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Extract taken from Publication
of the Mississippi Historical Society, By the Mississippi Historical
Society, Edited by Franklin L. Riley, Secretary, Volume V, Oxford, Mississippi, 1902, pgs 368-369 , from chapter
entitled “Extinct Towns and Villages of Mississippi” by Franklin L. Riley
Transcribed by Debora Reese
Johnsonville [1]– On March 15, 1871, the Legislature passed an act entitled “An Act to create a new county in this State to be called Leflore county, and to change the boundary lines between Sunflower, Washington and Bolivar counties”. A considerable portion of Sunflower county was cut off and placed in the new county of Leflore, and this necessitated a change of county site. It was therefore provided that the seat of justice of Sunflower county be moved from McNutt and located at the junction of Mound Bayou with the Sunflower river, and that a town should be established at this place to be called “Johnsonville”. Provision was made for the acquisition of the suitable public buildings. This was the origin of the town of Johnsonville.
On March 8, 1882, the Legislature passed an act entitled “An Act for the removal of the county site of Sunflower county.” It provided that a vote should be taken to ascertain whether the voters desired the county site to remain at Johnsonville or to be removed to a point about four miles west of the Sunflower river on Indian Bayou, known as Eureka, but since that time named Indianola. The vote was in favor of Eureka, and during that year the county seat was removed. A few years later the Georgia Pacific railroad was completed from Greenville eastward, and it crosses the Sunflower river about a mile north of Johnsonville. While Johnsonville was the county seat it was quite an important business town, containing a dozen or more stores, and a population of about 150. It continued to exist as a municipality after the removal (though its importance was thereby considerably diminished), until the Georgia Pacific railroad crossed the river north of it, as has been stated. At this crossing the town of Baird grew up. The town of Johnsonville was thereafter gradually deserted, and soon ceased to exist.