Wayne County

Wayne County was established on 21 December 1809 in the Mississippi Territory, named for Revolutionary War general Anthony Wayne. its geography of longleaf pine and sandy soils shaped settlement and land use over its 814 sq miles area. Small-scale agriculture, livestock, and timber characterized its economy, while cotton plantations remained limited. Boundary changes in 1818(Covington County, 1826 (Jones County) and 1833 (Clarke County) greatly reduced its original size. The population fluctuated: 3,338 (1820), 2,980 (1830), 2,120 (1840), and 2,892 (1850). The original county was Winchester, but it became a ghost town as Waynesboro rose to prominence in the county.  By mid-century, Wayne remained a rural county of yeoman farmers, and modest planters, with timber wealth unrealized until later decades.