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22-668: Born near Beulah, Mississippi , Williams was the son of farmer and Confederate veteran William Washington Williams and Minerva Jane (Thompson) Williams. He moved with his parents to Nocona, Texas in 1876, and they soon relocated to Decatur in Wise County . He attended the public schools of Wise County, and then received his qualification as a school teacher. He taught for several terms, and attended Transylvania College in Lexington, Kentucky . After his 1890 graduation, Williams became active in ranching and farming, and also pursued

44-558: A humid subtropical climate , abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps. As of the census of 2000, there were 473 people, 139 households, and 108 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,027.5 inhabitants per square mile (396.7/km ). There were 151 housing units at an average density of 328.0 per square mile (126.6/km ). The racial makeup of the town was 2.54% White , 95.98% African American , 0.85% Asian , 0.21% Pacific Islander , and 0.42% from two or more races. There were 139 households, out of which 46.8% had children under

66-578: A career in banking. After gaining his initial experience as cashier of the State National Bank in Fort Worth , he was an incorporator of Decatur's City National Bank, and served as its vice president. His later ventures included establishing and serving as president of banks in cities and towns including Mineral Wells , Perrin , Bridgeport , and Paradise . A Democrat , Williams served as Wise County Clerk from 1898 to 1902. In 1919, he

88-701: A large event by the Southern Female Rights Union. Part of the movie Crossroads was filmed in Beulah. According to the United States Census Bureau , the town has a total area of 0.5 square miles (1.3 km ), all land. The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Beulah has

110-474: A plantation. Beulah was one of its villages. Mississippi River boats landed at points in the community, and there was a noted river trade. Freshwater clam harvesting – "clammin" – enabled a thriving pearl button industry. In 1863, Union soldiers altered the course of the river by constructing a channel to avoid Beulah Bend, and the town became shut off from river commerce. The pearl button industry declined, as freshwater clams tend to concentrate in

132-553: Is named after the Christian hymn Beulah Land , a favorite of Frank A. Montgomery , an early settler to western Bolivar County. The land southwest of Beulah was owned by a Choctaw family in the 1830s. A series of lawsuits caused them to lose their land, and Charles Clark took ownership. Clark established the Doro Plantation during the late 1840s and early 1850s, which grew to over 5,000 acres (2,000 ha) and became

154-467: The Great Migration north by railroad to Chicago and other northern industrial cities, but others remained, with strong local ties. Blues musician W. C. Handy once invited Charley Patton to watch his band perform in Beulah. Patton got in free, and when he observed that Handy's musicians were all strict score-reading performers, he gave up all ambition of playing with their band. Beulah

176-975: The Insular Affairs , Expenditures in the Executive Departments , and Territories committees. Williams was chairman of the Committee on Territories in the 72nd Congress. He was an advocate of independence for the Philippines , and statehood for Hawaii . Williams did not run for reelection in 1932. After leaving the House in March 1933, he was appointed to manage the Regional Agricultural Credit Corporation in San Angelo, Texas . In addition, he

198-653: The "Napoleon Channel" to be cut in one day, and in April 1863, Selfridge piloted the USS Conestoga along the new route. Cut off from the main flow of the Mississippi River, the ends of Beulah Bend filled in, forming an oxbow lake. While the Napoleon Channel enabled river traffic to follow a more direct route, the river's new course caused its waters to flow close to the town of Napoleon, then

220-582: The Civil War, soldiers of the Confederate Army would move east by foot from nearby Napoleon, Arkansas , and hide in the wooded area west of Beulah Bend, where they would fire at passing Union Army ships. The same cannon could be used on ships as they entered, and then left the tight bend. To avoid this ambush point, Union commander Thomas Oliver Selfridge ordered a channel dug across the peninsula. The soft land and strong river current enabled

242-806: The Masonic Orphanage in Fort Worth to attend college each year. Williams died in San Angelo, Texas on January 9, 1948. He was interred in Decatur Cemetery in Decatur, Texas . A street in Manila , Philippines is named for Williams in recognition of his work on the Committee on Territories. In 1893, Williams married Minnie Leatherwood (1873-1966). They were the parents of three daughters and one son, actor Guinn "Big Boy" Williams . [REDACTED]  This article incorporates public domain material from the Biographical Directory of

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264-637: The United States Congress Beulah, Mississippi Beulah is a town in Bolivar County , Mississippi , United States. Per the 2020 census , the population was 242. Beulah is served by Mississippi Highway 1 . Lake Beulah , an oxbow lake formerly connected to the Mississippi River , is west of the town. The Illinois Central Railroad had a station in Beulah, but the line is now abandoned. Beulah

286-420: The age of 18 living with them, 28.1% were married couples living together, 38.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.6% were non-families. 19.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.40 and the average family size was 3.83. In the town, the population was spread out, with 38.9% under

308-459: The age of 18, 9.9% from 18 to 24, 31.5% from 25 to 44, 12.7% from 45 to 64, and 7.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 26 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 72.0 males. The median income for a household in the town was $ 24,861, and the median income for a family was $ 25,341. Males had a median income of $ 22,500 versus $ 19,205 for females. The per capita income for

330-488: The bends of rivers, though many families still participate in clam harvesting at places they can access the river. Altering the river's course also destroyed the nearby towns of Prentiss and Napoleon . In 1866, Montgomery donated the village of Beulah to the county, and gave $ 1,600 to build a courthouse. A two-room log jail was also built. Beulah became the first county seat, and had a Masonic Lodge, church, school, bank, stores, and post office. The Bolivar Times newspaper

352-441: The center of the narrow, curving lake. The town of Beulah, Mississippi is located on the east shore, where there is a public boat launch. Duckweed is the predominant aquatic vegetation, and fish include bowfin, bream, buffalo, channel catfish, common carp, crappie, drum, green sunfish, gar and largemouth bass. Prior to 1863, the Mississippi River curved east and flowed around the 10 mi (16 km) "Beulah Bend". During

374-487: The most prosperous slave-owning plantation in the region. It continued to operate after the end of slavery until 1913. During that time, the Mississippi River flowed next to Beulah along "Beulah Bend" (now Lake Beulah), and Clark was often visited by Mark Twain while writing Life on the Mississippi . In 1858, Frank A. Montgomery purchased a tract of land along the river north of the Doro Plantation and established

396-513: The town was $ 8,631. About 31.8% of families and 33.8% of the population were below the poverty line , including 40.3% of those under age 18 and 44.0% of those age 65 or over. Beulah is served by the West Bolivar School District . Lake Beulah (Mississippi) Lake Beulah is an oxbow lake located in Bolivar County, Mississippi and Desha County, Arkansas , United States. The Arkansas-Mississippi border follows

418-607: Was active with the Texas Production Credit Corporation, Texas Goat Raisers Association, and Texas Wool and Mohair Company. Williams was active in the Methodist churches of Decatur and San Angelo, and was an officer of the Sons of Confederate Veterans of Texas. He was also a 32nd degree Mason , and his Masonic activities included creating an educational fund that enabled six to ten male residents of

440-426: Was also edited there. In 1872, the county seat was moved to Floreyville (now called Rosedale ). After the Civil War, numerous freedmen bought and cleared land in the bottomlands away from the river. By 1910, declining financial and social conditions had caused most to lose their land, forcing them to work as sharecroppers and laborers. Beginning in the early 1900s, thousands of blacks left Mississippi as part of

462-467: Was elected to the Texas State Senate , and he served from 1920 to 1922. In 1922, Williams was elected to the 67th Congress, filling the vacancy caused by the death of United States Representative Lucian W. Parrish . He was reelected to the 68th Congress and to the four succeeding Congresses, and served from May 22, 1922 to March 3, 1933. During his U.S. House tenure, Williams served on

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484-463: Was mentioned in Eudora Welty 's Death of a Traveling Salesman : Bowman had wanted to reach Beulah by dark, to go to bed and sleep off his fatigue. As he remembered, Beulah was fifty miles away from the last town, on a graveled road. This was only a cow trail. How had he ever come to such a place? One hand wiped the sweat from his face, and he drove on. In 1970, Beulah was chosen as the site for

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