Individual Details
James Walter FURR
(14 Feb 1867 - 7 Aug 1947)
Interviews with Interesting People
(By Sarah Anderson)
If you would like to get information on any subject, the person who would give it to you correctly and most willingly is Mr. Walter Furr. He grew up soon after the War Between the States, which he told us, were very primitive days. When Mr. Walter Furr’s father and mother were married, his father gave him a jenny, and his mother gave him a skillet. He carried the skillet in his hand and led the jenny on which the bride rode to their new home. Mr. Furr’s father bought 100 acres of land from his father for $500, on easy payments, but was all to be paid in gold, as paper money had no value.
Every Saturday afternoon when Mr. Furr was a small boy he helped his mother make candles for the coming week. A string was placed in the candle molds, and the tallow, which was made from the fat of animals, was poured into them. This was left in the molds until it hardened.
The church also used candles. One was placed on each side of the window, two at each end, and one on each side of the pulpit. The night service always began at “early” candle-lighting.
He remembers the first cook stove his mother used. Its name, “Charter Oak,” was in letters on the door of the stove. While his mother cooked, he would sit in the kitchen with her, and look at the letters on the door. (We wonder if he was not thinking about the cookies baking in the oven). In this way he learned these letters, and his mother taught him the rest of the alphabet.
His mother also knit their stockings. When ladies sat around talking they always had their knitting in their hands. They made three pairs for each one of the children, and these lasted all winter. These were made better than the ones we have now. Shoes were made at home too. The skins from cattle were used to make them. Each Spring they would go into the woods and strip the oak of its bark, grind it, and use the juice to tan the leather. This was called oak tanned leather. Mr. Barkley Ferrell was in charge of the vats, which were deep holes in the ground, with different mixtures into which they dipped the hides.
Mr. Furr's mother had a trundle-bed. This was a low bed that rolled under a big bed in the day time, and rolled out at night. The children always slept on the trundle-bed.
Mr. Furr learned fractions sitting in the doorway of the school house, with his teacher sitting in a chair leaning against the door-facing. He says that even now he can just see his spelling-book. The first words had one syllable. They became longer as he went through the book. The longest word in the book was “incomprehensibility.” They not only learned to spell, but they had Webster’s dictionaries, and would spell the word, and then give the definitions. Every two weeks they would have cross spellings, and the other week they had “speaking.” The boys would make speeches, and the girls would give readings.
He returned home from college in 1888, to Toccopola, and began teaching that year. He taught until 1906. When he was teaching the games were marbles and “base.” He saw his first football game the last year he was in college.
When he first began to teach, they had all grades in one room. They did not have “grades” as we have them now. When they finished one reader they took up another. Special emphasis was put on Arithmetic and English. Arithmetic was taught all the way through with Algebra and higher mathematics. They did not have graduations. One way the boys had to get out of the school room was to go to the spring to get a bucket of water. This was a great worry to the teacher. They never punished the pupils for not knowing their lessons. For misbehavior, they punished them by making them stand in the corner, or stay in at recess. They never kept in after school, as they had so far to go home.
They never had a janitor for the school. Two boys made the fires, and two girls swept the room. This was not a punishment. They kept water in a bucket, and all drank out of the same dipper.
Mr. Furr’s father bought a Seth Thomas clock. It was a Grandfather clock, about four feet high, and is over a hundred years old. It is now at the home of Mrs. W. A. Boone.
Listed in the 1900 census as owning his home free and clear, school teacher.
Listed in the 1910 census as owning his home free and clear, occupation merchant.
Listed in the 1920 census as owning his home free and clear, occupation high school teacher.
Listed in the 1930 census as owing his home worth $2,200, occupation cotton gin manager.
Listed in the 1940 census as owning his home worth $3,000, occupation Okolona Gin and B[aler] company, income in 1939 $1,200.
(By Sarah Anderson)
If you would like to get information on any subject, the person who would give it to you correctly and most willingly is Mr. Walter Furr. He grew up soon after the War Between the States, which he told us, were very primitive days. When Mr. Walter Furr’s father and mother were married, his father gave him a jenny, and his mother gave him a skillet. He carried the skillet in his hand and led the jenny on which the bride rode to their new home. Mr. Furr’s father bought 100 acres of land from his father for $500, on easy payments, but was all to be paid in gold, as paper money had no value.
Every Saturday afternoon when Mr. Furr was a small boy he helped his mother make candles for the coming week. A string was placed in the candle molds, and the tallow, which was made from the fat of animals, was poured into them. This was left in the molds until it hardened.
The church also used candles. One was placed on each side of the window, two at each end, and one on each side of the pulpit. The night service always began at “early” candle-lighting.
He remembers the first cook stove his mother used. Its name, “Charter Oak,” was in letters on the door of the stove. While his mother cooked, he would sit in the kitchen with her, and look at the letters on the door. (We wonder if he was not thinking about the cookies baking in the oven). In this way he learned these letters, and his mother taught him the rest of the alphabet.
His mother also knit their stockings. When ladies sat around talking they always had their knitting in their hands. They made three pairs for each one of the children, and these lasted all winter. These were made better than the ones we have now. Shoes were made at home too. The skins from cattle were used to make them. Each Spring they would go into the woods and strip the oak of its bark, grind it, and use the juice to tan the leather. This was called oak tanned leather. Mr. Barkley Ferrell was in charge of the vats, which were deep holes in the ground, with different mixtures into which they dipped the hides.
Mr. Furr's mother had a trundle-bed. This was a low bed that rolled under a big bed in the day time, and rolled out at night. The children always slept on the trundle-bed.
Mr. Furr learned fractions sitting in the doorway of the school house, with his teacher sitting in a chair leaning against the door-facing. He says that even now he can just see his spelling-book. The first words had one syllable. They became longer as he went through the book. The longest word in the book was “incomprehensibility.” They not only learned to spell, but they had Webster’s dictionaries, and would spell the word, and then give the definitions. Every two weeks they would have cross spellings, and the other week they had “speaking.” The boys would make speeches, and the girls would give readings.
He returned home from college in 1888, to Toccopola, and began teaching that year. He taught until 1906. When he was teaching the games were marbles and “base.” He saw his first football game the last year he was in college.
When he first began to teach, they had all grades in one room. They did not have “grades” as we have them now. When they finished one reader they took up another. Special emphasis was put on Arithmetic and English. Arithmetic was taught all the way through with Algebra and higher mathematics. They did not have graduations. One way the boys had to get out of the school room was to go to the spring to get a bucket of water. This was a great worry to the teacher. They never punished the pupils for not knowing their lessons. For misbehavior, they punished them by making them stand in the corner, or stay in at recess. They never kept in after school, as they had so far to go home.
They never had a janitor for the school. Two boys made the fires, and two girls swept the room. This was not a punishment. They kept water in a bucket, and all drank out of the same dipper.
Mr. Furr’s father bought a Seth Thomas clock. It was a Grandfather clock, about four feet high, and is over a hundred years old. It is now at the home of Mrs. W. A. Boone.
Listed in the 1900 census as owning his home free and clear, school teacher.
Listed in the 1910 census as owning his home free and clear, occupation merchant.
Listed in the 1920 census as owning his home free and clear, occupation high school teacher.
Listed in the 1930 census as owing his home worth $2,200, occupation cotton gin manager.
Listed in the 1940 census as owning his home worth $3,000, occupation Okolona Gin and B[aler] company, income in 1939 $1,200.
Events
| Birth | 14 Feb 1867 | Toccopola, Pontotoc County, MS | |||
| Marriage | 26 Dec 1893 | Pontotoc County, MS - Sarah Ila ROGERS |  | ||
| Occupation | 1900 | school teacher - Toccopola, Pontotoc County, MS | |||
| Occupation | 1910 | general merchandise merchant - Toccopola, Pontotoc County, MS | |||
| Occupation | Bet 1920 and 1940 | cotton gin manager - Pontotoc, Pontotoc County, MS | |||
| Death | 7 Aug 1947 | Pontotoc, Pontotoc County, MS |  | | |
| Burial | Pontotoc City Cemetery, Pontotoc, Pontotoc County, MS | |
Families
| Spouse | Sarah Ila ROGERS (1870 - 1962) |
| Child | Fulton Allison FURR (1895 - 1944) |
| Child | Archie Marvin "Arch" FURR (1902 - 1982) |
| Child | Mary Rogers FURR (1904 - 1994) |
| Child | Ruth Melne FURR (1913 - 2005) |
| Father | William Meek FURR (1840 - 1906) |
| Mother | Mary Haseltine PICKENS (1846 - 1923) |
| Sibling | William Theron FURR (1868 - 1958) |
| Sibling | Nora Lee FURR (1871 - 1956) |
| Sibling | Mary Addie FURR (1873 - 1877) |
| Sibling | Celma FURR (1875 - 1952) |
| Sibling | Ida Mae FURR (1878 - 1961) |
| Sibling | Myrtle FURR (1879 - 1966) |
| Sibling | Dr. John Marvin FURR (1881 - 1925) |
| Sibling | Dr. Esta FURR (1883 - 1939) |
| Sibling | Richard Hoyt FURR (1886 - 1957) |
| Sibling | Vera Nell FURR (1889 - 1981) |
Notes
Death
The sudden passing of Mr. James Walter Furr, one of Pontotoc's most highly esteemed citizens, which occurred about 10 o'clock last Thursday night at the family residence. His death came as a severe shock and deep regret to countless people of the town and county where he was known. He was 80 years old. A heart attack was attributed as the cause of his death. A lifelong resident of Pontotoc County, Mr. Furr was born at Toccopola and upon completing his studies at the University of Mississippi began teaching in the Toccopola schools. He served in this capacity for some time, later moving to Pontotoc. At the time of his death he was manager of the Okolona Gin and Brokerage Company, a position he had held for many years. A devout Christian, Mr. Furr was an Elder in the Old Lebanon Presbyterian Church at Toccopola and for the past twenty or more years was teacher of the adult Bible Class at the Pontotoc Presbyterian Church. He was a charter member of the Toccopola Woodman of the World Lodge and had retained extensive farming interests at Toccopola. Mr. Furr was secretary of the Pontotoc County Democratic Executive Committee for many years, a position that he had served faithfully and efficiently. Funeral services were conducted at the local Presbyterian Church with the pastor, Rev. J. L. Edwards in charge. Burial followed in the Pontotoc cemetery with Clay Funeral Home in charge.Endnotes
1. Hunting For Bears, comp. Mississippi Marriages, 1776-1935 [database online]. Provo, Utah: MyFamily.com, Inc., 2004. Original data: Mississippi marriage information taken from county courthouse records..
2. Pontotoc Progress, Pontotoc, Mississippi.
3. findagrave.com.