Tishomingo County is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

located in the northeastern corner of the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...

Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...

. As of the 2010 census, the population was 19,593. Its

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

is Iuka.

History

1888 Tishomingo County Mississippi Courthouse

Tishomingo County was organized February 9, 1836, from

Chickasaw The Chickasaw ( ) are an indigenous people of the Southeastern Woodlands. Their traditional territory was in the Southeastern United States of Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee as well in southwestern Kentucky. Their language is classified as ...

lands that were ceded to the United States. The Chickasaw were forced by

Indian Removal Indian removal was the United States government policy of forced displacement of self-governing tribes of Native Americans from their ancestral homelands in the eastern United States to lands west of the Mississippi Riverspecifically, to a de ...

to relocate to lands in the

Indian Territory The Indian Territory and the Indian Territories are terms that generally described an evolving land area set aside by the Federal government of the United States, United States Government for the relocation of Native Americans in the United St ...

(now Oklahoma). Jacinto was the original county seat of Tishomingo County and its historic courthouse building is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

. Parts of the northeastern side of Tishomingo county are part of the

Battle of Shiloh The Battle of Shiloh (also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing) was fought on April 6–7, 1862, in the American Civil War. The fighting took place in southwestern Tennessee, which was part of the war's Western Theater. The battlefield i ...

Civil War battlefield. In 1870 the area was divided into

Alcorn Alcorn is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: In arts and entertainment * Coco Love Alcorn, Canadian jazz singer * John Alcorn (singer), Canadian jazz singer * John Alcorn (artist) (1935–1992), American artist * Michael Alcorn ...

, Prentiss and Tishomingo counties. Tishomingo's county seat was relocated to Iuka.

Geography

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (4.6%) is water. The highest natural point in Mississippi, the 806 feet (246 meter)

Woodall Mountain Woodall Mountain is the highest natural point in the U.S. state of Mississippi at 806 feet (246 m). It is located just off Mississippi Highway 25, south of Iuka in Tishomingo County in the northeast part of the state. Description Located in th ...

, is located in the county. Tishomingo County is the only county in Mississippi with outcroppings of natural limestone formations.

Adjacent counties

Hardin County, Tennessee Hardin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 26,831. The county seat is Savannah. Hardin County is located north of and along the borders of Mississippi and Alabama. The county was ...

(north) *

Lauderdale County, Alabama Lauderdale County is a County (United States), county located in the northwestern corner of the U.S. state of Alabama. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census the population was 93,564. Its county seat is Florence, Alabama, Florence. Its ...

(northeast) *

Colbert County, Alabama Colbert County () is a county located in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Alabama. As of the 2020 census the county's population was 57,227. The county seat is Tuscumbia. The largest city is Muscle Shoals. The county is named in ...

(east) *

Franklin County, Alabama Franklin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Alabama. As of the 2020 census, the population was 32,113. Its county seat is Russellville. Its name is in honor of Benjamin Franklin, famous statesman, scientist, and printer. It is a ...

(southeast) * Itawamba County (south) * Prentiss County (southwest) * Alcorn County (northwest)

Major highways

* U.S. Route 72 *

Mississippi Highway 4 Mississippi Highway 4 (MS 4) runs east–west from an intersection in the community of Fox Island west of Tunica, Mississippi, near the border with Arkansas, to MS 25 in Tishomingo County, Mississippi. It travels a distance of , serving Tun ...

Mississippi Highway 25 Mississippi Highway 25 (MS 25) runs from Interstate 55, I-55 in Jackson, Mississippi, Jackson, Mississippi to the Tennessee state line north of Iuka, Mississippi, Iuka. The largely controlled-access part from Jackson to Starkville, Mississippi, St ...

Mississippi Highway 30 Mississippi Highway 30 (MS 30) is a state highway that runs across the North Central Hills of the Appalachian Mountains in northeast Mississippi. It travels east–west for from Mississippi Highway 7, MS 7 at Oxford, Mississippi to the Natche ...

* Mississippi Highway 172 *

Mississippi Highway 350 Mississippi Highway 350 (MS 350) is a highway in extreme northern Mississippi. Its western terminus is at MS 2 near Corinth. The road travels near the Tennessee state line to its eastern terminus at MS 25. The route was designated in 1981, and ...

* Mississippi Highway 364 * Mississippi Highway 365 *

Mississippi Highway 366 Mississippi Highway 366 can refer to either of two state highways in Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf ...

Mississippi Highway 760 Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Missis ...

Natchez Trace Parkway The Natchez Trace Parkway is a national parkway in the southeastern United States that commemorates the historic Natchez Trace and preserves sections of that original trail. Its central feature is a two-lane road that extends 444 miles (715 ...

National protected area

Demographics

2020 census

As of the

2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...

, there were 18,850 people, 7,635 households, and 5,035 families residing in the county.

2010 census

As of the

2010 United States Census The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators servin ...

, there were 19,593 people living in the county. 94.5% were

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 2.6% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.1%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 1.7% of some other race and 0.8% of two or more races. 2.8% were

Hispanic or Latino ''Hispanic'' and '' Latino'' are ethnonyms used to refer collectively to the inhabitants of the United States who are of Spanish or Latin American ancestry (). While the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, for example, by the United States ...

(of any race).

2000 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2000 there were 19,163 people, 7,917 households, and 5,573 families living in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was 45 people per square mile (17/km²). There were 9,553 housing units at an average density of 22 per square mile (9/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 94.93%

, 3.11%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.21% Native American, 0.08%

, 0.01%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 1.06% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 0.59% from two or more races. 1.79% of the population were

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race. By 2005 the population was 93.4% non-Hispanic white. 3.6% of the population was African-American. 2.6% of the population was Latino. At 93.4% of the county's population, Tishomingo County has the highest percentage of

Non-Hispanic whites Non-Hispanic whites or Non-Latino whites are Americans who are classified as "white", and are not of Hispanic (also known as "Latino") heritage. The United States Census Bureau defines ''white'' to include European Americans, Middle Eastern Amer ...

in the state of

. In 2000 there were 7,917 households, out of which 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.1% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.6% were non-families. 27.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.89. In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.2% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 24.7% from 45 to 64, and 16.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 92.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.8 males. The median income for a household in the county was $28,315, and the median income for a family was $34,378. Males had a median income of $28,109 versus $19,943 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the county was $15,395. About 11% of families and 14.1% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 15.6% of those under age 18 and 15.6% of those age 65 or over.

Recreation

Tishomingo State Park Tishomingo State Park is a public recreation area located in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in Tishomingo County, some northeast of Tupelo, Mississippi. The major feature of the park is Bear Creek Canyon and its generous sandsto ...

is located in the foothills of the

Appalachian Mountains The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, (french: Appalaches), are a system of mountains in eastern to northeastern North America. The Appalachians first formed roughly 480 million years ago during the Ordovician Period. They ...

in Tishomingo County, Mississippi, north of

Tupelo, Mississippi Tupelo () is a city in and the county seat of Lee County, Mississippi, United States. With an estimated population of 38,300, Tupelo is the sixth-largest city in Mississippi and is considered a commercial, industrial, and cultural hub of North M ...

. Activities in the park including

canoeing Canoeing is an activity which involves paddling a canoe with a single-bladed paddle. Common meanings of the term are limited to when the canoeing is the central purpose of the activity. Broader meanings include when it is combined with other acti ...

rock climbing Rock climbing is a sport in which participants climb up, across, or down natural rock formations. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a usually pre-defined route without falling. Rock climbing is a physically and ...

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...

and

hiking Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...

. The park was constructed by the

Civilian Conservation Corps The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a voluntary government work relief program that ran from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men ages 18–25 and eventually expanded to ages 17–28. The CCC was a major part of ...

during the 1930s. Many of the original buildings are still standing. The park is named for an early leader of the

nation, Tishomingo (1734-1838). * J.P. Coleman State Park is a

state park State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural ...

in the

. It is located north of Iuka off

. It sits along the banks of the

Tennessee River The Tennessee River is the largest tributary of the Ohio River. It is approximately long and is located in the southeastern United States in the Tennessee Valley. The river was once popularly known as the Cherokee River, among other names, ...

and

Pickwick Lake Pickwick Lake is the reservoir created by Pickwick Landing Dam as part of the Tennessee Valley Authority. The lake stretches from Pickwick Landing Dam to Wilson Dam. It is one of the few lakes in the United States to be located in 3 different stat ...

. The park is named for

James P. Coleman James Plemon Coleman (January 9, 1914 – September 28, 1991) was an American judge and the 52nd Governor of Mississippi and a United States federal judge, United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. ...

, a former

governor of Mississippi A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political r ...

. Activities include

sailing Sailing employs the wind—acting on sails, wingsails or kites—to propel a craft on the surface of the ''water'' (sailing ship, sailboat, raft, windsurfer, or kitesurfer), on ''ice'' (iceboat) or on ''land'' (land yacht) over a chosen cour ...

swimming Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, or other liquid, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Locomotion is achieved through coordinated movement of the limbs and the body to achieve hydrodynamic thrust that r ...

camping Camping is an outdoor activity involving overnight stays away from home, either without shelter or using basic shelter such as a tent, or a recreational vehicle. Typically, participants leave developed areas to spend time outdoors in more nat ...

skiing Skiing is the use of skis to glide on snow. Variations of purpose include basic transport, a recreational activity, or a competitive winter sport. Many types of competitive skiing events are recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IO ...

, and

for smallmouth bass. *

Bay Springs Lake Bay Springs Lake is a reservoir on the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway in the U.S. state of Mississippi. It is impounded by the Jamie Whitten Lock and Dam. The lake is approximately nine miles long, between waterway mile markers 412 at the dam, a ...

is a

reservoir A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation. Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contro ...

on the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway in the

. It is impounded by the

Jamie Whitten Lock and Dam The Jamie Whitten Lock and Dam (formerly named Bay Springs Lock and Dam) is part of the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway (popularly called the Tenn-Tom). It is located in south Tishomingo County, Mississippi, United States, close to the Prentiss C ...

. The lake is approximately nine miles long, between waterway mile markers 412 at the dam, and 421 near the entrance to the divide cut. * The

Tennessee–Tombigbee Waterway The Tennessee–Tombigbee Waterway (popularly known as the Tenn-Tom) is a artificial U.S. waterway built in the 20th century from the Tennessee River to the junction of the Black Warrior-Tombigbee River system near Demopolis, Alabama. The Tenn ...

(popularly known as the "Tenn-Tom") is a artificial waterway that provides a connecting link between the

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...

and Tombigbee rivers. The waterway begins at

on the Tennessee River, then flows southward through northeast

and west

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...

, finally connecting with the established

Warrior A warrior is a person specializing in combat or warfare, especially within the context of a tribal or clan-based warrior culture society that recognizes a separate warrior aristocracies, class, or caste. History Warriors seem to have been p ...

-Tombigbee navigation system at Demopolis, Alabama.

Communities

City

* Iuka (county seat)

Towns

* Belmont * Burnsville *

Golden Golden means made of, or relating to gold. Golden may also refer to: Places United Kingdom *Golden, in the parish of Probus, Cornwall * Golden Cap, Dorset *Golden Square, Soho, London *Golden Valley, a valley on the River Frome in Gloucestershi ...

* Tishomingo

Villages

* Paden

Census-designated place

Dennis Dennis or Denis is a first or last name from the Greco-Roman name Dionysius, via one of the Christian saints named Dionysius. The name came from Dionysus, the Greek god of ecstatic states, particularly those produced by wine, which is someti ...

Unincorporated communities

* Bloody Springs * Doskie * Eastport * Midway *

Mingo The Mingo people are an Iroquoian group of Native Americans, primarily Seneca and Cayuga, who migrated west from New York to the Ohio Country in the mid-18th century, and their descendants. Some Susquehannock survivors also joined them, and ...

Oldham Oldham is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, amid the Pennines and between the rivers Irk and Medlock, southeast of Rochdale and northeast of Manchester. It is the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham, wh ...

* Pittsburg *

Short Short may refer to: Places * Short (crater), a lunar impact crater on the near side of the Moon * Short, Mississippi, an unincorporated community * Short, Oklahoma, a census-designated place People * Short (surname) * List of people known as ...

Ghost town

* Holcut

Government and politics

Board of supervisors

* Eric Booker, District 1 * Nicky McRae, District 2 * Michael Busby, District 3 * Jeff Holt, District 4 * Greg Collier, District 5

Chancery clerk

* Peyton Cummings

Circuit Clerk

* Josh McNatt

State representatives

* Representative

Lester Carpenter Lester E. "Bubba" Carpenter (born September 1, 1970) is a Republican member of the Mississippi House of Representatives, representing the First District of Mississippi (Alcorn and Tishomingo Counties) since 2008.Bobby Harrison: "State House c ...

Mississippi House of Representatives The Mississippi House of Representatives is the lower house of the Mississippi Legislature, the lawmaking body of the U.S. state of Mississippi. According to the state constitution of 1890, it is to comprise no more than 122 members elected fo ...

- District 1 * Representative Mark DuVall,

- District 19 * Senator Eric Powell,

Mississippi State Senate The Mississippi Senate is the upper house of the Mississippi Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Mississippi. The Senate, along with the lower Mississippi House of Representatives, convenes at the Mississippi State Capitol ...

- District 4 * Senator Daniel Sparks,

- District 5

Presidential election results

Tishomingo County is solidly Republican at the Presidential level, having last voted for a Democrat in 1992 when it voted for

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...

. Since then the closest a Democrat has come to winning the county was in 1996 when Clinton narrowly lost to

Bob Dole Robert Joseph Dole (July 22, 1923 – December 5, 2021) was an American politician and attorney who represented Kansas in the United States Senate from 1969 to 1996. He was the Republican Leader of the Senate during the final 11 years of his te ...

. In 2020

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...

received 86.8 percent of the vote, the best result for a Republican since 1972 when

Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was ...

received 89.2 percent of the vote.

References

External links

Tishomingo County Development Foundation

Tishomingo County Historical and Genealogical Society

Tishomingo County Tourism Council
{{authority control Mississippi counties 1836 establishments in Mississippi Mississippi placenames of Native American origin Counties of Appalachia Populated places established in 1836

History

Geography

Adjacent counties

Major highways

National protected area

Demographics

2020 census

2010 census

2000 census

Recreation

Communities

City

Towns

Villages

Census-designated place

Unincorporated communities

Ghost town

Government and politics

Board of supervisors

Chancery clerk

Circuit Clerk

State representatives

Presidential election results

See also

References

Further reading

External links