MISSISSIPPI
COUNTY-BY-COUNTY GUIDE
The
Mississippi portion of the Delta is comprised of all of 9 counties
(Bolivar, Coahoma, Humphreys, Issaquena, Quitman, Sharkey, Sunflower,
Tunica, and Washington) and parts of 5 others (Desoto, Leflore, Panola,
Tallahatchie and Yazoo).
Bolivar
Setting:
Surface
Waters:
Origin:
County
Seat/Court Houses:
Main Towns:
Other
Settlements:
Educational
Institutions:
Religious
Establishments:
Economic
Statistics:
Leading
Businesses:
Shopping:
Real Estate
Agents:
Restaurants:
Clubs:
Annual
Events:
Museums:
Historic
Sites:
Public Lands:
Other
Noteworthy:
Famous
Residents:
County
History Sources:
Coahoma
Setting:
Coahoma County is one of the leading counties in the Delta region. The
landscape is still dominated by cotton: cotton fields, cotton gins, the
cottonseed oil mill and the old cotton compress in Clarksdale.
Surface
Waters: Moon Lake and Yazoo Pass was the site of a Civil War maneuver,
Grant’s attempt to take Vickburg from behind.
Origin:
County
Seat/Court Houses: Clarksdale
Main
Towns: Dublin, Friar’s Point, Jonestown, Lula, Lyon, Moon Lake, Rich
Other
Settlements: Bobo, Claremont, Clover Hill, Counts Spur, Dickerson,
Eagles Nest, Farrell, King and Anderson, Mattson, Rena Laura, Dublin,
Roundaway, Rudyard, Sherard, Stovall
Educational
Institutions:
Religious
Establishments:
Economic
Statistics:
Leading
Businesses: KBH implement manufacturers
Shopping:
Walmart, downtown Clarksdale
Real Estate
Agents:
Restaurants:
Chamoun’s Resthaven, Abraham’s Abe’s Bar-be-que.
Clubs:
Annual
Events: Sunflower River Blues and Gospel Festival, early August.
Museums:
Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale.
Historic
Sites:
Public Lands:
Other
Noteworthy: Hopson Plantation, Alcorn Brake
Famous
Residents:
County
History Sources:
DeSoto
Setting:
DeSoto County lies in far northwest Mississippi, partly in the Hills and
partly in the Delta, and just south of Memphis. Driving south from Memphis
on US Highway 61, you top the loess bluffs and the alluvial plain opens
and widens. There are other great bluff-top views on Highway 302 and Star
Landing Road. The county now has gambling facilities at Lake Cormorant and
Highway 61 is now lined with giant billboards.
Surface
Waters: Arkabutla Lake on the Coldwater River, Horn Lake Creek, Camp
Creek, Hurricane Creek…
Origin:
County
Seat/Court Houses: Hernando
Main
Towns: Eudora, Horn Lake, Lake Cormorant, Mineral Wells, Olive Branch,
Nesbit, Southhaven, Walls.
Other
Settlements: Cockrum, Frees Corner, Horn Lake, Lewisburg, Lynchburg.
Educational
Institutions:
Religious
Establishments:
Economic
Statistics: DeSoto County is one of the fastest growing areas of the
state. Interstate 55 and US Highway 78…
Leading
Businesses:
Shopping:
Real Estate
Agents:
Restaurants:
Clubs:
Annual
Events:
Museums:
Historic
Sites:
Public
Lands: US Corps of Engineers Arkabutla Lake (north bank)
Other
Noteworthy:
Famous
Residents:
County
History Sources:
Humphreys
Setting:
Surface
Waters:
Origin:
County
Seat/Court Houses:
Main Towns:
Other
Settlements:
Educational
Institutions:
Religious
Establishments:
Economic
Statistics:
Leading
Businesses:
Shopping:
Real Estate
Agents:
Restaurants:
Clubs:
Annual
Events:
Museums:
Historic
Sites:
Public Lands:
Other
Noteworthy:
Famous
Residents:
County
History Sources:
Issaquena
Setting:
Surface
Waters:
Origin:
County
Seat/Court Houses:
Main Towns:
Other
Settlements:
Educational
Institutions:
Religious
Establishments:
Economic
Statistics:
Leading
Businesses:
Shopping:
Real Estate
Agents:
Restaurants:
Clubs:
Annual
Events:
Museums:
Historic
Sites:
Public Lands:
Other
Noteworthy:
Famous
Residents:
County
History Sources:
Leflore
Setting:
Surface
Waters:
Origin:
County
Seat/Court Houses:
Main Towns:
Other
Settlements:
Educational
Institutions:
Religious
Establishments:
Economic
Statistics:
Leading
Businesses:
Shopping:
Real Estate
Agents:
Restaurants:
Clubs:
Annual
Events:
Museums:
Historic
Sites:
Public Lands:
Other
Noteworthy:
Famous
Residents:
County
History Sources:
Panola
Setting:
Surface
Waters:
Origin:
County
Seat/Court Houses:
Main Towns:
Other
Settlements:
Educational
Institutions:
Religious
Establishments:
Economic
Statistics:
Leading
Businesses:
Shopping:
Real Estate
Agents:
Restaurants:
Clubs:
Annual
Events:
Museums:
Historic
Sites:
Public Lands:
Other
Noteworthy:
Famous
Residents:
County
History Sources:
Quitman
Setting:
Quitman County lies along the east or backwater side of the Delta. The
land is low and gently rolling, with large low-lying flats with bottomland
hardwoods. Much of the surface of the county is cleared for cropland; much
more land has recently been taken out of production and is being returned
to forest.
Surface
Waters: Much of Quitman County was formerly subject to annual
flooding; there are still occasional localized floods in the winter and
spring months, especially in the southeast corner of the county. The
Coldwater River meets the just-combined old Tallahatchie and old Yokona
rivers between Lambert and Crowder. All three of these main rivers have
been highly modified by channelization (Pompey Ditch cuts off much of The
Coldwater, the Panola-Quitman Floodway carries the flow of the
Tallahatchie/Yokona system near the foot of the bluff and south into
Tallahatchie County). Other main streams include Bear Lake, Bobo Bayou,
Burrell Bayou, Cassidy Bayou, Davie Bayou, Hope Bayou, Hopson Bayou,
Indian Creek, Opossum Bayou, Pecan Bayou, Squirrel Lake, South Lake,
Whiting Brake.
Origin:
Quitman County was formed in 187--- from parts of Coahoma, Panola and
Tunica counties. The county is named for Mexican war General ----Quitman.
County
Seat/Court Houses: Marks.
Main
Towns: Belen (original seat), Crowder, Darling, Falcon, Lambert,
Sledge, Vance.
Other
Settlements: Barksdale, Birdie, Bobo, part of Crenshaw, Denton, Essex,
Hinchcliff, Longstreet, Sabino, Walnut.
Educational
Institutions:
Religious
Establishments:
Economic
Statistics:
Leading
Businesses:
Shopping:
There are a few stores remaining in the small towns, but most available
services are located in Marks.
Real Estate
Agents:
Restaurants:
Clubs:
Annual
Events:
Museums:
Historic
Sites:
Public
Lands: O’Keefe Wildlife Management area south of Lambert, Tallahatchie
Wildlife Management area south of Crowder. There is a small public
roadside park in Marks at the Highway3/Highway 6 intersection.
Other
Noteworthy: 155 howitzer on courthouse lawn…
Famous
Residents: Country music singer Charley Pride came from Sledge.
County
History Sources:
Sharkey
Setting:
Surface
Waters:
Origin:
County
Seat/Court Houses:
Main Towns:
Other
Settlements:
Educational
Institutions:
Religious
Establishments:
Economic
Statistics:
Leading
Businesses:
Shopping:
Real Estate
Agents:
Restaurants:
Clubs:
Annual
Events:
Museums:
Historic
Sites:
Public Lands:
Other
Noteworthy:
Famous
Residents:
County
History Sources:
Sunflower
Setting:
Surface
Waters:
Origin:
County
Seat/Court Houses:
Main Towns:
Other
Settlements:
Educational
Institutions:
Religious
Establishments:
Economic
Statistics:
Leading
Businesses:
Shopping:
Real Estate
Agents:
Restaurants:
Clubs:
Annual
Events:
Museums:
Historic
Sites:
Public Lands:
Other
Noteworthy:
Famous
Residents:
County
History Sources:
Tallahatchie
Setting:
Surface
Waters:
Origin:
County
Seat/Court Houses:
Main Towns:
Other
Settlements:
Educational
Institutions:
Religious
Establishments:
Economic
Statistics:
Leading
Businesses:
Shopping:
Real Estate
Agents:
Restaurants:
Clubs:
Annual
Events:
Museums:
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Sites:
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Noteworthy:
Famous
Residents:
County
History Sources:
Tunica
Setting:
Tunica County lies in the plantation country of the north Delta. Cotton,
rice, soybeans and catfish have long dominated the economy and lifestyle
of the people: Tunica County has always been a predominantly Black county.
Today the leading industries are the casinos. Most of the county is
cleared, level cropland. There are dense riverine forests inside the levee
and scattered patches of bottomland hardwoods in the lowest flats.
Surface
Waters: The western boundary of Tunica County is the Mississippi
River, and the eastern, the Coldwater River which winds along the foot of
the bluff. There are numerous oxbow lakes and meandering bayous,
backwaters and smaller sloughs such as Ark Bayou, Beaverdam Lake and
Bayou, Buck Island Bayou, Flower Lake, Jack Lake Bayou, Sevenmile Bayou,
Sixmile Lake, Walnut Lake, and White Oak Bayou. A few parts of the county
(Midway Lake and Whiskey Island/old Walnut Bend), now lie west of the
Mississippi and can be reached from Lee County, Arkansas.
Origin:
Tunica County has some of the oldest-settled areas in the Delta…
County
Seat/Court Houses: Tunica.
Main
Towns: Dundee, Evansville, Hollywood, Robinsonville
Other
Settlements: Austin (site of first county seat), Banks, Beaver Dam,
Dubbs, Flea Harbor, Little Texas, Maud, Prichard, Tibbs, Walnut Lake
Educational
Institutions:
Religious
Establishments:
Economic
Statistics:
Leading
Businesses: casinos, agriculture
Shopping:
antique stores
Real Estate
Agents:
Restaurants: Blue and White
Clubs:
Annual
Events: Battle Arena?
Museums:
what it called?
Historic
Sites: Old Tunica Downtown, half-abandoned towns along Old US Highway
61
Public Lands:
none?
Other
Noteworthy: The Cutoff, old river landings, Nash Buckingham, catfish
ponds
Famous
Residents:
County
History Sources:
Washington
Setting:
Surface
Waters:
Origin:
County
Seat/Court Houses:
Main Towns:
Other
Settlements:
Educational
Institutions:
Religious
Establishments:
Economic
Statistics:
Leading
Businesses:
Shopping:
Real Estate
Agents:
Restaurants:
Clubs:
Annual
Events:
Museums:
Historic
Sites:
Public Lands:
Other
Noteworthy:
Famous
Residents:
County
History Sources:
Yazoo
Setting:
Surface
Waters:
Origin:
County
Seat/Court Houses:
Main Towns:
Other Settlements:
Educational
Institutions:
Religious
Establishments:
Economic
Statistics:
Leading
Businesses:
Shopping:
Real Estate
Agents:
Restaurants:
Clubs:
Annual
Events:
Museums:
Historic
Sites:
Public Lands:
Other
Noteworthy:
Famous
Residents:
County
History Sources:
