Executive Summary

ZION SEMINARY GIVES BIRTH TO THE TOWN OF SEMINARY

When Williamsburg began it's 79 year reign as county seat of Covington County, several churches established themselves there.  While only a few of the churches remain today, it was the Presbyterian church's members and it's pastor that had a vision that played a pivotal role in the formation of the town of Seminary.

A native of Saratoga, NY, Rev. A. R. Graves was the pastor of the Presbyterian church in Williamsburg in the early 1820's.  Inspired by a vision and with his church members' support, he established Zion Seminary in 1845.  It was located on 25 acres near the falls on the Okatoma, now known as Seminary Falls, that was given to the church by W. A. Leggett.  While there were more than 70 one-room schools in the county, Zion Seminary provided education beyond the smaller schools throughout the county.  First built of pine poles and split-pole floors with dirt chimneys, the Zion Seminary grew under Rev. Graves' watchful eye, constant promotion, and the nationwide recruiting of the highest quality educators.   When he was given money for the support of the school, he would invested it into a sawmill and a brickyard.  After several years, the pine pole school had grown into a two story school of lumber and brick with two dormitories.  Due to his vision and his diligence, Zion Seminary was said to be ahead of its time by 40 years for the southern United States of its time.  In its heyday, Zion Seminary had nearly 500 students from all  over Mississippi and adjoining states.  Children with their servants were sent to learn in the prestigious Zion Seminary, and families built 20 or more three-room cottages on the grounds  for their children.

In 1861, while the Civil War was raging, all the buildings but one were burned.  The one building that was saved was the auditorium.  Rev. Graves became a chaplain for the Confederate army.  After the Civil War ended, Rev. Graves moved on to pastor another Presbyterian church, and Zion Seminary's future fell into the hands of other pastors of the Presbyterian church.  It was rebuilt and continued being one of the premier educational institutions of the area until it burned again in 1890.  In the late 1890's, Mississippi's public school system was created, and when the building was again rebuilt, it was rebuilt as Seminary Attendance Center, which is still in operation today.

With the growth of Zion Seminary, a town grew, too.  The town had a post office as early as 1857; although, the town was not incorporated until 1899.  When it was incorporated, the town took the name of Seminary to keep the memory of its origins alive.  Around the turn of the 20th Century, three churches cemented Seminary's future as a town.  Before the school severed it's ties with the Presbyterian church, it served as the Presbyterian church when school was not in session.  The Seminary Baptist Church was organized as Concord Baptist Church in 1886.  Seminary Methodist Church was organized in 1907.  The school  also served as a public building housing court proceedings.  Somewhere around 1936, the Seminary Presbyterian church gave up it's charter and ceased to exist.

SEMINARY TODAY AND . . .

Seminary today is a small but busy town.  It is the launching point for Mississippi's top white water canoeing and kayaking creek, the Okatoma.  The town has moved into the 21st century with continued economic development, a new water project for the town, and with entrepreneurs beginning a new upscale housing development.  The town has continueS to grow due to the leadership of Mayor Billy Karolyi and Aldermen Freddie Bullock, David Daniels, Mike Wilcosky, David Aultman and Rick Hux. 

In addition Seminary High School's Bulldogs continue to be a force with which to be reckoned in Group 3- A athletics.  The Seminary Bulldogs were the Undefeated Group 2-A State Champions in 2003.

Picnicing, fishing and fun can be found at  Lake Mike Connor, located just outside of Seminary by taking U. S. Route 49 to MS State Rt. 589 toward Sumrall to Lake Mike Connor Road.

THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT SEMINARY

Over it's 111-plus years, the town of Seminary has been the home of numerous events in Covington County's history and the home of two native sons that  left their giant footprints  on the history of the state, and the music world. 

MISSISSIPPI'S 44TH GOVERNOR, MARTIN SENNETT (MIKE) CONNER

Seminary resident, Democrat Martin Sennett (Mike) Conner came with his family to live in the town when he was nine years old.  Born in 1891, Conner, who finished his early education at Seminary School, was a graduate of the University of Mississippi and Yale Law School.  He was voted the "greenest Freshman" when he entered the University of Mississippi at the age of 14.  After attending Yale and passing the bar exam, he returned to Seminary and began a law practice.  Politics was also in his blood, and he ran for the state legislature in 1915, and was elected Speaker of the House while in his first term. 

After two unsuccessful tries, he was elected Governor of Mississippi in 1931.  He took office at the height of the Great Depression.  The state  was more than $13,500,000 in debt, and the treasury had  $13 and change in it.  Men often knocked on the back door of the Governor's mansion asking for food and a handout, which they received.   However, when he left office four years later, he was not one of the state's more popular governors, but the debts were payed and the state  treasury held more than $3,243,551 due to his idea of instituting the first sales tax levied anywhere in the United States.  Although he ran for governor again, he was never re-elected to the Governor's office. in the later part of his life, he was the first Commissioner of the N.C.A.A,'s Southern Conference.  When he died, a list of his many contributions  to Mississippi and personal accomplishments were read into the Congressional Record of the United States Congress on September 15, 1950.

DALE HOUSTON (1940-2007) 

Another native son of Seminary was recording artist Dale Houston (1940 - 2007).  He and his singing partner, Grace Broussard, formed the duo Dale and Grace.  They made it to the top of the Billboard  Charts in 1965 with the song I'm Leaving It Up To You.  They also made it to # 8 in 1964 with Stop And Think It Over.  In his later life, Dale and Grace were honored by the Covington County Board of Supervisors and the Seminary Board of Aldermen.  In 1998, Houston was inducted into the Texas Hall of Fame and the Gulf Coast Hall of Fame.  In 2000, he was awarded the Louisiana Living Legends Award from the Public Broadcasting Service.  In 2007, they were inducted into the Delta Music Museum Hall of Fame.  Finally, in October 2007, Dale and Grace were inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame.

Sources and Links:

Covington Crossroads: A History of Covington County, Mississippi, by Gwen Keys Hitt, University of Southern Mississippi Printing Center, November 1985

Governor Martin Sennett (Mike) Connor, 44th governor of the State of Mississippi --  http://mshistory.k12.ms.us/index.php?s=extra&id=144

http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/conner.html and http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/conner.html

Dale Houston, of the 60's singing duo Dale and Grace -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dale_Houston ,

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/theadvocate/obituary.aspx?n=dale-houston&pid=95318786 and

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article2680319.ece

What's Goin' On In Seminary, MS? , FACEBOOK,  http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=252455049168 

Seminary Bulldogs, (athletics), FACEBOOK,  http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#!/pages/Seminary-High-School-Football-Team-Official-Fan-Page/378188708745

Seminary Bulldogs, (school), FACEBOOK, http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#!/pages/Seminary-Bulldogs/139344249416100 

Compiled by Sandra E. Norris-Bryant This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

JOIN US IN HOT COFFEE AND . . .  

The Hot Coffee  community began when the horse and wagon was the typical mode of transporation.  Hot Coffee sat near the midway point of the road from Natchez, MS to Mobile, AL.  The long wagon trips to get crops to market and the return trip with food and other necessities was a multi-day journey.  In what was to be named Hot Coffee was an inn that provided lodging on their trips to and from market. 

In the late 1800's, L. N. Davis built his store to serve those on the long trip.  He always kept a pot of what was advertised as "the best hot coffee around" to help steel up the wagoneers' stamina as they continued on their journey; hence, the community's name.  Even if L. M. Davis' store is closed now, there's a new generation of coffee makers there to keep the Hot Coffee tradition going. 

In addition to a cup of hot coffee, a little on up MS State Route 532 (just off U. S. Hwy 84 continuingthrough Hot Coffee), you'll find the Old German Baptist community.  The German Baptists believe in simplicity, so they own no automobiles, use no electricity and are extremely industrious folks. 

Hot Coffee was also the home of some notable Mississippians. Actress, author, comedienne, producer Stella Stevens (1938 - ) was born in Yazoo City, MS; however, at the age of four, her parents moved to Hot Coffee.  Her film career has been extensive including such box office favorites as The Poseidon Adventure with Gene Hackman;  The Nutty Professor with Jerry Lewis; Girls, Girls, Girls with Elvis Presley, and The Ballad of Cable Hogue with Jason Robards. Jr.  

Another famous Covington Countian  was screen and stage actor Dana Andrews (1907 - 1992).  Andrews was born close to Hot Coffee in the now extinct community of Don't.  Andrews was one of 11 children born to a Baptist minister and his wife.  Andrews' film credits include The Westerner (1940), Laura (1944), and The Best Years of Our Lives (1946).  From 1963 to 1965, Andrews served as the president of the Screen Actor's Guild.  In his later years, he spoke in the first public service announcement on TV for the National Council on Alcoholism. 

Hot Coffee's notoreity continues today.  National Geographic's website  features a short film on  Hot Coffee and Martha's Kitchen.  You'll also find the starting point of the  Hot Coffee Trail there, a self-guided tour beginning with a tractor pulled "hayride" tour of  Mitchell Farms .  At Mitchell Farms you can visit a working farm, pick your own peanuts and garden vegetables, vist the Old Homestead, or host the event of your dreams in their banquet facility.   In addition, you'll find Hot Coffee on Facebook.  Here, though, the site is  not owned by the community , it's an alternative country band from Washington, D. C. named . . . what else, Hot Coffee, Mississippi.

Just remember if you're looking for hoop cheese, a delicious piece of pie,  a banquet sight or simply a cup of hot coffee, Hot Coffee, MS is the place you'll need to go. 

. . . OTHER COMMUNITIES WE'RE PROUD OF!

HOPEWELL

Located in the northeatern corner of Covington County, Hopewell is one of the oldest settlements in the county.  The first settlers came to the area when there were no houses, no roads, none of the most rudimentary colonial American accouterments of civilization.  Thomas Ates was the first white man to buy land from the Native American residents, the Choctaws.  Ben and Mary Duckworth were among the first settlers, and gave the town the name of Hopewell from the Biblical account of Abraham's and Moses' definition of hope; "to trust, expect, await, and endure."

After the Civil War, Hopewell became the home of many freed African-American families.  Education in the Reconstruction period community of Hopewell was as important as eating, and every child in the community attended the Old Hopewell School.  The exact date of the school being built there is unknown, but most local historians agree that it was started between 1870 and 1890.  It was a small structure, and the school's classes  ran while there was no work to be done to bring in the families' crops and their neighbors.  In the 1920's, money was secured from  the Julius Rosenwald Fund to build a new school at Hopewell.  Rosenwald was the President of Sears Roebuck Co., and in 1909 to 1924 he gave over $63 million to further African-American education, as well as, creating the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago.  Until school desegregation, the African-American kindergarten through 12th grade and vocational school were located at Hopewell.  Hopewell Elementary is in operation there today.

KOLA

Kola today is a thriving residential community and the home of the Plantation Oil Pipeline and at least eight  storage tank farms.  Over the years thousands of gallons of oil have been pumped to Middle Mississippi and points east through Kola. 

Another one of Kola's favorite places is  The Meadows. and Joyce's Catering.    The Meadows is  the perfect  spot for  large events such as weddings and receptions, business dinners, family reunions, or banquets.  The Meadows is also home to the Kola Homestead Guest House.

SANFORD

Sanford was settled in 1852 after John Nichols who purchased land nine (9) miles south of Seminary for $2.50 per acre.  The Okatoma ran through what would become the community of Sanford and in 1876 a watermill was built by John Sanford, the community's namesake.  The watermill was used as a sawmill, a cotton gin and a grist mill in the town of Sanford's early years. 

When the Gulf and Ship Island Railroad came through the county, Sanford experienced the lumber boom as did the rest of the county.  When the boom went bust, the mills pulled out leaving Sanford completely barren of trees and vegetation.  In an effort to revive the town, strawberries were grown in the desolate fields.  For twenty years, strawberries became king in the southern most portion of the county.  Hungarian and Italian immigrants came into the area to work the strawberry farms.  Many of these families remained in Sanford and kept the community going with five churches and two stores still in operation there today. 

McDonald’s Store (circa 1930) is  Hot Coffee’s “mini mall.”  The unique country store features wooden floors, rocking chairs, delicious hand dipped ice cream, old fashion hoop cheese & plenty of hot coffee.

Today, Sanford accommodates the outdoor thrill seekers and is the home to the Okatoma Outdoor Post and Seminary Canoe Rental.  Both offer canoe and kayak rentals, plus cabins or campsights for rent.   

 

Sources and Links:

Covington Crossroads: A History of Covington County, Mississippi, by Gwen Keys Hitt, University of Southern Mississippi Printing Center, November 1985

Stella Stevens http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001771/

Dana Andrews http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000763/

The Hot Coffee Trail and Mitchell Farms,  http://mitchellfarms-ms.cm/mitchell-farms-area-attractions.htm

and http://www.covingtonchamber.com/cms/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=43&Itemid=89

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0501/feature6/multimedia/multimedia.html

The Meadows http://www.themeadows-joycescatering.com/

Okatoma Outdoor Post and Canoe Rental  http://www.okatoma.com/index.html

Seminary Canoe Rental  http://www.seminarycanoerental.com/

Compiled by Sandra E. Norris-Bryant This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

A JOURNEY DOWN THE BOULEVARD IN MT. OLIVE 

As early as 1858, a post office was established in the community of Mt. Olive.  Mt. Olive became the first community in Covington County nestled in the northern part of the county.  With the arrival of Scottish settler, John C. Calhoun and his family between the years 1810 to 1840, the town started to take root.  After Calhoun, other Scottish settlers also made the move from North Carolina and Alabama  settling in the growing, backwoods community.

In the early years of the territory, what would become Mt. Olive was little more than a small farm  here and there on land originally purchased from the Choctaws.  However, in the mid 1890's, a railroad surveyor stabbed a stick into the middle of a cornfield saying, "This is where the depot will be."  and hence, began the town of Mt. Olive.

When the Gulf and Ship Island Railroad (GSIR) built it's railway from Jackson  to Biloxi, Mt. Olive's small depot was placed along the railway.  However, unlike the other communities with depots that accommodated the raging lumber business such as Mish and Gandsi (named for the GSIR), Mt. Olive had a different beginning as one of America's first planned communities.  The GSIR tracks were finished in 1899, and Mt. Olive was incorporated on May 18, 1900.  Some legends tell that the town was named for the community of Mount Olive, North Carolina, that still exists between Raleigh and the North Carolina coast.

As we said, Mt. Olive was one of the nation's first planned communities.  It was set out on a two-mile portion of land.  Entering the town from the north on what is now Old Highway 49, a lovely wide boulevard was built in spite of many objections that it was a waste of space and money for a road on which only horses and wagons would travel.  However, the pro-boulevard planners won the argument.  After the boulevard was built, 100 oaks were planted along the boulevard giving the town a Meet Me In St. Louis-esqque air.  As the road continues into the downtown business district, the grassy median with statuesque oaks gives way to a wide street with parking areas that run down both sides and through the center of Main Street.

In the beginning, Mt. Olive was a center of trade for the agriculture and timber industries with the various shops, stores and businesses that also supported the residents involved in those industries.  It was a bustling, thriving town in 1937 according to the account written in Covington Crossroads: a History of Covington County, Mississippi.  A list of the businesses in town according to one of Mt. Olive's older residents in 1988 (on pg.18 if you can get your hands on a copy of the book) was, "the Baptist church, Texaco filling station, Pan-Am filling station, Rawls' Cash Store, the old J. B. Byrd Store, a sandwich shop, a grocery store, the bank, Gatewood's General Store, Calhoun Drug Store, the Church, the Greentree Hotel and another filling station.  To the left headed east from the Baptist church on Main Street were Lampton-Rawls store, city hall, the post office, the Calhoun-Fairley store, Dickson Motor Co., and the filling station."  Two smiths did a roaring business seeing to the horses, wagons, and creating various  implements needed in the agricultural and lumber enterprises.

Today, joined by the local civic group, City Beautiful which has renewed the promotion of both economic and community development in the town, the Mt. Olive municipal officers including Mayor Robert C. McNair and Aldermen Roger Pittman (Mayor Pro-Tem), Terry Barron, Ramon Johnston, Kelvin King, and Alderwoman Kathryn McGee.  In addition, the Widgets of Mount Olive Ministries have developed the town's website and have kept cyberspace buzzing with the activities going on in Mt. Olive year round.

Mt. Olive High School (MHS) has been the back to back 2009 and 2010 Group 1-A State Champions in football.

THINGS YOU MIGHT WANT TO KNOW ABOUT MT. OLIVE!

YES, WE LOVE OUR FOOTBALL IN  MT. OLIVE

To say that Mt. Olive's folks have always been BIG on their high school and their football program would be an understatement! Three (3) Class 1-A State Championships in the school's history prove that point, especially with two of them back to back.   

STEVE MCNAIR 

School pride and his family's relentless drive to encourage him to be his best self, also guided Steve McNair (1973 - 2009) on a path that would take McNair to a professional football career.  McNair was the quarterback for the Houston Oilers, the Tennessee Titans and the Baltimore Ravens. 

He was raised in the Mt. Olive community and graduated from MHS playing football through his high school career.  After graduating from Alcorn State in Lorman, MS, he was the first round draft choice of the Houston Oilers in 1994.  When the Oilers' franchise was sold, and they became the Tennessee Titans, McNair moved with the franchise to Tennessee.  However, in 2005 he was traded to the Baltimore Oilers and after two seasons, he retired from professional football.  On July 4, 2009, he was killed.  The McNair football spirit lives on in  other members of the McNair family, and with MHS's back to back State Group A football championships.

It can't be written any better or more succinct than the writers from the Titan's Locker Room.com  have written it, so here's what they wrote after Steve McNaiir's death. 

Remembering Steve McNair 1973-2009

The Tennessee Titans lost one of their greatest players in franchise history when long-time quarterback Steve McNair was tragically killed in Nashville on July 4, 2009. McNair, who led Tennessee's famous drive that came a yard short of forcing overtime in the 2000 Super Bowl, made an even greater impact in the Nashville community through the Steve McNair Foundation.

Much like his play on the field, McNair's work in the community was done without a desire to receive publicity for his efforts. He did it for the love of helping others and the smiles his work would invariably bring to those who benefited from his generosity. For his incredible efforts in the community, he was selected as the 2005 Titans Walter Payton Award Winner, given to the team's Community Man of the Year.

In 13 NFL seasons, including 11 campaigns with the Titans and two with the Baltimore Ravens, the former first-round draft pick set team records and accumulated the most wins of any quarterback in Titans/Oilers history.

SOURCES AND LINKS:

Covington Crossroads: A History of Covington County, Mississippi, by Gwen Keys Hitt, University of Southern Mississippi Printing Center, November 1985

2010 Town of Mount Olive Mississippi,  http://townofmountolive.com/  Designed by The Widgits, Mt. Olive Youth Internet Club, December 17, 2010

Steve McNair, Wikipedia: the free encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_McNair , December 17, 2010

Remembering Steve McNair 1973-2009, Titans Locker Room.com,  http://www.titansonline.com/team/history/steve-mcnair-tribute.html  January 14, 2011

Mt. Olive, MS, FACEBOOK, http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1528503533&suggestfriends&ref=email_friend_confirmed#!/pages/Mt-Olive-Ms/112506982141194

Mount Olive Pirates, FACEBOOK,  http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1528503533&suggestfriends&ref=email_friend_confirmed#!/MtOlivePirates, January 16, 2011

 

Compiled by Sandra E. Norris-Bryant, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

GOING FROM "BAD" TO COLLINS

Because of the building of the Gulf and Ship Island Railroad (GSIR) and the building of the Williamsburg Station depot, life was set on the fast track.  Three sawmills surrounded the small railroad station, and from there, expansion was set at full speed ahead.  From 1899 until 1906, the construction of the town of Williamsburg Station grew rapidly.  During that time, Williamsburg Station grew from a cornfield to a city with a population of between 6,000 and 7,000. All brought about by the building of the reailroad and the booming lumber business.

Most of the residents celebrated the quick growth except for the postal workers and the postmaster.  During that period, each piece of mail for the nearly 7,000 residents was cancelled by handwriting the name, Williamsburg Station, across the stamp.  Shaking and rubbing writer's cramp from their hands, the postmaster requested a name change on March 6, 1905.  After a bit of deliberation, the postal service came up with a name that was short and easily written . . . Bad.  That name was rejected quickly!  After more pondering, the town decided to name itself Collins in honor of Fred W. Collins of Meridian who was a leader in the state's Republican Party and the U. S. Marshal for the Southern District.  On October 24, 1906, a petition was filed with the governor's office asking that the name be changed.  Exactly one month later, on November 24, 1906, the town's name was officially changed.

COLLINS: IN THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME

With the massive expansion of Collins, residents and businesses moved out of Williamsburg to be close to the convenience of the GSIR and Collins.  In 1906, a portion of Covington County was removed to create the new Jefferson Davis County and Williamsburg was no longer at the center of the county.  The county electors decided that the county seat needed to be moved again.

Communities scrambled to get the nod.  Leading the pack, Seminary, Ora and Collins clamored to be named the county seat.  In 1906, Collins won the race, and work immediately began on the new county courthouse.  The first court was held there in 1908  in the city of nearly 7,000.

Shortly after, Collins' first lousy hand was dealt.  Long before crop rotation and soil conservation became accepted practices, the lumber industry gutted the forests and moved on.  Nearly overnight, Collins' population dwindled to 700.  The nation was also held in the grips of the Great Depression..  The few remaining townspeople decided it was time to work overtime to keep Collins afloat.

 In 1936, the town began to rally.  As one of the first paved highways projects in Mississippi, the road from the Gulf Coast to Jackson gave Collins  a roadside window to the growth of the automobiles and the highway system.  Shortly after U. S. 49 was completed, U. S. 84 crossed the state from Laurel to Natchez, putting Collins at the intersection of new projects and growth.

After the Depression, Collins was handed another gift.  The Plantation Pipeline was run from Baton Rouge to the east coast through Collins.  Kola became the oil company's distribution center for Middle Mississippi, and huge storage tank farms began to be built between Kola and Collins..  Seeing the tax possibilities, Kola was annexed into Collins at about the same time that Ora was.  The planners of the expanding Collins, had another trick up their sleeves.  Former Mayor Jimmy Arrington and a team of lawyers developed a plan to put the entire town under the Homestead Exemption laws . . . and it worked!

In the last several years, Collins  has marched on with its plans to be it's best self.  News of new businesses seems to be in the news almost every other year.  The Veteran's Administration's Nursing Home followed by the Grand Paradise Water Park have been the latest multi-million dollar projects to locate in Collins.  Today the town's strategic growth  is led by Mayor V. O. Smith, Alderman At-Large and Mayor ProTem: Bobby A. Mooney and Aldermen Lester L. Magee, Gerald G. Buffington, and Halbert R. Walker, and Alderwoman Hope Magee Jones.

Another big rallying point for Collins' citizens is the school system.  Collins is the home of the offoces of the Covimgton County Schools.  It's the home of Collins Elementary, Collins Middle School, Collins High School, and the Covington County Vocational school.  Today, Collins has grown from 700 to 2,751 residents and is now categorized as a city again.  Collins High School's Tigers won back to back championships in Group 3A in 2001 and 2002.

COLLINS'  NATIVES THAT HAVE MADE IT BIG! 

GERALD MCRANEY 

Many dynamic people have called Collins home.  The best known of them all is the actor Gerald McRaney.  McRaney's fame had his beginnings in a repertory company in New Orleans.  When he moved to Los Angeles all he could seem to find were bit parts.  McRaney's star launching moment came when he was cast on the very last Rawhide episode.  With bigger and bigger roles coming his way, he was cast as one of the private detective Simon brothers on the TV show Simon and Simon wich ran for eight (8) seasons.  In the last year of Simon and Simon, McRaney created the TV show entitled Major Dad.  He starred in the series from 1989 to 1993.  In 1996 he starred in Promised Land which was a spinoff from the hit TV series, Touched By An Angel.

He's been married a number of years to actress, Delta Burke.  He also had a reoccuring role as her boyfriend, Dash Goff, on Designing Women..  McRaney has continued working since the series' end. but 2010 has seemed to be another bonus year for him.  Filming the movie Get Low with Bill Murray and Sissy Spacek in 2010, it was one of the films presented at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival.

On May 1, 1999, McRaney was honored by his hometown. A plaque was placed on the home where he was raised, and the street was renamed in his honor.

NFL STAR CORRELL BUCKHAULTER

Born October 6, 1978, in Collins, Correll Buckhaulter attended school in the Collins school system.  While in high school he lettered in football  for rushing 3,024 yards in the last 2 years at CHS.  He made the high school Mississippi All-Star team. graduating in 1997.

He attended Nebraska, playing 46 games and when he finished was ranked eighth (8) in the school's history with 2,522 yards rushing.  He had 11 100+  games while at Nebraska , despite the fact that he only started nine (9) times.  His college major was Sociology.

Drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles, Burkhalter spent the  2002, 2004 and 2005 seasons on the sidelines with injuries.  His best season with the Eagles was his first season where he rushed for 586 yards with 4.5 yards per carry.  He also scored two (2) touchdowns. 

On February 27, 2009, Burkhaulter signed a four (4) year contract with the Denver Broncos.

 

NBA STAR RANDOLPH KEYS

NBA star Randolph Keys last played with the Milwaukee Bucks.  His first year was 1994-95.  Born April 19, 1966 in Collins and attended school in the Collins schools, he was selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of 1988.  He played five (5) seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Charlotte Hornets, the Los Angeles Lakers and the Milwaukee Bucks.  During his best year, he split the season with the Cavaliers and the Hornets, playing 80 games and averaging 8.8 points per game.

He attended college at and played basketball for the University of Southern Mississippi. 

 

SOURCES AND LINKS

Covington Crossroads: A History of Covington County, Mississippi, by Gwen Keys Hitt, Uniersity of Southern Mississippi Printing Center, November 1985

Collins, Mississippi , Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia,  http://en.wikipeda.org/wiki/Collins_Mississippi  December 17, 2010

City of Collins, http://www.cityofcollins.com/, copyright 2007, City of Collins, MS

Gerald McRaney:  AOL Television,  http://television.aol.com/celebs/gerald-mcraney/1025462/biography, January 15, 2011

Gerald McRaney: Versatile And In Demand,  The Los Angeles Times : Articles Collection, Copyright 2011, Los Angeles Times

Correll  Buckhalter:  Correll Buckhalter, Wikipedis: The Free Encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Correll_Buckhalter, January 15, 2011  

Randolph Keys, NBA Hoopedia:The Basketball Wiki, http://hoopedia.nba.com/index.php?title=Randolph_Keys    January 15, 2011  

Collins, Mississippi, FACEBOOK, http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1528503533&suggestfriends&ref=email_friend_confirmed#!/pages/Collins-MS/110472175640221, January 15, 2011

Collins  Tigers, FACEBOOK,  http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1528503533&suggestfriends&ref=email_friend_confirmed#!/CollinsTigers, January 16, 2011

 

Compiled by Sandra E. Norris-Bryant This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.