Winchester, Mississippi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Winchester
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 Winchester, Mississippi
Location in Mississippi
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| Country | United States |
| State | Mississippi |
| County | Wayne |
| Elevation | 164 ft (50 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| GNIS feature ID | 679779 |
Winchester is a ghost town located in Wayne County, Mississippi, United States. A ghost town is a place where most people have left, and it's no longer an active community.
Winchester was once a very important place for politics and was the main town, or county seat, for Wayne County. Today, this former settlement is mostly covered by forest.
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History of Winchester
Winchester was one of the first important communities in eastern Mississippi. It was located about 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) east of the Chickasawhay River. It was also south of a famous early road called "Three-Chopped Way," which was finished in 1807. This road connected Georgia and the Carolinas to Natchez in eastern Mississippi.
The town was built on a beautiful, flat area with many large oak trees. A clean, flowing stream called Meadows Mill Creek ran through Winchester, providing fresh water.
Early Days and Growth
During the Creek War in 1813, a military fort called Patton's Fort was built at Winchester. This shows how important the location was.
Winchester became a very significant place during the time Mississippi was a territory and in its early years as a state. It was the first county seat for Wayne County. The town officially became a city in 1818 and grew quickly.
By 1822, a courthouse was built using high-quality pine wood. Later, in the 1840s, a jail was constructed with very thick walls, about three feet (one meter) thick, made of heavy pine.
Winchester was known as a major center for politics, almost as important as Natchez. It had between 20 and 30 businesses and became a very successful place for trade. There were no other big trading towns nearby to compete with it.
Why Winchester Declined
In the early 1840s, people started to notice that Winchester was falling apart. One writer said it was "literally tumbling to pieces," and only a "skeleton" of the once busy town remained.
The Railroad's Impact
A big reason for Winchester's decline was the Mobile and Ohio Railroad. When the railroad was completed in the 1850s, its tracks were built a distance north of the town. A new train station was set up there. This led to people calling the original town "Old Winchester" and the new settlement near the railroad "New Winchester."
In 1867, the county seat was officially moved from Old Winchester to Waynesboro. This meant that the government offices and courts were no longer in Winchester, which made the town even less important.
What Remains Today
By 1902, a writer noted that the old courthouse in Old Winchester was still standing, but it was "solitary and alone" and empty. Almost nothing else of the original town could be seen.
Meanwhile, New Winchester continued to develop. By 1907, it had about 300 people, a school, stores, two churches, a grist mill (for grinding grain), two sawmills, a cotton gin, and a turpentine distillery.
Some people thought Old Winchester declined because it didn't have enough hotels. Another reason might have been the 1830 Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek. This treaty led to large areas of land opening up to the north, which caused many people to move away from Wayne County.
Today, Old Winchester is mostly covered by forest. New Winchester still has some homes along its rural roads. You can find a historic marker along U.S. Route 45 at Winchester Cross Road. It tells visitors that about one mile to the west was the site of Patton’s Fort (1813) and that Winchester was chartered in 1818. It mentions that the town was a busy trade center and served as the county seat until 1867.
Notable People from Winchester
Many important people lived in or were connected to Winchester:
- Powhatan Ellis: He was a U.S. Senator from Mississippi and a U.S. federal judge. He moved to Winchester in 1816 to work as a lawyer.
- James A. Horne: He served as the Secretary of State of Mississippi from 1852 to 1854.
- John J. McRae: He was a member of the Mississippi House of Representatives, a U.S. Senator from Mississippi, and the 21st Governor of Mississippi. He moved to Winchester when he was a baby.
- James O'Gwynn: A well-known country music singer.
- James Patton: He was the Lieutenant-Governor of Mississippi from 1820 to 1822.
