James H. Boyd
Encyclopedia
James Hervey Boyd was mayor of Jackson, Mississippi
, for four terms. He served at least six terms as alderman
, including the years when the American Civil War
raged through the city.
Born in Mason County, Kentucky
, Boyd came down the Ohio
and Mississippi River
s to join his oldest brother, Gordon D. Boyd (1802–1850), in Wilkinson County in the southwest corner of Mississippi
, near the Louisiana
border. James assisted his brother, editor and publisher of The Woodville Republican, a newspaper
founded in 1823. The two brothers subsequently came to Jackson when it was a small town and fledgling capital in the 1830s
.
Brother Gordon Boyd moved up the Natchez Trace to Kosciusko, and James Hervey Boyd settled permanently in Jackson. He was an enthusiastic entrepreneur
, first operating a drug store in 1835 and often advertising as an auctioneer.
During his second mayoral term in 1843, Boyd married Eliza Ellis (1823–1902), another Kentucky
native. The following year, he joined the Presbyterian Church, where he was an elder for nearly thirty years.
In 1853, the Boyds built a Greek Revival style cottage
, now known as the Oaks House Museum
at 823 North Jefferson Street, on a 4 acres (16,187.4 m²) urban farmstead at the city's edge. There they reared six children. Three generations of the Boyd family lived in the Oaks, the last in 1960, when the property was sold to the National Society of The Colonial Dames of America in the State of Mississippi (NSCDA-MS).
The Boyd House/The Oaks House Museum is operated by the Oaks House Museum Corporation and is open to the public. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
and is a Mississippi Landmark.
Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson is the capital and the most populous city of the US state of Mississippi. It is one of two county seats of Hinds County ,. The population of the city declined from 184,256 at the 2000 census to 173,514 at the 2010 census...
, for four terms. He served at least six terms as alderman
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
, including the years when the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
raged through the city.
Born in Mason County, Kentucky
Mason County, Kentucky
Mason County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2000, the population was 16,800. Its county seat is Maysville. The county is named for George Mason, a Virginia delegate to the U.S. Constitutional Convention, known as the "Father of the Bill of Rights"...
, Boyd came down the Ohio
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
and Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
s to join his oldest brother, Gordon D. Boyd (1802–1850), in Wilkinson County in the southwest corner of Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
, near the Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
border. James assisted his brother, editor and publisher of The Woodville Republican, a newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
founded in 1823. The two brothers subsequently came to Jackson when it was a small town and fledgling capital in the 1830s
1830s
- Wars :* The First Opium War between the United Kingdom and the Qing Empire of China started in 1839. It would end three years later with the signing of the Treaty of Nanking on 29 August 1842.- Internal conflicts :* French Revolution of 1830...
.
Brother Gordon Boyd moved up the Natchez Trace to Kosciusko, and James Hervey Boyd settled permanently in Jackson. He was an enthusiastic entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
, first operating a drug store in 1835 and often advertising as an auctioneer.
During his second mayoral term in 1843, Boyd married Eliza Ellis (1823–1902), another Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
native. The following year, he joined the Presbyterian Church, where he was an elder for nearly thirty years.
In 1853, the Boyds built a Greek Revival style cottage
Cottage
__toc__In modern usage, a cottage is usually a modest, often cozy dwelling, typically in a rural or semi-rural location. However there are cottage-style dwellings in cities, and in places such as Canada the term exists with no connotations of size at all...
, now known as the Oaks House Museum
The Oaks House Museum
The Oaks House Museum, also known as The Oaks, located at 823 North Jefferson Street in Jackson, Mississippi, is the former home of Jackson Mayor James H. Boyd and his wife Eliza Ellis Boyd and their family. Having survived the burning of Jackson during the Civil War, The Oaks is one of the...
at 823 North Jefferson Street, on a 4 acres (16,187.4 m²) urban farmstead at the city's edge. There they reared six children. Three generations of the Boyd family lived in the Oaks, the last in 1960, when the property was sold to the National Society of The Colonial Dames of America in the State of Mississippi (NSCDA-MS).
The Boyd House/The Oaks House Museum is operated by the Oaks House Museum Corporation and is open to the public. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
and is a Mississippi Landmark.
External links
- The Oaks House Museum Website
- The NSCDA website (Museum Properties Section - The Oaks House Museum)
- Mayoral dates from William D. McCain's The Story of Jackson (Volume 1, 1953).