Originally home to the native Choctaw tribe, Lauderdale County was settled and established in 1833 at a prime spot on the eastern border of the Magnolia state. The county flourished as a vital and vibrant hub of railroad commerce until the Civil War brought destruction and devastation. But its resilient citizens rose from the ashes and soon an area once ravaged by war became a home for industry and innovators.
Publisher: The History Press
REVIEW - Mississippi Library Association
Putnam, Richelle. Lauderdale County Mississippi: A Brief History. Charleston: The
History Press, 2011. 158 pp. $19.99 (paperback).
In Lauderdale County Mississippi, author Richelle Putnam shares the rich history of the
Mississippi county where she makes her home. From the early days in the 1830’s to
present day, Putnam profiles the people who transformed Lauderdale County into the
vibrant community it is today. She includes men and women of all ethnic backgrounds
who are leaders in education, religion, agriculture, business, and entertainment. She also
includes how events (i.e., Civil War, Civil Rights Movement) changed the community.
Putnam enhances the text with over fifty black-and-white photographs including ones
from her own photo collection.
The Appendix is a list of “Notable Lauderdale County Natives.” Among the notables
listed are James Chaney (1964 civil rights martyr), brothers Fred and Al Key (aviators
who set a 1935 world flight endurance record), Jimmie Rodgers (“Father of Country
Music”), David Ruffin (lead singer of The Temptations), Sela Ward (actress), and E.F.
Young (founder of E.F. Young Jr. Manufacturing Company). In 1930, Velma Young,
E.F. Young’s wife, founded the first ethnic beauty salon in Meridian.
Besides being an author and local historian, Richelle Putnam’s other talents include being
a Mississippi Arts Commission Roster and Teaching Artist, a Mississippi Humanities
Council speaker, and a popular entertainer who sings and plays her guitar at festivals and
special events. She is also a freelance and staff writer who contributes to magazines and
newspapers, and is the recipient of many writing awards. Other books she has written are
Legendary Locals of Meridian (co-authored with June Davidson in 2013) and The
Inspiring Life of Eudora Welty (2014). Her website is www.richelleputnam.net.
Lauderdale County Mississippi should prove to be popular with academic and public
library users interested in Mississippi history and genealogy. It can also be a useful
addition to a library’s collection of Mississippi county histories.
Lila Jefferson
Acquisitions Librarian
University of Louisiana at Monroe
Putnam, Richelle. Lauderdale County Mississippi: A Brief History. Charleston: The
History Press, 2011. 158 pp. $19.99 (paperback).
In Lauderdale County Mississippi, author Richelle Putnam shares the rich history of the
Mississippi county where she makes her home. From the early days in the 1830’s to
present day, Putnam profiles the people who transformed Lauderdale County into the
vibrant community it is today. She includes men and women of all ethnic backgrounds
who are leaders in education, religion, agriculture, business, and entertainment. She also
includes how events (i.e., Civil War, Civil Rights Movement) changed the community.
Putnam enhances the text with over fifty black-and-white photographs including ones
from her own photo collection.
The Appendix is a list of “Notable Lauderdale County Natives.” Among the notables
listed are James Chaney (1964 civil rights martyr), brothers Fred and Al Key (aviators
who set a 1935 world flight endurance record), Jimmie Rodgers (“Father of Country
Music”), David Ruffin (lead singer of The Temptations), Sela Ward (actress), and E.F.
Young (founder of E.F. Young Jr. Manufacturing Company). In 1930, Velma Young,
E.F. Young’s wife, founded the first ethnic beauty salon in Meridian.
Besides being an author and local historian, Richelle Putnam’s other talents include being
a Mississippi Arts Commission Roster and Teaching Artist, a Mississippi Humanities
Council speaker, and a popular entertainer who sings and plays her guitar at festivals and
special events. She is also a freelance and staff writer who contributes to magazines and
newspapers, and is the recipient of many writing awards. Other books she has written are
Legendary Locals of Meridian (co-authored with June Davidson in 2013) and The
Inspiring Life of Eudora Welty (2014). Her website is www.richelleputnam.net.
Lauderdale County Mississippi should prove to be popular with academic and public
library users interested in Mississippi history and genealogy. It can also be a useful
addition to a library’s collection of Mississippi county histories.
Lila Jefferson
Acquisitions Librarian
University of Louisiana at Monroe
