Neshoba County Mississippi Genealogy & History Network

Welcome to Neshoba County MSGHN

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

To share your Neshoba 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 Neshoba County, Mississippi...

Neshoba County is located in the central portion of Mississippi. Neshoba County was formed by the state legislature on December 23, 1833, from the territory ceded by the Choctaw nation three years earlier. Neshoba County has a rich American Indian history - even the name Neshoba is from the Choctaw word "nashoba" meaning "wolf." The county is the home of the famous Neshoba County Fair, started in 1889 and held annually since. Philadelphia became the county seat of Neshoba County on August 15, 1837.

In 1964, three civil rights workers were murdered in Neshoba County. The crime and legal aftermath was the basis for the 1988 movie Mississippi Burning.

The Pearl River, which flows east to west through Neshoba County, was an important waterway for early settlers, especially between 1830 and 1860. It reportedly took 15 days to travel by keel boat from Philadelphia to Jackson and about 30 days of vigorous labor to bring a keel boat upstream from Jackson to Philadelphia.

Federal Colonel Benjamin Grierson’s grandstanding expedition through Neshoba County in the spring of 1863 was the only significant action of the Civil War near Philadelphia. However, hundreds of Neshoba County men were killed in battle, died from the “fevers” that plagued Civil War camps, or were maimed for life by federal shot and shell. In addition to the human loss, Neshoba Countians also lost tens of thousands of dollars in precious hard currency invested in Confederate bonds and other financial instruments that were worthless when the rebellion failed.

Share-cropping and other forms of hard-scrabble farming characterized the post-war years in Neshoba County. The “one-mule farm” became a standard operation. By 1880 the county’s natural timber resources were becoming an important economic factor, and by 1910 Neshoba County sawmills were too numerous to count. Today, local businesses have continued to develop Neshoba County’s timber and land resources for the benefit of their investors and hundreds of local people employed in forest products industries.

The county has a total area of 571.64 square miles of which 570.00 square miles is land and 1.64 square miles (0.29%) is water. The population recorded in the 1840 Federal Census was 2,437. The 2010 census recorded 29,676 residents in the county.

Neighboring counties are Attala County (northwest), Winston County (north), Kemper County (east), Lauderdale County (southeast), Newton County (south), Scott County (southwest), and Leake County (west). Communities in the county include Philadelphia, Union (mostly in Newton County), Bogue Chitto (partly in Kemper County), Pearl River, Tucker, Burnside, Choctaw, Good Hope, Neshoba, and Stallo.

Neshoba County, Mississippi Records

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