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The old caboose has come full
circle and is back at home on
the old spur line near where it ran
on the Delta Division of Illinois Central in
the heyday of railroad transportation.
Located in the Geneill community near
Leland, it now serves as the showroom for
Mammy Grudge Mud Pottery, a creation of
Ann DeLoach Williford. The caboose maintains its original state, with signature colors of red and green and is filled with train memorabilia: flares, photographs, the cupola, sleeping quarters and a coal burning stove. 
In a sense the caboose is a family heirloom. Ann’s uncle, Joe York, now the oldest citizen of Durant, worked on the Illinois Central for 44 years and retired as a conductor. After the caboose was wrecked (there’s still a ‘ding’ in the back to prove it), he obtained it as a keepsake that he and his wife enjoyed in their yard for many years. “I always loved that old caboose,” Ann reflects. “When I was in high school, he offered it to me, but at the time it just wasn’t feasible, and I didn’t know where to put it. Later his co-worker James Potts of Grenada adopted it, and it became a fixture in that community for a number of years. Last summer, when Joe asked if I still had an interest in it, I jumped at the opportunity. A wrecker moved it to our backyard.” Having worked in the banking business for nearly 30 years, Ann is also a floral designer, wedding planner, and potter. Ann attributes her creative spirit to her grandmother, Grace Hill, who owned Grace’s Flower Shop in Leland. “She was my inspiration. I learned about colors and design from her, and I loved playing in the dirt in her greenhouse. I guess you eventually drift back to the things you love in childhood,” comments Ann, who began working in clay during high school. When that interest was rekindled a few years ago, Mammy Grudge Mud Pottery was born. 
In every nook and cranny of the Delta,
there seems to be a story, and the browfurring
name Mammy Grudge is no
different. It was 1914 when Ditch No. 12
was dredged to carry overflow water from
the Bogue Phalia to the Sunflower River.
According to a 1918 report of Morgan
Engineering Companies of Memphis, it was
a monumental project that took 141 days,
35 men, and 950 tons of coal. Through
time and in the local vernacular, the word
“dredge” evolved into “drudge,” then
“grudge,” because it was the largest, or the
mother, of all ditches. Hence the name,
Mammy Grudge Ditch. Timber comprised
most of the Delta swamplands, and the
B&D Line (Bogue & Delta Line), later
known as the Black Dog Line, hauled the
timber. Illinois Central operated the “Delta
Line” which ran north and south through
the Hollyknowe, Tribbett, and Leland
communities. Most of the tracks were
removed during World War II, but the
dummy lines and spur lines throughout the
area still remain.“All of our clay is from Mississippi and can be dug from our own backyard,” Ann comments. Her pastime has turned into a sideline business with a part-time staff of six. She has an antique wheel and a collection of 250 antique molds. Her glazes are original earth tones and her most popular patterns include crosses, Christmas ornaments, wildlife, hand-formed platters and bowls and several whimsical patterns. Ann also developed a dinnerware line, “Delta Chocolate”. 
Her husband, David, says, “There’s so
much history in this area…and ancient
shards of pottery can still be found here.
There’s definitely a connection to that time
through the clay.”It’s more than a hobby for Ann who also feels that strong connection. “It’s totally different from what I do all day and is a great stress reliever,” she says. “It’s wonderful to have a couple of hours everyday to unwind where no phones ring, and you’re just lost in your own world, if only for a while.” |
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