The signing of the Pontotoc Creek Treaty is depicted in this painting by Ann Sheffield of Pontotoc County, Mississippi.  The Chickasaw Indian tribe of North Mississippi ceded more than 6 million acres of their tribal lands to the US government in 1832, thus opening the area to pioneer settlers.  Union County is in the center of the Chickasaw Homeland, and it was here that King Ishtehotopah lived.

 

 

Summer of 1942 was a busy one for First Baptist Church in New Albany during Vacation Bible School.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 The Shadows was one of several garage bands from New Albany during the 1960s.  the late James Murphy and Nicky Hall are two of these band members.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Zack Stewart, museum volunteer, demonostrates the shaving horse to students from Union County Schools during  Heritage Pioneer Days at the Museum, held annually during the third weekend in September.

 

 

Mosley and Johnson Blues Band from Union County are shown in a performance at the Montreaux  Jazz Festival  in the 1980s.  Sam Mosely and the late Robert Johnson are noted song writers from New Albany.  The band is still rockin’.

 

Award winning Union County dog trainer Clyde Morton is shown on the Paul Rainey estate training dogs to hunt bears for the Rainey Kennels.  He was also instrumental in training the famous hunter’s dogs to hunt lions in Africa.  Morton’s record for training winning bird dogs has never been beaten.  Morton was born in Myrtle, Mississippi. 

 

Gayle Kirkpatrick, New Albany Fashion Designer was part of the great cultural shift of the 1960s. He grew up and was educated in New Albany as well as the Memphis Academy of Art.  From there he went to New York and made a place for himself in the word of fashion. He designed for Faye Dunaway, Raquel Welch, Julie Christie, Elizabeth Taylor, Candice Bergan, Sandy Duncan, Cybil Shepard and many others.  He helped usher in the era of the mini skirt,  made sportwear a household word and designed clothing that remains timeless.  He was awarded the Coty Award for Fashion in 1965 and represented the United States in the world of fashion in Mexico and Japan in the 60s.   The Society houses a collection of garments, sketches, objects and photographs in the Gayle Kirkpatrick Collection. 

 

In the late 1800s there were 76 small schools dotting the countryside of Union County. Today there are five schools. Students sometimes met in churches, and sometime schools were used for a churches in those days.  Many of the buildings consisted of one room, sometimes two rooms.   Names such as Center, Jerico, Keownville, Ellistown, Tippah-Union, Liberty, Freedonia, Plank Walk, Oak Grove and others are fading into the past.  A replica of the one-room school is now open in the ourdoor exhibit area of the Museum.  Stop and see the simplicity of education one-hundred years ago.  Bring your children and grandchildren to this hands-on exhibit.