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Mississippi Counties
There are eighty counties in Mississippi. Two original counties were Adams County and Jefferson County (formerly Pickering) established in 1799Kemper County, Mississippi
Kemper County Education, Geography, and History
Kemper County is a county located in the state of Mississippi. Based on the 2010 census, the population was 10,456. Its county seat is De
Kalb. The county is named in honor of Reuben Kemper.
The county is part of the Meridian, MS Micropolitan Statistical Area.
Etymology - Origin of Kemper County Name
Kemper is named for Reuben Kemper, a soldier in the Seminole Wars and Mexican-American Wars. Born in Fauquier County, Virginia, Kemper and his brothers Nathan and Samuel settled in Feliciana, near Baton Rouge, Spanish West Florida, shortly after 1800. Expelled from the province by the Spanish authorities in a dispute over land titles, the Kemper brothers organized a small force in the Mississippi Territory and returned, declaring West Florida to be independent. They attempted to capture Baton Rouge in 1804, but were defeated. The following year Spanish forces captured all three brothers while on US soil, but they were rescued by US forces as they were being taken down the Mississippi River.
Demographics:
County QuickFacts: CensusBureau Quick Facts
Kemper County History
Kemper County received its name from Colonel Reuben Kemper (1770-1827), a native of Virginia, who moved with his brothers Samuel and Nathan to the vicinity of Fort Adams, became a leader of the West Florida Rebellion against Spain in 1811, and fought under Jackson at the Battle of New Orleans. He was of a somewhat reckless and fiery disposition, but intensely patriotic and won distinction in the service of his country.
Kemper County was one of the sixteen counties formed in 1833 from the territory acquired from the Choctaws by the treaty of Dancing Rabbit, and the act of December 23, 1833, thus defined its boundaries:
"The territory within townships nine, ten, eleven and twelve, of ranges fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, and nineteen."
The county seat is DeKalb near the center of the county. Numerous other small towns are scattered over its area,
among which are Sucarnoochee, Electric Mills, Porterville, Scooba, Enondale, and Wahalak on the railroad.
The County Courthouse was destroyed in 1882, All records were destroyed.
Geography: Land and Water
As reported by the Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 767 square miles (1,987 km2), of which, 766 square miles (1,984 km2) of it is land and 1 square miles (2 km2) of it (0.11%) is water.
Neighboring Counties
Bordering counties are as follows:
- Noxubee County (north)
- Sumter County, Alabama (east)
- Lauderdale County (south)
- Neshoba County (west)
- Winston County (northwest)
Education
Kemper County is within the service area of the East Mississippi Community College system. The main campus of EMCC, including the college system's administrative headquarters, is in the Scooba Campus in Scooba.
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