Lafayette County

Established in 1836, Lafayette County was named in honor of the Marquis de Lafayette, the Frenchman who had heroically befriended the new American Republic. It was one of ten counties into which the Chickasaw Cession was divided. People flooded into the area, hoping to buy cheap land and make their fortunes. Private land was purchased from the Indians, one of whom was Hoka, an Indian princess by legend, and another Chief Toby Tubby. Oxford was selected as the name of the county seat in hopes that it would also become a seat of higher learning. This goal was realized when the University of Mississippi was chartered in 1844 and opened in 1848. The area became a cultural, educational, agricultural and business center with educated people and beautiful homes until the Civil War when the town was burned by Federal troops in 1864. Oxford rose from the ashes and survived the Great Depression and World War II to become the vibrant and growing area that we know today. The past has truly had a future in Oxford and Lafayette County, Mississippi. By Maralyn Bullion, Oct. 23, 2017 Lafayette County’s first governing body, known as the Board of Police, was sworn on March 21, 1836. Its first members were George Pulliam, President; Andrew Herron, Samuel P. Rayburn, John N. Houston and George McFarland. The building used as a courthouse was a log structure attached to Craig’s Tavern, costing approximately $140. In June of 1836, the Board chose the site of the Lafayette County seat and named the location Oxford. The land was part of a 50-acre tract donated to the county by land speculators in the area. They purchased the land for $800 from an Indian woman named Hoka. Shortly after locating the county seat, the Board marked off a public square near the center of Oxford. This square served as the permanent site for the county courthouse, as well as a center for local activity. On October 22, 1936, the Board accepted a bid to build a courthouse. On June 12, 1840, the builders surrendered the completed courthouse to the Board. Board members at the time were: Andrew Peterson, President; George Humphreys, Samuel Paschal, Elisha Smith and John A. Polk. W.H. Smither was the board clerk and Charles G. Butler was sheriff. Smither was given charge of the courthouse. The 1840 courthouse served as the headquarters of the county government until 1864. During the Civil War, Oxford was the site of the garrisoning of the Union troops on several occasions. For the most part, the town was spared harassment. On August 22, 1864, the Union troops staged a revenge raid on the town, seeking to punish the Confederates for General Nathan Bedford Forrest’s reportedly vicious raid on Fort Pillow. The Square was burned so completely in this raid that only one building survived. The brick walls of the courthouse were all that remained of the building. A young, reportedly 14-year-old, Oxonian managed to rescue most of the county records before they were consumed. The documents were carried in wagons to storage places around the county, where they remained for nearly 10 years. The courthouse was completed in early 1872. The board members at this time were S.E. Ragland, President, T. W. Tomlinson, J.R. Barry, J.W. Barber and Mack Avent. The board clerk was R.W. Black, and H. M. Sullivan was the deputy sheriff. The 1872 courthouse remains in use today. It remained relatively unchanged, except for minor repairs and painting, until 1952. As a footnote, the people of the county rejected by referendum a federal offer to build a new courthouse in 1938. A newspaper article of the period reports that the people rejected the offer out of sentiment, not wishing to tear down the historic building. By 1950, the condition of the building, public sentiment and the need for more space spurred the Board to consider renovation and expansion of the almost 80-year-old building. After receiving a favorable structural report on the building from Memphis architect/engineer E.L. Harrison, the