History of Mississippi - Marion County
Submitted by Denise Wells

Additions to Early Settlers made by Marion County contributors with proof

   Marion County was named in honor of General Francis Marion of South Carolina; the county was established on December 9, 1811.  The county seat is Columbia and for a number of years was the only town in the county. During the time this book was written there were three additions to the county:  Purvis, Piotona and Richburg; which are located on the North-Eastern Railroad.  Any town that was fortunate enough to be located with or near a railroad would grow rather rapidly per jobs and new opportunities.
Also at the time of the writing of this book, it is said that there were 21 miles of railway in Marion County.  There are also nine gins and mills in the county, as well.  The main waterways in the county are:  Blace Creek, Silver Creek, Ten-Mile Creek, Lower Little River, Upper Little River and Pearl River.
There was an increase in voting since the last 10 years to no less than 83% for Marion County. Unfortunately, there is no record of the number of acres that was cleared from the county Jackson for the value per acre.
Stovall Springs, about three miles north of Columbia, was known as a "watering place" in Southern Mississippi.  There was a large hotel at the Springs that was managed by William Stovall.  Before the railroads were built through the southern part of the state, the "wealthy and fashionable people" could be seen there.
The Census Report for Marion County in 1890 was:  Whites - 6,478; Colored - 3,054; and Total Population - 9,532
Some early settlers to Marion County were:

• Stephen Foxworth, delegate to the Constitutional Convention of 1817
• Dugland McLaughlin, delegate to the Constitutional Convention of 1817 & delegate to the Constitutional Convention of 1832, held in Jackson, MS
• Willam M. Rankin, Representative to Legislature (1831)
• Ebenezer Ford, father of General Thomas S. Ford & Dr. Theodore B. Ford
• Gen. Thomas S. Ford, Representative to Legislature (1872 - 1873); one of the most prominent lawyers in Southern Mississippi, served an unexpired term as Attorney General of the State and member of the Constitutional Convention of 1890 from the State at large
• Dr. Theodore B. Ford, Senator (1888 - 1890 ) and Representative (1878 - 1880) to Legislature
• Fleet Magee, Representative to Legislature (1836)
• Francis B. Lenoir, Representative to Legislature (1820 - 1821)
• Abraham Ard, Representative to Legislature (1823)
• Merry Bracey, Representative to Legislature (1825 - 1826)
• Charles Stovall, Representative to Legislature (1822)
• Benjamin Hammond
• Rodolphus Willoughby
• John Cooper
• William M. Newsom, IV
• John W. Fortenberry
• Jesse Gelup Faulk
• Lucy Nance
• Doritha Holmes
• Bethany Cordelia MaGee
• Solomon Lott
• Hope H. Lenoir
• Sampson Pope
• Richardson Pope
• Jacky Magee
• John H. Webb
• Willam Stovall
• Willam Lewis
• John Ford
• Benjamin Rawles

Source: Lowry, Robert and McCardle, William H., A History of Mississippi, from the Discovery of the Great River by Hernando DeSoto, Including the Earliest Settlement Made by the French Under Iberville to the Death of Jefferson Davis [1541-1889]. Jackson, Miss.: R. H. Henry & Co., 1891. Pages 531-533.