Adams County Police and Miscellaneous County Records

Adams County, named for President John Adams, was established April 2, 1799, out of the old Natchez district. It was the first county organized in the Mississippi Territory, and included the town of Washington which served as the Territorial and State capital from 1802 to 1820. Some of the offices that were created in 1799 were: probate judge, sheriff, coroner, court of quarter sessions, common pleas court, and justice of the peace. With the establishment of municipal government in Natchez in 1803 came the employment of a full-time constable. There was also a Board of Police appointed annually by the Natchez Board of Selectmen with responsibilities for, in addition to law enforcement, the county poor house, road maintenance, and approval of license applications. In 1838, a rise in violence resulted in an increased police force of nine members armed with "short swords." A high crime area was the community called "Natchez-under-the-hill," which was destroyed in May 1840 by a powerful tornado that claimed the lives of approximately 350 Adams County residents. The population for Adams County in the years pertinent to these records is recorded at 19,434 in 1840, 18,601 in 1850, and 20,165 in 1860. The 1860 total included 13,318 slaves and 559 polls (registered voters).