Newton County Mississippi Genealogy and History

Founded: 1836

Named for: Scientist Isaac Newton

County Seat: Decatur

Search Free Newton County Mississippi Genealogy and Family History Records Online including census, cemetery, vital, military and other genealogical and historical records that can be used for your family history research.

Newton County, Mississippi genealogy and family history page is a place where you can come in and research your genealogy and family history. We also do our best to provide a history of the area, to provide you with an overview of the time in which your ancestors lived.

We regret that we are unable to do personal research for you. All genealogical and family history records we come across are being added to this website. Please keep checking back.

History

Newton County was formed in 1836 and named after scientist Isaac Newton.

The Battle of Newton's Station was fought in the county on April 24, 1863, during Grierson's Raid of the American Civil War.

In February 1864, General William Tecumseh Sherman crossed the county, burning the county seat at Decatur and was nearly captured during the Meridian Campaign. Sherman stopped during the return trip from Meridian and slept in the town of Union.

On October 8, 1908, a black sharecropper named Shep Jones had a disagreement with his white employer, leading to the employer's death. While searching for Jones, a white mob destroyed property owned by black people, burned their church and meeting lodge, threatened black families, and hanged Jones' father-in-law and two other black men. Many black people fled Newton County. No arrests or restitution occurred.

Communities

City: Newton.

Towns: Chunky, Decatur (county seat), Hickory, Lake (mostly in Scott County), Union (partly in Neshoba County).

Census-designated place: Conehatta.

Unincorporated communities: Battlefield, Cedar Grove, Duffee, Lawrence, Little Rock, Perdue, Stratton.

Ghost town: Volcan.

Free Newton County Mississippi Genealogy Records Online

Biographies

Cemetery Records

Military Records

Genealogical Research in Newton County Mississippi

Newton County Mississippi Historical and Genealogical Society
15309 Hwy 15
Decatur, MS 38327
Phone: (601) 635-2350

NCHGS Archives holdings include: cemetery records, census records, Church histories, civil war history, court records, family histories, marriage records, military records, Mississippi history, Newton County history, The Newton Record bound copies 1901-2009, The Union Appeal bound copies 1936-1979, miscellaneous materials.