History of Dumas, Mississippi


circa 1900
Downtown Dumas looking south...on the right is the Methodist Church...
Looks like Sunday after services.
a special thanks goes to Nick Hughey for providing this picture.

Dumas was  established in 1840,and named after Jackson Deberry Dumas, one of Tippah County's first settlers.  Mr. Dumas owned and operated the first post office in Dumas.

    The town is located at the crossroads of MS Highway 370, the Nathan Bedford Forrest Memorial Highway, and a paved county road. This is the route that the Yankees took trying to catch General Nathan Bedford Forrest during the Civil War at  the time of the Battle at Brice's Crossroads.  Sturgis and his men made themselves at home in Dumas staying at Stubbs Plantation while they waited on Forrest and his troups.
    The Stubb's Plantation house was reported to quite grand, with two and a half stories.  The top floor had a banquet hall most often used for weddings and social gatherings.  The town once sported quite a few Victorian Style homes, a school, a doctors office, post office and quite a few stores.  Today, all that remains is a small community with a couple of stores and a restaurant.



Davis' Store
(late 1900's)
This picture was copied  from an old tin-type and restored.  If you have any information on this establishment please send it in.

Melissa McCoy-Bell
Tippah County MSGENWEB Coordinator

© 2002-2006,  by Melissa McCoy-Bell.  All rights reserved.