James Pascal Smith

Photo: "Poplar Jim" Smith and "Polly" Strahan Smith http://www.spiers.net/mstree/note_113.htm

James Pascal Smith was born 10 July 1811 in Louisiana. His parents were Andrew Smith and Nancy Robards. He married Nancy Ann Wheat (1819-1836), daughter of Joseph Wheat and Elizabeth Bagley, in about 1834. They had one son, Joseph Ann Smith (1836-1903).

He married Mary Jane Strahan (1822-1892), daughter of Cornelius Strahan and Nancy, in 1837 in Hancock County, Mississippi. They had twelve children. James died in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1891.

http://www.gtwestmoreland.org/surnames/p154.htm#i407

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=31984971

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In 1872 Pearl County was formed from land taken from Marion and Hancock Counties and was inhabited by a tribe of Indians called “Caesar” after their chief. New Settlers came from Virginia and North Carolina; their ancestors were from the British Isles. For financial reasons Pearl County was abolished in 1878. After it was abolished, Northern syndicates bought the virgin forest of the south and a railroad was built. Pearl River County, comprised of 828 square miles, was authorized by the Mississippi Legislature in February of 1880 and was made up of the same land formerly known as Pearl County. The county seat was relocated from Byrd’s Chapel to a tract of land along the railroad owned by an early landowner named “Poplar” Jim Smith. The seat was named “Poplarville”. His descendants still live in the county. “Poplar” Jim was so named for a stand of Poplar trees on his homestead property. The courthouse was built in 1918 and was inscribed___”Dedicated to all who love truth, justice, and thrift”.

In the early frontier days a large portion of South Mississippi was part of West Florida. There was disagreement among the English, French, and Spanish for control. This caused lawlessness, but after the Battle of New Orleans in January, 1815, although the war had not ended, it left no doubt that the United States was in control. This speeded the inhabitance of the area.

The state of Mississippi was organized in 1817, and it was divided into two large counties. Later those counties were subdivided and in 1872 portions of Marion and Hancock counties were used by the State Legislature to organize “Pearl” County. The name “Pearl” was chosen because the new county bordered Louisiana at the Pearl River. The new county seat in Byrd’s Chapel and the Masonic Building was used as a church and the Court House.

Pearl County lasted only a few years because the building used as the Court House burned, and since the South had recently lost the Civil War, there was simply no tax-base with which to re-build. There was only one white land owner in the new county. His name was “Poplar” Jim Smith who had traded ten bushels of corn to Indians for his claim.

By act of the State Legislature in 1878, Pearl County was abolished and the area went back to Marion and Hancock Counties as it was before the county was formed.

Northern Syndicates later bought large parcels of virgin forest land in the area and with the coming of the railroad in 1884, it brought dynamic changes. Sawmills from Gainesville, Mississippi, which had used the slow Pearl River for transportation, were moved to Nicholson and other places north along the railroad to speed transportation of their products.

By act of the State Legislature in 1880, the county was again formed from portions of Marion and Hancock Counties. This time the single name “Pearl” could not legally be reused, so the word “River” was added by the Legislature to complete the name “Pearl River County.”

A site was chosen for the new county seat which was on the railroad. Since the land was owned by Mr. “Poplar” Jim Smith, the county seat was named Poplarville.

http://www.poplarville.org/welcome/membership/membership-benefits/h...

GEDCOM Source

@R-1349973211@ Ancestry Family Trees Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members.

GEDCOM Source

Ancestry Family Tree http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=55672262&pid...