BY JOY HILBUN

The first Hilbuns to settle in Jones County, Mississippi was the family of John Wesley Hilbun, son of Stephen Newberry Hilbun (born 1805, GA).   They ended up in Jones County sometime before 1870 after moving from nearby Wayne County.

An oral tradition passed down through generations of Hilbuns reports that the Hilbuns had planned to move to Texas and were actually on their way there when they became stranded by a snow storm in Jones County’s Big Creek community!   The Wade family of Big Creek showed much kindness to them and insisted that they settle in the community. We are not sure of the exact year of that storm, but several newspaper reports from February 1868 mention heavy snowfall in southern areas of Mobile, New Orleans and Jackson, Mississippi.  The Times Picayune on February 1, 1868 reported that Mobile had received a bit of snow on January 30th.  Still we are unsure when the Hilbuns made this trek through Jones County as they were not included in the 1870 Jones County census which was enumerated in July 1870. The family consisted of John Wesley Hilbun, his wife, Susan Elizabeth, step-sons/nephews, Andrew Jackson, Stephen Fillmore, and William P., and his children with Susan- Lula Drucilla, Theodosia, and Mary Catherine.

The Hilbuns of Jones County have been traced by records back to Frederick Hilbun, through his son Stephen Newberry Hilbun (SNH) who was born in 1805 in Burke County, Georgia.  Frederick Hilbun and family moved to Lowndes County, Alabama by 1820 and most of his sons lived there for years.  

In 1828 Stephen N. Hilbun married Priscilla Hannah in Montgomery County, Alabama.  Although Stephen was listed as being a farmer and a blacksmith in the 1850 census, he apparently also felt a calling by God to preach as he was ordained by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1849.  His older brother Joseph Hilbun donated land for a new church to be built in 1841 and Stephen and brothers, William and John were trustees for that church.   In 1851 Stephen was ordained as a Baptist minister of the Gospel. 

In 1854, SNH’s third son, William, married Susan Elizabeth Beard in Monroe County, Alabama.   William Hilbun and his father-in-law, Moses Beard, bought adjoining land in the Clear Creek community of Wayne County, Mississippi by 1859.  William’s brother, David Frederick Hilbun, also moved to Wayne County.   William Hilbun and Susan had three sons-  Andrew Jackson who was born in 1856, Stephen Fillmore born in 1857; and William P. “Billy, born in 1860.   

Early in 1860, SNH moved his family, including son John Wesley, to Holmesville in Pike County, Mississippi.  His two oldest sons remained in Monroe County, Alabama.  SNH continued to serve as a preacher as he is mentioned in the minutes of a Mt. Zion Baptist Church as preaching from 1860-1861.   At the end of 1861, Stephen became pastor of Line Creek Baptist Church in Kentwood, Louisiana, which is fairly close to Pike County, Mississippi.

With the advent of the Civil War, six of Stephen’s sons enlisted to serve with the Confederacy. In March 1862, sons William and John Wesley Hilbun enlisted with Company E of the Shubuta Guards of Clark County, Mississippi, a part of the 37^th Mississippi Infantry Regiment. Both brothers were wounded in the Battle of Corinth and spent months recovering in the hospital and at home.  John’s recovery was slow and he was discharged by order of General Johnston in the summer of 1863. William, however, was able to rejoin his unit which was already engaged in the Battle of Vicksburg.   He was severely wounded in this battle.  After the surrender of Vicksburg he received his parole on July 4, 1863. On July 15 William died in the hospital.  He is buried in the Confederate cemetery, Soldiers Rest, a part of the Cedar Hill Cemetery in Vicksburg.   His older brother James Monroe Hilbun died of small pox during the war three months prior.

After William Hilbun’s death, his younger brother John Wesley stepped in and married Susan Elizabeth, William’s widow in Wayne County.  He thus became step-father to his three nephews, Andrew J., Stephen F. and William P.   John Wesley and Susan later had several children-  Lula Drucilla, Theodosha, Mary Catherine, John T., and Daniel B.

After the Hilbuns settled in Jones County, John Wesley Hilbun bought several tracts of land primarily south of U. S. Highway 84 in the Big Creek community and in what later became the Centerville community.  In 1879 he bought 163 acres in Section 6 of Township 8 North, of Range 13 W.  Most of his children settled in the same general area. Some present-day Hilbun descendants still own some of the land that was originally purchased by John Wesley. 

The John W. Hilbun family is in the 1880 Census of Jones County, living in the Pinelville Community.  He is listed as “J. W. Hillborne” age 45, with wife Susan E., age 43, and son S. F., age 22, and six other children.  John W. Hilbun served as Postmaster in Pinnelville at one time.

John Wesley’s father Stephen Newberry Hilbun would visit them in Jones County from time to time.  He was living with John when he died in 1888; this is the reason his tombstone is in the Big Creek Cemetery.

Stephen F. Hilbun and William P. Hilbun both bought land in 1896.  Stephen bought 40 acres in Section 9 while William bought 81 acres in Section 6.

The map below shows land bought by John W. Hilbun, Stephen F. Hilbun, and William P. Hilbun.  There are also many familiar names listed near the Hilbuns- many Wades, including Daniel W. Wade’s land is seen northeast of Stephen’s land.  Stephen F. Hilbun married Daniel Wade’s daughter, Mary Almedia.   North of that in Section 3 is the land of Franklin M. Flynt which is highlighted with a red dot; his land was later bought by Stephen Hilbun.  This is the land on which Bruce S. Hilbun raised his family!

Hilbun lands in Township 8 North, of Range 13 West

in Jones County, Mississippi