At the end is a response I received regarding WATTS from a native-Mississippian who grew up in that area... Scroll Down... >From: Granville W Hough <gwhough@earthlink.net> >Reply-To: gwhough@earthlink.net >To: Gerald Gieger <giegerg@hotmail.com> >Subject: Re: [MSCOVING-L] Covington County Jurors Photo >Date: Sat, 20 May 2000 21:46:02 -0700 >Gerald Gieger wrote: > > > > Speed's and Roger's are also related to Gieger's in Covington County. > > > > Is this W.O Watts related to Grandmother Charlotte (Watts) HOUGH of >Smith/Wayne Counties??? > > > > >From: Janet Smith <ribs@datasync.com> > > >To: MSCOVING-L@rootsweb.com > > >Subject: [MSCOVING-L] Covington County Jurors Photo > > >Date: Sat, 20 May 2000 11:06:43 -0700 > > > > > >Posted on: Covington Co. Ms Queries Forum > > >Board URL: > > >http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/USA/Ms/Covington?read=637 > > > > > >Surname: > > >------------------------- > > > > > >The covington county courthouse burned for the second time in 1904. At > > >that time it was moved to Collins. A photograph of officers in front of > > >a tent in 1906 is in the book Covington Crossroads by Gwen Hitt. It >looks > > >like the same tent but has different men from the one posted. I think >both > > >photos were made the same day. Clothing styles are similar in both >photos. > > >The men listed in the book on page 5 were W. L. Magee, Deputy Sheriff, > > >Tom Thames, Superintendent of Education; John Mathison, Chancery clerk, > > >B. F. Lott, Sheriff; V. T. Dees, circuit Clerk; and Daniel > > >Calhoun , treasurer. I don't have access to a scanner right > > >now or I would scan the photo for you.The book indicated the picture >was > > >of the 1906 officials but did not give an actual date taken. The > > >cornerstone > > >for existing courthouse was laid on Sept. 7, 1907 by the Masonic grand > > >master H. G. Yawn, Grand Secretary Frederick Speed, Grandmarshall >Graham > > >Robertson. Members of the Board of Supervisors at the time > > >were J. E. Odom, President, W. O. Watts, H. Y. McNair, J. C. Thames, >and > > >J. S. Welch. R. L. Dent and E. L. Dent were county attorneys. The other > > >photographs in the book are too recent to help id anyone. However two >of > > >men resemble the lawyer Dent from Collins I remember as a child. One of > > >them was probally his father. Several of the men on the back row >resemble > > >the Rogers family and Frederick Speed and others were probally related > > >to the Rogers. They could all > > >the masonic lodge at that time also. Janet Smith > > > > > > > > > > > > > ________________________________________________________________________ > > Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com > These were all common names in Covington County. As I grew up, my >postal address was Mount Olive in Covington County, I went to Magee High >School in Simpson County, and I lived in Smith County. My corner of >Smith county was sort of a tri-county area. > The Watts families of Covington County were so prevalent or prolific >that the Northwest Beat was known as the Watts Beat. The Watts families >of Covington County settled along Leaf River before statehood, but none >had a Charlotte. In fact, I traced many of them and they all arrived a >generation before those of Wayne County, something like 1810 versus >1830. I was never able to establish any relationship between the two >clans. > The big tributary of Leaf River to the west at this point is Cohay >Creek (Ocohée). The Beat west of Watts Beat was known as Cohay Beat in >Covington County. Covington County is the only one I know which gave >its beats names. Other counties have five to seven numbered beats. > It was on the upper reaches of Cohay Creek in Smith County that the >Hough families finally settled. The next tributary west of that was >Ocatome or Okatomy Creek (in Simpson and Covington Counties), and the >ridge line between Ocohay and Ocatomy is where I grew up. Our land >drained both ways. Our western fence was the county line between Smith >and Simpson counties. > It is interesting that in 1937, when I started to high school at age >14, I crossed the county line to go to school at Magee in Simpson County >while my younger brothers still went to Mize in Smith County. After I >was successful at Magee, my brothers and our whole community in Smith >County transferred to Magee. This continued for over 30 years until >litigation over racial problems forced everyone to go to a school in >their own county. > Though we used the post office at Mount Olive in Covington County, and >the mail carrier was a Miller cousin, I never went to Mount Olive in my >whole life. I passed through it many times, but our shopping and >cultural center was Magee. With my regards, Granville. ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com