Salem, Mississippi

Extinct town in Mississippi, United States

34°51′06″N 89°12′40″W / 34.85167°N 89.21111°W / 34.85167; -89.21111CountryUnited StatesStateMississippiCountyBentonElevation

541 ft (165 m)Time zoneUTC-6 (Central (CST)) • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)Area code662GNIS feature ID705897^[1]

Salem is an extinct town in Benton County, Mississippi, United States.^[1]

History

Salem was settled in 1836 and incorporated in May 1837. At one point, Salem was home to twelve businesses, two hotels, and a female school.^[2]

Salem was destroyed by the Union Army during the Civil War, leading many residents to resettle in nearby Ashland.^[3]^{[better source needed]}^[4]

A post office operated under the name Salem from 1837 to 1909.^[5]

Nathan Bedford Forrest, Confederate Army officer; Moved when he was 12 and spent his childhood in Salem.^[4]
Joseph W. Matthews, 15th Governor of Mississippi from 1848 to 1850.^[6]
Norris C. Williamson, member of the Louisiana State Senate from 1924 to 1932^[7]
Daniel B. Wright, U.S. Representative for Mississippi's 1st congressional district from 1853 to 1857.^[8]

^ ^a ^b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Salem
^ Rowland, Dunbar (1907). Mississippi: Comprising Sketches of Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form. Vol. 2. Southern Historical Publishing Association. p. 591.
^ Knect, Phillip (March 4, 2016). "Ashland (1871)". Hill County History.
^ ^a ^b Elkins, Ashley (June 4, 2000). "HED:Surprisingly scenic". djournal.com.
^ "Benton County". Jim Forte Postal History. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
^ Cecil L. Sumners (1998). The Governors of Mississippi. Pelican Publishing. p. 62. ISBN 978-1-4556-0521-7.
^ "East Carroll Parish, Louisiana Genealogy". Retrieved May 22, 2021.
^ Mississippi Historical Society (1902). Publications of the Mississippi Historical Society. pp. 320.