Use:

Preferred Citation Method:

Processing Information:

Processed by Marti Parker. Completed June 2005

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Lincoln-Lawrence-Franklin Regional Library
Brookhaven, Mississippi