Monroe

Formed January 1, 1821 (18^th county)

Monroe County (34,179), Aberdeen (4,953), Amory (6,673)

The white brick Greek Revival structure was erected in 1858 and remodeled in 1938 and 1974.  The courthouse is on Chestnut between Madison and Jefferson streets.  United States Highway 145 passes two blocks north of the courthouse.  There was an 1887 courthouse previously which now serves as the Chancery Court.  An augmenting administrative building was added in 1991 in Amory.  J. A. Pate and J. B. Taylor are the architects of the building featuring a small dome.  The county was founded on January 1, 1821 and is named for United States President James Monroe.  Hamilton was the first county seat until 1847 when Aberdeen assumed the role.  The county was taken from Native American Territory as the 18^th county.  The county seat is named for Aberdeen, Scotland. 

Monroe County government consists of a sheriff, an administrator, an attorney, a collector, a coroner, an assessor and a clerk (executive).  It has 5 Supervisors (legislative.)  Four Chancery Court Judges serve Monroe, Alcorn, Itawamba, Lee, Pontotoc, Prentiss, Tishomingo, and Union counties, Four District Court Judges serve Monroe, Alcorn, Itawamba, Lee, Pontotoc, Prentiss, and Tishomingo counties and a court clerk serves Monroe County (judicial.) The county is on the northeast border with Alabama.  Jackson, Mississippi is southwest and Birmingham, Alabama is southeast of the county.  The county center is 4 miles North of Aberdeen.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Itawamba County and Alabama and Lowndes, Clay, Chickasaw, and Lee counties. 

The area of the county is 764 square miles.  It is 9 out of 82 in the state.  It ranks 22 out of 82 in population in the state.  It has a density of 44.7 persons per square mile making it 38 out of 82 in the state.  Monroe County has 40.4% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 45 goes north to south through the county from Lee County to Lowndes County.  United States Highway 45 Alternate enters from Lee County (north), exits into Chickasaw County (west), reenters, and finally goes into Clay County (southwest).  United States Highway 278 comes from the east, Alabama, and joins United States Highway 41 to go north into Lee County.  The county is an overall rectangle with some slanting sides.  Aberdeen is in the southwest part of the county Amory is in the northern third of the county.  Aberdeen is the county seat and Amory is the largest city.  Aberdeen is 14.5% of the county population while Amory is 19.5% of the county population.  The largest city is pronounced AE-MOR-EE.

Nettleton