“Old Bricks” of Booneville, Mississippi

Because bricks often give structure to a town as a whole, they also encase the memories of the people, events, and social pressures that shaped a particular place and time. This book is a history of Booneville, Mississippi, from 1907 to 1965. In this unique narrative, personal interviews are intertwined with historical documentation to take you from Main Street (by way of the back alleys) to cotton fields, jails, and train stations. The memories described in “Old Bricks” recount the needs of people (primarily remote country families) who gathered in the old town for trade, entertainment, and socialization. Most of the time, these memories are the sweet reflections of a bygone era. However, occasionally they reflect a time when a “good ole boy” legal system existed and social injustices were perpetrated against black citizens. All the characters in this book are real and all the stories are confirmed–leaving you, the reader, to reflect on how the past still shapes us today.