exhibit 3 ( i ) exhibit 4 ( i ) articles of incorporation of the peoples holding company we, the undersigned natural persons of the age of twenty - one years or more, acting as incorporators of a corporation under the mississippi business corporation act, adopt the following articles of incorporation for such corporation : first : the name of the corporation is the peoples holding company. second : the period of its duration is ninety - nine ( 99 ) years. third : the specific purpose or purposes for which the corporation is organized stated in general terms are : to exercise all powers of a bank holding company registered with the board of governors of the federal reserve system under the bank holding company act of 1956, as amended, and to engage in all banking and non - banking activities allowed for a bank holding company under state and federal law. fourth : the aggregate number of shares which the corporation shall have authority to issue is six hundred thousand ( 600, 000 ) shares of common stock, all of one class, having a par value of ten dollars ( $ 10. 00 ) each. fifth : the corporation will not commence business until consideration of the value of at least one thousand dollars ( $ 1, 000. 00 ) has been received for the issuance of shares. sixth : provisions granting to shareholders the preemptive right to acquire additional or treasury shares of the corporation are : none. seventh : the capital stock of the corporation may be issued for valid corporate purposes upon authorization by the board of directors of the corporation without prior stockholder approval. eighth : the street and post office address of its initial registered office is p. 0. box 709, 209 troy street, tupelo, mississippi 38801, and the name of its initial registered agent at such address is e. c. neelly, iii. ninth : the number of directors constituting the initial board of directors of the corporation is seventeen ( 17 ), and the names and street and post office addresses of the persons who are to serve as directors until the first annual meeting of shareholders or until their successors are elected and qualify are : name street and post office address george f. adams 520 west jackson street tupelo, mississippi 38801 john a. barron 1344 mapleview drive west point, mississippi 38821 edward c. bourland 806 mcalpine drive amory, mississippi 38821 w. l. dunlap 518 magnolia tupelo, mississippi 38801 john l.