Walthall County Historical Society Wins Mississippi Historical Society Award

Historical Society (MHS)

has selected

the Walthall County Historical Society (WCHS) to receive the 2026 Outstanding Local Historical Society Award.

The award comes with a $300 cash prize.

Speaking on behalf of the MHS, Secretary William “Brother” Rogers

has stated that the WCHS won this award “

for its exemplary work in preserving and interpreting the history of Walthall County.”

The WCHS will be publicly recognized for this achievement at the annual awards luncheon of the MHS in Meridian, MS, on March 6, 2026.

Founded in 1996 by Luke Lampton, M.D.,

of Magnolia, the WCHS

flourished for many years under the leadership of Dell Magee Clawson of Tylertown.

In recent years the activity of the Society

declined, and with the death

of Ms. Clawson in 2020,

came to a standstill.

In the fall of 2023,

Pam Keaton, Walthall County’s Director of Economic Development, approached Cathy Chance Harvey, Ph.D.,

about assuming a

leadership role in

the Society, and Dr. Harvey

welcomed the responsibility of reviving the organization.

The first meeting of the “new” WCHS was held in

the Walthall County Public Library in

January 2024.

Throughout that year, the Society met monthly,

January through May and September through November.

Beginning in 2025, it met quarterly.

The membership roll has grown to 57 people,

and the meetings attract an audience of 30-60,

comprised mainly of locals with occasional out-oftown visitors.

Each meeting begins with a buffet supper followed by a talk of local or general historical interest.

A mix of local historians and professional lecturers, the speakers are largely responsible for the continuing success of the organization.

Speakers have included Dr. Luke

Lampton, who serves on the Board of Trustees of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH); William “Brother”

Rogers, Director of Programs and Communication at MDAH and current Secretary/Treasurer of MHS;

Dr. Andrew Haley, Assoc. Professor of

History at USM; Malcolm

White, author and former owner of Hal &Mal’s Restaurant in Jackson;

writer and editor Tracy

Carr of Jackson. Local speakers have included

attorney Joe Stinson,

Brian Askew, Danny Ginn, and Dr. Harvey.

The Society has enjoyed two “field trips,” a tour of

the Walthall County Courthouse and Jail

arranged by Society

member Judge Ryan Bruhl

and a tour of the

historic John Ford Home in Sandy Hook, MS.

Under Dr. Harvey’s leadership over

the past two years, the

WCHS has delivered a

series of successful projects

and achieved notable recognition.

In partnership with

the

Walthall County Board of Supervisors,

the Society acquiredthis past spring a state historical marker for

the Walthall County Courthouse and Jail and is currently in a partnership agreement with the Church on Beulah to acquire a state historical maker honoring the former Tylertown Methodist Church historic building dating from 1917.

In June 2025 in

an effort spearheaded by

WCHS member Darryl Hote,

the Society erected a street sign at the entrance to Holmes Water Park in honor of the late Carolyn Dillon, former Editor and Publisher of The Tylertown Times. It also commissioned the creation of the Carolyn Candle, a hand-poured, gardenia-scented boxed candled created by Kim Allen of the Magnolia House of Tylertown. In April 2025 the WCHS partnered with Blue Devils Reunion to raffle a 1998 Tylertown commemorative throw and raised $1800 for those impacted by the March tornadoes, distributed in the form of vouchers for local restaurants. In February 2024 the WCHS erected an iron fence to front historic Founders Cemetery in Tylertown, a gift from Dr. Luke Lampton in honor of his paternal grandmother, Mable Clair Lampton Pittman, the founding Regent of the China Grove chapter of the DAR. The fence completed the enclosure of the cemetery, the other three sides of wooden fencing having been donated by Mayor Ed Hughes. A generous donation has been received from Pigott Oil for continued maintenance of the cemetery. The WCHS’s attention to Founders Cemetery honors the 2018-19 restoration conducted by the Judith Robinson Chapter of the DAR, led by WCHS members Janice Brock and Sylvia Johnson. In August 2025 the WCHS established the Walthall Heritage Museum, a re-imagining of the former Walthall County Railroad and Transportation Museum successfully managed for many years by Tylertown native Chim Stogner. New quarters for the museum have been secured in a space at the Magnolia House, graciously offered by owners and WCHS members Kim Palmisano Allen and Patricia Palmisano. Most recently, the Society has reprinted two historic Tylertown cookbooks compiled by the Women’s Missionary WALTHALL COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY WINS MISSISSIPPI HISTORICAL SOCIETY AWARD FELDER’S HANDMADE ORNAMENTS A return to childhood crafting brings foraged treasures, retro holiday fun, & a hard-earned reminder that hot glue bites back... ...See Page A3 Dr. Cathy Chance Harvey, President of

the Walthall County Historical Society. SOUTH PIKE JUNIOR HIGH CHEERLEADERS SPREAD HOLIDAY CHEER SOUTH PIKE JR. HIGH CHEERLEADERS SPREAD HOLIDAY CHEER--- The South Pike Jr. High cheerleaders visited two local nursing homes—McComb Nursing & Rehabilitation and Courtyard Health & Rehabilitation—to share the joy of the season and give back to the community. The squad delivered more than 250 gifts to residents and filled the halls with Christmas carols, creating a warm and festive atmosphere for all. All gifts were generously donated by the cheerleaders’ supportive parents. Pictured are the South Pike Jr. High cheerleaders; Percy Martin as Santa Claus; Ramona Patterson as Mrs. Santa; head cheer coach Terri Baylor; assistant coach Ervin Jackson; and Courtyard Health & Rehabilitation staff members Jennifer Knox, Community Life Director, and Deborah Bickman, Activities Assistant.