ISSAQUENA COUNTY HISTORY AND LOOKUP

County History Books

*None Listed

Issaquena County, Mississippi: A Genealogical Overview

Located in the heart of the Mississippi Delta, Issaquena County is a long, narrow strip of land bordered by the Mississippi and Yazoo Rivers. Its history is inextricably linked to the rise of the cotton kingdom, the institution of slavery, and the profound economic and social changes that followed the Civil War. As one of the least populated counties in the state, its past is characterized by large plantations, a reliance on river commerce, and the constant struggle against flooding. For genealogists, researching Issaquena County presents unique challenges due to significant record loss, making alternative and federal records exceptionally important.

I. County Formation and Evolution

Tracing the changes in Issaquena County’s boundaries is essential for knowing where to look for records at different points in time.

  • 1844: County Formed: Issaquena County was established on January 23, 1844.
  • Parent County: It was created entirely from the southern portion of Washington County. Any records of inhabitants prior to 1844 will be located in the records of Washington County.
  • Subsequent Formations: The county’s geography was significantly altered on March 29, 1876, when its northern and eastern territory was combined with parts of Washington and Warren counties to create Sharkey County. Researchers with ancestors in that part of Issaquena County before 1876 must continue their search in Sharkey County records after that date.
  • Name Origin: The name is derived from a Choctaw phrase, isi okhina, meaning “Deer River,” a name the local people had given to Deer Creek.
  • County Seat History: The first county seat was at a location known as Duncansby. It was later moved to Tallula. In 1871, the county seat was permanently established at Mayersville, where it remains today.

II. Settlement and Early History

  • Early Inhabitants: The land was historically the territory of the Choctaw Nation. Following the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek in 1830, the Choctaw ceded their remaining lands in Mississippi to the United States, opening the fertile Delta region to American settlement.
  • Antebellum Settlement and Economy: The county was settled almost exclusively for the purpose of establishing large-scale cotton plantations. The rich alluvial soil was among the most productive in the world for cotton cultivation. A small class of wealthy white planters, many migrating from eastern states, established vast operations worked by a large enslaved African American population. By 1860, the population of Issaquena County was over 90% enslaved. The economy and social structure were entirely defined by the plantation system.
  • Post-Civil War: After emancipation, the economy transitioned to a system of sharecropping and tenant farming. During Reconstruction, the county’s large African American majority wielded significant political power. The creation of Sharkey County in 1876 was part of the statewide effort by white “Redeemers” to dilute Black voting strength. The county’s history in the late 19th and early 20th centuries was marked by continued agricultural focus, the challenges of river floods, and the impacts of the Great Migration.

III. Genealogical Records and Resources

CRITICAL NOTE: Issaquena County has suffered from multiple courthouse fires, resulting in the significant loss of early records. The courthouse burned in 1854 and again in 1884. Researchers must be prepared for major gaps in records prior to the late 1880s.

  • County Courthouse: The primary repository for surviving records is the Issaquena County Circuit Clerk’s Office, located at 129 Court St, Mayersville, MS 39113. This office holds land, court, and marriage records that have survived the fires.
  • Vital Records:
    • Birth and Death Records: Statewide vital records registration began in Mississippi in November 1912. Some inconsistent county-level records may exist from 1879 onward, but the courthouse fires make their survival unlikely.
    • Marriage Records: Due to the fires, the earliest surviving marriage records date from the mid-1880s. Records from the county’s formation until that time are presumed lost.
  • Key Alternate Records (due to record loss):
    • Federal Census Records: These are essential for reconstructing families. Key censuses include 1850-1860 (with slave schedules), 1870 (the first to name all African Americans), and 1880. The 1870 census is particularly vital as it bridges the gap between slavery and the post-fire era.
    • Land Records: While other records burned, land records (deeds and mortgages) are more likely to have survived, as they were often re-recorded after a fire to prove ownership.
    • Freedmen’s Bureau Records (1865-1872): For African American research, these federal records are invaluable. They may contain information on labor contracts, rations, medical care, and disputes.
  • Libraries with Genealogy Collections:
    • Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH): Located in Jackson, MDAH is the most important research facility for Mississippi genealogy. It holds microfilm copies of all surviving Issaquena County records, tax rolls, state census records, newspapers, and manuscript collections that can help supplement the lost county records.
  • Bordering Jurisdictions:
    • Washington County, MS (to the north)
    • Sharkey County, MS (to the east, established 1876)
    • Warren County, MS (to the south)
    • East Carroll Parish, LA (to the west)
    • Chicot County, AR (to the northwest)

Please share any resources you have and will do lookups or links to resources you are aware of. Thanks