Tishomingo

Formed February 9, 1836 (55^th county)

Tishomingo County (18,854), Iuka (3,144)

The stucco and concrete Modern building was built in 1971.  There were earlier nicer versions from 1854 and 1889.  The courthouse is on Battleground Drive at Memorial Lane.  Mississippi Highway 25 Business is Battleground.  Malvaney and Associates were the building architects.  The building was renovated in 1978.  Tishomingo County was created on February 9, 1836 from Monroe County as the 55^th county.  Alcorn and Prentiss counties were separated in 1870.  Jacinto was the first county seat until 1870 when Iuka assumed the role.  The county name comes from the Native American for “Mexicans.”  The county seat is named for a Native American chief. 

The area of the county is 424 square miles.  It is 65 out of 82 in the state.  It ranks 48 out of 82 in population in the state.  It has a density of 44.5 persons per square mile making it 39 out of 82 in the state.  Tishomingo County has 34.7% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 72 travels through the county east to west from Alabama to Alcorn County.  The highest point in Mississippi, Woodall Mountain, is in the county.  The county looks like the number 7.  Iuka is in the northeast quarter of the county.  Iuka is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 16.7% of the county population. 

Tishomingo 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 Tishomingo, Alcorn, Itawamba, Lee, Monroe, Pontotoc, Prentiss, and Union counties, Four District Court Judges serve Tishomingo, Alcorn, Itawamba, Lee, Monroe, Pontotoc, and Prentiss counties and a court clerk serves Tishomingo County (judicial.) Tishomingo County is in the northeast corner of the state.  Memphis, Tennessee is northwest and Birmingham, Alabama is southeast of the county.  The county center is 6.2 miles Southwest of Iuka.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Tennessee and Alabama and Itawamba, Prentiss, and Alcorn counties.  The county is pronounced TIS-HOE-MIN-GOE.  The county seat is pronounced IE-U-KA.