Mrs. Ruby Stuckey Sharp, on a recent genealogy trip to Attala County, had an opportunity to visit with Ellen Oakes Pettit of Kosciusko, Ms. Mrs. Pettit had a number of photographs that she wanted to share and requested that Ruby Stuckey Sharp assist her in finding a way to post them to the internet. The story about how the photographs came into Mrs. Pettit's possession is somewhat envolved, but will explain why many of the photographs are not identified. For the most part, the only identification available was the penciled notations on the back of some of the photographs. The circumstances as to the origin of these Attala County photographs is as follows:

It seems that in the early 1980's the photographs were in the possession of a woman in Natchez who was the niece of a woman that had married a Mr. Ratliff of Attala County. Mr. Ratliff and his wife had passed away, leaving no direct descendants. Their niece wanted the pictures to be returned to the Ratliff family. Mrs. Charles Douglas Ratliff was the only Ratliff listed in the Kosciusko telephone book at that time. The Natchez woman called and arranged to have the photographs conveyed from Natchez to Kosciusko. Mrs. Ratliff was the aunt by marriage of David Ratliff Oakes, who passed away in 1982, and Ellen Phillips Oakes, Ellen Oakes Pettit's parents. Upon the death of Mrs. Ratliff, the photographs passed to Ellen Phillips Oakes. Ellen Phillips Oakes passed away in June 1998 at which time the photographs came into the hands of Ellen Oakes Pettit.

It is believed that the pictures are in some way connected to the Ratliff family or other collateral families with a connection to the Ratliffs'. If anyone can identify or otherwise provide additional information with respect to any of the photographs, please contact the Attala County Coordinator for the American Local History Network.

The unidentified photographs have been posted to the Attala County Photo Album so that all those with an interest in the history of Attala County and its early residents will have an opportunity to help identify the indiviuals pictured, establish the time frame in which the photograph was taken and provide additional information that may enlighten those that have a connection to the indiviuals in the photograph. Who knows, you may find a relative among those pictured.