Panola County

Welcome to Panola County MSGHN

The Panola County Mississippi Genealogy & History Network provides free information to genealogists and historical researchers.

To share your Mississippi genealogy or history information, you may send it to msghn@outlook.com.

About Panola County, Mississippi...

Panola County was established February 9, 1836, and is one of the twelve large northern Mississippi counties created in that year out of the Chickasaw Cession of 1832. The name Panola is an indian word for "cotton." The Tallahatchie River runs through the county.

The original act defined its limits as follows:

Beginning at the point where the line between ranges 9 and 10 strikes the center of section 6, and running thence south with the said range line, and from its termination in a direct line to the northern boundary of Tallahatchie County and thence along the northern boundary of Tallahatchie and Yalobusha counties, to the center of range 5 west; thence north through the center of range 5 west, according to the sectional lines, to the center of township six; thence west through the center of township six, according to the sectional lines, to the beginning.   ....READ MORE

Panola County, Mississippi Records

Panola County MSGHN has many records here the website. Marriage dates, cemetery listings, tombstone photos, census records, and more.

Birth Records - The Mississippi Department of Health maintains records of births after November 1, 1912 on file, when Mississippi began keeping official birth records. You can obtain official copies of birth certificates by mail by using this birth record application. If you need to order by internet or phone, or use a credit card, you can use VitalCheck, a third party records company. For births prior to November 1, 1912 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, the year Mississippi began keeping official death records. You can obtain official copies of death certificates by mail by using this death record application. To order by internet or phone, or to use a credit card, you can use VitalCheck. For deaths prior to November 1, 1912 you will need to determine death information from census records, bible records, funeral home records, cemetery records, tombstones, etc.

Marriage Records - We have thousands of Panola County marriage dates here on our website. These dates will assist you greatly in obtaining a copy of the original marriage license. Contact the Mississippi Department of Health for marriages that took place between January 1, 1926 and for January 1, 1942 to present by mail by using this marriage record application. To order by internet or phone, or use a credit card, you can use VitalCheck. All existing Panola County marriage records may be obtained from the Panola County Circuit Clerk's office.

Divorce Records - Prior to 1859, divorce proceedings were introduced as private bills in the State Legislature. References to these can be found in the books Index of Mississippi Session Acts 1817 - 1865 and Index to the Laws of the Mississippi Territory. These books can be found at the Mississippi Department of Archives and History as well as many other genealogy repositories and libraries across the state. After 1859, Panola County divorce proceedings were filed in the Panola County Chancery Clerk's office.