KEMPER COUNTY, MS HISTORY AND LOOKUP

County History Books

*None Listed

Kemper County, Mississippi: A Genealogical Overview

Located in the east-central part of the state along the Alabama border, Kemper County is a rural county with deep roots in the history of Mississippi’s settlement. Formed in the wake of the final major Choctaw land cessions, its story is one of rapid development during the “Flush Times” of the 1830s, the establishment of a cotton-based plantation economy, and the enduring legacy of the families, both free and enslaved, who built the community. For genealogists, research in Kemper County requires an understanding of Choctaw removal, antebellum settlement patterns, and a significant courthouse fire that impacted record survival.

I. County Formation and Evolution

Kemper County’s creation was part of a massive expansion of settlement into central Mississippi following the departure of the Choctaw Nation.

  • 1833: County Formed: Kemper County was officially established on December 23, 1833.
  • Parent Entity: The county was created entirely from lands ceded to the United States by the Choctaw Nation in the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek in 1830. It was not formed from a pre-existing Mississippi county, meaning its earliest non-Native American history begins in the early 1830s.
  • Subsequent Formations: A portion of western Kemper County was used to help form Neshoba County in 1836.
  • Name Origin: The county was named in honor of Reuben Kemper, a Virginia-born frontiersman and soldier who was known for his role in the West Florida Rebellion against Spanish colonial rule in the early 19th century.
  • County Seat History: The county seat is De Kalb, which was designated upon the county’s formation. It was named for Baron Johann de Kalb, a German-born major general who served with distinction under George Washington in the Continental Army and was killed at the Battle of Camden in 1780.

II. Settlement and Early History

  • Early Inhabitants: For centuries prior to European settlement, this land was the territory of the Choctaw people. It was an integral part of their homeland, used for hunting, agriculture, and village sites. The Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek resulted in the forced removal of the majority of the Choctaw to Indian Territory (now Oklahoma) in the early 1830s, though a small number remained and their descendants are part of the federally recognized Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians.
  • Antebellum Settlement and Economy: The Choctaw Cession triggered a land rush. The new county was rapidly settled by pioneers, predominantly of British-American descent, migrating from the Carolinas, Georgia, Alabama, and Virginia. They established a society based on the cultivation of cotton, creating numerous plantations dependent on the labor of enslaved African Americans who were forcibly brought into the area. Alongside large plantations, smaller farms operated by yeoman farmers also dotted the landscape.

III. Genealogical Records and Resources

Research in Kemper County is heavily influenced by a major courthouse fire that resulted in significant record loss.

  • Parish Courthouse: The primary repository for surviving county records is the Kemper County Circuit Clerk, located at 100 Main Street, De Kalb, MS 39328. This office holds land records (deeds), wills, estate files (probate), court documents, and marriage records.
  • Courthouse Fires and Record Loss: A devastating courthouse fire in February 1881 destroyed a large portion of the county’s early records. While some records, particularly land and marriage books, were saved or reconstructed, researchers should be prepared to find significant gaps in probate, court, and other loose records prior to 1881. Alternative sources are essential for this period.
  • Vital Records:
    • Birth and Death Records: Statewide registration of births and deaths began in Mississippi in November 1912. For vital events before that date, researchers must rely on alternative sources such as church records, family Bibles, newspapers (obituaries), and the U.S. Census Mortality Schedules (1850, 1860, 1870, 1880).
    • Marriage Records: Marriage licenses have been recorded at the county level since its formation. Many of the original pre-1881 marriage books survived the fire and are available at the Circuit Clerk’s office.
  • Libraries with Genealogy Collections:
    • Kemper-Newton Regional Library System: The local library is a good source for published county histories, family genealogies, and other local materials.
    • Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH): Located in Jackson, MDAH is the premier institution for Mississippi genealogy. It holds microfilm copies of all surviving Kemper County records, as well as state censuses, tax rolls, newspapers, maps, and an extensive collection of private manuscripts.
    • Columbus-Lowndes Public Library: Located in nearby Columbus, this library has an excellent and widely respected genealogy and local history department with strong collections covering eastern Mississippi.
  • Bordering Jurisdictions:
    • Noxubee County, MS (to the north)
    • Winston County, MS (to the northwest)
    • Neshoba County, MS (to the west)
    • Lauderdale County, MS (to the south)
    • Sumter County, AL (to the east)

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