Greene County History Page

Greene County History Page

Greene County, Mississippi

My name is Rev. James T. Dunnam. I am the host for this page, authorized by the Board of Supervisors of Greene County, Mississippi. The purpose of this page is to present items of history of this County. Greene County has a long and rich history that we want to share with those who are interested in learning about us and to preserve it for generations to come.

I was born at Indian Hill community in Greene County. I lived here through the seventh grade, then lived in Pascagoula during WWII, where I finished High School. After graduation from Mississippi College in Clinton, I graduated from the New Orleans Baptist Seminary at New Orleans, Louisiana. I served in Florida for more than 40 years, retuning after retirement to Greene County in 2001.

Greene County

Greene County was named in honor of Major General Nathaniel Greene, of Revolutionary fame, and was established December 9, 1811. Greene County was taken from a part of Wayne County. It was settled largely by folks migrating from the Northeast seeking land to settle on and build homes and rear their families.

The first Sheriff was Alexander McLain, who also served as Probate Judge. James Walley was also a early Sheriff and Probate Judge.

Most of the early settlers were Scottish, Irish, or English. Two early settlements in Greene County were Salem (Leaf) and Scotland (Vernal). Salem was established in 1838. The first settlers were McKays, McLeods, Thomsons, and Cowarts. Scotland was settled by descendents from Scotland. Both of these communities prospered until the time of the Civil War.

Courthouses

The first Court House was a little log building, which was destroyed by fire. A second log building was built, then a third, a brick Court House was built in 1899. A fourth building was built during the 1930's with assistance from the W. P. A. This building is in use in 2003.

Visitor Since January 2003