Biography/History:

Margaret Louise and Sarah Frances Bisland were born in Fayette, Jefferson County, Mississippi, in 1909 and 1907, respectively. Along with their sisters Katherine and Cornelia, they were the daughters of William W. and Kate T. Bisland of Fayette, Mississippi. William W. Bisland was a descendant of William Bisland, an early settler of the Mississippi Territory. Margaret Louise attended Hinds County Agricultural High School in Raymond, Hinds County, Mississippi, where she was active in athletics and church youth groups. Sarah Frances attended Belhaven College in Jackson, Hinds County, Mississippi, where she pledged Beta Theta Omicron sorority and participated in musical events and performances. After graduation, Sarah Frances Bisland worked as a schoolteacher in Martinsville, Copiah County, Mississippi.

The county school board established Hinds County Agricultural High School in the fall of 1916 in Raymond, Hinds County, Mississippi. This location was picked because of Raymond’s central location and its position as the county seat of the Second Judicial District. The campus was located on the site of the former home of Confederate captain J.R. Eggleston, commanding officer of the ironclad ship Merrimac. The campus consisted of 160 acres and four buildings: the administration building (called Old Science), the barn, and two dormitories (Main and Shangri-La). The school first admitted students in September of 1917. It was founded to give those students for whom attendance at most high schools was cost-prohibitive a chance to fund their education through employment. Hinds County Agricultural High School became Hinds Junior/Community College during the time that Margaret Louise Bisland was a student there.

Dr. L.T. Fitzhugh founded Belhaven College in 1893 as a private girls school. In November of 1910, its buildings burned, and the second president, Dr. Preston, donated the property to the Presbytery of Central Mississippi. The Presbytery also owned a small school in McComb, Pike County, Mississippi McComb City Female Institute. The decision was made to merge the two institutions and move them to a central location in Jackson. Belhaven College reopened at its present campus on September 19, 1911. The Presbytery made a decision to transfer ownership of the school to the Synod of Mississippi on November 18, 1913. The school was again struck by fire on August 9, 1927, and was rebuilt in time for the fall semester to start in October of the same year.

Scope and Content:

The scrapbooks of Sarah Frances and Margaret Louise Bisland document early twentieth-century school experiences in Mississippi through photographs, mementos, and newsclippings. Louise Bisland’s scrapbook traces her student activities at Hinds County Agricultural High School from 1925 through 1927. Frances Bisland’s scrapbook contains material dating from the fire at Belhaven College in 1927 through her graduation in 1929.

Series Identification:

1. Frances Bisland Scrapbook. 1927-1929; n.d. 4 Folders.

   This scrapbook contains memorabilia concerning Frances Bisland’s college career at Belhaven, including ephemera of Beta Theta Omicron sorority, such as programs and an invitation to join the organization and descriptions of sorority events. Musical performances and events such as the Chicago Civic Opera Company’s special performance in Jackson and social occasions such as weddings, meetings, and sporting events are given prominence in the scrapbook. Photographs of teachers and friends document the social circle of Frances Bisland. The scrapbook also contains photographs and newsclippings of the Belhaven College fire of 1927. A few newsclippings note later events in Frances Bisland’s life, such as her teaching assignments.

   Box 1, folders 1-4

2. Margaret Louise Bisland Scrapbook. 1925-1927; n.d. 1 Folder.

   This scrapbook documents Margaret Louise Bisland’s career at Hinds County Agricultural High School. The scrapbook contains numerous newsclippings concerning church youth groups such as Christian Endeavor, the Girl Reserves, and athletic events. Photographs of sports such as baseball, basketball, and tennis depict both male and female athletes.

   Box 2, folder 1