Paulding, Mississippi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Paulding, Mississippi
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 Paulding, Mississippi
Location in Mississippi
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| Country | United States |
| State | Mississippi |
| County | Jasper |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP codes |
39348
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Paulding is a small, unincorporated community in Jasper County, Mississippi. An unincorporated community means it's not officially a city or town with its own local government. What makes Paulding special is that it's one of the two county seats of Jasper County. A county seat is like the main town where the county government offices are located. Paulding is the only unincorporated county seat in all of Mississippi!
The community was settled in 1833. It was named after John Paulding, a hero from the American Revolutionary War. Later, when a new railroad was being built, the people of Paulding didn't invest in it. Because of this, the railroad went through Bay Springs, Mississippi instead. Bay Springs became the second county seat and grew much larger.
In 2010, Paulding had about 838 people living there. Bay Springs had more than twice that many, with 1,768 people.
Contents
History of Paulding
Early Settlement and Naming
Paulding was settled by European Americans in 1833. This was a time when many Native American groups were being moved from their lands in the southeastern United States. The new settlers decided to name their community after John Paulding. He was a local person who helped capture a British spy named Major Andre during the American Revolutionary War. Andre was working with Benedict Arnold, who was trying to betray West Point, New York to the British.
Growth and Challenges
In the 1800s, Paulding was a busy place with over 1,000 people. It was even called "the Queen City of the East." Many important people in Paulding owned large cotton farms called plantations. However, many other residents were "yeoman farmers," meaning they owned their own small farms and did not own slaves. As more plantations were built in other parts of Mississippi and Louisiana, some people moved away from this area. The first courthouse in Paulding was built using materials found nearby.
The Railroad's Impact
In the late 1800s, people wanted to build a railroad through Paulding. They asked local landowners to invest money in the project. But the cotton market was not doing well, so the landowners didn't have enough money to invest.
Because Paulding didn't invest, the railroad company changed its plans. They built the railroad west of the county instead. The railroad made a stop in Bay Springs, Mississippi, where a sawmill had been built in 1880. The railroad helped the timber industry grow in Bay Springs, making it a center for cutting and selling wood. Bay Springs became an official city around 1900.
Dual County Seats
In 1906, the state government decided that Bay Springs would also be a county seat. A new, much bigger courthouse was built there. Bay Springs became a hub for businesses that used the yellow pine trees from the area.
The original courthouse in Paulding burned down in 1932. Many important records were lost in the fire. A new courthouse was built in Paulding, and it remains one of the two official county seats for Jasper County.
Paulding has a smaller courthouse and shares government services with Bay Springs. Missing out on the railroad meant Paulding didn't get as much business or industry. Its population also became smaller than it was in the mid-1800s. Having two county seats made sense a long time ago because roads were not very good. But even today, Paulding and Bay Springs both remain county seats, mostly for political reasons.
Road Development
In 1935 and 1936, the first main road was built across the county. This road connected Bay Springs in the west to Rose Hill in the east, which is just north of Paulding. This made it easier to travel across the county. However, because the road went through Rose Hill and not Paulding directly, Paulding became even more isolated.
As of 2010, about 90 percent of Paulding's population is African American. In Bay Springs, about 50 percent of the population is African American.
Notable Person
- Simeon R. Adams (around 1814–1860), who owned a newspaper and was a politician.
