Chester, the seat of justice of Choctaw County, has a population of two hundred. It is an interior trading point which is gaining in importance. French Camp has two hundred and seventy- five inhabitants and a good local trade.
One of the best schools in the state is at French Camps, Choctaw County, under the management of the Central Mississippi presbytery, and is in two divisions: first, the Central Mississippi institute for females, established in 1886, Rev. A. H. Macklin being president of the faculty; second, the French Camps academy for males, established in 1887, of which J. A. Macklin is president. Each has commodious buildings and boardinghouses, and a beautiful campus, about $15,000 having been expended on these improvements. These institutions have a high course of study, including the languages, arts and sciences, fitting students in some branches to enter the state university.
Among the societies of Choctaw County may be mentioned:
Snowsville lodge No. 119 A. F. & A. M., which met for some time at Bankston, then at different places, and afterward for a time at Chester, now meets at Ackerman
Bankston lodge No. 296, A. F. & A. M. which was organized and for some years met at Bankston, and at Chester since 1889;
La Grange lodge No. 263, A. F. & A. M., at La Grange;
Ackerman lodge No. 1290, K. & L. of H., which was established in 1888 with E. R. Seward as protector;
French Camp lodge No. 1312, K. & L. of H., at French Camp, and lodge of K. of H. , which was recently organized at Ackerman.
Back to: Mississippi Counties, Cities and Towns, 1891
Source: Biographical and Historical Memories of Mississippi, Goodspeed Publishing Company, 1891