Lee County Mississippi Genealogy & History Network

Welcome to Lee County MSGHN

Welcome to the Lee County Mississippi Genealogy & History Network website providing free information to genealogical and historical researchers.

To share your Lee County, Mississippi genealogy or history information, send an email to msghn@outlook.com - we will be pleased to include it here. If you have information to share for other Mississippi Counties, visit the Mississippi Genealogy & History Network state website and choose the appropriate county.

About Lee County, Mississippi...

Lee County is located in the North-Eastern portion of Mississippi. The county was formed on December 10, 1866 and was named in honor of beloved Confederate General Robert E. Lee.

The modern city of Tupelo stands upon ancient, hallowed ground. When Spanish explorer Hernando De Soto passed through this area in 1540, he encountered an established Chickasaw Indian civilization nestled in the wooded hills and valleys. The Chickasaws, who had a reputation as fierce fighters, ultimately drove De Soto westward toward his discovery of the Mississippi River.

In 1736, at the height of the French and Indian War, a bloody battle erupted near Tupelo between the British-armed Chickasaws and the combined invading forces of the French and the Choctaw Indians. Known as the Battle of Ackia, the engagement left the area in firm British control and contributed to the Crown’s eventual domination of North America. From the earliest Indian settlement, the Tupelo area was linked to the outside world via the now-historic Natchez Trace. The Trace was established by the Chickasaws as a route of commerce with the Natchez Indians to the south. Traveled by the British in the 18th century, the Trace increased in importance as settlers poured into the frontier.

The Civil War also left its mark upon the Tupelo area. The Battle of Tupelo, in mid-1864, pitted Union troops against Confederate cavalry bent on controlling railroad traffic supplying the Union campaign against Atlanta

Incorporated as a city in 1870 and named after the native Tupelo gum tree, Tupelo’s modern history can be traced to the convergence of the Mobile & Ohio and the Kansas City, Memphis & Birmingham railroads in 1887. As a rail distribution and manufacturing center, Tupelo achieved several firsts, including the first city in the nation to provide its citizens with dependable, inexpensive electric power through the Tennessee Valley Authority.

Tupelo is recognized around the world as the birthplace of Elvis Presley. The small, shotgun house where Elvis was born, and the adjacent Elvis Presley Museum and memorial chapel, draw nearly 100,000 visitors each year.

The county has a total area of 453.14 square miles of which 449.59 square miles is land and 3.55 square miles (0.78%) is water. The population recorded in the 1870 Federal Census was 15,955. The 2010 census recorded 82,910 residents in the county.

Neighboring counties are Prentiss County (north), Itawamba County (east), Monroe County (southeast), Chickasaw County (southwest), Pontotoc County (west), and Union County (northwest). The city of Tupelo is the county seat. Other communities in the county include Verona, Baldwyn (partly in Prentiss County), Guntown, Nettleton (partly in Monroe County), Plantersville, Mooreville, Saltillo, Shannon, and Sherman (mostly in Pontotoc County, small portion in Union County).

Lee County, Mississippi Records

Lee County MSGHN has many records here on our website. Marriage Records, Cemetery listings, tombstone photos, and more. Look at the Lee County Data links for a list of available data.

Birth Records - The Mississippi Department of Health maintains records of births after November 1, 1912 on file. This was the year Mississippi began keeping official birth records. You can obtain official copies of birth certificates by mail by using this birth record application on their website. If you just have to order by internet or phone, or use a credit card, you can use VitalCheck, a third party records company recognized by the Mississippi Dept. of Health. Since there are no official birth records before November 1, 1912 for births prior to that date you will need to determine birth information from census records, bible records, baptismal records, cemetery tombstones, etc.

Death Records - The Mississippi Department of Health maintains births recorded after November 1, 1912 on file. This was the year Mississippi began keeping official death records. You can obtain official copies of death certificates by mail by using this death record application on their website. If you just have to order by internet or phone, or use a credit card, you can use VitalCheck, a third party records company recognized by the Mississippi Dept. of Health. Since there are no official death records before November 1, 1912  ...READ MORE