Senate Concurrent Resolution 663

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION COMMEMORATING THE CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION OF THE INCORPORATION OF THE TOWN OF BELMONT, MISSISSIPPI.

WHEREAS, January 22, 1908, is a famous day in the history of Belmont, Mississippi. A Proclamation of Governor Edmond F. Noel on January 22, 1908, granted a Charter of Incorporation to the Village of Belmont. Secretary of State James W. Powers later certified this charter on February 7, 1908. The number of inhabitants at incorporation was 110. Two-thirds signed the Petition Seeking Incorporation; and

WHEREAS, the first municipal officers of the Village of Belmont were as follows: Mayor C.C. Shook; Marshal J.H. (John Henry) Clark; Treasurer J.A. Clark; and Aldermen S.P. (Sam) Beaty, Dr. R.L. (Lee) Montgomery and Dr. K.F. McRae; and

WHEREAS, this area was Chickasaw Country before 1832. It was transferred that year to the government by the Treaty of Pontotoc Creek. That treaty led to relocation of the Chickasaws by and large to what is now the State of Oklahoma; and

WHEREAS, the Pontotoc Creek Treaty provided for a so-called Chickasaw Cession, which involved 10 counties, including Itawamba and Tishomingo. South Belmont and points south were actually part of Itawamba County until 1870 or so. At the time, Tishomingo County was the largest in the state, containing over 900,000 acres. It included much of Alcorn and Prentiss Counties, as well as Tishomingo. Often called the Free State of Tishomingo, the county seat was at Jacinto. The Old Jacinto Courthouse still stands, having been extensively renovated; and

WHEREAS, the War Between the States was devastating to Tishomingo County, which had become a wealthy county. During the war, shortages of food and salt became severe. Raiding Union soldiers and Southern Union sympathizers, known as Tories, created havoc in the area. Many Belmontians have ancestors who fought in the War Between the States. At war's end, those Confederate soldiers who were able to return home found they had little left. Tishomingo County was now very poor; and

WHEREAS, the 1880s brought more and more farming as lands had been cleared. Corn was the predominant crop, followed by cotton and oats. It was becoming clear, however, that cotton was to be the money crop of the future; and

WHEREAS, without question, the making of Belmont was the coming of the railroad. After a couple of years of surveying and right-of-way purchasing, construction began on a rail line that would connect Corinth, Mississippi, and Haleyville, Alabama, passing, of course, through Belmont. 1907 was the completion date. Local service on the new line made it possible for area residents to travel to and from Corinth or Red Bay the same day. This service was called the Doodle Bug and continued for many years when diesel locomotives took over. A very famous passenger train traveled through Belmont called the City of Miami; and

WHEREAS, one of the acts of the newly incorporated village was to issue bonds to build a new school building on property just north of the present Belmont United Methodist Church. It was known as the Clement School. The early actions of the Board of Aldermen reflected the determination to have quality schools, a determination that has served education well in Belmont over the years; and

WHEREAS, 1923 brought Belmont its first football team. Due to a devastating neck injury to a player in 1932, football was discontinued until 1959; and

WHEREAS, 1929 changed almost everything as the Great Depression struck. Massive job losses, market crashes, business bankruptcies and bank failures were common. The most crushing blow was the closing of the Golden Sawmill in the 1930s. The once bright future now looked very bleak. Always optimistic in school matters, a new vocational building was built in 1933 and Belmont's first gymnasium in 1934, in the middle of the Depression; and

WHEREAS, Belmont had little time to breath between the Depression and the gathering of more war clouds in Europe and eventually the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941. Belmont's finest men and women responded to the call of war as they always had; and

WHEREAS, any history of Belmont would highlight the coming of the Blue Bell Manufacturing Company to Belmont in 1949. With 300 or so new jobs coming to town, Belmont entered the industrial age; and

WHEREAS, the 1950s and 1960s saw several important improvements for Belmont: a natural gas system in 1954; a sewer system in 1960; and an airport in 1965. All three of these have been updated. The airport is officially the Tishomingo County Airport and offers full range air service on call. Around 1957, a new high/junior high school building was constructed. In 1960, a new gym was constructed; and

WHEREAS, 1968 brought Kaydee Metal Products to Belmont. This company became Falcon Products, which ceased operations a few years ago. The global economy has produced many changes in manufacturing which have not been kind to Belmont or any other United States town. Local businesses such as Wood Sales, M & W Sales, Baymont, MTS, Sun Air, Chism Silver Dollar Sales and others have helped greatly to fill in the void of Blue Bell/Bauhaus, Schnadig and Belmont Homes; and

WHEREAS, the last 19 years of Belmont's history have been marked by Mayor Bob Yarber's administration. His immediate family had all served Belmont in administration or at the Belmont School. Mayor Yarber has led the way in expanding or improving life in the community. The present Mayor and Board of Aldermen are: Mayor Bob Yarber; Aldermen Max Ray Hutcheson, Steve Smith, Greg Pharr, Buddy Wiltshire and Robert Hester; and

WHEREAS, Belmont has sons and daughters all over this earth who have left to follow their dream. Most who left would say they never really left, they simply took Belmont along, and it is with great pride that we recognize the history and civic energy of the Town of Belmont which is a model community in the State of Mississippi:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby join the citizens of Belmont, Mississippi, in commemorating the Centennial Celebration of the incorporation of this town, and extend our best wishes to the Mayor and Board of Aldermen on this auspicious occasion.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be presented to the Mayor and Board of Aldermen of the Town of Belmont and be made available to the Capitol Press Corps.