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History of Franklin County Mississippi

Franklin County was formed on December 21, 1809, the county was the fourth to organize and ties with Neshoba in area; ranking forth-first. Named for Benjamin Franklin, Franklin County was formed eleven years following the organization of the Mississippi Territory and eight years before Mississippi was admitted as a State. The newly organized county was 568 square miles.

At the time of organization, Robert Williams was Territorial Governor and Thomas Jefferson was President of the United States. Meadville, named for Cowles Mead, became the first county seat in 1819. Judge William Proby donated the land for the county seat.

The first Mississippi Representative to the Territory was Bailey Chaney. Joseph Winn was the first Representative from Franklin County to the state of Mississippi and David Dickerson was the first Senator.

The first Charter School in Franklin County was Little Springs High School. The school was organized by a Franklin County Representative, Dr. D. P. Butler.

Towns that have been established in Franklin County Mississippi:

Meadville - Established in 1809 two miles west of its present site and was know as Franklin at that time. In 1809 a committee was appointed to purchase land for the county seat for the new county of Franklin which had been formed from Adams County. The Committee was made up of John Spivars, Richard Coleman, Dougal McLaughlin, Stephen Middleton and Samuel Ratcliff. The county seat was moved to the new town of Meadville in 1820 and the town was incorporated in 1860. Meadville was named for Cowles Mead, second Secretary of the Mississippi Territory. Mississippi Congressman Dan C. McGeehee was a native of Meadville.

Almo - Located ten and one-half miles east of Meadville.

Bonus - Located ten miles north of Meadville. Bonus was established as a post office in 1900. The name origin is not generally known, however the post off has long since been discontinued.

Bude - Located about four miles east of Meadville, was formed in 1912 and named for the old home in England of Mrs. F. L. Peck whose husband was one of the founders of the town. The place was established strictly as a sawmill town. The sawmill started operation on January 28, 1912. Bude was incorporated in 1912.

Bunkley - Located eight miles southwest of Meadville.

Butler - Located one mile northwest of Meadville and locally know as Butler's Switch, the place was established in 1908 by Erastus Butler who opened a sawmill on this site. The one-time sawmill town is now listed as being extinct.

Celco - Located one mile west of McCall, being established and named by the Central Lumber Company in 1912. The place was known as the Celco Mill until it was discontinued in 1919.

Dick - Located six miles southeast of Meadville.

Eddiceton - Located five miles northeast of Bude. Eddiceton was formed in 1907 and named for Miss Eddice Dodds, daughter of Dr. A. M. Dodds who once owned the land where the town was located. In the past Eddiceton was known for the number of cucumbers raised in the area and brought to the pickling vat located here.

Flat Rock - Located twelve miles southwest of Meadville.

Franklin - Located six miles west of Meadville, Franklin was established in 1907 and named for a sawmill owner, Franklin Spurr. The place became extinct in 1915 when the mill closed.

Freewoods - Located fourteen miles southwest of Meadville.

Garden City - Garden City was established southwest of Roxie toward Knoxville about 1900 by a Dutchman from New York who chose the name, Garden City. In its early days this was a thriving settlement with a sawmill, planing mill, and a woodworking shop. The town was laid out in streets with paved sidewalk and boasted a hotel, church, school, and several stores but gradually the citizens moved away until Garden City became nothing more than a ghost town.

Hamburg - Located five miles north of Roxie, Hamburg was formed in 1885 and named for Hamburg, Germany. The original settlement was one mile from its present site as the town moved to the railroad when it was built through the area and was incorporated in 1886. It is said that during the yellow fever epidemic, land for the burial of children was donated by Dr. McGeehee.

Herring - Located ten miles out of Meadville, Herring was established as a flag stop on the Y & M V Railroad and was named for A. Herring. A few years later, the stop was discontinued an Herring became extinct.

Kennolia - Located fifteen miles northeast of Meadville.

Kirby - Located six miles northwest of Meadville was established in 1906 as a water tank on the Mississippi Central Railroad and named for Dr. Kirby Magee. There was a sawmill and post office established at a later date but both have long since been discontinued.

Knoxville - Located twenty-five miles southwest of Meadvill, the town was formed in the 1880's and named for a local citizen it was incorporated on March 15, 1886 and existed mainly as a post office.

Little Springs - Located fourteen miles east of Meadville was named for the large number of boxed - in springs located in the community. This was the site of the first high school in the county and was taught by W. H. Weathersby.

Lolly - Located twenty miles southwest of Meadville, was never more than a spur line of the Y & M V Railroad established about 1909 as a log loading site.

Lucien - Located two miles east of McCall Creek was founded when the Mississippi Central Railroad was built through this section and was named for Lucien Scott who owned a store at the site where the station was built.

McCall Creek - Located ten miles northeast of Bude was formed in 1907 as a sawmill town and named for a creek which had been named for an early settler. Incorporated in 1911, the town was once a busy place with the operation of a sawmill and a pickle vat, the latter being used by the farmers who grew cucumbers.

Mile Branch - Located about one-half miles west of Meadville, was no more than a farm settlement in 1910 and was named for a nearby creek. The Franklin County Farm was located here at one time.

Misco - Located five miles west of Roxie, the extinct settlement is said to have been formed by a family by that name in 1920.

Monroe - Located two miles of Bude, in 1817 was known as Holly and served as a voting precinct as well as a post office. It was here that horse races, fights, and liquor were found by the early settlers and was also known as an Indian Trading Post. The settlement was named Monroe in 1910 for a family by that name and was incorporated in 1912.

Mount Olive - Located five miles south of Meadville.

New Hope - Located seven and one-half miles northeast of Meadville.

Oldenburg - Located only seven miles from the town of Hamburg, this small settlement formed in 1906 and named for Oldenburg, Germany. The distance being the same between the two towns of the same name in Germany.

Orange - Located eight miles south of Roxie, the name origin is unknown but it is known that Orange was a flag stop on the Y & M V Railroad. Orange was established in 1909 for the purpose of loading logs.

Quentin - Located eight miles east of Bude is a settlement on the Homochitto River. The village was formed in 1920 and named for Quentin Roosevelt.

Roxie - Located ten miles northwest of Meadville, Roxie was formed on the Y & M V Railroad in 1886 as a shipping point. The land on this site was owned by a man named Graves who named the place for his daughter, Roxie. The town was incorporated in 1890.

Suffolk - Located four miles west of Meadville.

Veto - Located six miles north of Quentin was established mainly as a post office. It is said that when the settlement requested a post office in the early days the department asked the citizens to submit names for the office. Of all the names submitted none were accepted by the postal authorities so the Postal Department decided on the name Veto.

Wheats - Located one mile northeast of Eddiceton, was established in 1909 as a flag stop on the Mississippi Central Railroad. The stop was named for a family named Wheat who lived here at that time.

Whiteapple - Located near Roxie, was established in 1885 as a flag station on the Y & M V Railroad. William Collins one of the first settlers gave it the name Whiteapple and is not to be confused with the Indian Village of the same name.

Williams - Or Williams Switch - Located five miles southeast of Lucien, was established in 1918. The place was named for a landowner but became extinct when the timber was exhausted.

Worthington - Located two miles southeast of McCall Creek, was established in 1907. Worthington was named for the Worthington Construction Company who built the Mississippi Central Railroad through this section. There was a post office located here at one time but it was discontinued in favor of Rural Free Delivery.