Place:Old Americus, Jackson, Mississippi, United States

source: Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names

Old Americus is an inhabited place.

Americus, located on the south side of Cedar Creek just east of what is now Old Americus Road, was the seat of county government for more than half a century. Yet, today there are no visible signs that it ever existed.

Americus was the seat of Jackson County government from 1826 to 1870 when the courthouse was moved to Pascagoula because of the newly constructed railroad along the coast, and for other reasons.

Americus was a small rural community, where many settlers voted, paid their taxes, and bought coffee, sugar and flour for their kitchens, powder and shots for their guns and calico, needles and thread to make their clothes.

The town consisted of a courthouse, jail, and general store, which also served as the "Courthouse Post Office."

Jackson County was created on Dec. 12, 1812. It extended from Perry and Greene counties on the north to Hancock County on the west and included what is now George County.

The first seat of government was established in the home of Thomas Bilbo who lived near what is nor Benndale in George County.

In 1819, a committee was appointed by the Mississippi Legislature to build a jail at Brewer's Bluff on the west side of the Pascagoula River and in 1822 the courthouse was moved from Benndale to Brewer's Bluff, sometimes referred to as Brewton. Its location is believed to be about 20 miles from the coast across the river from the Parker Lake area.

Just four years later, probably because of population shifts and fire which reportedly destroyed the government building on Brewer's Bluff court records were transferred to the home of Moss Ward, located east of the Pascagoula River on Cedar Creek at Americus.

About the same time, Salem Campgrounds, the oldest Methodist campground in Mississippi was established just north of Americus.

Americus withered and died, while Salem Campgrounds, once a part of the Methodists' Americus District, still thrives after 162 years.

It is generally agreed that Americus was located south of Cedar Creek on the east side of what today is Old Americus Road. Persons traveling to and from Salem pass very close to what was once the courthouse and jail but no one knows the exact location.

source[1]

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