Morgantown, Marion County, Mississippi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Morgantown, Mississippi
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 Morgantown, Marion County, Mississippi
Location in Mississippi
Morgantown, Marion County, Mississippi
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Mississippi |
| County | Marion |
| Elevation | 164 ft (50 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP codes |
39484
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| GNIS feature ID | 673812 |
Morgantown is a small community in Marion County, Mississippi, in the United States. It's an unincorporated community, which means it doesn't have its own local government like a city or town. You can find it along Mississippi Highway 587.
Contents
Morgantown's Early History
The first people to live in this area were Native Americans. After the year 1800, more people came to settle here. Some of the first settlers included Lieutenant Colonel George Henry Nixon and Robert McGowan. Morgantown was one of the first settlements along the Pearl River. It was first called LeNoir's Landing after William Thomas LeNoir.
A man named Robert Baylor, who fought in the Revolutionary War, was hired to build a large home called a plantation on the Pearl River. This home, the LeNoir House, was finished in 1818. There's a family cemetery in Morgantown, and a cemetery for enslaved people was also nearby.
How Morgantown Got Its Name
After the Civil War, more families moved to the area, including the Beard family. In 1884, a local farmer named Christopher Nelson Beard Sr. started Beard’s School in a small log cabin. By 1888, the area was known as Beardsville. It even had a Post Office for a short time.
In the early 1890s, James Austin "Jim" Morgan and his wife, Samantha, moved to the community. They opened the first store in 1896. Two years later, they donated wood to build a bigger school for the community.
In 1904, Jim Morgan opened a Post Office in his store. He got help from William B. Russell, who had political connections. The Post Office, and later the village, was named Claude after Russell's daughter, Sallie “Claude” Russell. Jim Morgan was the first Postmaster. The Post Office stayed in the Morgan family store until it closed in 1993.
The railroad came through the community in the early 1900s. A train station was built in 1912. Elizabeth “Lizzie” Morgan heard people working on the railroad talking about the town's name. She said, “Seems to me it should be called Morgantown with all the Morgans a livin’ here!” By 1908, the name Morgantown was commonly used. The Post Office officially changed its name from Claude to Morgantown on February 27, 1915.
Religious History in Morgantown
Morgantown has a strong connection to Pentecostalism. In 1915, Reverend Warren Evans Sr. came back to Morgantown from Florida. He was a minister with the Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee) and was the first Pentecostal preacher in Marion County. In 1917, he was attacked because of his preaching but recovered.
Morgantown was the main office for the Church of God in Mississippi for several years. It hosted many large meetings and conventions. In 1933, Reverend R.R. Walker joined the Morgantown Church of God. He was the first minister in that church to have a college degree. Morgantown also had the first brick church building for the Church of God in Mississippi, built in 1945. A new church was built in 2015.
In 1920, the Oneness Pentecostal movement (now largely known as the United Pentecostal Church) was introduced to Marion County in Morgantown. The Church of God of Prophecy also started here in 1958.
Community Life and Services
The Village of Morgantown was officially made a town on January 6, 1922. It stayed a town until the 1930s and had its own mayor during that time.
Morgantown once had a jail. It was a small, open-air building made of iron bars near the railroad tracks. It was used to hold people until the county sheriff could come from Columbia to pick them up.
From 1910 to the early 1940s, Dr. John G. Prine was the local doctor in Morgantown. He helped most of the residents with their medical needs. He also served in the Mississippi Legislature as a Representative and taught in local schools.
The Morgantown Water Association was started in 1963. It was the second rural water association in Mississippi. It provided water to 62 businesses and homes and had fire hydrants.
The Morgantown Volunteer Fire Department was formed in 1974. Ken Morgan was its first fire chief. The volunteers built their own tanker truck and, by 1976, their first fire station. A new fire house was built in 2001, which also serves as the local voting place for Morgantown.
Local Attractions and Tributes
Red Bluff, often called "Mississippi's Little Grand Canyon," is a popular place for tourists to visit.
In 2018, musician Joe Johnson released an album called "Morgantown." It featured his song “Morgantown Creek,” which was a tribute to the community.
In 2022, Morgantown received a special historical marker from the Mississippi Department of Archives and History. This marker was placed to remember the community's history. It is located on Highway 587, across from the Morgantown Church of God.
Notable People from Morgantown
- Norman Ivan Boyles (1936-2012): An educator, artist, and sculptor.
- James Gordon "Jimmy" Easterling (1934-2023): A musician and songwriter.
- Henry Leo Eddleman (1911-1995): Served as president of Georgetown College and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.
- Kelly James Hammond Sr. (1901-1960): A member of the Mississippi House of Representatives and the Mississippi State Senate.
- Byron Joseph "Joe" Johnson (born 1978): A musician and songwriter.
- Thomas Blanchard Lenoir (1829-1874): Served as Mississippi Inspector General of State Troops and Adjutant General.
- Ken Morgan (born 1951): A member of the Mississippi House of Representatives.
