Carrollton, on the Richmond & Danville railroad, is the seat of justice of Carroll County, and has a population of four hundred and seventy-five. It has a good local trade, and its future is as promising as that of any town of its size in that part of the state.
A Baptist church was organized ten miles from Carrollton, in 1833, with nine members, and was moved to Carrollton in 1839 and named Carrollton church, afterward growing rapidly. Its first pastor was Rev. Joseph Morris. About 1839 Rev. S. S. Lattimore, one of the first and most prominent preachers in the state, served one year as pastor. In all, the church has had nineteen pastors, some of them very talented men.
The Presbyterian Church was established here about 1836, and the church house was built about 1837.
The Methodist Episcopal and the Protestant Episcopal churches were established before the war.
Carrollton lodge No. 36, A. F. & A. M., was organized about 1837, Judge Blanks, V. M. Butler and O. L. Kimbrough being among the early members. This lodge had at one time about seventy-five members, and has now about twenty-eight. Its present master is G. S. Fox. Benjamin Roach has been secretary, since 1856.
Vaiden, on the Illinois Central railroad, is a flourishing town of nine hundred population. Black Hawk and Shongaloo are other towns in Carroll County.
When the Mississippi Central railroad was built the people of Carrollton projected two large enterprises: The factory and the Carrollton Female College. They erected a massive structure for manufacturing, covering an acre of ground. The Carrollton Female college building they made ample and commodious. It has been under the management of some fine educators, among whom, worthy of especial mention, are Rev. Mr. Colmery and Captain Belcher. Under its present management, that of Rev. Z. T. Leavell, its success has been remarkable. The, faculty is not excelled by any institution for young ladies in the state, for thoroughness and conscientious work. The friends of the college are now very sanguine as to its future.
Back to: Mississippi Counties, Cities and Towns, 1891
Source: Biographical and Historical Memories of Mississippi, Goodspeed Publishing Company, 1891