About 12 miles southeast of Tupelo, MS, was situated a very old settlement. It was called "Old Richmond," and here some of the most thrilling events of the early history of Itawamba/Lee county transpired.
When Mississippi became a state in 1817 the upper two-thirds was Indian Territory and white men were not allowed to settle therein. After treaties, the Indians moved west and whites were able to claim the area. The treaty with the Chickasaw Indians in 1832 at Pontotoc Creek opened part of the Tupelo district and one of the settlements started early was in what is now Lee County, at Richmond. The whites came in during the period of 1836 and after. The land at that time was in Itawamba County.
Indians who wanted to settle in Mississippi and stay were granted a section of land. Number 27 on which Richmond was to be located was granted to Chief Shim-I-O-Pa and section 22 just north was claimed by Chief Cha-Lah-Cha-Chubby. They both took title to the land at Fulton on Feb. 6, 1836. The Chiefs soon followed the exodus west leaving the land to be claimed by the white settlers. People came in at once from South Carolina and Georgia as well as other states and settled in the territory. Among the first was William Blythe who owned a plantation of a thousand acres. His home was built of logs which were shipped from Mobile. (The home was still standing in 1936). His daughter, a Mrs. Moore (maiden name of Phoebe Blythe) was living in the home in 1936. The Pettigrew family came in 1845. The Pettigrews settled on what is now (1972) known as the Dick Ivey Place.
They formed an "overland train" or caravan and when they reached Richmond everything looked so prosperous, they decided to stay. Mr. McNeil taught the community school.
Among the early settlers were the McNeils, Blythes, Schumperts, Pettigrews, Monaghans, Threlkelds, Moores, Leslies and McGaugheys. Records show Arch Thomason as the first to build his home at Richmond. The Reuben Morgan family came there in the early 1840's. The town of Richmond came into being because of a need for a place of trade. It is thought that the name may have come from the Capital of Virginia. This settlement organized a Baptist Church in 1845 which is one of the oldest churches in Lee County.
In 1862 when the war came, the town had become a prominent trade center with probably a dozen places of business. The town was on the hill-bluff where Lamont Posey lives (in 1972). The town was probably to the north of his house. The location was almost in the center of section 28. Main Street extended from the corner of Lamont Posey's home to a point about 1/4 mile north. Among the stores were those of Murphy, Threlkeld and Crane on the west side of main street. On the east side of main and nearer to the south end were stores owned by Stovall, Randolph, and Evans. Evans ran a drug store in connection with groceries and supplies.
(This information comes from a family tree given to me by Hazel Ballard. It says the tree was compiled in October of 1997 by George Bowlin Morris.)