The town of Vardaman was founded in 1904, but Vardaman was not its original name.
When filing for a post office, the people submitted Vardaman as the town name in honor of Gov. James K. Vardaman.
President Teddy Roosevelt and Gov. Vardaman were political enemies, however, and the president refused to permit the post office to be named Vardaman. The people had to submit another name choosing Timberville, due to the large amount of timber in the area.
This early 20th Century picture from Vardaman’s Main Street showing the first well digging also shows the building at right that is now Town Hall.
The name Timberville was accepted by the president. Later in 1912, during the term of President Woodrow Wilson, the name was changed to Vardaman at the request of the congressional delegation from Mississippi.
James K. Vardaman served as governor of Mississippi from 1904-08. He was born in Texas and moved to Yalobusha County when he was five years old. In later years, he practiced law in Winona.
In time he became editor of several newspapers--The Winona Advance, Greenwood Enterprise, and Greenwood Commonwealth.
He was elected to the Legislature from Leflore County and served as Speaker of the House in 1904. He served as a captain and major during the Spanish-American War.
Most of the land that became Vardaman, which was almost entirely woods, was owned by Jim Hill.
First Postmaster
The first postmaster was Thomas E. Walton, who carried mail on horseback until the railroad began to transport it.
Other postmasters were Victor Lamar, J.E. Kimbrough, Doyle Hawkins, J.E. Morgan, Bobbie Gene Gable, Wilton Griffin and Daphna Naron Cook.
Marshals of Vardaman
S.W. Scarbrough, Lon Griffin, Lee Harpole, Edd Johnson, Will Sullivan, Isiac Vanlandingham, James Henry Hawkins, Eddie Hendrix, Jack Naron, Elton Ramage, Jess Ramage, O.B. Byars, Ott Ward, Melvin Tedder, Paul Hendrix, James Morgan, James Moore, Calvin Barnett, Doug Bryant, Randy Tutor, Henry Nabors, Mike Doss, C.E. Francis, Bill Fleming, Leo Ferguson, C.P. Ward and Ed Easley.
Basco Christian was bailiff for more than 40 years. Melvin Tedder was night watchman for many years.
First Cross-Cut Saw in Calhoun
In 1885, J.E. Whitehorn came to Calhoun County from Huntingdon, Tn. He was paymaster for Martin and Grubbs Stave Co.
The had a crew of men working at Vardmaan (then Timberville) making staves for wooden barrels. At that time the main street in Vardaman was only a path or narrow road.
The place was called Tick-A-Ben because when you came through you would get covered with ticks.
It is told that Whitehorn brought the first cross-cut saw to Calhoun County.
George Plunk said he helped dig out most of the stumps in Timberville when the town was being built. He is a great-great uncle of Fred Plunk of Calhoun City and T.W. Plunk of Bruce.
This painting by L. Betts, which hangs in the City Hall, depicts early Vardaman. The train track runs on top of where Hwy 8 is now. The end store at the right of the painting is today, Sweet Potato Sweet Shop.
Original Vardaman Stores
The original stores in Vardaman were Dick Lamar, McCords, Putman, Alfred Gilder, J.W. Hill, J.D. Richards and Co., Wiley Embry, John M. Hannah, Holley Embry’s Barber Shop, Martin Owen (hardware), Gabe Winter Drug Store-later W.A. Armstrong Drug Store, Bill Gibson, Bill Overby, Whittle and Young Drug Store-later Otis Cook Drug Store, R.M. Mosley, H.T. Gaines, John Walton, Zelma Casey Pressing Shop, Tom Walton, G.W. Dowdy, Lee A. Sanderson, N.E. Herring down by the depot-later Jim Griffin, Victory Roberts, Luther Murff, J.R. McCord, George LeCornu, Charlie LeCornu Variety Store,Whittle Shoe Shop-later Etheridge Shoe Shop and Archie Burgess Shoe Shop, Pressing Shops were Carter’s, Wilson’s and Wilmer Bailey.
Before they had stores here, people went to Okolona and Coffeeville to trade.
Town Saloon and Calaboose
At one time the town had a saloon operated by Dave Parker. It also had a calaboose about 14x14 feet near Bailey’s Pressing Shop next to Lee A. Sanderson’s hardware store. It was nothing to see the calaboose filled with white and black people on the weekends. It had two windows cut out with iron bars across them.
First Service Station
Henry Casey operated a cafe in the 1920s in a boxcar. The first service station was located on the corner at Hazel Morgan’s store operated by R.M. Cochran and Little Sam Scarbrough. It was later sold to Dad Myers, then Willie Vanhorn. Bus tickets were also sold there after the railroad was taken up in 1939.
Willie Vanhorn built across the street (where Pack and Snack is now), operating a station for many years before selling to T.A. Hamilton Motor Co. Whitehorn Brothers, Zelma Casey and Euel Kimbrough also were in business at this location.
First Vardaman Bank
A bank was organized in 1906 in the corner of Dick Lamar’s store, which was the old 2-story building next to the depot. The bank moved into a small brick building two years later. That building was later home to O.B. Byars grocery, Vick and Bob Gable’s grocery, and Mrs. Ruth Walls’ beauty shop. R.E. “Bob” Atwell was the first bank cashier. Strat Hamon and E.A. Enochs later served that role.
A new Bank of Mississippi was built in 1975 on Hwy. 8 behind the post office.