History of Walnut, MS
This information was graciously donated by Melissa McCoy-Bell (© 2004-2008. All Rights Reserved).
Located in north Tippah County, 3 miles south of the Tennessee line, and near the intersection of Hwy 15 and Hwy 72, Walnut continues to be a thriving town. The town was established on November 6, 1872, on land purchased by Henry Hopkins from the Chickasaw Indian Cession in 1836. Originally, the town was called Hopkins, but changed its name to Walnut in 1876. Walnut originated as a stopping point for the railroad that ran from Middleton, TN to Pontotoc, MS. The train needed both wood and water to run and would stop near Walnut for water on its trips between the towns. The name changed after a barrel of whiskey was accidentally dropped at Hopkins instead of Hopkinsville—another village about a mile to the south. The conductor had to back the train up one mile to Hopkinsville to deliver the Whiskey barrel to the store owned by Silas and John Hopkins. After arriving back in Hopkins and hearing the complaint, Mr. Bob Shannon suggested that Hopkins be called Walnut (after a grove of Walnut trees located near the town), to prevent any confusion. This was agreed upon, and from that day forward the town was called Walnut. A charter for the town was recorded in the Office of the Secretary of State and State Library on July 10, 1936.
Although Walnut has changed over the years (and moved a little), it still remains a thriving town, with over 700 residents. Today, the town has all the modern conveniences: a bank, a library, city hall, a K-12 school, a grocery store, a tanning salon, a drug store, a hardware store, a public swimming pool, a park, a few restaurants, a couple of dollar stores and an antique store. The furniture and elevator manufacturing industry provides jobs for its residents, although some commute to Memphis to work. The newly four-laned Hwy. 72, one of the few in the county, continues to add to its growth.
Education in Walnut
This information is taken from Andrew Brown's History of Tippah County, MS (as quoted by Melissa McCoy-Bell).
Walnut school, currently the largest school in North Tippah, is located in the town of Walnut, 3 miles south of the Tennessee line. The school originated before 1885, but the original location is not known, as no deeds have been found. In 1888, land was purchased from the Smith family west of the railroad, north of Commerce Street in an area behind the Flake house. This original school was probably small and only service elementary aged students. By 1900, that building was replaced with a larger 2-story building that serviced grades through eleven. This building had four large rooms, two upstairs and two downstairs. Large windows were located on the north and the south side, and a belfry and bell were located on the roof. Two large outside restrooms were to the north and east of the building; one for the boys and one for the girls. In 1923, after consolidating with the smaller schools of Sand Hill, Mt. Vernon, Wright, Mt. Moriah, and Marlow, Walnut replaced the wood building with a new modern brick building. This building consisted of four rooms to the north and four rooms on the south with a large study hall between them that could double as a auditorium if needed. Many entertainments were held in this room, and plays were given each year by the older students. This building burned on the night of March 13, 1932.
