Pike County was created by act of February 9, 1815, out of a part of Marion County , and its name perpetuates the memory of Gen. Zebulon M. Pike, the explorer. Its limits were defined as follows:
“Beginning on the line of demarcation at the southeast corner of Amite County, running from thence east along said line thirty miles; thence a line to run due north to its intersection with the summit of the dividing ridge between the waters of Bogue Chitto and Pearl River, after the same shall cross the waters of McGee’s Creek, thence along the said ridge until it intersects the southern boundary of Lawrence County; and all that tract of territory lying west and north of the lines thus described, shall form a new county by the name of Pike.”
The southern and western lines have not been changed, but a strip from the northern tier of townships has been added to the counties of Lawrence and Lincoln. Some of its eastern townships went to form the new county of Walthall in 1914.
Before the county was organized, a few permanent settlers were to be found along its rivers and creeks, chiefly in the valley of the Bogue Chitto River. The following is a list of the civil officers of the county for the year 1818: James Y. McNabb, Richardson Bowman, Peter Quinn, Jr., Benjamin Bagley, Nathan Morris, Justices of the Quorum; Ralph Stovall, James Baggett, Wm. Carter, Mathew McCune, Nathaniel Wells, Nathan Sims, Thos. Arthur, Benj. Morris, Henry Quinn, Nathan Morris, Justices of the Peace; Laban Bascot, Assessor and Collector; Wyley P. Harris, Ranger; Jas. C. Dickson, Surveyor and Notary Public; Peter Quinn, Treasurer; other county officers, 1819-1827 were Peter Felder, Sr., Mathew McEwen, Eleazer Bell, Justices of the Quorum; Leonard Varnade, John Wilson, Richard Quinn, Benj. Thomas, Sr., David Cleveland, Thos. Rule, Jesse King, Nelson Higginbotham, Daniel Felder, Jas. Roberts, Leroy Tatum, James Hope, David Bullock, Jacob Coon, Michael Prescott, John Felder, Davis Barren, Stephen Ellis, Jas. Chamberlain, Justices of the Peace; Vincent Gamen, Barnabas Allen, Wm. Wilson, Wm. Dickson, Associate Justices; David Cleveland, Robert Love, Judges of Probate; Felix Allen, A.M. Perryman, Treasurers; Laban Bascot, Sheriff, Assessor and Collector; Gordon D. Boyd, Wm. W. Pearson, Surveyors.
County courts were first held at the residence of Gabriel Allen, on the Bogue Chitto, and finally in 1816, a commission was appointed, consisting of Benjamin Bagley, Peter Felder, Sr., Obed Kirkland, William Bullock, and David McGraw, Sr., to locate a permanent seat of justice within three miles of the center of the county. They selected a site in the valley of the Bogue Chitto, at the foot of a high range of hills, and called it by the name of Holmesville in honor of Maj. Andrew Hunter Holmes, a brother of Gov. David Holmes. The following were some of the prominent citizens of this old town: David Quinn, the first settler at the place, James Y. McNabb, clerk of the Superior court and delegate to the constitutional convention of 1817; David Cleveland, Probate Judge, Sheriff and member of the legislature; Laban Bascot, Sheriff 1819-1826; Henry Quinn, Clerk of the courts; Anthony Perryman, the first merchant; John Black, William Gage, Buckner, Harris, Dillingham, Hagan and Wm. A. Stone, lawyers.
When the Illinois Central railroad from New Orleans went through the county in 1857, Holmesville was left to the east of it about nine miles and soon began to decline in competition with the new towns which sprang up along the line, such as Osyka, Summit and Magnolia. Not long after this, the courts and county records were by vote removed to Magnolia, the present county seat, and the past glory of the old town could not prevent its decay.
Pike County is bordered by Lincoln County (north), Walthall County (east), Washington Parish, Louisiana (southeast), Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana (south) and Amite County (west) . Cities and Towns include Magnolia, McComb, Osyka, Summit . Due a Court House fire in 1882, no county records exisit prior to that year for Pike County
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
Pike County Clerk of Circuit Court has Marriage Records from 1882/1882 and Court Records from 1882 and is located at P. O. Drawer 31, Magnolia, Mississippi 39652;
Phone: 783-2581, Fax: 783-2001 . 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.
Pike County Chancery Court Clerk has Land Records from 1882 and Probate Records from 1882 and is located at P. O. Box 309, Magnolia, Mississippi 39652;
Phone: 783-3362, Fax: 783-4101.
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.
Below is a list of online resources for Pike County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Pike County Court Records by clicking the link below:
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.
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.
Pike County Health Department has Birth
and Death
Records from November of 1912 .and is located at 1029 Phillips Road, McComb, MS 39648; Phone: (601) 249-4397 . You may go to any county health department in the State of Mississippi to obtain a certificates can be issued while you wait.
Contact Chancery Clerk for County Divorce Records (See Pike County Court Records for Address and Phone number) in the county where divorce was granted, and Contact Clerk of Circuit Court Judge For County Marriage Records (See Pike County Court Records for Address and Phone number) in county where license was issued
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.
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.
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 Pike County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Pike County Vital Records by clicking the link below:
Search the Social Security Death Index for FREE - Search over 82 million death records and get genealogical information crucial to your family research. New content added weekly! Most comprehensive SSDI site online!
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
Below is a list of online resources for Pike County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Pike County Census Records by clicking the link below:
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 Pike County Maps. Email us with websites containing Pike County Maps by clicking the link below:
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 Pike County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Pike County Military Records by clicking the link below:
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.
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.
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 Pike County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Pike County Tax Records by clicking the link below:
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 Pike County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Pike County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:
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 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.
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.
Below is a list of online resources for Pike County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Pike County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:
Internment.net - Mississippi Cemeteries - Browse Cemeteries by County
Find Obituaries in The World's Largest Newspaper Archive at NewpaperArchive.com! - Find thousands of obituaries to help you research your family history. Search for a newspaper obituary about your ancestor or a celebrity. Begin your search today and find death notices and funeral announcements printed in newspapers throughout the world.
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 Pike County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information . Email us with websites containing Pike County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:
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.
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.
Pike County, located in southwest Mississippi, was created from Marion County in 1815. Its boundaries remained unchanged until 1910 when Walthall County was formed from the eastern portion of the county. Magnolia is the county seat with the towns of McComb, Holmesville, Osyka, and Summit also located within its borders.
Early settlers of Pike County migrated into the area primarily from the Carolinas and Georgia. With its location along the Louisiana border, many families also migrated back and forth between Pike County and the neighboring Mississippi Counties, particularly Washington County. Many descendants of these early Pike County settlers still reside in the county.
