Newspapers:Floyd- One Time James Boys Resting Place 
Submitter: Carolyn P. Avery  Feb 2001
Source: West Carroll Gazette  24 June 1948



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FLOYD--ONE TIME JAMES BOY'S RESTING PLACE

As the year 1948 nears its halfway mark, there is little left to 
convince a stranger that Floyd was once a gay rip roarin' town,
where the notorious James brothers and their followers rested from
their "labors".

A small two-story, weather beaten, crumbling jail, a decaying gallows
oak, a lonely grave on a hillside and one old home are all that are
left to tell the story of the days when hoop-skirted cuties tripped the 
light fantastic with men who were known in other parts as gunmen,
robbers and killers.

The lonely tomb marking the grave of MIJAMIN FLOYD(1809-1857) sits
atop a hill surrounded by deep ravines, once used to spoil a Yankee
plot to destroy the town.  Frank and Jesse James, the Younger boys
and their guerillas proved to much for the boys in blue-an act
proving to Floyd residents they had a friend in the notorious band.

Besides the jail, with its doors ajar, stands the gallows oak, reputed
to have had as many as six men dangling from the ends of hangmans 
nooses at one time. Exact number of men who have "swung" from its
branches has not been estimated.

"Parson" Gulley, aged negro (claimed he was 97) who died in 1937,
once said that "he berried de hung men under a gum tree and not in 
de regular graveyard where he berred "his" white folks."

Wonder if the man in Texas who claims he is the real Jesse James,
could identify any landmarks in Floyd? Recall any of the names
of the residents of the "community of the past". He's the one
you know who wasn't killed by Robert Ford. His story is as fragile as 
a column of smoke.

Guess he's the same Jesse James who woed the lasie down Deerfield
(Delhi) way...she was a novelist, so they say. Jesse's old home
now owned by Tom Haney, still stands.

Carroll parish was formed in 1832. Carroll was divided into two
divisions, East and West, in 1877 with Lake Providence as the 
parish seat of East Carroll and Floyd the seat of West Carroll--
this remained so until a special election held July 3, 1915, 
when Oak Grove won the parish seat title from competitive
Pioneer. The courthouse just had to be on or near a railroad.

The men and women who spoke of Jesse as a tolerant young man 
have passed on to another world. A majority of the prominent 
citizens of Floyd moved to Oak Grove with the courthouse.
Incidents of humorous and historical interest could be told 
about West Carroll's ghost town- reams of them written,
no doubt. This is merely a summary, in brief form, of the 
highlights and side glances of the once notorious parish
seat.