Washington County Mississippi Genealogy & History Network

Welcome to Washington County MSGHN

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

To share your Washington 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 Washington County, Mississippi...

Washington County was created January 29, 1827 by an act which recited that "So much of the counties of Yazoo and Warren as lies west of the Yazoo River, beginning on the right bank of said river, where the Choctaw boundary lines strikes the same."

Washington County was formed under the First Mississippi Constitution (1817-1832) on January 29, 1827, largely from the western part of Yazoo County and also from the northern part of Warren County. It was the state's 22nd county to organize.

Washington County was named for George Washington (1723-1799) of Virginia., the commanding general of the Continental Army and the first President of the United States (1789-1797). Greenville, the seat of the county government, was named for General Nathaniel Greene of Revolutionary War fame. Washington County is located in the Yazoo-Mississippi Delta soil area in the northwest part of the state, bordering the Mississippi River and state of Arkansas.

Greenville has been the county seat of Washington County since 1846. It was destroyed during the Civil War and was rebuilt several miles away in its present location in 1867.

The county has a total area of 761.26 square miles of which 723.99 square miles is land and 37.27 square miles (4.90%) is water. The population recorded in the 1830 Federal Census was 1,976. The 2010 census recorded 51,437 residents in the county.

Neighboring counties are Bolivar County (north), Sunflower County (northeast), Humphreys County (east), Sharkey County (southeast), Issaquena County (south), Chicot County, Arkansas (west), and Desha County, Arkansas (northwest). The county seat is the city of Greenville. Other communities in the county include Hollandale, Leland, Arcola, Metcalfe, Avon, Burdett, Chatham. Elizabeth, Glen Allan, Murphy, Stoneville, Tribbett, Wayside, and Winterville.

Washington County, Mississippi Records

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