Tag Archives: Lauderdale County

-Tennessee, Black History, Cemeteries, Famous People, Hotels and Motels, National Register of Historic Places

The Childhood Home of Alex Haley in Henning, Tennessee

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Alex Haley was born in Ithaca, New York, in 1921. Very early, he moved with his family to his maternal grandparents’ house in Henning, Tennessee. This 1918 American Craftsman served as a home base for the family for the next five years. It is also where Haley would hear the stories of his ancestors and other relatives. These stories inspired him to write Roots

The home was initially known as the WE Palmer because his grandfather was a successful businessman in town, and he built the home. The home was fully restored, and the furniture used by the family is in the house. The house was put in the National Re

-Tennessee, Abandoned, Historic Photos

The Dr. Henry B. Moorer House of Henning, Tennessee

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The Dr. Henry B. Moorer House, also known as “The Sycamores,” was built in the 1870s in Henning, Tennessee. Reportedly, the home was the first brick home in the county. Moorer was one of the first doctors in the area and would travel the county providing medical care. According to his obituary, he was the mayor of Henning for 40 years. He served 20 two-year terms, often running unopposed.

Later his son, Emmett, called The Sycamores home.

Image from Lauderdale County from Earliest Times; An Intimate and Informal Account of the Towns and Communities, Its Families and Famous Individuals, Written by Descendants of Its Pioneer Citizens by Kate Johnston Peters
-Mississippi, Cemeteries

Kelly Mitchell, Queen of the Gypsies-Meridian, Mississippi

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On January 31, 1915, Kelly Mitchell, Queen of the Gypsy Nation, died during childbirth in Coatopa, Alabama. She was buried in Meridian, Mississippi at Rose Hill Cemetery because the city had enough ice to keep the body cool until her funeral, a funeral attended by over 20,000 people. Since her death, people visit from all around the world to leave trinkets on her grave. One reason why folks might leave items is to let others know the grave has been visited and, therefore, the person is not forgotten. For the Queen of the Gypsies, people leave items to attract Kelly to their dreams in hope she will help solve their problems. If you visit, outside of the Mardi Gras beads, you will likely see bottles of Orange Crush because it was supposedly her favorite drink.

April 15, 1930 issue of The Intelligencer Journal

Over the years, several attempts to rob her grave were prevented. They often made national news.

October 15, 1947 issue of the Tucson Citizen