A Formation of Counties
from the Mississippi Territory
(includes some Alabama, Florida and Louisiana areas)
NOTE: County names in
BLUE
signify the formation of a current Mississippi
County; Counties in PURPLE merged with other
counties or changed names; Items in GREEN are links
Since the Mississippi
Territory was formed, 71 years have seen numerous changes
in the formation of the 82
counties that presently exist in 2003. Below is the list.
1785 Bourbon County
established by Georgia
in the Natchez
region
1788 Bourbon County
(GA) eliminated by Georgia
Grants of the
Georgia Western Territory (map)
NOTE:
The formation of Bourbon
County and its subsequent
repeal was the basis for a later controversy, known as the Yazoo Land Fraud.
For more information, also read Picketts
History of Alabama: And Incidentially of Georgia and Mississippi from the
Earliest Period. By Albert James
Pickett. River City Press, 2003. ISBN # 1880216701.
1799 Adams and Pickering formed -- original counties of Mississippi Territory
1800 Washington (AL) formed from Adams and Pickering
1802 Claiborne formed
from Pickering;
Wilkinson formed from Adams;
Pickering
name changed to Jefferson;
Adams gained from Jefferson and Claiborne; Jefferson lost to non-county area
1803 Claiborne gained from Jefferson;
West Florida claimed by U.S as part of Louisiana Purchase
1804 Mississippi
Territory expanded to
north; Orleans Territory formed (included West Florida)
1808 Madison (AL) formed from non-county area
1809 Amite formed from
Wilkinson; Franklin
formed from Adams, Amite, Wilkinson, and a
non-county area; Wayne formed from Washington
(AL); Warren
formed from Claiborne and a non-county area; Baldwin (AL) formed from
Washington (AL); Jefferson gained from Adams
and Franklin; Washington (AL) lost to non-county area
1810 Adams gained from Wilkinson; Franklin gained from
Amite; U.S. assumed control of West Florida except for Mobile area after local
rebellion expelled Spanish authorities; Feliciana County (LA) formed by Orleans
Territory
1811 Greene formed from Wayne; Marion formed
from Amite, Franklin, Wayne and a non-county area; Claiborne gained from Jefferson; Biloxi
and Pascagoula Parishes formed in Feliciana County (LA) by Orleans Territory
1812 West Florida
between Pearl
and Perdido Rivers added to Mississippi Territory;
Clarke (AL) formed from Washington (AL); Hancock, Jackson
and Mobile (AL) formed from
non-county area
1813 U.S.
captured Mobile (AL) from Spain,
extending full control over West Florida
1814 Lawrence formed from Marion
1815 Pike formed from Marion; Monroe (AL)
formed from non-county area
1816 Montgomery (AL) formed from Monroe (AL); Chickasaw and
Choctaw Cessions
1817 Mississippi
admitted as a state; Baldwin, Clarke, Madison, Mobile, Monroe,
Montgomery and Washington become Alabama Territory counties; Greene, Jackson and
Wayne lost to Alabama
Territory
1819 Covington formed from
Lawrence and Wayne; Amite gained from Franklin;
Marion gained
from Lawrence
1820 Perry formed from
Greene; Clairborne-Jefferson boundary defined; adjustment of boundary with Alabama; Choctaw Cession
by Treaty of Doaks Stand
1821 Monroe formed from
non-county area (Chickasaw Cession of 1816);
Hinds formed from non-county area (Choctaw
Cession of 1820);
Amite gained from Wilkinson; Warren
gained from non-county area
1822 Franklin
gained from Jefferson; Greene Gained from Jackson; Wayne gained from Covington
1823 Copiah formed from Franklin and Hinds; Bainbridge formed from Covington; Yazoo formed from Hinds; Greene gained
from Jefferson; Jefferson
gained from Franklin;
Warren gained
from Hinds
1824 Simpson formed from
Copiah; Bainbridge merged into Covington; Jackson gained from
Hancock
1825 Covington
gained from Lawrence and Wayne; Pike gained from Lawrence; Perry gained from Hancock
1826 Jones formed from Covington and Wayne
1827 Washington formed from Warren and Yazoo; Pike gained from Lawrence
1828 Rankin formed from
Hinds; Madison
formed from Yazoo; Hancock and Perry gained
from Jackson; Warren and Yazoo gained from Washington
1829 Claiborne gained from Warren; Warren
exchanged area with Yazoo; Madison gained from Hinds; non-county areas
(unceded Indian lands) attached to Madison,
Monroe, Washington,
Wayne, Yazoo, Rankin, and Simpson jointly
1830 Lowndes formed from
Monroe and a
non-county area; Covington,
Jones, Madison,
Monroe, Rankin, Washington,
Wayne and Yazoo gained non-county areas; Jackson and Marion gained
from Hancock; Perry gained from Marion
1831 Lowndes gained from
Madison, Rankin and Wayne
1833 Attala formed from
Madison; Jasper formed from Jones; Carroll formed from Lowndes, Monroe, Washington and
Yazoo; Holmes formed from Yazoo; Choctaw formed from Lowndes, Madison, Monroe and
Yazoo; Clarke formed from Wayne; Kemper formed from Lowndes, Rankin and Wayne; Lauderdale formed from Rankin and Wayne; Leake formed from Madison and Rankin; Neshoba formed from Jones, Madison, Rankin and Wayne;
Noxubee formed from Lowndes and Rankin; Oktibbeha formed from Lowndes; Scott and Smith formed from Covington, Jones and Rankin; Tallahatchie formed from Washington and Yazoo; Winston formed from Lowndes, Madison and Rankin; Yalobusha formed from Monroe, Washington and Yazoo;
Hancock gained from Jackson; Madison gained from Rankin; Warren gained from
Yazoo; Yazoo gained from Washington; non-county areas attached to Choctaw, Tallahatchie
and Holmes Counties that were formed were from the Choctaw Cession of 1830 (Treaty of Dancing Rabbit
Creek)
1836 Chickasaw formed
from Monroe and a non-county area; Bolivar
formed from Tallahatchie, Washington and a non-county area; Itawamba, Lafayette, Marshall, Pontotoc, Tippah and Tishomingo
all formed from Monroe; Coahoma formed from
non-county area; De Soto formed from Monroe and
Washington; Newton formed from Neshoba; Panola formed from Monroe, Washington, and a
non-county area; Tunica formed from Washington
and a non-county area; Jackson gained from Hancock; Tallahatchie gained from a
non-county area Counties that were formed were from the Chickasaw Cession
1838 Scott gained from Madison and Rankin
1839 Warren
gained from Washington
1840 Hinds exchanged area with Madison
1841 Harrison
formed from Hancock and Jackson; Panola gained from Tunica
1842 Bolivar gained from Coahoma; Coahoma gained from
Tunica
1843 Coahoma gained from Tunica; Hancock gained from Madison
1844 Issaquena formed
from Washington;
Sunflower formed from Bolivar; Coahoma gained
from Tunica; Harrison gained from Jackson and
Perry; Marion
gained from Hancock
1846 Jackson
gained from Harrison; Marshall gained from Lafayette; Warren gained from Yazoo;
Wilkinson gained from Adams
1848 Tunica gained from Coahoma and a non-county area
1850 Marshall
gained from Lafayette;
Yazoo gained from Washington and Issaquena
1852 Calhoun formed from
Chickasaw, Lafayette and Yalobusha; Warren
gained from Yazoo
1854 Chickasaw gained from Choctaw; Warren gained from Yazoo;
Marshall gained
from Lafayette
1859 Scott gained from Madison
1860 Sunflower gained from Tallahatchie
1865 Jones name changed to Davis
1866 -- Lee formed from
Itawamba and Pontotoc
1869 Davis name changed to Jones
1870 Alcorn formed
from Tippah and Tishomingo; Prentiss formed from Itawamba and Tishomingo; Benton formed from Marshall and Tippah; Union formed from Lee, Pontotoc and Tippah; Grenada formed from Carroll, Yalobusha, Choctaw
and Tallahatchie; Lincoln formed from Franklin, Lawrence, Copiah,
Pike and Amite; Pontotoc gained from Lee; Tishomingo gained from Itawamba
1871 Leflore formed
from Carroll and Sunflower; Colfax formed from Chickasaw, Lowndes, Monroe
and Oktibbeha; Montgomery formed from Carroll and Choctaw; Amite
gained from Franklin and Lincoln; Benton
exchanged area with Marshall;
Lafayette
gained from Marshall;
Perry gained from Greene; Sunflower gained from Bolivar and Washington; Washington gained from
Bolivar; Tunica gained from Panola; Wayne
gained from Clarke
1872 Pearl formed from Hancock
1873 Tate formed from Marshall and De Soto; Franklin and Lincoln gained from Amite; Lee gained from Union; Marshall
gained from De Soto;
Union gained from Pontotoc; Warren gained from Yazoo;
Winston gained from Neshoba; Yalobusha gained from Lafayette
1874 Sumner formed
from Montgomery, Chickasaw and Choctaw; Choctaw gained from Winston; Prentiss
gained from Union; Union
gained from Lee
1875 Choctaw gained from Montgomery; Franklin gained from Lincoln; Harrison
gained from Jackson;
Montgomery
gained from Sumner; Sumner gained from Chickasaw and Oktibbeha; Sumner
exchanged with Oktibbeha; Winston gained from Choctaw
1876 Sharkey formed from
Warren, Washington and Issaquena; Colfax
name changed to Clay; Benton exchanged with Marshall; De Soto
gained from Tate; Issaquena gained from Warren; Issaquena lost to non-county
area; Pearl gained from Marion; Tate gained from Tunica; Tishomingo gained from
Prentiss
1877 Quitman formed from
Panola, Coahoma, Tallahatchie and Tunica;
Carroll gained from Leflore
1878 Pearl merged into Hancock
and Marion; De Soto
gained from Marshall;
Lincoln gained
from Lawrence
1880 Lawrence
gained from Pike; Leflore gained from Carroll; Marion gained from Covington
1882 Sumner name
changed to Webster; Adams
gained from Wilkinson; Carroll exchanged area with Montgomery
1884 Lawrence
gained from Marion and Pike; Wilkinson gained from Adams
1890 Pearl River formed from Hancock and Marion; Issaquena
gained from non-county area
1896 Carroll gained from Leflore
1904 Lamar formed from
Marion and Pearl River
1906 Forrest formed
from Perry but was unorganized; Jefferson Davis
formed from Covington
and Lawrence
1908 Lawrence
exchanged area with Pike; Forrest is organized
1910 George formed
from Greene and Jackson
1912 Walthall formed
from Marion and Pike but was unorganized
1914 Walthall organized; Adams
exchanged area with Wilkinson
1916 Stone formed from
Harrison
1918 Humphreys formed
from Holmes, Washington, Sunflower and Yazoo
Mississippi County Etymologies
Adams County: named for the 2nd U.S.
President, John Adams.
Alcorn County: named for the 28th
Governor of Mississippi James L. Alcorn.
Amite County: based on the Latin language word amicus
(friend) or amare (to love), via the French language; the French named
the Amite River in honor the friendly local Native
Americans.
Attala County: named for Attala or
Atala, a fictional Native American heroine from an early 19th Century novel by Franηois-Renι
de Chateaubriand.
Benton County: named for U.S.
Senator from Missouri Thomas Hart Benton.
Bolivar County: named for South American revolutionary Simσn
Bolνvar who freed much of South America from
Spanish rule.
Calhoun County: named after U.S. Vice President and US Senator from South Carolina, John C. Calhoun.
Carroll County: named for Charles Carroll of Carrollton, last surviving signer of the U.S.
Declaration of Independence.
Chickasaw County: named for the Chickasaw
Native American people.
Choctaw County: named for the Choctaw
Native American people.
Claiborne County: named for the 1st Governor of the Mississippi Territory, William C.C. (Charles Cole)
Claiborne.
Clarke County: named for first Mississippi state chancellor and judge Joshua
G. Clarke.
Clay County: named for Speaker
of the U.S. House of Representatives Henry Clay.
Coahoma County: based on a Native
American word meaning red panther.
Copiah County: based on a Native
American word meaning calling panther.
Covington County: named for U.S. Army
officer and Congressman Leonard Covington.
DeSoto County: named for Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto.
Forrest County: named for Nathan B.
Forrest, Confederate general.
Franklin County: named for Founding
Father Benjamin Franklin.
George County: named for James Z. George, US Senator from Mississippi, who was actually from Money, Mississippi in Carroll
County.
Greene County: named for American
Revolutionary War general Nathanael Greene.
Grenada County: named for the Spanish province of Granada.
Hancock County: named for Founding
Father John Hancock.
Harrison County: named for the 9th
U.S. President William Henry Harrison.
Hinds County: named for U.S.
Congressman from Mississippi Thomas Hinds.
Holmes County: named for David Holmes, 4th Governor
of the Mississippi
Territory and later the 1st
and 5th Governor of Mississippi.
Humphreys County: named for Benjamin
G. Humphreys, 26th Governor of Mississippi.
Issaquena County: based on a Native
American word meaning Deer River.
Itawamba County: named for Levi
Colbert, a Chickasaw leader who was called Itte-wamba Mingo, meaning bench
chief.
Jackson County: named for 7th
U.S. President Andrew Jackson.
Jasper County: named for Sergeant William Jasper who was
killed during the American Revolutionary War's siege of Savannah, Georgia.
Jefferson County: named for 3rd
U.S. President Thomas Jefferson.
Jefferson Davis County:
named for the Confederate States of Americas only president Jefferson
Davis.
Jones County: named for naval
leader John Paul Jones.
Kemper County: named for Reuben
Kemper, a soldier in the Seminole Wars and Mexican-American Wars.
Lafayette County: named for French
military officer Marquis de la Fayette.
Lamar County: named for U.S. Secretary
of the Interior Lucius Q.C. Lamar.
Lauderdale County: named for colonel James
Lauderdale, who was killed at the Battle of New Orleans in the War of 1812.
Lawrence County: named for naval
leader James Lawrence, famous for the Battle of Lake Erie during the War of
1812.
Leake County: named for the 3rd
Governor of Mississippi Walter Leake.
Lee County: named for Confederate
American Civil War general Robert E. Lee.
Leflore County: named for Choctaw
leader Greenwood LeFlore.
Lincoln County: named for the 16th
U.S. President Abraham Lincoln.
Lowndes County: named for U.S. Congressman William Jones
Lowndes.
Madison County: named for the 4th
U.S. President James Madison.
Marion County: named for American
Revolutionary War guerilla leader Francis Marion, known as the Swamp Fox.
Marshall County: named for Chief
Justice of the United States John Marshall.
Monroe County: named for the 5th
U.S. President James Monroe.
Montgomery County: named for American
Revolutionary War military leader Richard Montgomery.
Neshoba County: based on a Native
American word meaning grey wolf.
Newton County: named for scientist
Isaac Newton.
Noxubee County: based on a Native
American word meaning stinking water.
Oktibbeha County: based on a Native
American word meaning either bloody water (because of a battle fought on
the banks) or possibly icy creek.
Panola County: based on a Native
American word meaning cotton.
Pearl River County: named for Pearl River,
which early on was the site of French-run pearl fisheries.
Perry County: named for American
naval leader Oliver Hazard Perry.
Pike County: named for explorer Zebulon
Pike.
Pontotoc County: named for a Chickasaw
Native American leader called Pontotoc.
Prentiss County: named for Smith
Prentiss, a famous speaker and debater.
Quitman County: named for 10th
Governor of Mississippi John A. Quitman.
Rankin County: named for U.S.
Representative Christopher Rankin.
Scott County: named for 7th
Governor of Mississippi Abram M. Scott.
Sharkey County: named for the 25th
Governor of Mississippi William L. Sharkey.
Simpson County: named for Judge Josiah
Simpson.
Smith County: named for Major David
Smith.
Stone County: named for 33rd
Governor of Mississippi John M. Stone.
Sunflower County: named for the Sunflower River,
which is named in turn for the sunflowers that grow along its banks.
Tallahatchie County: named for the Tallahatchie
River, the main tributary of the Yazoo River.
Tallahatchie is a Native American name
for river of the rock.
Tate County: named for the
prominent local Tate family.
Tippah County: named for Tippah,
wife of Pontotoc, an important Chickasaw leader.
Tishomingo County: named for a Chickasaw
leader called Tishomingo.
Tunica County: named for the Tunica
Native American people.
Union County: named for the Union
which was threatened by the American Civil War.
Walthall County: named for military
leader Edward Walthall.
Warren County: named for American
Revolutionary War officer Joseph Warren.
Washington County: named for the 1st
U.S. President George Washington.
Wayne County: named for General
"Mad" Anthony Wayne.
Webster County: named for American
statesman Daniel Webster.
Wilkinson County: named for military
leader James Wilkinson.
Winston County: named for military
leader Louis Winston.
Yalobusha County: based on a Native
American word meaning tadpole place.
Yazoo County: named for the Yazoo Native American people.
Map of Indian Cessions
NOTE: Click on different areas of the map to
access the treaties
Treaties listed on
the above map are as follows: Choctaw Treaty of Fort Adams in 1801; Choctaw Treaty of Fort
Confederation in 1802;
Choctaw Treaty of Mount Dexter in 1805;
Choctaw Treaty of Fort Stephen in 1816;
Chickasaw Treaty of 1816;
Treaty of Doaks Stand in 1820;
Treaty in Washington, D.C. in 1825;
and the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek in 1830. The
Treaty of Hopewell in 1786
and the Treaty of Hoe Buckintoopa in 1803
are not shown on the map. For the Treaty
of Hopewell, CLICK HERE.
For the Treaty of Hoe Buckintoopa, CLICK
HERE.
Synopsis of Choctaw Treaties
1786 -- Treaty
of Hopewell
between US and Choctaw establishing borders
1798 -- Mississippi
Territory formed
1801 -- Treaty of Ft. Adams
whereby 2,264,920 acres
along Mississippi River are sold to US for $2000
1802 -- Treaty of Ft. Confederation
whereby approximately 50,000
acres is ceded to US for $1
1803 -- Treaty of Hoe Buckintoopa whereby 853,760
acres of land are ceded in settlement of trade debt amounting
to $40,000
1803 -- Louisiana Purchase
1804 -- Louisiana Territorial Act authorizes President to
negotiate with tribes to move west of Mississippi River
1805 -- Treaty of Mt. Dexter whereby 4,142,720 acres of land are ceded
in settlement of trade debt amounting to nearly $48,000,
plus payment of annuity of $3000,
plus payment of $500
for chiefs and salaries of $150
per year
1812 -- Choctaw support Americans against British in War
of 1812
1816 -- Treaty of Fort St. Stephens whereby approximately 3,000,000 acres of land are sold
for $10,000 plus annual
payments of $6000
for 20 years
1820 -- Treaty of Doak's Stand whereby 5,269,788 acres are exchanged for
approximately 13,000,000 acres
west of Mississippi
1825 -- Treaty of Washington City establishes borders for
lands received in Treaty of Doak's Stand; In exchange for 2,000,000 fewer acres then
originally agreed, US will move out any white settlers living in remaining
"Indian Territory" plus provide a perpetual annuity of $6000, payment of trading debts,
and pensions for Choctaw veterans who fought in War of 1812
1830 -- Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek whereby remaining 10,000,000+ acres of
Choctaw land in Mississippi
and Alabama
are ceded and tribes agree to move to Indian Territory
in exchange for protection, passage, and an annuity of $20,000
for twenty years, plus funds for schools, churches, and a council house.
1833 -- Treaty of Doaksville (Doaks Stand) whereby
Choctaw lease lands west of their own settlements to Chickasaw for $530,000
Watch the
Counties Form
History of the
Mississippi Counties
