PEARL RIVER COUNTY HISTORY AND LOOKUP

County History Books

*None Listed

Pearl River County, Mississippi: A Genealogical Overview

Located in the Piney Woods region of southern Mississippi, Pearl River County is a post-Reconstruction creation whose history is deeply intertwined with the railroad, the late 19th-century timber boom, and 20th-century agricultural and scientific innovation. Formed from two older, larger counties, its settlement patterns were driven less by antebellum agriculture and more by the industrial-scale harvesting of its vast virgin pine forests. For genealogists, understanding this economic history and the county’s significant early record loss is crucial for successful research.

I. County Formation and Evolution

Researching ancestors who lived in this area before 1890 requires looking in the records of its parent counties.

  • 1890: County Formed: Pearl River County was established on February 22, 1890, during a period of significant growth driven by the lumber industry.
  • Parent Counties: It was created from the western portion of Hancock County and the southern portion of Marion County. Any civil records for individuals living in the area prior to 1890 will be located in the courthouses of these two parent counties.
  • Subsequent Formations: In 1904, a small part of northern Pearl River County was contributed to the creation of the newly formed Lamar County.
  • Name Origin: The county is named for the Pearl River, which flows along its entire western border, separating it from Louisiana.
  • County Seat History: Poplarville was established as the county seat upon the county’s formation in 1890 and has remained so ever since. The city of Picayune later grew to become the county’s largest commercial center, primarily due to the Goodyear Yellow Pine Company’s massive sawmill operations.

II. Settlement and Early History

  • Early Inhabitants: The territory was originally part of the Choctaw Nation’s lands. Following the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek in 1830, most of the Choctaw were removed to Indian Territory (now Oklahoma), opening the area for more extensive settlement.
  • Antebellum Settlement: Prior to the Civil War, the area was sparsely populated. It was a vast wilderness of longleaf pine, and early settlers were primarily subsistence farmers and cattlemen who practiced open-range grazing. It was not part of the state’s plantation belt and had a very small enslaved population compared to other parts of Mississippi.
  • The Timber Boom: The county’s defining historical event was the timber boom that began with the arrival of the New Orleans and Northeastern Railroad in the 1880s. Northern capitalists bought millions of acres of forest, and massive sawmills were constructed. This industry created the towns of Poplarville and Picayune and attracted thousands of workers and their families from across the South, forming the foundation of the county’s modern population.
  • 20th Century Development: After the pine forests were clear-cut by the 1920s, local leaders promoted new industries. The region became the center of the American tung oil industry, used in paints and varnishes, with vast orchards planted across the county. In the 1960s, the establishment of NASA’s Stennis Space Center just south of the county line in Hancock County brought a new wave of technical professionals and economic growth that continues to this day.

III. Genealogical Records and Resources

CRITICAL NOTE ON RECORD LOSS: Researchers must be aware that the Pearl River County courthouse suffered devastating fires in 1892 and 1894. These fires destroyed the majority of the county’s earliest records from 1890-1894, including most deed books, probate records, and marriage licenses.

  • County Courthouse: Records created after the fires are located at the Pearl River County Courthouse in Poplarville, MS 39470.
    • Chancery Clerk: Holds land records (re-recorded deeds and all deeds after 1894), probate (wills and estates), and divorce records.
    • Circuit Clerk: Holds marriage records (from 1895 forward), court cases, and voter registration rolls.
  • Vital Records:
    • Birth and Death Records: Statewide registration of births and deaths in Mississippi began in November 1912. Records from that date forward are held by the Mississippi State Department of Health, Office of Vital Records.
    • Marriage Records: Licenses issued from 1895 onwards are available at the Circuit Clerk’s office in Poplarville. For marriages before 1890, researchers must check the records of Hancock and Marion counties.
  • Libraries with Genealogy Collections:
    • Margaret Reed Crosby Memorial Library (Picayune): As the largest library in the Pearl River County Library System, it has the most extensive collection of local history and genealogy materials.
    • The Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH): Located in Jackson, MDAH is the state’s primary repository and holds microfilmed county records (those that survived the fires), tax rolls, newspapers, and state census records.
    • University of Southern Mississippi – McCain Library and Archives (Hattiesburg): This university library has strong collections on the history of South Mississippi, including the lumber industry and local family papers.
  • Bordering Jurisdictions:
    • Lamar County, MS (north)
    • Forrest County, MS (north)
    • Stone County, MS (east)
    • Hancock County, MS (south)
    • St. Tammany Parish, LA (west)
    • Washington Parish, LA (west)

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