GREENE COUNTY
Chapter XLV, pages 725-726
This county is among the oldest erected
in Mississippi, having been established on December 9, 1811, while David
Holmes of Virginia was serving as territorial governor. The county has
a land surface of 710 square miles. It is located far down in the southeastern
section of the State on the border of Alabama. The Counties of Wayne, Franklin,
Amite and George contributed to form its area, and its original limits
were thus defined: "Beginning on the line of demarcation, where the trading
road leading from the Choctaw nation to Mobile crosses the same, thence
along said trading road to where the fifth parallel township line crosses
the same, thence west with said line to the fourth range of township east
of Pearl River, numbering from whence the line of demarcation crosses the
same, thence down the said range of townships to the line of demarcation,
and with the same east to the beginning." That portion of the county lying
west of the dividing line between the eighth and ninth ranges, was taken
February 3, 1820, to form the county of Perry.
Among its earliest settlers was a large
infusion of industrious arid conservative Scotchmen from the Carolinas
and Virginia, as is evidenced by the prefix "Mac," which appears in so
many of the names. Asa Hartfield, Jacob Carter, William Morgan, John McRae,
Jacob Johnson, Daniel McIntosh, Justices of the Quorum (1818-1820); R.M.
McCarty, Alexander McLeod and Alex Morrison, Judges of Probate (1821-1825);
Alexander McLean, Murdock MeHaskill, Angus Morrison, early Sheriffs, were
a few of the earliest civil officers of the county. It was named for General
Nathanael Greene, a distinguished officer in the Revolutionary war, and
performed its share in shaping the early history of the Commonwealth, being
represented by Laughlin McCoy and John McRae in the constitutional convention
of 1817.
Greene County is bounded on the north by
the county of Wayne, on the east by Alabama, on the south by George County
and on the west by Perry County. It is sparsely settled and contains no
towns of importance. The county seat is at Leakesville, which has a population
of 600 people and was named for Gov. Walter Leake. It is located on the
Chickasawhay River. A short spur of the Mobile & Ohio railroad taps
the county on the east, running from Lucedale to Leakesville, and thence
to the main line.
The county is well watered by the Chickasawhay
and Leaf rivers and their numerous tributaries. The general surface is
undulating, but level on the river and creek bottoms. The soil on the bottom
lands is fertile; on the pine lands of a light sandy loam, which is fairly
productive.
Greene County has a population of 10,430
people. In 1850, with its far greater area, 2,018 people were within its
borders. The population did not reach 6,000 until 1900. It is an agricultural
county, but does not promise marked development until its transportation
conveniences have been improved. Virtually its southeastern and southwestern
corners are the oniy sections of the county which have railroad service.
For the year 1919 the value of its crops was estimated to be about $480,000,
and its live stock was valued at $466,000. Some progress has been made
in raising vegetables and the large fruits, like peaches and apples.
