Coahoma County Facts

Click HERE to see full size D.O.T. County Map      Coahoma County, an original county of the Choctaw Cession of 1830, was the eleventh county established by the act of February 9, 1836. Formed under Second Constitution (1832-1869), March 1, 1836 {Divided, February 19, 1892 - June 3, 1930} , and is located in the northwestern part of the State in the fertile Yazoo Delta region. The name "Coahoma" is a Choctaw word signifying "red panther." The act creating the county defined its limits as follows: "Beginning at the point where the line between townships 24 and 25 of the surveys of the late Choctaw cession intersects the Mississippi River, and running thence up the said river to the point where the dividing line between the Choctaw and Chickasaw tribes of Indians intersects the same; thence with the dividing line to the point where the line between ranges two and three of the survey of the said Choctaw cession intersects the same; thence with said range line, to the line between townships 24 and 25 aforesaid, and thence with the said township line to the beginning."      The county has a land surface of 530 square miles. It constitutes one of the numerous counties formed from the Choctaw cession of 1830. In 1877 the county relinquished a part of its territory to Quitman. Coahoma County was given a name meaning "red panther", from the Choctaw words `ko-i' ("panther", "wildcat") and `humma' or `homa' ("red"), but it is not known with certainty why this name was given. There is a tradition that the county was named for Princess Coahoma Sheriff, "Sweet Coahoma", who was the daughter of a Choctaw chieftain named Sheriff. This seems improbable, if for no other reason than that Coahoma was a man's name among the Muscogee peoples. Another suggestion is that the county may have been named for a stream called Coahoma. It does seem likely that this name, like several other county names, was suggested by Alexander G. McNutt. Even though the county lies in the Choctaw district, it was formed at the time of the creation of counties in the Chickasaw district. Since other counties formed at the same time were named for Tishomingo and for Itawamba (Levi Colbert), it seems at least reasonable to suppose that Coahoma County may have been named for William McGilvery (sometimes given as McGillivray), whose Indian name is said to have been Coahoma and who, like Levi Colbert, was a mixed-blood Chickasaw district chief during the time between the Treaty of Chickasaw Council House in 1816 and removal during the 1830s.      The following is a list of the county officers two years after the county was established: L. Baker, Henry Weathers, James W. Lunsford, Alfred Holsell, David B. Allen, members of the Board of Police; S. Swearingin, Aaron Shelby, G.B. Warren, Allen Tackett, William Tunstall, John Miller, Justices of the Peace; William M. Cador, Sheriff; Euophilus Huff, Coroner; Aaron Shelby, Judge of Probate; Charles P. Robinson, Ranger; John L. Dabney, Surveyor; Bushrod B. Warner, Circuit Clerk; John D. Shaw, Clerk of the Probate Court; Hector J. Palmerton, Assessor and Collector; John Austin, Ira Piper, Matthew Huff, John R. Jones, Constables.      Port Royal was once the county seat of Coahoma County. It was a rival of Friar’s Point, five miles up the Mississippi River. In the early days the county seats of the Mississippi River counties were always located on the banks of that stream. When Port Royal was cut off from the river in 1848, its fate was sealed and the county seat of justice was located at Friar’s Point, which still remained a river town. It received its name in honor of Robert Friar, one of its earliest settlers. Clarksdale, one of the county seats, is now the largest and most important city in the county. Clarksdale was named for John Clark, a brother-in-law of Governor Alcorn, whose beautiful home, Eagle’s Nest, was in this county. The main line of the Yazoo & Mississippi Valley railway, together with four branches of the same road, afford the county excellent railroad facilities. From Coahoma in the northeastern part of the county, two branches cross in a southwesterly direction, one of which, branching at Clarksdale, crosses the southeastern part of the county.      Coahoma County is bordered by Tunica County (north), Quitman County (east), Tallahatchie County (southeast), Bolivar County (southwest) and Phillips County, Arkansas (west) . Cities and Towns include Clarksdale, Coahoma, Friars Point, Jonestown, Lula, Lyon, Dublin and Rudyard .    See Extended History for More information. The Official County Website is located at http://www.clarksdalewebinfo.com/. Coahoma County, Mississippi History Books at Amazon.com Family History Library - The largest collection of free family history, family tree and genealogy records in the world.

There are free downloadable and printable forms to help with your research. These include U.S. Census Extraction Forms, U.K. Census Extraction Forms, Research Calendar, Ancestral Chart, Research Extract, Correspondence Record , Family Group Sheet , Source Summary Form.

Back to top

Coahoma County Court Records

See Also Mississippi Land Records, Marriage Records, Court & Probate Records

PLEASE READ!! Please call the clerk's department to confirm hours, mailing address, fees and other specifics before visiting or requesting information because of sometimes changing contact information. Dates following a slash indicate those materials jointly held by the Mississippi Department of Archives and History and the FHL

   Coahoma County Clerk of Circuit Court has Marriage Records from 1849/1849 and Court Records from 1839 and is located at P.O. Box 849, Clarksdale, Mississippi 38614 ; Phone: 624-3014, Fax: 624-3075
   Duties of the Circuit Clerk include Receivin and fileing all law suits, indictments, motions and other related papers in all Civil and Criminal Cases filed in the Circuit or County Courts and issues all process including summons and subpoenas, Draws Jurors and qualifies Juries, Keeps a record of all Judgments and Executions, Issues marriage licenses and keeps records of marriages.

   Coahoma County Chancery Court Clerk has Land Records from 1839 and Probate Records from 1856 and is located at P. O. Box 98, Clarksdale, Mississippi, 38614 ; Phone: 624-3000, Fax: 624-3029.
   The Chancery Clerk occupies perhaps the most unique and diverse office in all of Mississippi government. The various duties given the Chancery Clerk by statute, or assumed voluntarily by the individual Clerk, cover a wide range of vitally important functions. Some of the duties and functions of the Chancery Clerk are recording the official minutes. As public recorder, the Clerk handles the recording and storage of several types of documents and maintains various indexes that aid people in researching these records. The primary records are deeds and mortgages relating to real property, but the Clerk also records federal tax liens, Lis Pendens ( notices of pending lawsuits ) and military discharges. The Clerk is in charge of the storage and authorized disposal of older land rolls, tax receipts and many other County records after their active use lifespan. As Clerk of the Chancery Court, the Clerk handles a multitude of tasks such as matters of estates, guardianships, conservatorships, divorces, child custody, adoption, property disputes and other matters of equity.

There are a few online marriage databases which include: Mississippi Marriages 1767-1935; Mississippi Marriages to 1825; Mississippi Marriages 1826-1850 and Mississippi Marriages 1826-1900. Omline Land records include Mississippi Land Records; Land Claims in Mississippi Territory, 1789-1834 and the BLM Land Records which covers the State of Mississippi. May pioneers and settelers bought land from the government instead of individuals. Online court records include Mississippi Court Records, 1799-1835

Click Here to Search Mississippi Court, Land, Wills & Financial Records! - Researchers often overlook the importance of court records, probate records, and land records as a source of family history information.

Below is a list of online resources for Coahoma County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Coahoma County Court Records by clicking the link below:

• Coahoma County, Mississippi Court Books at Amazon.com
• Mississippi Immigration & Emigration Records - Immigration records help the family historian to understand the movements of their ancestry as they relocated to different parts of the world.
• ?

Back to top

Coahoma County Vital Records

See Also Vital Records in Mississippi

Click Here to Search Mississippi Birth, Marriage & Death Records! - Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events. They are prime sources for genealogical information. Look also for baptism, christening, and burial records in this collection.

Some documents are just too important to wait six weeks for. With VitalChek Express Certificate Service you won’t have to. Birth, Marriage, Divorce & Death Certificates Signed. Sealed. Delivered. Often in as few as three business days!

   Mississippi Department of Health is located in the Underwood Building, 571 Stadium Drive, just off North State Street near Woodrow Wilson Avenue in Jackson, Mississippi. The phone number is 601.576.7981. They have the following records:

• Birth Certificates: The Mississippi Department of Health began filing birth certificates in November of 1912 for persons born in Mississippi. For earlier records, contact the Mississippi Department of Archives and History at (601) 576-6876.The certified copy of the birth certificate is available for $12.00 for the first copy and $3.00 for each additional copy ordered at the same time. You can download an application online for Birth Certificates. You can also order Order Electronically and get the certificates much quicker by ordering HERE
• Death Certificates: The Mississippi Department of Health began filing death certificates in November of 1912 for persons who died in Mississippi. For earlier records, contact the Mississippi Department of Archives and History at (601) 576-6876. The fee for a certified copy of a death certificate is $10.00. Each additional copy ordered at the same time is $2.00. You can download an application online for Death Certificates. You can also order Order Electronically and get the certificates much quicker by ordering HERE. Click Here to Search the Social Security Death Index for FREE
• Marriage Certificates: The Mississippi Department of Health began filing Marriage records from January 1, 1926 to June 30, 1938, and for January 1, 1942 to present. for marriages that occurred in Mississippi. (Information for marriages prior to 1926 must be obtained from the Clerk of Circuit Court office in the county where the marriage license was issued.).The fee for a search of the records and a certified copy is $10.00. Additional copies ordered at the same time are $2.00 each. You can download an application online for Marriage Certificates. You can also order Order Electronically and get the certificates much quicker by ordering HERE

Checks or Money Orders should be made payable to "Vital Records." Please do not send cash. Fees are non refundable. Additional fees are required for expedited service. Mail all Applications to: Mississippi Vital Records, P.O. Box 1700, Jackson, MS 39215-1700. You can download an application online for Birth Certificates, Marriage Certificates or Death Certificates. You can also order Order Electronically and get the certificates much quicker by ordering HERE

Below is a list of online resources for Coahoma County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Coahoma County Vital Records by clicking the link below:

• Search the Social Security Death Index for FREE
• Coahoma County, Mississippi Birth, Marriage & Death Books at Amazon.com
• ?

Back to top

Coahoma County Census Records

See Also Research In Census Records

Click Here to Search Mississippi Voter Lists & Census Records! - Few, if any, records reveal as many details about individuals and families as do government census records. Substitute records can be used when the official census is unavailable.

   Federal Population Schedules that exist for Mississippi are 1820, 1830 (Partial), 1840, 1850, 1860 (Partial), 1870, 1880, 1890 (fragment, see below), 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930. In 1817 Mississippi became the twentieth state to enter the union; therefore, the first federal population census available is that of 1820.
Variations of this census appear in three printed forms, none of which include slave or miscellaneous information. Enumerations for Pike County are missing in 1830, but the Gillis index used extant tax records to supplement their index. Transcriptions are subject to error; use these reprints simply as a guide to the original records.
   A significant addition to the 1840 census supplies the names and ages of pensioners. Schedules are missing for Hancock, Sunflower, and Washington counties in 1860.
   By 1870, with slavery abolished, all blacks, natives, and Chinese were included, along with information regarding citizenship. With the destruction of the 1890 population schedules, only the schedules enumerating Union veterans are available for Mississippi. There are free downloadable and printable Census forms to help with your research. These include U.S. Census Extraction Forms and U.K. Census Extraction Forms

See Also Statewide Records that exist for Mississippi

Below is a list of online resources for Coahoma County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Coahoma County Census Records by clicking the link below:

• Coahoma County, Mississippi Census Books at Amazon.com
• Mississippi Census, 1805-90
• ?

Back to top

Coahoma County Maps & Atlases

   Genealogy Atlas has images of old American atlases during the years 1795, 1814, 1822, 1823, 1836, 1838, 1845, 1856, 1866, 1879 and 1897 for Alabama and other states.
   You can view rotating animated maps for Mississippi showing all the county boundaries for each census year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries. You can view a list of maps for other states at Census Maps
   You can view rotating animated maps for Mississippi showing all the county boundary changes for each year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries . You can view a list of maps for other states and State Department of Transportation Maps at County Maps. The Alabama Department of Transportation has county maps the show the locations of churches, cemeteries, roads, ect... free for viewing or download here

Below is a list of online resources for Coahoma County Maps. Email us with websites containing Coahoma County Maps by clicking the link below:

• Coahoma County, Mississippi Map Books at Amazon.com
• ?

Back to top

Coahoma County Military Records

See Also Military Records in Mississippi

Click Here to Search Mississippi Military Records! - Military and civil service records provide unique facts and insights into the lives of men and women who have served their country at home and abroad.

   The uses and value of military records in genealogical research for ancestors who were veterans are obvious, but military records can also be important to re-searchers whose direct ancestors were not soldiers in any war. The fathers, grandfathers, brothers, and other close relatives of an ancestor may have served in a war, and their service or pension records could contain information that will assist in further identifying the family of primary interest. Due to the amount of genealogical information contained in some military pension files, they should never be overlooked during the research process. Those records not containing specific genealogical information are of historic value and should be included in any overall research design.

Below is a list of online resources for Coahoma County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Coahoma County Military Records by clicking the link below:

• Coahoma County, Mississippi Military Books at Amazon.com
• Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783 (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents in NARA publication M246 include muster rolls, payrolls, strength returns, and other miscellaneous personnel, pay, and supply records of American Army units, 1775-83.
• Compiled Service Records of Soldiers Who Served in the American Army During the Revolutionary War (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents in NARA publication M246 include muster rolls, payrolls, strength returns, and other miscellaneous personnel, pay, and supply records of American Army units, 1775-83.
• Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Filesi (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, from NARA publication M804.
• Southern Claims Commission from the State of Mississippi (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents In the 1870s, southerners claimed compensation from the U.S. government for items used by the Union Army, ranging from corn and horses, to trees and church buildings.
• View, Print Copy & Save Original Organization Index to Pension Files of Veterans Who Served Between 1861 and 1900 from the State of Mississippi (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Pension applications for service in the U.S. Army between 1861 and 1917, grouped according to the units in which the veterans served.
• Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Mississippi (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Compiled service records of Confederate soldiers from Mississippi units, labeled with each soldier's name, rank, and unit, with links to revealing documents about each soldier
• ?

Back to top

Coahoma County Tax Records

See Also Research In Tax Records

   Local county courthouses maintain original tax records, both real and personal. Microfilm copies of the earlier records are found in the Mississippi Department of Archives and History where the collection is extensive, but there are gaps. Although not many, some counties have published selected years of tax rolls.

Below is a list of online resources for Coahoma County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Coahoma County Tax Records by clicking the link below:

• Coahoma County, Mississippi Tax Books at Amazon.com
• ?

Back to top

Coahoma County Genealogical Addresses

See Also Other Mississippi Genealogical Addresses

   The Repositories in this section are Archives, Libraries, Museums, Genealogical and Historical Societies. Many County Historical and Genealogical Societies publish magazines and/or news letters on a monthly, quarterly, bi-annual or annual basis. Contacting the local societies should not be over looked. State Archives and Societies are usually much larger and better organized with much larger archived materials than their smaller county cousins but they can be more generalized and over look the smaller details that local societies tend to have. Libraries can also be a good place to look for local information. Some libraries have a genealogy section and may have some resources that are not located at archives or societies. Also, take a special look at any museums in the area. They sometimes have photos and items from years gone by as well as information of a genealogical interest. All these places are vitally important to the family genealogist and must not be passed over.

Below is a list of online resources for Coahoma County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Coahoma County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:

• Friars Point  Historical Preservation Society Contact:  flolarson@bellsouth.net  
  P. O. Box 185, Friars Point, Mississippi 38631
• The Mississippi Library Commission 1221 Ellis Avenue, Jackson, MS 39209-7328
  1-800-MISS LIB (647-7542), (601) 961-4111, 1-800-446-0892 (BPHLS); mslib@mlc.lib.ms.us
• Local Mississippi Researchers, Find a local researcher or become a local researcher.
• Mississippi Department of Archives and History, Ph. (601) 576-6850, fax (601) 576-6964
  Physical Address: 200 North Street, Jackson, MS 39201
  Mailing Address: P. O. Box 571, Jackson, MS 39205-0571
• Mississippi State Records Center, 929 High Str, Jackson, MS 39201; (601) 354-7688
• Mississippi Historical Society, PO Box 571, Jackson, MS 39205-0571
• Mississippi Genealogical Society, PO Box 5301, Jackson, MS 39296-5301
• Mississippi Newspapers & Periodicals Records - Newspapers and periodicals are the diaries of local communities. They are excellent sources of family history details - often recorded nowhere else. Look for obituaries, marriages, legal notices, and more found in our Historical Newspaper Archives.
• ?

Back to top

Coahoma County Church & Cemeteries

See Also Church & Cemetery Records in Mississippi

Click Here to Search Mississippi Obituary Records! - This database is a compilation of obituaries published in U.S. newspapers, collected from various online sources. Obituaries can vary in the amount of information they contain, but many of them are genealogical goldmines, including information such as names, dates, places of birth and death, marriage information, and family relationships.

   There are many churches and cemeteries in Coahoma County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Coahoma County Tombstone Transcription Project. The Mississippi Department of Transportation has county maps the show the locations of churches and cemeteries free for viewing or download here.

Below is a list of online resources for Coahoma County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Coahoma County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:

• Coahoma County, Mississippi Cemetery Books at Amazon.com
• Coahoma County, Mississippi Church Books at Amazon.com
• ?

Back to top

Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits

Click Here to Search Mississippi Family Tree Records! - The use of published genealogies, electronic files containing genealogical lineage, and other compiled sources can be of tremendous value to a researcher.

   When view family trees online or not, be sure to only take the info at face value and always follow up with your own sources or verify the ones they provide. Below is a list of online resources for Coahoma County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information . Email us with websites containing Coahoma County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:

• Coahoma County, Mississippi Family Books at Amazon.com
• Search 60 Years Of Everton Data: For the first time ever you can get access to more than 150,000 pedigree files and family group sheets from Evertons. Learn More
• Search the Family Tree DNA Project- Use DNA testing to break through your genealogical barriers!
• Sites on USGenweb: [ Coahoma County ] [ Mississippi ] [ Main Page ]
• [GenForum Message Boards] [Rootsweb Message Boards]
• Genealogy Encyclopedia: General Abbreviations, Early Illnesses, Nickname Meanings, Worldwide Epidemics, Early Occupations, Common Terms, Censuses Explained, Free Genealogical Forms
• Nichols and Related Families of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virgina.
• Meet your ancestors. Learn their stories. Start your FREE family tree.
• Mississippi Family & Local History Records - The Family & Local Histories Collection lets you read journals, memoirs, and other first-hand historical narratives right on your computer. Gathered from some of the world's finest libraries, these materials may provide hard-to-find town, county, and state information; tax records and wills; military, church, and court records; as well as photographs, stories, and maps.
• Genealogical Document Search and Retrieval Service
• ?

Back to top

County History

   ?

Back to top