In 1828, William Denham, a native of Wilkinson County, Mississippi, traveled south to a village on a ridge along the Amite River. Denham built a house and became a planter in the area. He became close to his neighbor Alexander Hogue and later married Hogue's daughter Mercy. After a few years, Hogue sold his 640-acre land claim to Denham. Denham discovered a group of mineral springs on his land, and his settlement grew. After Denham's death, the settlement...