The village of Woodland in Chickasaw County, Mississippi is probably best known today for being the home of Woodland Furniture, which proudly boasts of being the biggest furniture store in Mississippi. But the town shows signs of having at one time been a company town, and with a name like Woodland, I suspect that it was a lumber mill town. Large warehouses still exist in the western portion of the village, but I could not find any trace of what company might have built the town. I was definitely intrigued by the back of the Woodland Furniture building however, as it was clearly very old, and made of red brick with numerous windows, more in the style of a school than a factory, and I wonder if the furniture company took over a former public school.
Yes, there used to be a school there, for I went to that school when I was in the second grade. It was in 1945-46. My maternal grandparents, Thomas (Tom) E. Hill and Mary Lavinnie Springer Hill, lived directly across the road in a small dog-trot house that was still there when I went back to Woodland, and other areas in the 90’s on a genealogy hunt. I wanted so bad to knock and ask if I might come in, but … did not want to intrude on their privacy.
I remember the teacher (?) told us one morning that we had to get shots that day. I was scared to death! (I’m sure we all were!) We had to line up and go to the main building. When we got there, we saw that it was a big room with tables in a row on the left side, under the windows. They were covered with sheets to the floor. I remember thinking that if I crawled under one of those sheets, they wouldn’t see me and I wouldn’t have to get that shot! I don’t remember just how I made it under the sheet, but I was there when the teacher found me. Could you make a guess as to how she punished me? She made me take that ole shot!! It appeared I was the only rebellion there that day too.
The second grade was the last trip we made to MS. Later, Grandma and grandpa Hill came to visit us and another daughter, Lillie Hill Barnes, who also lived in Mobile, AL. (My mother was Omie Dale Hill Carlisle m. Robert (ake Bob) Marion Carlisle) While there, grandma Hill had her first stroke. I don’t remember how much later it was when she had her second stroke, but that one paralyzed her left side. Papa went back to Woodland and made arrangements to move everything to Mobile. Granma died in June 1956. Papa, who was visiting his son, Woodrow (ake Woody) Orin Hill, who, lived in Columbus, MS had died in 1952 of a heart attack.
The early 90’s was the first time I had been back to Woodland, but recognized the turn off to Woodland immediately. It was as if it had been just yesterday. Memories are something amazing.
All of this just to tell you that there WAS a school where the furniture company is now. I met the owners while I was there on my visit; some truly nice people too.