Choctaw County, Mississippi

Choctaw County Education, Geography, and History

Choctaw County is a county located in the state of Mississippi. Based on the 2010 census, the population was 8,547. Its county seat is Ackerman. The county is named after the Choctaw tribe of Native Americans who long occupied this territory as their homeland.

Etymology - Origin of Choctaw County Name

Choctaw is named for the Choctaw Native American people.

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: CensusBureau Quick Facts

Choctaw County History

Choctaw County was organized on December 23, 1833. The name comes from the Indian word Chahta, which according to the best authorities means "separation," referring to the separation of the Choctaws from the Chickasaws.

Choctaw County was carved from the territory ceded by the Choctaw nation under the treaty of Dancing Rabbit in 1830. Originally, its territory was almost square in shape, and more than twice as large as at present. In 1870, parts of Choctaw were taken to form Grenada, and were added to Montgomery and Webster in 1871 and 1874. In the latter year part of Winston was annexed to Choctaw County.

The first county seat was at Greensboro, now in Webster County. When Montgomery County was formed from part of Choctaw, in 1871, it was found expedient to move the seat of justice to a more central location. La Grange was accordingly chosen and a new court house built there in 1872. G.W. Gunter donated 40 acres of land on which the town was built. It was situated in the northern part of the county, about two miles south of the Big Black River. In the early part of 1874, the court house was burned- it was believed by incendiaries who wished to have the county divided in order to create a Republican county out of part of it. All the county records were destroyed. The Republican majority in the legislature again divided the county in 1874, to form the present county of Webster, first called Sumner.

The seat of justice for Choctaw was then moved to the present site of Chester, near the center of the county. Soon after this La Grange was abandoned and only a postoffice remains. Courts are also held at the important town of Ackerman, which is now the county seat.

Record loss, 1888. Chester was the first county seat, but suffered several fires last one in 1874. No records from that period extant.

Geography

Neighboring Counties

Bordering counties are as follows:

• Webster County, Mississippi - north
• Oktibbeha County, Mississippi - east
• Winston County, Mississippi - southeast
• Attala County, Mississippi - southwest
• Montgomery County, Mississippi - west

Education

Primary and secondary schools

Choctaw County School District operates public schools. Ackerman High School and the Weir Attendance Center provide secondary school education.

French Camp Academy, which provides in-house private education in grades 7 through 12, is located in French Camp.

Colleges and universities

Colleges and universities within a 60-mile (97 km) radius of the center of the county include:

East Mississippi Community College (campuses in Columbus, Mayhew, and Scooba)
Holmes Community College (campuses in Goodman and Grenada)
Mississippi State University (Starkville)
Mississippi University for Women (Columbus)

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