Appalachian Community Histories – Leggo, Yalobusha County: Ford’s Well, Mineral Water, and a Forgotten Mississippi Resort
Among the wooded hills of Yalobusha County, Mississippi, there once stood a small community that attracted visitors from across northern Mississippi and beyond. Known as Leggo, the settlement developed around a mineral well whose waters were believed to possess remarkable healing properties. What began as a rural property associated with an old stagecoach stop eventually became a popular summer destination, complete with a hotel, cottages, a post office, a school, and gathering places where families spent their holidays.
Located approximately ten miles west of Water Valley, Leggo was closely associated with Ford’s Well, a mineral water resort that flourished during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Visitors traveled over country roads and arrived by railroad to drink the unusual water, socialize beneath the shade trees, and escape the demands of everyday life. For residents of the surrounding countryside, the resort also provided an important place for community celebrations, political gatherings, and recreation.
Although Leggo eventually disappeared as an established settlement, its history survives through family accounts, government records, historical maps, and early published descriptions. These sources reveal the development of a community whose fortunes were shaped by transportation, agriculture, mineral water, and the changing economic circumstances of rural Mississippi.
The Early Settlement and Magee’s Inn
The history of the area later known as Leggo began before the discovery of the mineral well that made the community famous. During the nineteenth century, Yalobusha County developed around agricultural settlements and transportation routes connecting communities throughout northern Mississippi. Roads were particularly important before railroads became widespread, providing connections between farms, markets, and distant towns.
Yalobusha County was established in 1833, following the federal acquisition of territory previously held by the Choctaw and Chickasaw peoples. Over the following decades, communities such as Coffeeville, Oakland, and Water Valley emerged as important centers of settlement and commerce. Although some early towns declined or disappeared, smaller settlements continued to develop along the roads connecting these population centers.
According to a family history written by Melvin Ford, a great-grandson of William Boyd Ford, the area surrounding the future mineral resort once contained a stagecoach inn operated by a man named Magee. The inn reportedly stood along a route connecting Memphis and Grenada and served travelers who needed food, accommodations, and fresh horses during their journeys. A blacksmith shop operated nearby, allowing horses to be reshod and equipment repaired before travelers continued along the road.
Magee also reportedly owned a plantation surrounding the settlement. The inn’s importance declined as railroad transportation replaced many of the older stagecoach routes, while the Civil War and its aftermath contributed to broader changes in the region’s economy. By the time the Ford family became associated with the property, the former inn had reportedly deteriorated considerably.
The details of Magee’s Inn come primarily from later family recollections rather than surviving contemporary business records. Nevertheless, the account provides an important picture of the settlement’s reported beginnings and its connection to the transportation networks that shaped nineteenth-century Yalobusha County.
William Boyd Ford and the Discovery of the Mineral Well
The individual most closely associated with Leggo’s development was William Boyd Ford, a South Carolina native who moved to Mississippi during the years following the Civil War. According to his great-grandson’s account, Ford relocated to Yalobusha County in 1881 and initially settled near Goshen, west of Coffeeville. Two years later, in 1883, he reportedly purchased the former Magee property between Water Valley and Oakland.
Ford began restoring the property for agricultural purposes, clearing neglected land and raising livestock. The family account states that he constructed his residence on the foundation of the former inn, establishing a home near the place that would later become the resort.
One of Ford’s difficulties was obtaining an adequate supply of water for his cattle. Although a small pond existed on the property, it was insufficient for his needs. In 1898, Ford reportedly arranged for a well to be dug in a shaded pasture, hoping to provide a dependable source of drinking water for his livestock.
The discovery was not what he expected.
When workers reached the water-bearing layer beneath the ground, the well began producing water with an unusual reddish appearance and an unpleasant taste. According to the Ford family account, the livestock refused to drink it, and the family found the water difficult to consume even when mixed with coffee.
Ford eventually took a sample to Water Valley, where J. V. Blackmur, president of the Mechanics Savings Bank, reportedly arranged for its analysis. The results indicated that the water contained an unusually high concentration of minerals. Instead of abandoning the well, Ford recognized that its distinctive qualities might attract people who believed mineral waters could improve their health.
As word spread throughout the surrounding countryside, visitors began arriving to sample the water. Some came out of curiosity, while others hoped it would relieve illnesses and chronic ailments. The family history recalls claims that the water benefited people suffering from dropsy, digestive problems, fever, and other medical conditions.
These were historical beliefs and promotional claims rather than established medical findings. Mineral springs and health resorts enjoyed widespread popularity during this period, and Ford’s Well became part of that larger tradition.
The unusual mineral content was later confirmed by scientific investigation. In 1952, geologist James Turner examined the county’s geology for the Mississippi State Geological Survey and specifically identified the highly mineralized groundwater around Ford’s Well. His report described the location in Sections 13 and 14 of Township 11 South, Range 6 West, and acknowledged that the site had formerly supported a flourishing health resort because people believed its water possessed medicinal properties.
The Rise of Ford’s Well as a Health Resort
The popularity of Ford’s Well encouraged William Boyd Ford to transform his agricultural property into a commercial destination. What had initially been an unsuccessful source of livestock water gradually became the foundation of a business that attracted visitors from neighboring communities and more distant locations.
Ford improved the well by adding a concrete enclosure and a covered gazebo, providing visitors with a comfortable place to gather while drawing water. The surrounding grounds were developed with walkways, benches, and other accommodations as increasing numbers of people began arriving.
Eventually, a two-story hotel was constructed to accommodate overnight guests. Melvin Ford’s family history describes a well-furnished establishment containing a large dining room, guest bedrooms, a welcoming room, and a substantial kitchen. Victorian furniture decorated the interior, while considerable attention was given to maintaining clean linens and comfortable accommodations.
As demand increased, additional cottages were built around the grounds. These smaller buildings allowed families to stay for extended periods, particularly during the summer months when the resort was busiest.
By 1904, the hotel was sufficiently established to appear in a contemporary family history written by L. M. Ford. The manuscript, preserved through the Fairfield County Historical Museum in South Carolina, identified William Boyd Ford as a resident of Leggo who operated a hotel that attracted guests because of the mineral water. It also noted that Ford considered the business profitable.
Three years later, Dunbar Rowland’s 1907 Mississippi: Comprising Sketches of Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons described Leggo as a Yalobusha County post office located ten miles west of Water Valley. The entry specifically mentioned its famous mineral well, the many annual visitors who came to sample the water, and the hotel available for their accommodations.
These contemporary descriptions establish that Leggo was not simply a place remembered in family tradition. By the opening years of the twentieth century, it had gained enough regional recognition to appear in published reference works.
The mineral water also became a commercial product. According to the Ford family account, jugs of water were transported to Water Valley for sale, while other shipments traveled by railroad from Oakland and Water Valley with labels identifying the product as Ford’s Well mineral water.
Transportation played an important role in the resort’s success. Visitors arriving by train could be met at nearby railroad stations and taken to the property by horse-drawn transportation or, in later years, automobiles. The connection to nearby railroad towns allowed the resort to serve customers who lived beyond the surrounding rural communities.
Ironically, the mineral content that made the well famous also created practical difficulties. The water reportedly reacted poorly with soap, making it unsuitable for ordinary household washing. The family account explains that water initially had to be carried from a spring more than a mile away, and additional wells were eventually dug to provide water for domestic purposes.
Despite these inconveniences, Ford’s Well continued to develop into one of the area’s best-known gathering places.
The Community of Leggo and the Origin of Its Name
Although the resort was commonly called Ford’s Well, the community surrounding it became known as Leggo. The distinction between the two names reflected the settlement’s development as both a commercial destination and a place where people conducted their everyday affairs.
According to the 2009 historical account prepared for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, a post office was established around 1900 and given the name Leggo in honor of William Boyd Ford’s mother, Jemima Leggo.
The family connection is supported by the 1904 history written by L. M. Ford, which records that Jemima Leggo, daughter of M. A. Leggo, married John Long Ford in November 1837. Their children included William Boyd Ford, who later became the proprietor of the Mississippi resort.
The exact date of the post office’s establishment still requires confirmation through original postal appointment records, but its existence by 1907 is established by Rowland’s encyclopedia.
The post office operated from the community store, which served residents and visitors alike. Over time, Leggo also developed educational and religious institutions, along with spaces for meetings, entertainment, and elections. These facilities helped distinguish the settlement from a resort that operated only for seasonal visitors.
The community’s continued recognition appears in other historical records. A 1911 Rand McNally map of Yalobusha County identifies Leggo among the county’s settlements, alongside places such as Hatton, Nolen, Oakland, and Water Valley.
A decade later, the July 1921 Rand McNally Bankers Directory included Leggo in its listing of American towns without banks. The directory directed readers to Water Valley for banking services, demonstrating that Leggo remained a recognized locality within the county’s commercial geography.
Together, these records show that the community had an identifiable place in Yalobusha County for several decades, even as its economic activity remained closely tied to the mineral resort and surrounding agricultural land.
The School, Church, and Everyday Life in Leggo
The history of Leggo extends beyond the visitors who came to drink mineral water. Families lived and worked around the community, children attended school, and local institutions helped maintain the social connections that characterized rural life during the early twentieth century.
The existence of Leggo School is supported by historical geographic records and local recollections. In an April 24, 2008, article published in The North Mississippi Herald, Charles Cooper recalled the life of Charlotte Mavourleen Badley, a teacher whose first assignment was at Leggo School in the Ford’s Well community.
Badley had graduated from Water Valley High School and received her teaching license through the University of Mississippi. As was common for rural teachers during that era, she boarded with a family near the school where she taught. Cooper explained that she stayed with the John Ford family, where she met Roy Patton Ford, whom she married in October 1914.
Their marriage and subsequent family history provide a personal connection to the old community, illustrating how its school brought individuals into contact with families who had longstanding ties to the area.
Religious life also formed part of the community’s history. Historical references identify a church associated with Ford’s Well, while a 1943 directory of Churches of Christ provides an additional source for investigating congregational activity in the area.
The community also had a gathering shelter that served a variety of purposes. According to the Corps of Engineers’ historical account, residents used the structure for dances, meetings, and voting. Such places were important in rural settlements where public buildings were limited and local residents depended upon shared spaces for both social and civic activities.
Vital records provide another perspective on the people associated with Leggo. Transcriptions of Mississippi death certificates maintained by the Yalobusha County MSGenWeb Project identify Leggo as the place of death for several individuals during the 1910s and 1920s.
Among them were Luther B. Patton, who died on October 10, 1918, Nannie Kee, who died on October 16, 1918, and Tom White, who died two days later. Later records identify Willie Chaptman, who died in May 1921, and Parales Wright, who died that same month.
These records include people identified by contemporary officials as Black and white, revealing a broader population associated with Leggo than the surviving resort narratives alone might suggest. Although a recorded place of death does not necessarily establish permanent residence, the certificates offer valuable evidence for reconstructing the community’s social history.
They also preserve individual names that might otherwise disappear from historical accounts dominated by the Ford family and the resort’s commercial development.
Fourth of July Celebrations at Ford’s Well
One of the most memorable traditions associated with Leggo was the annual Fourth of July celebration at Ford’s Well. According to Melvin Ford’s recollections, the holiday became one of the most anticipated events of the year for residents throughout Yalobusha County and neighboring communities.
Families traveled to the resort by foot, horseback, wagon, buggy, and eventually automobile. During the early years, horses and mules were tied beneath the trees while visitors gathered for the day’s festivities. By midday, hundreds of people reportedly filled the grounds, creating a lively gathering that combined food, recreation, entertainment, and social interaction.
Preparations began several days before the holiday. Workers cleaned the barbecue pits and prepared meat, while women from the surrounding communities brought fried chicken, potato salad, pies, cakes, and other dishes. Tablecloths were spread across the grounds, and families shared meals beneath the shade trees.
Athletic competitions were an important part of the festivities. Baseball teams representing Leggo, Sylva Rena, Lovejoy, Sardinia, Hatton, and other communities reportedly competed during the afternoon. Horse and mule races provided additional entertainment, while the gathering also included other activities that reflected the social customs of the time.
The resort’s dance pavilion became especially popular as evening approached. Musicians performed while lanterns and kerosene lamps illuminated the grounds, allowing visitors to continue socializing after dark.
Melvin Ford recalled a Water Valley musical group known as the Dixie Serenaders appearing at one of the celebrations. His account preserves the names of several musicians and performers, offering a glimpse into the entertainment enjoyed by local residents.
The celebrations also provided opportunities for young people to meet, socialize, and begin courtships. Family recollections suggest that relationships formed during the gatherings sometimes resulted in marriages, making Ford’s Well an important part of the personal histories of families throughout the region.
Politics occasionally entered the festivities as well. During election years, candidates reportedly addressed the assembled crowds and debated issues of public concern. These gatherings gave residents an opportunity to hear political arguments while participating in the community’s largest social event.
The Fourth of July celebrations illustrate that Ford’s Well was far more than a business built around unusual water. For many people, the resort became a place where community life unfolded, friendships developed, and family memories were created.
The Decline of the Resort and the Disappearance of Leggo
Despite its popularity during the early twentieth century, Ford’s Well eventually entered a period of decline. The circumstances were shaped by changes in transportation, recreation, business ownership, and the economic difficulties experienced by rural communities.
William Boyd Ford died in 1924, according to the family account preserved by Melvin Ford. He was buried in Goshen Cemetery, between Coffeeville and Oakland.
As the resort passed through subsequent ownership, maintaining its earlier popularity became increasingly difficult. The Ford family history describes unsuccessful attempts to continue the business and the gradual deterioration of the hotel and surrounding facilities.
The precise sequence of property transfers remains uncertain, since later recollections do not consistently establish when Ford sold the resort or when individual buildings ceased operating. Nevertheless, the available evidence makes clear that the destination had declined significantly by the middle of the twentieth century.
The economic problems of the late 1920s and the Great Depression further complicated the prospects of rural recreational businesses. Changing travel patterns and the availability of other destinations also transformed the market for traditional mineral water resorts.
By 1952, James Turner’s geological survey described Ford’s Well as a formerly flourishing health resort, indicating that its most prosperous years had already passed.
The land eventually became associated with the Barton family. A historical account prepared by Park Ranger Chris Hannaford identified Homer Barton as a later owner who farmed the area and lived near the well through the years surrounding the construction of Enid Lake. The property consequently became known to some local residents as the Barton Place.
Meanwhile, the name Leggo gradually disappeared from ordinary geographic usage. The former settlement ceased to function as the recognizable community shown on early maps, although its name survived in historical records and local memory.
Enid Lake and the Changing Landscape
Another major transformation occurred during the middle of the twentieth century when the federal government began constructing Enid Lake as part of its flood control program in northern Mississippi.
Following the devastating Mississippi River flood of 1927, federal authorities expanded efforts to control flooding throughout the Mississippi Delta and its tributary watersheds. The resulting projects included several large reservoirs intended to regulate water flowing through the region.
Construction of Enid Dam began on February 1, 1947, and the reservoir entered operation in December 1952. The project fundamentally changed the surrounding landscape, as farms and other properties along the Yocona River were acquired and families were required to relocate.
The former Ford’s Well property became associated with the federal recreation lands surrounding the new lake. While the well site remained on land along the southern side of the reservoir, the broader agricultural landscape and transportation patterns of the area were altered.
The surviving resort structures continued to deteriorate. According to Melvin Ford, the old Ford residence remained occupied for a time before it was eventually destroyed by high water. Vegetation overtook the former hotel grounds, and the well itself became increasingly difficult to locate.
At one point, a falling tree damaged the well casing, adding to the deterioration of the site. What had once been an attractive resort filled with visitors, cottages, and landscaped grounds was gradually reclaimed by the surrounding woods.
For people unfamiliar with its history, little remained to indicate that the area had once attracted hundreds of visitors for holiday celebrations and mineral water treatments.
The Restoration of Ford’s Well
Although the old resort disappeared, its history was not entirely forgotten. Local residents and descendants of the families associated with the property continued to remember the well, its buildings, and the community celebrations that had taken place there.
Howard Barton, who grew up in the area and had family connections to the property, became particularly interested in preserving the historic location. Working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and other supporters, he helped encourage the development of a recreation area that would recognize the site’s past while providing new opportunities for visitors.
The restoration effort involved clearing overgrown land, repairing the well area, constructing a new gazebo, and developing facilities for camping, picnicking, and outdoor recreation.
The project also included the development of the Spyglass Hill Trail, linking the historic site to the recreational opportunities available around Enid Lake.
On October 8, 2009, approximately 300 people gathered for the dedication of the renovated Ford’s Well Recreation Area and Spyglass Hill Trail. The ceremony marked an important moment in the preservation of the community’s history, bringing descendants, local residents, and public officials together at a place that had once served a similar gathering purpose.
During the ceremony, Melvin Ford presented the history of the mineral well and the Leggo post office. Howard Barton was recognized for his contribution to the preservation effort, receiving the Commander’s Award for Public Service.
The recreation area continued developing into a destination for outdoor enthusiasts. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers now identifies Ford’s Well as a historic attraction within the Enid Lake recreation system, with camping facilities, trails, a well gazebo, and interpretive buildings representing the types of structures associated with the area’s earlier history.
Modern visitors can explore the grounds and experience a landscape that once supported a thriving rural resort. Although the original hotel and many other buildings have disappeared, the preserved location provides a connection between the present-day recreation area and the historic community of Leggo.
Remembering the Lost Community of Leggo
The history of Leggo, Mississippi, illustrates how a small rural settlement could develop around transportation, agriculture, and an unexpected commercial opportunity. What began as an old stagecoach property became a celebrated mineral water resort, attracting visitors and supporting a community whose identity extended beyond the business that made it famous.
William Boyd Ford’s discovery of highly mineralized groundwater transformed the property into a place associated with health, recreation, and hospitality. The hotel, cottages, post office, school, church, and gathering spaces became part of a larger community that connected families throughout western Yalobusha County.
The surviving historical records provide evidence of this development. A 1904 family manuscript confirms Ford’s hotel business, the 1907 Mississippi encyclopedia describes the mineral well and its visitors, the 1911 county map identifies Leggo as a recognized settlement, and the 1921 banking directory demonstrates its continued presence in contemporary reference records.
Other sources preserve details that are often missing from histories of vanished communities. School recollections reveal the lives of educators and families, death certificates identify individuals associated with the settlement, and the memories collected by Melvin Ford offer a picture of Fourth of July celebrations that brought hundreds of people together beneath the trees.
Leggo eventually faded as the resort declined, property ownership changed, and the construction of Enid Lake transformed the surrounding countryside. Yet the restoration of Ford’s Well demonstrates that the disappearance of a community does not necessarily mean the disappearance of its history.
Today, visitors to the Ford’s Well Recreation Area encounter a quiet landscape that bears little resemblance to the bustling summer resort of the early twentieth century. Where guests once gathered to drink mineral water, families now visit for recreation and an opportunity to explore the area’s past.
The name Leggo may no longer appear as an active community on modern maps, but its story remains part of the history of Yalobusha County. Through surviving documents, family memories, and the preservation of the well itself, the former settlement continues to offer a reminder of the people and places that shaped rural Mississippi.
Sources & Further Reading
Ford, L. M. Ford History Written by L. M. Ford in 1904. 1904. Typescript. Fairfield County Historical Museum, Winnsboro, SC. https://fairfieldgenealogysociety.org/Members_Only/Families/Hollis/Documents/J%20G%20Hollis%20Ford%20History%201904.pdf
Rowland, Dunbar, ed. Mississippi: Comprising Sketches of Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form. Vol. 2. Atlanta: Southern Historical Publishing Association, 1907, 74. https://ldsgenealogy.com/MS/books/Mississippi-comprising-sketches-of-towns-events-institutions-and-persons-arranged-in-cyclopedic-form-Vol-II-part-8.htm
Rand McNally and Company. Yalobusha County, Mississippi. Map. Chicago: Rand McNally, 1911. Reproduced by My Genealogy Hound. https://www.mygenealogyhound.com/maps/Mississippi-county-maps/MS-Yalobusha-County-Mississippi-1911-Map-Rand-McNally.html
Rand McNally and Company. Rand McNally Bankers Directory. July 1921. “List of Towns Without Banks, in the United States and Canada, Giving Nearest Accessible Bank and Attorney Point.” Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, FRASER. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org/title/rand-mcnally-bankers-directory-105/july-1921-584520/content/fulltext/rmbd_192107_14_towns
Turner, James. Yalobusha County Geology. Mississippi State Geological Survey Bulletin 76. University, MS: Mississippi State Geological Survey, 1952. https://geology.deq.ms.gov/Publications/Bulletins/Bulletin0076/MGS_BU0076.pdf
Hannaford, Chris, and Melvin Ford. “Corps Announces Dedication Ceremony for Newly Constructed Ford’s Well Recreation Area.” The North Mississippi Herald, October 1, 2009. https://www.yalnews.com/2009/10/01/corps-announces-dedication-ceremony-for-newly-constructed-fords-well-recreation-area/
Gurner, Jack. “Recreational Area Is Dedicated After Big Improvements.” The North Mississippi Herald, October 14, 2009. https://www.yalnews.com/2009/10/14/recreational-area-is-dedicated-after-big-improvements/
Cooper, Charles. “Reflections: ‘Sister’ Was a Gracious Lady and Devoted Wife.” The North Mississippi Herald, April 24, 2008. https://www.yalnews.com/2008/04/24/reflections-53/
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Vicksburg District. “Ford’s Well Anniversary.” May 10, 2013. https://www.mvk.usace.army.mil/Media/News-Releases/Article/481873/fords-well-anniversary/
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Vicksburg District. “Enid Lake History and Mission.” https://www.mvk.usace.army.mil/Missions/Recreation/Enid-Lake/History-and-Mission/
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Vicksburg District. “Enid Lake Recreation.” https://www.mvk.usace.army.mil/Missions/Recreation/Enid-Lake/Enid-Lake-Recreation/
Hathorn, Hiram Percy. Organization and Early History of Yalobusha County. Master’s thesis, University of Mississippi, 1933. https://egrove.olemiss.edu/etd/1730/
Showalter, G. H. P., and Leslie G. Thomas. Church Directory and List of Preachers of Churches of Christ. Austin, TX: Firm Foundation Publishing House, 1943. Abilene Christian University Digital Commons. https://digitalcommons.acu.edu/crs_books/416/
Mississippi Encyclopedia Staff. “Yalobusha County.” Mississippi Encyclopedia. Center for the Study of Southern Culture, University of Mississippi. Originally published July 11, 2017. Updated June 18, 2025. https://mississippiencyclopedia.org/entries/yolabusha-county/
Yalobusha County MSGenWeb Project. “Transcribed Death Certificates.” Mississippi death certificates, 1912–1943. Based on records maintained by the Mississippi Department of Archives and History. https://www.msgw.org/yalobusha/deaths/mdah/deathcert.html
Mississippi Department of Archives and History. “Yalobusha County Records, 1833–1971.” Series 2050, County Records. Government Records Finding Aids. https://finding.mdah.ms.gov/government-records/series-2050
Mississippi Department of Archives and History. “Yalobusha County Historical Tax Rolls.” Series 1202. Mississippi Digital Archives. https://da.mdah.ms.gov/series/osa/s1202/yalobusha
National Archives and Records Administration. “Appointment of Postmasters, 1832–September 30, 1971.” Record Group 28, Microfilm Publication M841. https://www.archives.gov/research/post-offices/postmasters-1832-1971.html
National Archives and Records Administration. “Post Office Reports of Site Locations, 1837–1950.” Record Group 28, Microfilm Publication M1126. https://www.archives.gov/research/post-offices/locations-1837-1950.html
Library of Congress. The North Mississippi Herald. Water Valley, Yalobusha County, MS, 1888–1929. Chronicling America, Historic American Newspapers. https://www.loc.gov/item/sn87065497/
Library of Congress. The Progress-Itemizer. Water Valley, Yalobusha County, MS, 1918–1929. Chronicling America, Historic American Newspapers. https://www.loc.gov/item/sn87065498/
U.S. Geological Survey. “Leggo, Yalobusha County, Mississippi.” Geographic Names Information System, Feature ID 705926. https://edits.nationalmap.gov/apps/gaz-domestic/public/search/names/705926
U.S. Geological Survey. “Leggo School, Yalobusha County, Mississippi.” Geographic Names Information System, Feature ID 708948. https://edits.nationalmap.gov/apps/gaz-domestic/public/search/names/708948
Turner, James. Geologic Map of Yalobusha County, Mississippi. Mississippi State Geological Survey Bulletin 76, Plate 1. 1952. University of Alabama Map Library. https://alabamamaps.ua.edu/historicalmaps/us_states/mississippi/index_After1915.html
Author Note: Although little remains of Leggo as a community today, its history reveals how a mineral well transformed an ordinary rural settlement into a destination for visitors throughout northern Mississippi. Through contemporary records and surviving family accounts, this article preserves the story of Ford’s Well and the people who helped shape this forgotten corner of Yalobusha County.