The Carrollton-North Carrollton Library and the Vaiden Library are provided by our county for use by Carroll County residents. The Friends of the Library is an organization that supports the local library, supplying extra funds and volunteers. Carroll County has two Friends organizations, one for each library. January and February are their main fund raising months.
On Friday, January 20, the Friends of the Vaiden Library will host their annual chili lunch. The $8 ticket buys chili, cornbread, dessert and tea. It will be served from 11 am to 1 pm. For more information call the Library at 662-464-7736.
On Saturday, February 4, the Friends of the Carrollton-North Carrollton Library will host their annual soup tasting and art exhibit. The $10 ticket buys “tastes” of 6 soups – Burger in a Bowl Soup, Chicken Lemon & Rice Soup, Easy Chili, New Year’s Day Good Luck Soup, Mexican Stew and Smoky Pork Taco Soup. To help celebrate our state’s 200th birthday, door prizes will be given away to those who know the answers to Mississippi trivia questions. Do you know who our capital is named for? Where Eagle Brand Milk was first processed? What is our state flower, tree, bird or duck? There are several websites that contain trivia about the different states and there will be posters and information on the tables to help soup tasters win a door prize. Tickets will be available at the Library and from many of the Friends. Because of seating, only a limited number of tickets are sold so get yours today! Call the Library at 662-237-6268 or Pam Lee at 662-237-6910 for more information. ]]>
Organized in 1859 and incorporated a year later, Vaiden was named for Dr. C. M. Vaiden an early settler. In the 1837, Dr. Vaiden hired architect and master builder James Clark Harris to build Prairie Mont which closely resembled another of Harris’ masterpieces, Malmaison, the home of Greenwood LeFlore in northwestern Carroll County. Dr. Vaiden was buried at the Vaiden Cemetery with a beautiful monument made of Italy marble making the spot.
In the early days, Vaiden and the surrounding area grew rapidly, thanks to farming, transportation routes, and rail travel. The town became one of the wealthiest towns in Mississippi with its abundance of planters, lawyers, merchants and other business professionals.
Noah House – 1875
Churches also played an important role in the development of the area. In 1840-41, the Baptist Church at Vaiden was built. In 1877-78, the Vaiden Presbyterian Church was built.
Shongolo Church, Vaiden, Mississippi
As the area grew, so did the need for education. Among the schools was Richland Academy, founded in 1836 by a Mr. Hughes, a graduate of a University in Ireland. The school offered elementary and classical education. James Z. George was one of the students. He would later buy a stage coach inn just north of Carrollton for his growing family and name it Cotesworth. He served in the U.S. Senate from 1881-1897. Known among his constituents as “the Great Commoner” George was influential in the creation of the Sherman Antitrust Act, and worked to aid education and civil service reform. J.Z. George’s statue stands in the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., one of two representing Mississippi. George and a number of his family are buried at Evergreen Cemetery at North Carrollton, Mississippi.
Because of the vast size of Carroll County, the county was divided into two districts. Vaiden became the county seat for the second district in 1874. In 1898 the first telephone exchange was installed in Vaiden by the Cumberland Telephone Company. The next year, a furniture factory and brick factory were opened.
The old Courthouse at Vaiden, demolished after the making of Mississippi Burning in 1988, stood on the hillside where a children’s park is located today. The bell from that courthouse stands in front of the new Courthouse, located where a row of stores and businesses once stood. Shelving from some of those businesses can be seen in the Merrill Museum in Carrollton.
Vaiden Courthouse