Decatur, MS

Decatur is Newton County’s seat, laid out in 1836 when the county was formed from Neshoba County. The town took its name from Commodore Stephen Decatur, and the decision to put the courthouse and jail here brought business lots, homes, and the county’s official center to the site. Civil War destruction burned much of the early settlement, but Decatur rebuilt and was declared a town in 1912. East Central Community College grew out of the local push for an agricultural high school, giving the town an educational role that still shows up on the map. The quick local read is courthouse, college, and a Mississippi town rebuilt after wartime damage.