MS Department of Archives and History

Wednesday I visited the Circuit Clerk and Forest Library in Scott County, and found helpful information on both of my dad's parents' ancestors. There is a published book at the Forest Library (I forget the name of it but will post when I find it again) that has my pawpaw's (Coyt Griffin) ancestors, specifically the Dearman's (Thomas, Richard).

Another book was put together by an individual that has some info on my mawmaw's (Shelby Griffin) great and great-great-grandparents (Pickle/Massey). The staff at both places were very friendly and also helpful!

Yesterday I spent the afternoon at the MS Department of Archives and History in search of a brick-wall (Art Massey). I think I may have found some helpful info but need to go back and keep digging. There seems to be some conflicts with his name. Art was apparently his nickname, but I've found several different names and spellings (Arthur, Arther, Artemus, Artemous, Arteamous, Artemis) for his first name. There is no solid date or location for his birth or death.

One of the historians wrote down his suggestions on where to look, and why he thinks the name I found this week is in fact the A. W. Massey I'm looking for. I was very impressed with the MDAH. People often complain about state offices and agencies being a waste of money. The people there however were professional, polite and didn't hesitate to help the visitors out in any way!

In addition to all of this, George Pickle Jr. was a physician from Morton, and supposedly a 2nd Lt in the Army who was sent home because of the need for doctor's in his area. He was working at the old MS State Hospital at the time of his death, and is thought to be buried there (which would now be in the vicinity of the Mississippi Highway Patrol Headquarters. I've heard stories of when they tried to move some of the graves and had to leave many there because they were unable to be moved without falling apart. LOL Back when I worked at the Sheriff's Office for Rankin County, one of the MHP dispatchers told me their building is haunted because of the graveyard that it's built on top of. They used to make jokes about the elevator being possessed and one of them even set up a life size Pumpkin Head costume and sent it down in the elevator late one night to scare someone else in the building (which was usually only occupied by the dispatcher late at night).