Draft:Newitt Vick

• Comment: This person seems notable but a lot of the information in this article isn't actually mentioned by the references. If a reference doesn't say something, it can't be used to verify that claim. BuySomeApples (talk) 21:02, 23 May 2025 (UTC)

• Comment: I'm going to remove Find A Grave because it isn't a reliable source but this looks good otherwise. BuySomeApples (talk) 20:55, 23 May 2025 (UTC)

• Comment: Quite possibly notable but needs much more and better sources: vicksburg.org does not appear to mention them; familysearch.org is largely user-generated content so not a reliable source. Other source do exist: https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-vicksburg-post-founder-of-vicksburg/166398021/ & https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-ada-evening-news-vicksburg-will-hono/166398246/KylieTastic (talk) 11:26, 22 February 2025 (UTC)

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Rev. Newitt Vick - Founder of Vicksburg

Reverend Newitt Vick (March 17, 1766 - August 5, 1819) was a Methodist pastor from Virginia who moved down to Mississippi with his wife and thirteen children where he would spread the gospel and found Vicksburg, Mississippi.

Early life and family

Newitt Vick was born on March 17, 1766 to William and Martha Vick in Southampton County, Virginia where by the end of the 1760's, he, his parents, and siblings would move to North Carolina. His original Family, Joseph Vick, would move to Virginia around 1675.

In 1791, he would marry Elizabeth Clark in North Carolina where they would become the parents of thirteen children. He would go on to become a circuit pastor for around fourteen years before moving to Mississippi. In 1805, they would move to Fayette, Mississippi before moving to Walnut Hills, now Vicksburg, Mississippi, to be closer to family who lived there.

Ministry in Mississippi

Newitt Vick moved to Mississippi for business and religious reasons. Most circuit pastors were poorly educated and moved from place to place without opening up a church. What made Newitt Vick stand out from other pastors is that he would actually stay at a location so people would know where he was to listen in on his preachings. After moving to Warren County, Mississippi, he and his family opened a small plantation that he called Open Woods. In 1814, Newitt and his nephew Foster Cook would erect a small Methodist Church just outside of Open Woods. When Vick moved to Walnut Hills, he had always dreamed of establishing a village just on the bluffs of the Mississippi River, so between 1816 and 1819, Newitt bought some 640 acres of land meant for the purpose of town lots.

Death and Events After

Death

Just before is dream had been completed, Newitt and his wife Elizabeth both caught Yellow Fever and Newitt Vick passed away on August 5, 1819. Newitts's son-in-law would continue selling Newitt's land to be turned into town plots.

Vicksburg

After his death, in 1825, Walnut Hills was renamed to Vicksburg, Mississippi in honor of his accomplishments and growth of the town and just one year later, Vicksburg, Mississippi would become the county seat of Warren County, Mississippi. Vicksburg, Mississippi would go on to play a critical role in the American Civil War.