Received the email and pics, Thanks.

The book "Tales of Old Whitehaven" was written as a local history and not a genealogy, but of course does conatin information on many of the families that lived here.

It will probably be next year before the reprint is ready for sale and I will keep you informed. No idea on the cost at this time, but expected to be reasonable. It is a small book (173 pages) and although the sales will benefit the non-profit Edmondson Cemetery Association, we expect to make a fortune from it. It is also a labor of love to reprint this book that many have askes about. Te original printing was only 2,500 copie sin 1967 and quickly sold out and they have become collectors items. The reprint will probably have a different color cover to distinguish it and we also hope to add an index which the original did not have.

Here's some of what it says about Col. White:

"In 1864, the Memphis and Grenada Railroad was chartered. It was completed a few miles at a time and train rides were a novelty.One old lady, taking her first ride, called out, :Mr. Conductor, you needn't run this steam car so fast. I ain;t in no hurry."

An account of this road sent by Director of Public Relations of Illinois Central Railroad reads:

The Memphis-Grenada Line of the Illinois Central came into being in 1846 as the Mississippi and Tennessee Railroad. A group of cotton farmers obtained a Mississippi charter to build the railroad for use in hauling cotton to the Mississippi River. Nothing much happened until 1852, when the Mississippi legislsture renews the charter.

Matters began to move when Colonel Francis M. White held a meeting at his home in Como, Miss. on July 4, 1853, to launch the railroad building project in earnest. Under Col. White's leadership, engineering and financing progressed through 1854 and by early1855 enough rail had been purchased to permit the laying of several miles of track southward from Memphis. In May of that year the first locomotive, named the "De Soto" arrived at Memphis for the new railroad.

The line reaxched Hernando on May 1, 1856, with much rejoicing among the residents. The operation of the two excursion trains over the 22 mile completed stretch of track highlighted the celebration. A year later the line reached Sardi, 50 miles from Memphis - the half-way point on the route to Grenada. Raines and Mitchel's Crossing came into being at the same time.

Then the going got rough. Financial difficulties, high water, washouts, quicksand, labor troubles, problems with contractors and other woes retarded progress and it was not until ealry 1861 that the line reached Grenada for connection with the Mississippi Central Railroad.

Crossties for this road were sold to the construction company by Mr. George Banks and his brother, and came out of the Colwater River Bottoms.

Colonel Frank White of Como was the first President of becuase he owned land in what is now Whitehaven, this stop was named for him and was first called White's Station. Then White's Haven, only years later Whitehaven. As the road crossed Cypress Creek just north of this sattion, it had to be raised because of the overflows of the creek, and becuase of the low sawmpy land full of springs along it."

"Colonel Frank White lived in Como, Mississippi. He spent much time in Memphis at the Gayoso Hotel. He died there and his body was taken by train to Como where his Negro slaves met it and carried it to the cemetery. This was quite an ordeal for he weighed three hundred pounds! He was influential in bringing the railroad thorugh Whitehaven. He had large holdings along what is now Whitehaven Lane and owned the land on which the school now stands.

His picture was given to the school but the pupils kept asking the principle, Shannon Robinson, if it was of his father, so he gave it to the library. James Hale Davis is his only living descendant living in Whitehaven."