George County (Images of America)

George County, named for Sen. James Z. George, became one of Mississippi's youngest counties in 1910. Located east of the DeSoto National Forest, west of Mobile, and north of Pascagoula, the county is embedded in the pine belt, a region that stretches from the Carolinas along the Gulf Coast to Texas. The founders unapologetically boasted that George County was formed by combining the best land from neighboring Greene and Jackson Counties. As the only city in the county, Lucedale was the obvious choice to become the county seat. Lucedale was named for Gregory M. Luce, the Michigan native who saw opportunity in George County's natural resources. Business generated by Luce and other like-minded entrepreneurs set in motion the ongoing development and evolution of local agriculture, transportation, infrastructure, and commerce.

Members of the George County Chamber of Commerce Heritage & Cultural Committee--including Wayne Brown, Jim Yonge, Dr. Lamar Neal, and a team of second-generation George County residents--compiled the images and research necessary to document the area's rich heritage. The photographs will take readers through the forests and fields and into the streets and communities of Lucedale while highlighting the everyday lives of local citizens alongside the contributions of the county's most impactful residents.