Tallahatchie County

History

The county was founded on December 31, 1833, after most of the Choctaw Nation was forced out under Indian Removal. Tallahatchie is a Choctaw name meaning "rock river". The county is one of 10 in Mississippi with two county seats: Charleston on the east side of the river and Sumner on the west side. Charleston was the first county seat. Sumner was organized later in 1872 in the district to the west and has always been smaller in population.

Charleston was founded by European Americans in 1837, but its history antedates that. Settlers who were there illegally had developed five communities along the forks of Tillatoba Creek.

In 1833 the federal government opened the land for settlement by European Americans after the Choctaw were relocated to Indian Territory west of the Mississippi River, in what is now Oklahoma. Ancient Indian trails led through the county at the time. Most of the settlers entered the county over what was called Charley's Trace, an Indian trail that came across east from the Mississippi River and entered the hills about where Leverett is now located. Here the trail merged with a trail from the south and passed near the present site of Charleston.

Colonel Thomas Bailey came from Kentucky and formed the first European-American settlement on the north fork of the creek, which was about five miles to the northeast. He was later joined by James Bailey, Samuel Caruthers, William Flemming, M. Johnson, Willam Kendrick, Robert Thrasher, A. Patterson, and Kinchen Mayo, who extended the settlement along the creek toward the Junction. Another settlement was started by the Priddys, the J. Houstons, Cade Alford, and the Carson family, who extended the settlement along the creek to the junction of three forks.

DeKalb and Tillatoba were founded on the north fork of the creek just west of the present town. Both towns wanted to be county seat of Tallahatchie, and Tillatoba gained the distinction. In 1837 the Board of Police found it necessary to abandon Tillatoba.

A section of unsettled land lay at the heart of the first five settlements. Under the Dancing Rabbit Treaty of 1830, this section of land had been granted to Greenwood LeFlore, the leading Choctaw chief. He stayed in Mississippi on his land after most of his people moved to Indian Territory.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 652 square miles (1,690 km2), of which 645 square miles (1,670 km2) is land and 6.9 square miles (18 km2) (1.1%) is water. The county is intersected by the Tallahatchie River.

Major highways

U.S. Highway 49

Mississippi Highway 3

Mississippi Highway 8

Mississippi Highway 32

Mississippi Highway 35

Adjacent counties

Quitman County (north)

Panola County (northeast)

Yalobusha County (east)

Grenada County (southeast)

Leflore County (south)

Sunflower County (southwest)

Coahoma County (northwest)

National protected areas

Coldwater River National Wildlife Refuge (part)

Tallahatchie National Wildlife Refuge (part)

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 12,715. The median age was 39.8 years. 20.1% of residents were under the age of 18 and 17.6% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 112.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 117.5 males age 18 and over.

The racial makeup of the county was 39.6% White, 58.6% Black or African American, 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.1% from some other race, and 1.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 3.3% of the population.

<0.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.

There were 4,587 households in the county, of which 28.2% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 33.4% were married-couple households, 21.7% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 39.4% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 32.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 5,450 housing units, of which 15.8% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 72.3% were owner-occupied and 27.7% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.8% and the rental vacancy rate was 24.8%.

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 15,378 people living in the county. 56.4% were Black or African American, 38.9% White, 0.8% Asian, 0.3% Native American, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 2.4% of some other race and 1.2% of two or more races. 5.6% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race).

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 14,903 people, 5,263 households, and 3,826 families living in the county. The population density was 23 people per square mile (8.9 people/km2). There were 5,711 housing units at an average density of 9 units per square mile (3.5 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 59.43% Black or African American, 39.62% White, 0.09% Native American, 0.36% Asian, 0.05% from other races, and 0.46% from two or more races. 0.92% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 5,263 households, out of which 34.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.50% were married couples living together, 23.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.30% were non-families. 24.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.81 and the average family size was 3.36.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 30.00% under the age of 18, 10.00% from 18 to 24, 25.90% from 25 to 44, 20.90% from 45 to 64, and 13.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 87.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.40 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $22,229, and the median income for a family was $26,509. Males had a median income of $24,766 versus $18,972 for females. The per capita income for the county was $10,749. About 26.80% of families and 32.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 43.80% of those under age 18 and 27.80% of those age 65 or over.

Tallahatchie County has the fourth lowest per capita income in Mississippi and the 46th lowest in the United States.

Government and infrastructure

Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility, a private prison operated by the Corrections Corporation of America on behalf of the Mississippi Department of Corrections, is located in an unincorporated area in the county, near Tutwiler. As of 2010 the prison serves as the Tallahatchie County's jail facility, in addition to housing prison inmates sentenced in California.

Tallahatchie County is a Democratic stronghold, yet less so than many Mississippi Delta counties. It last supported a Republican in the 1988 presidential election. In 2024, Donald Trump performed better than any Republican candidate since then, despite losing by 7 points.

Education

Public School Districts

East Tallahatchie School District (Charleston)

Charleston High School

West Tallahatchie School District (Webb)

West Tallahatchie High School

Private Schools (None)

Strider Academy (closed in 2018)

Coahoma Community College is the designated community college.

Communities

City

Charleston (county seat)

Towns

Sumner (county seat)

Tutwiler

Webb

Village

Glendora

Unincorporated communities

Brazil

Cascilla

Cowart

Effie

Enid

Leverett

Macel

Minter City (partly in Leflore County)

Paynes

Philipp

Sharkey

Swan Lake

Teasdale

Tippo

Vance (partly in Quitman County)

Whitehead

Ghost towns

Crevi

Midway

Murphreesboro

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