Founded in 1826, Jones County MS was created by taking land from Wayne County MS and Covington County MS.
Jones County is one of 11 counties with two county seats. The first judicial district being Ellisville and the second judicial district being Laurel.
Ellisville, named for Powhatten Ellis, was formed about 1824, and officially became a town in 1855.
Laurel, named for the flowering laurel shrubs growing among the pines, was established in 1882, and incorporated in 1886. In 1891, the Eastman-Gardiner Lumber Company began a new regime here.
We are a county rich in history. Some of the surnames of the founding families are: Herrington, Shows, Tisdale, Smith, Creel, Ferguson and Heidelberg. There are approximately 130 families in Jones County by 1830. This is the first United States Federal Census taken for our county.
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