50 YEARS BEFORE MISSISSIPPI'S RATIFICATION OF THE CONSTITUTION

JULY 4, INDEPENDENCE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

1779

- Spanish settled in Natchez, Adams County, Mississippi.

1795

- Mississippi's first cotton gin built in Natchez, with the help of master mechanic slave John Barclay.

1798

- American control in Mississippi (Adams County area) began, after evacuation of the Spaniards.

- Natchez became the first capital of the Mississippi Territory.

- April 7, Mississippi Territory created by the U.S. Congress.

- May 7, Winthrop Sargent, appointed governor of Mississippi(1798-May 25, 1801)

1799

- April 2, Adams County in Mississippi created by Governor Winthrop Sargent, the area originally known as Natchez District. Natchez Native Americans occupied the region many generations, before European settlers appeared, today's seat Natchez. Cities & Towns : Church Hill, Natchez, Sibley, Washington.

- The Natchez Gazette, established by B.M. Stoke and published by A. Marschalk, was the first newspaper in Adams County and in the Mississippi state.

- Jefferson County established in Mississippi, seat Fayette.

1800

- Mississippi population, 7,600 residents.

1801

- The Natchez Trace, a 460-mile trail, became a post-mail route from Natchez, Mississippi to Nashville(TN).

- May 25, William Charles Coles Claiborne, appointed governor of Mississippi (1801-March 1, 1805).

1802

- Claiborne County established in Mississippi, seat Port Gibson.

- Natchez, the first Mississippi Territorial capital, was replaced by Washington.

- Wilkinson County established in Mississippi, seat Woodville.

1805

- Settlers arrived in the Amity County area (at that time part of Wilkinson County) in Mississippi.

- Choctaw Native Americans ceded part of their land in Mississippi.

- March 1, Robert Williams, appointed governor of Mississippi (1805-March 7, 1809).

1809

- Franklin County established in Mississippi, seat Meadville.

- Warren County established in Mississippi, seat Vicksburg.

- Wayne County established in Mississippi, seat Waynesboro.

- February 24, Amite County created in Mississippi, county seat Liberty.

- March 7, David Holmes, appointed governor of Mississippi (1809-January 5, 1820).

1810

- Mississippi population, 31,306 residents.

1811

- George County established in Mississippi, seat Lucedale.

- Greene County established in Mississippi, seat Leakesville.

- Marion County established in Mississippi, seat Columbia.

1812

- Clarke County established in Mississippi, seat Quitman.

- Hancock County established in Mississippi, seat Bay Saint Louis.

- Jackson County established in Mississippi, seat Pascagoula.

- The 'Republican' weekly published by Ludwick Hall at Liberty in Amity County, Mississippi.

1814

- The Battle of Pass Christian, a naval engagement against the British in the Bay Saint Louis, Hancock County, Mississippi.

- Lawrence County established in Mississippi, seat Monticello.

- September 3, Amite Court House (Elysian Fields) Post Office established in Amity County, Mississippi.

1815

- Pike County established in Mississippi, seat Magnolia.

1816

- Over 800 families lived in Amite County, Mississippi.

- Columbus (first Possum Town), settled as a trading post on the Tombigbee River, seat of Lowndes County in Mississippi. Coordinates 33°15'N-89°56'W.

- Natchez appointed the first capital of the Mississippi state.

- March, the Mississippi Territory was divided into the Alabama Territory and a part that was admitted to the Union, near the end of same year.

December 10, Mississippi MS admitted to the Union.

Mississippi Today : Capital Jackson, area 48,434 sq.mi.(12(.444km²), 32nd largest state. Counties 82 : Adams, Alcorn, Amite, Attala, Benton, Bolivar, Calhoun, Carroll, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Claiborne, Clarke, Clay, Coahoma, Copiah, Covington, DeSoto, Forrest, Franklin, George, Greene, Grenada, Hancock, Harrison, Hinds, Holmes, Humphreys, Issaquena, Itawamba, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, Jones, Kemper, Lafayette, Lamar, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Leake, Lee, Leflore, Lincoln, Lowndes, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Monroe, Montgomery, Neshoba, Newton, Noxubee, Oktibbeha, Panola, Pearl River, Perry, Pike, Pontotoc, Prentiss, Quitman, Rankin, Scott, Sharkey, Simpson, Smith, Stone, Sunflower, Tallahatchie, Tate, Tippah, Tishomingo, Tunica, Union, Walthall, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Webster, Wilkinson, Winston, Yalobusha, Yazoo. Attractions & Recreation : Arkabutla Lake, Brices Cross Roads National Battlefield Site, Cold Water River National Wildlife Refuge, Dahomey National Wildlife Refuge, Enid Lake, Grand Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Grand Bay Reserve, Grenada Lake, Hillside National Wildlife Refuge, Mathews Brake National Wildlife Refuge,

1818

- Brookhaven settled by Samuel and Brewster Jayne, in Lincoln County, Mississippi. County seat, coordinates 31°35'N-90°26'W.

1819

- Covington County established in Mississippi, seat Collins.

- Greenville (former Old Greenville), appointed seat of Washington County in Mississippi. Coordinates 33°25'N-91°05'W. Named for Revolutionary War general Nathanael Greene.

1820

- Mississippi population, 75,448 residents.

- The Choctaw Native American tribe, ceded 5,000,000 acres of land in Mississippi to the U.S. and were forced to move to present Oklahoma.

- Perry County established in Mississippi, seat New Augusta.

- January 5, George Poindexter, appointed governor of Mississippi (1820-January 7, 1822).

1821

- Columbia, served three months as Mississippi state capital, seat of Marion County on the Pearl River. Coordinates 31°15'N-89°56'W.

- Columbus, incorporated as town in Lowndes County, Mississippi.

- Franklin Academy, established in Columbus, Lowndes County, oldest free public school in Mississippi.

- Hinds County established in Mississippi, seat Jackson.

- Monroe County established in Mississippi, seat Aberdeen.

1822

- The steamboot 'Cotton Plant' first docked in port of entry Columbus, in Lowndes County, Mississippi.

- Mississippi's State capital in Washington (MS), moved to Jackson.

- January 7, Walter Leake, appointed governor of Mississippi (1822-November 17, 1825).

1823

- Copiah County established in Mississippi, seat Hazlehurst.

- Yazoo County established in Mississippi, seat Yazoo City.

1824

- Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield, born in Natchez, Adams County, Mississippi. First African-American concert singer.

- Simpson County established in Mississippi, seat Mendenhall.

1825

- The Foster-Smith log cabin, builyt in Copia County, Mississippi.

- November 17, Gerard Chittocque Brandon, appointed acting governor of Mississippi (1825-1826).

1826

- Jones County established in Mississippi, seat Laurel.

- January 7, David Holmes, appointed second-term governor of Mississippi (1826-July 25, 1826).

- July 25, Gerard Chittocque Brandon, appointed second-term governor of Mississippi (1826-January 9, 1832).

1827

- Washington County established in Mississippi, seat Greenville.

- Greenville, appointed seat of Washington County in Mississippi. Coordinates 33°25'N-91°N-05'W.

1828

- Liberty incorporated, seat of Amite County in Mississippi.

- Madison County established in Mississippi, seat Canton.

- Rankin County established in Mississippi, seat Brandon.

1830

- Mississippi population, 136,621 residents.

- The Choctaw Native Americans, signed the fraudulent Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek, relinquishing their lands in a part of Mississippi.

- Lowndes County established in Mississippi, seat Columbus.

- Oakland College founded by Jeremiah Chamberlin in Mississippi.

- Rose Hill Baptist Church founded in Natchez, Adams County, Mississippi.

1832

- Chickasaw Native Americans land cession in Mississippi.

- January 9, Abram Marshall Scott, appointed governor of Mississippi (1832-July 12, 1833).

1833

- Carroll County established in Mississippi, seat Carrollton.

- Choctaw County established in Mississippi, seat Ackerman.

- Holmes County established in Mississippi, seat Lexington.

- Jasper County established in Mississippi, seat Bay Springs.

- Kemper County established in Mississippi, seat De Kalb.

- Lauderdale County established in Mississippi, seat Meridian.

- Leake County established in Mississippi, seat Carthage.

- Neshoba County established in Mississippi, seat Philadelphia.

- Noxubee County established in Mississippi, seat Macon.

- Oktobbeha County established in Mississippi, seat Starkville.

- Scott County established in Mississippi, seat Forest.

- Smith County established in Mississippi, seat Raleigh.

- Tallahatchie County established in Mississippi, seat Charleston.

- Winston County established in Mississippi, seat Louisville.

- Yalobusha County in Mississippi, organized, seat Water Valley.

- July 12, Charles Lynch, appointed acting governor of Mississippi (1833-November 20, 1833).

- November 20, Hiram George Runnels, appointed governor of Mississippi (1833-December , 1835).

- December 23, Attala County created in Mississippi. County seat Kosciusko.

1834

- Canton established, seat of Madison County, Mississippi. Coordinates 32°37'N-90°02'W. Attractions & Recreation : Mississippi Petrified Forest, Natchez Trace Parkway, Ross Barnett Reservoir.

1835

- December 3, John Anthony Quitman, appointed acting governor of Mississippi (1835-January 7, 1836).

1836

- Canton incorporated as town in Madison County, Mississippi.

- Coahoma County established in Mississippi, seat Clarksdale.

- DeSoto County established in Mississippi, seat Hernando.

- Itawamba County established in Mississippi, seat Fulton.

- Lafayette County in Mississippi organized, seat Oxford

- Marshall County established in Mississippi, seat Holly Springs.

- Newton County established in Mississippi, seat Decatur.

- Panola County established in Mississippi, seat Batesville.

- Pontotoc County established in Mississippi, seat Pontotoc

- Tippah Countyestablished in Mississippi, seat Ripley.

- Tishomingo County in Mississippi, formed out of lands of the Chickasaw Cession, seat Iuka.

- Tunica County established in Mississippi, seat Tunica.

- January 7, Charles Lynch, appointed second-term governor of Mississippi (1836-January 8, 1838).

- February 9, Bolivar County established by the Mississippi Legislature. Named for the South American Liberator Simon Bolivar. County seat Cleveland.

- February 9, Chickasaw County established in Mississippi. Named for the Chickasaw Native Americans. County seat Houston.

1837

- Oxford incorporated, seat of Lafayette County in Mississippi.

1838

- January 8, Alexander Gallatin McNutt, appointed governor of Mississippi (1838-January 10, 1842).

- March 8, Stephen Decatur Miller, died in Raymond, Mississippi. Lawyer and South Carolina governor (1828-1830).

- July 1, Andrew Pickens died in Pontotock, Mississippi. South Carolina governor (1816-1818).

1840

- Mississippi population, 375,651 residents.

1841

- Courthouse built in Amite County, Mississippi.

- The first Courthouse of Boilvar County in Mississippi erected.

- Harrison County established in Mississippi, seat Gulfport.

1842

- January 10, Tilgham Mayfield Tucker, appointed governor of Mississippi (1842-January 10, 1844).

1844

- Issaquena County established in Misssissippi, seat Mayersville.

- Sunflower County established in Mississippi, seat Indianola.

- January 10, Albert Gallatin Brown, appointed governor of Mississippi (1844-January 10, 1848).

1848

- University of Mississippi 'Ole Miss' established near the City of Oxford, seat of Lafayette County, Mississippi.

- January 10, Joseph W. Matthews, appointed governor of Mississippi (1848-January 10, 1850).

1849

- Clarksdale, settled by John Clark on an Native American fortification site on the Sunflower River, seat of Coahoma County in Mississippi. Coordinates 34°12'N-90°34'W. Attractions & Recreation : U.S. De Soto Exposition

1850

- Mississippi population, 606,526 residents.

- January 10, John Anthony Quitman, appointed second-term governor of Mississippi (1850-February 3, 1851).

1851

- February 3, John Isaac Guion, appointed acting governor of Mississippi (1851-November 24, 1851).

- November 24, James Whitfield, appointed acting governor of Mississippi (1851-January 10, 1852).

1852

- Calhoun County established in Mississippi, seat Pittsboro.

- January 10, Henry Stuart Foote, appointed governor of Mississippi (1852-January 5, 1854).

1854

- January 5, John Jones Pettus, appointed acting governor of Mississippi (1854-January 10, 1854).

- January 10, John J. McRae, appointed governor of Mississippi (1854-November 16, 1857).

1855

- New York on the Mississippi River, purchased by the Iowa Land Company and renamed Clinton, seat of Clinton County in Mississippi. Coordinates 41°51'N-90°12'W.

- Cross City(Corinth), founded and incorporated in Alcorn County, Mississippi. Coordinates 34°56'N-88°31'W.

1857

- Christ Episcopal Church built in Churchill Hill, Adams County, Mississippi, the gothic style church is on the National Register of Historic Places.

- Cross City renamed Corinth, located in Alcorn County, Mississippi.

- November 16, William McWillie, appointed governor of Mississippi (1857-November 21, 1859).

1858

- Arrival of the railroad in Brookhaven, Lincoln County, Mississippi.

- Bay Saint Louis, unofficially incorporated as Shieldsborough in Hancock County, Mississippi.

- Whitworth Junior College founded in Brookhaven, Lincoln County, Mississippi.

1859

- Clinton, incorporated in Clinton County, Mississippi.

- November 21, John Jones Pettus, appointed second-term governor of Mississippi (1859-November 16, 1863).

1860

- Mississippi population, 791,305 residents.

- Bay Saint Louis, appointed seat of Hancock County in Mississippi.

- Brookhaven incorporated, Lincoln County, Mississippi.

Civil War period

- October 3/4 - Battle of Corinth in Alcorn County, Mississippi. Federal troops under command of General W.S. Rosecrans defeated Confederate troops under command of E. Van Dorn.

Civil War period

- November 16, Charles Clark, appointed governor of Mississippi (1863-June 13, 1865).

Civil War period

- Battle of Brice's Cross Roads in Mississippi, Confederate troops defeated U.S. Federal troops.

- Bethel African Methodist Episcopal church established in Vicksburg, Mississippi.

1866

- Lee County established in Mississippi, seat Tupelo.

- April 25, Confederate Decoration Day, originated at Friendship Cemetery in Columbus, Lowndes County, Mississippi.

- African-Americans allowed to vote for the first time in Mississippi.

50 YEARS AFTER MISSISSIPPI'S RATIFICATION OF THE CONSTITUTION

- January 8, Elvis Aaron Presley 'The King', born in Tupelo, Lee County, Mississippi, died August 1977. Singer, musician, actor

- January 29, Oprah Winfrey, born in Kosciusko, Mississippi. Talk show host, actress - Oprah Winfrey Photo - Buy at AllPosters.com

- November 23, Robin Roberts, born in Pass Christian, Mississippi. TV journalist and broadcaster