[Granville-Hough] 15 July 2009 - PeacefulValley

[Trustees for Granville W. Hough]

With Steven McNair's recent and unfortunate death, we can ask the 
question: Was he from Sullivan's Hollow or not? All indications are that 
he was from Mount Olive, generally considered within Sullivan's Hollow 
by most people. He was born after I moved to California and no longer 
listed Mount Olive as my home address, so I had not followed his career; 
but he was apparently one of the greatest of all football players. 
Perhaps he should have more closely followed Satchel Page's advice about 
surviving as an athletic hero: "You got to remember, always, that the 
Social Scramble ain't restful!" or words to that effect. My sympathies 
go to his children and family

Sullivan’s Hollow Location

Many people who have heard of Sullivan’s Hollow ask where it is. Is it
all of Smith County? Is it all of Beat 3 and Southwestern Smith County?
Is it partly in Covington County? Is it all on Ocahay Creek or its
tributaries? Actually, it is not a
large area, just the headwaters drainage area for a small stream which
flows into Ocahay Creek. This stream is now called Sullivan’s Hollow
Creek. It is most of Section 24, Township 10, Range 16 West, Smith
County and part of adjacent Section 19, Township 10, Range 15 West. All
the land of which Thomas Sullivan, Sr, was seized and possessed in 1855
when he died lay in those two square mile blocks. What other land he had
in the area had already been passed to adult sons by that time, or is
accounted for in other records. It is said he had 480 acres in the two
sections at the time of his death.

(GWH: I was born in section 5, Range 16 West, about six miles diagonally
northwest of the Sullivan home.)

 From the will of Thomas Sullivan, Sr, comes the following: (with
explanatory information in parens.)

“1848 Came into my hands in August for Sept 11 (apparently for a court
action)

(To) Mark, Wiley, Samuel, Cornelius, Loughton, and Alexander Sullivan
the following property, real and personal, to wit: West half of
Southwest Quarter of Section 24, Township 10, Range 16 West (80 acres);
also Northwest of the Northeast Quarter of Section 24, Township 10,
Range 16 West (40 acres); also, Southwest Quarter and Southwest Quarter
of Section 24, Township 10, Range 16 West (40 acres, but possibly
described wrongly, it may be Southeast Quarter of Southwest Quarter.)
Also, one negro girl by the name of Lucy, about fifty head of stock
cattle, also two head of horses. (This seems to describe the common
property of the homestead, to go to all his sons still at home. The
wife, Polly Sullivan, is not mentioned in this allocation.) To Mark, a
colt two years old, to Wiley, one sorrel horse three years old, to
Cornelius, on bay mare two years old, to Loughton one mare four years
old, to Alexandria (Alexander) one bay mare twelve years old.

Signed by Frederick Sullivan, (oldest son of Thomas and Polly (Workman)
Sullivan.”

The estate settlement later shows:

“A list of all property in my hands up to 18 Aug, A. D. 1860, belonging
to Samuel, Cornelius, Loughton, and Alexander Sullivan. (Note that Mark
and Wiley were adults and not listed. They had probably already received
a land allotment.)

“Be it remembered that we the undersigned appraisers did on the 18th day
of August 1860, A. D. value and appraise the property of the minor heirs
of Thomas Sullivan, Sr, deceased, in the hands of F. Sullivan, agent for
Samuel Sullivan, Loughton Sullivan, Cornelius Sullivan, & Alexander
Sullivan.

A list of property with evaluation:
The North ¼ of N. E. ¼ S24, T10, R16 West (40 acres)
Also S. E. ¼ of N. E. ¼, S24, T10, R16 West (40 acres)
Also N. E. ¼ of N. E. ¼, S24, T10, R16 West (40 acres)
(This is not the same land owned in 1848, which suggests there had been
exchanges or additional purchases or homesteads among the Sullivan
children.)

The first named lot $50.00
The second named lot $400.00
The third named lot $200.00

One negro woman (Lucy) $1000.00
One negro girl, Milly 500.00
One negro boy, Gipson 400.00
One negro boy, Ben 350.00
The said Milly, Gipson, and Ben being the increase of the said Lucy,
above named. (Their father may have belonged to someone else.)

Also, eleven head of cattle at $135.00

We the undersigned have signed and sealed the above in presence of each
other:
F. W. Speed
H. Sullivan
W. Howell
(H. Sullivan was most likely Henderson, full brother of the minor heirs.
F. W. Speed and W. Howell were neighbors.)

I do certify this record to be a copy of the above appraisment of the
property named on the above day and date. F. Sullivan, Agent (Frederick
Sullivan, oldest son of Thomas and Polly (Workman) Sullivan.)

It is said that Thomas Sullivan built his home in Section 24 but near
Section 19. Anyone with a survey map can locate the area immediately. It
is about 2 and ½ miles South from Mize and 1 and ¾ miles north of the
Covington County line, and six miles east from the Simpson County line..
After rising in Section 24, Sullivan’s Hollow Creek meanders slightly
southeastward and joins Ocohay Creek about 3 and ½ miles away about a
mile north of the Covington County line. The historic center for the
area was called Bunker Hill, in Range 15 West. It was a post office from
1852 until 1905. Great, great uncle Mark Cole, Jr, the miller of Bunker
Hill, Great uncle Aaron S. Miller, the carpenter, and several Sullivans
were postmasters through the years.

Ref: Records of Maxine Watts and Granville W. Hough.

PEACEFUL VALLEY

Jan 2, 1966, “Feuding, Fussing, and Going Sullivan,” Mid-South, 
Commercial Appeal, has a good map defining Sullivan’s Hollow as the area 
bounded by the Mize-Magee Highway 28, the Mize-Mount Olive, Highway 35, 
and Magee-Mount Olive Highway 49. That with some overspill is where 
Sullivans, their Cousins, Friends, and Neighbors lived. The land Pappy 
Tom Sullivan actually owned was on a small creek which flowed into 
Oakahay Creek in the corner of Smith County, but his descendants soon 
populated Simpson County all the way to Okatoma Creek and Covington 
County through Oak Grove and Shiloh church communities. The three 
highways do set up a triangle that includes those areas.

When political candidate of Clarksdale (Cousin Charles Loten Sullivan) 
suggested a few days in Sullivan’s Hollow would do a world of good for 
Bobby Kennedy and Earl Warren, everyone in MS knew what he meant. (GWH: 
In fact, when I was looking for a historical parallel for “Pappy” Thomas 
Sullivan, the man who came to mind was old “Joe Kennedy.” He had the 
ruthlessness of character, the same callous disregard for the rights of 
women, and the same clannishness. It must be part of the Irish character.)
Congressman and Cousin Prentiss Walker, who had grown up and lived and 
died in the area, thought it might better be called “Peaceful Valley” 
today. Or it might be remembered as the area which produces the sweetest 
watermelons and the liveliest tall tales in Mississippi, and the 
greatest football players..