Montgomery County Mississippi Genealogy & History Network

Welcome to Montgomery County MSGHN

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

To share your Montgomery 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 Montgomery County, Mississippi...

Montgomery County, Mississippi was formed on May 31, 1871 from portions of both Carroll and Choctaw counties. There is some controversy on how the county received its name. One story is that it was named for General Richard Montgomery who was killed at the Battle of Quebec in December 1775 during the Revolutionary War. The other story is that a Dr. Hart from Lodi had come from Montgomery County, Tennessee and resided in the new county after its formation and was one of the first legislators. In "Mississippi, the Heart of the South" Vol. 2 by Dunbar Rowland, it states that Dr. Hart requested that the new county be named after his home town. Of the two stories, the accepted is that Montgomery County was named after General Montgomery.

Five commissioners were appointed to adjust the financial affairs of the county in regard to the counties from which it was formed. This commission was composed of John A. Binford, Sr., H. P. Turner, Samuel Hill, O.J. Moore and Willis Barefield. They met January 16, 1872, at Greensboro, Mississippi in Choctaw County. After investigation, Choctaw County indebtedness was rated to be $12,260, and this was adopted as a basis of settlement between the two counties. The Commissioners found that Montgomery's prorata of indebtedness of Choctaw County amounted to $5,756. On March 6, 1872, the board of supervisors of Montgomery County rated Montgomery's indebtedness to Carroll at $7,620, and ordered said amounts to be settled by the issuance of bonds. (Minutes, Board of Supervisors, March, 1872, Vol. I; Page 69.)

The county seat at the time the county was organized and also today, is Winona, The word “Winona,” comes from the Indian word "Wenonah" meaning first-born daughter which goes back to the counties strong Indian heritage. The original boundaries established in 1871 remain in effect today.

The county has a total area of 407.86 square miles of which 406.85 square miles is land and 1.02 square miles (0.25%) is water. The population recorded in the 1880 Federal Census was 13,348. The population peaked in 1910 with 17,706 souls counted. The 2010 census recorded 10,925 residents in the county.

Neighboring counties are Grenada County (north), Webster County (northeast), Choctaw County (east), Attala County (south), and Carroll County (west). The City of Winona is the county seat. Other communities in the county include Duck Hill, Kilmichael, Lodi, Poplar Creek, Silbeyton, Stewart, and Sweatman.

Montgomery County, Mississippi Records

Montgomery County MSGHN has many records here on our website. Marriage Records, Cemetery listings, tombstone photos, and more. Look at the Montgomery 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