This was sent to me on The McClanahan List and at first I was going to delete it, but am glad I didn,t. If you read far enough, you will find it mentions MIMS.... Ann Mims-Neff San Antonio,TX ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------- Hannah McClanahan was the daughter of John & Mary Robinson McClanahan Memoirs of Mississippi, Pages 347-349. William J. Barron, physician, Sturges, Oktibbeha County, Mississippi. Joseph and Hannah (McClanahan) Barron emigrated to Choctaw County, Mississippi about 1830 from the Palmetto state, (South Carolina) and bought land from an Indian named James Terreill. As one of the first emigrants, he selected one of the finest places in his section, paying Terreill $600 for his claim and possessions here. Joseph Barron had several occupations. While living he made use of the rude utensils used by the aborigines, in constructing Terreill's remarkable and beaver-like log cabin, still standing September, 1891. As one of the evidences of its substantial construction, about the year 1884 a cyclone swept over the premises, laying waste to all the buildings and timber, stripping from the house every shingle (or board), leaving each rafter and log as perfect as at the hour of its completion. The hewing with the common pole ax on this remarkable structure would be hard to excel in this day with the improved broad ax. Among other relics, such as stone hatchets and arrowheads, was a peculiar climbing or step ladder, made of poplar, one step above another, so one could climb to the housetop or run up a tree. Here, on Bogue Foliah, Joseph Baqrron built the first watermill among the Indians in Choctaw County. He also established a cottongin there, and packed the first bales of cotton with a crowbar; he also erected a blacksmith shop and manufactured extra fine rifle gun barrels and made bells for his large herds of horses and cattle and the wild deer, which had also been domesticated and roamed over his fields and woodlands, covered with fine grass and cane, where the wild wolves howled their midnight revels after visiting the sheep pastures. He worked his farm at first with Indian and slave labor combined. Among the Indians thus hired were Yambee and We Yambee, who soon became insulted at the slaves, and no compromise could satisfy the Indian laborers here. Mr. Barron became quite wealthy, consisting of land, fine herds of cattle, horses and slaves or negroes. His house was headquarters for alll emigrants from the East. Among the first settlers were the McClanahans, the Fondreus, the Mimses and the snows and childerses. The first teachers or educators were George McDuffey and James Rossey. To this union of Joseph and Hannah (McClanahan) Barron were born twelve children: John, James, Ezekial, Mary, Nancy, Elizabeth, Solomon, Marshall, Thomas, Caleb, W.J. and R.P. Barron. Joseph Barron died in 1850 of pneumonia, his widow survived him by about six years; were of Baptist faith religiously, and were of Scotch and Irish descent. James Barron married Elizabeth Childers, was a farmer and merchant, with perhaps one of the first country stores established. He died, leaving seven children. Ezekial married Julie Griffith, raised six sons, all living. He was a soldier in the Mexican war along with the illustrious Jefferson Davis. He was afterward a merchant and farmer. His carbine breech-loading gun carried in the battles in the Mexican war is still well cared for and preserved as a relic in the family. Solomon is one of the three now living, and is in Roby, Tex., a very successful stockman, and an early emigrant to the Lone Star state. Marshall was killed by lightning while riding in the company with a deputy sheriff of Madison County, near Canton and Sharon, his umbrella directing the electric current with great force through his body, while the sheriff escaped, although nearest the tree struck. Thomas R. Barron married Mary Childers. He was born a natural philosopher and mechanic, always prospered in life, died in 1857, leaving his wife and two daughters, Alice and Cornelia. Caleb and Elizabeth fell victims to that terrible scourge of dysentery which prevailed in 1852. Caleb died on his feet walking toward the door in the Indian log cabin built by James Terreill. Mary married Terry Crawford, and they also died of dysentery in 1852. John and Robert died quite young. Nancy married D.C. Snow, emigrated to Western Texas, is still living, a widow, with her only son, John Snow. Dr. William J. Barron, physician at Sturges, Miss., owes his nativity to Choctaw County, Miss. He is one of the twelve. He was also born in 1834, had very limited educational advantages, and after his parents' death he went through on horseback to Lebanon, Tenn., where he remained fifteen months at school before returning home. From there he went to New Orleans, studied medicine in the University of Louisiana, graduating in 1859. Returning to Mississippi he at once began practicing near Sturges, where he has since continued, and where he has met with great success. He is a man of strong and vigorous mind, a deep thinker, and a very entertaining conversationalist. He is the owner of several tracts of land in Choctaw and Oktibbeha Counties, also in Holmes, with fine water power and mills in Oktibbeha. However, his entire time is given to his profession and drug store at Sturges, Miss. His estimable wife, who was formerly Miss Elizabeth Edwards, is a native of Choctaw County and the daughter of James H. and Parthenis (Crawford) Edwards. Dr. and Mrs. Barron were married in 1858, and six children resulted from this union: James W., the oldest son, was the youngest state senator in Mississippi in 1886 and 1888, and is a lawyer by profession and local attorney of the Illinois Central railroad; William Y. is a farmer in Choctaw County; O.L. is an M.D., practicing with his father at Sturges, and local surgeon for the Illinois Central railroad; Thomas E. is a farmer near Roby, Texas; Nannie L. is the wife of Dr. D.H. Thomas, and they live on the place bought by her grandfather of James Terreill, the Indian; Mary P. lives in Sturges with her parents; Dr. W.J. Barron espoused the cause of the Confederacy in the late war between the North and South in 1861. He enlisted in the company I, Fifteenth Mississippi infantry, is a member of the Masonic fraternity, lodge N. 119, of Choctaw County, lives within two miles of where he was born in 1834, and his name is a household word even among the oldest citizens. Col. William Humphries, of Columbus, Miss.; Robert McClanahan, of Cold Springs; Dr. McClanahan of Galveston, and Dr. McClanahan of Gatesville, Tex., are all first cousins of his, and born in Mississippi among the earliest settlers. MEMOIRS OF MISSISSIPPI , Pages 347-349 Pub. 1891