Wilkinson County is a unique combination of historical, cultural and natural resources that attract people from around the world. The distinctive combination of history, culture, natural resources, landscape, and residents makes living and working here a fulfilling and rewarding experience.
- County Seat:
Woodville - Population:
9,878 - Municipalities:
Portion of Centreville, portion of Crosby (The Wilkinson/Amite county line runs through the middle of both towns) - Commodities:
Timber (Hardwood and Pine), Oil, Beef Cattle, Soybeans, Wheat, Pecans - Industries:
Fred Netterville Lumber Company, Big River Lumber Company, Southern Packaging Inc., GEO Specialty Chemicals - Natural Resources:
From gently sloping to steep loess bluff hills, Wilkinson County’s 433,088 acres (676.7 square miles) are made up of upland and lowland hardwoods forests, pine plantations, farm land, rivers and lakes. 84% of the county is forest land that is home to an abundance of wildlife including deer, turkey, feral hogs, alligators, black bear, coyotes, squirrels, chipmunks, and a variety of birds – making it an outdoor paradise. 50 waterfalls can be seen the Clark Creek Natural Area ranging in height from 10 to more than 30 feet. Rivers, creeks, and lakes provide recreational fishing and boating opportunities. - History Notes:
In the late 1600’s through the 1700’s, French, Spanish, and Anglo-American settlements sprang up along the Homochitto River, Buffalo Bayou, and Mississippi River about 40 miles south of Natchez. In 1798, Fort Adams served as the United States’ port of entry on the Mississippi before the acquisition of New Orleans. Wilkinson County became the fifth county organized in the newly formed Mississippi Territory. It is home to the first railroad in Mississippi – one of the first in the United States, the first standard gauge railroad, and one of the oldest railroad office buildings (c. 1834) standing in the U.S.; the oldest newspaper and continuously operated business in the state (The Woodville Republican, c. 1823), the family/boyhood home of Jefferson Davis (Rosemont Plantation, c. 1810), the Davis Family Cemetery; the state’s oldest existing bank building – the Branch Banking House of the State of Mississippi (c. 1819; numerous antebellum homes belonging to distinguished early residents; and historic churches. - Attractions:
Clark Creek Natural Area, Homochitto National Forest, Rosemont Plantation, Wilkinson County Museum, African American Museum, Camp Van Dorn World War II Museum, Lake Mary, Pond Store, Woodville Historic Town Square & Historic District (churches, antebellum homes, and historic businesses), Wilkinson County Park, Fort Adams, Bethel Farms, Woodville Deer & Wildlife Festival, Mississippi Blues Trail Marker, and Beth Israel Cemetery. - Did you know?
That Wilkinson County is home to many noted musicians including classical composer William Grant Still (1895-1978). Still was the first African American to: write a major orchestral work which was performed by a major American orchestra, conduct a major symphony orchestra in the United States, direct a major symphony orchestra in the Deep South, conduct a major American network radio orchestra, have an opera produced by a major American company, and have an opera televised over a national network in the United States. His is distinguished for being the first minority composer of serious music to write works that have been played and enjoyed by persons of every race and nationality. He was inducted into the American Classical Music Hall of Fame in 1999.
MSU in Wilkinson County:
982 Second South Street / P.O. Box 834
Woodville, MS 39669
annd@ext.msstate.edu