Lauderdale County, Mississippi: History
An early explorer, Sam Dale, died in the county and is buried in Daleville. A large monument is placed at his burial site. Andrew Jackson traveled through the county on his way to New Orleans and a town was named Hickory after his nickname "Old Hickory".
The largest city in the county is Meridian, which was an important railway intersection during the early 20th century. It was also home to the Soule Steam Feed Works which manufactured steam engines. Logging and rail transport were important early industries in the county. One of the largest waterfalls in Mississippi, Dunns Falls, is located in the county and a water driven mill still exists on the site. Lauderdale County is home to the headquarters of Peavey Electronics which has manufactured audio and music equipment since 1965.
Like much of the post-Reconstruction South the county has a checkered racial history with 16 documented lynchings in the period from 1877 to 1950; most of them happened around the turn of the 20th century.