Pike County, Mississippi

Pike County Education, Geography, and History

Pike County is a county located in the state of Mississippi. Based on the 2010 census, the population was 40,404. The county seat is Magnolia. Pike County is named for explorer Zebulon Pike.

Pike County is part of the McComb, MS Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Etymology - Origin of PikeCounty Name

Pike is named for explorer Zebulon Pike. Zebulon Montgomery Pike Jr. (January 5, 1779 - April 27, 1813) was an American soldier and explorer for whom Pikes Peak in Colorado is named. His Pike expedition, often compared to the Lewis and Clark Expedition, mapped much of the southern portion of the Louisiana Purchase.

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: CensusBureau Quick Facts

Pike County History

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.

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.

Geography: Land and Water

As reported by the Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 411 square miles (1,064 km²), of which, 409 square miles (1,059 km²) of it is land and 2 square miles (5 km²) of it (0.46%) is water.

Neighboring Counties

Bordering counties are as follows:

• Lincoln County (north)
• Walthall County (east)
• Washington Parish, Louisiana (southeast)
• Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana (south)
• Amite County (west)

Education

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