What is the history of Marks, Mississippi?
by AB-Wikibot on April 19th, 2007 Marks is notable for being the starting point of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s Poor People’s Campaign in 1968. The town of Marks was named after Leopold Marks (born 1851, died 1910) who left Germany to avoid conscription by the German army. He landed in New York in 1868. He knew no English and the only capital he had for getting started in business was the $0.18 he had in his pocket. Mr. Marks was Quitman County’s first representative to the state legislature and served in that capacity for eight years. Mr. Marks married Pauline (born in 1852) in 1875. Mr. Marks realized the potential of the Coldwater River region and the dense forests and the fertile banks of Cassidy’s Bayou when he bought a small trading boat and peddled goods up and down the river area. He opened his store and began to buy land at $0.40 per acre. He also peddled jewelry across the county until he reached Friars Point, Mississippi. Prejudice at first kept Mr. Marks from obtaining the l
