Map of Wesson town

Wesson is a town in Copiah and Lincoln counties, Mississippi, United States. The population was 1,925 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Jackson Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Wesson town overview:
Name:	Wesson town
LSAD Code:	43
LSAD Description:	town (suffix)
State:	Mississippi
County:	Copiah County, Lincoln County
Elevation:	466 ft (142 m)
Total Area:	4.51 sq mi (11.67 km²)
Land Area:	4.50 sq mi (11.67 km²)
Water Area:	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km²)
Total Population:	1,833
Population Density:	406.88/sq mi (157.09/km²)
ZIP code:	39191
Area code:	601
FIPS code:	2878640
GNISfeature ID:	679462
Website:	wessonms.org

Online Interactive Map

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Wesson online map. Source: Basemap layers from Google Map, Open Street Map (OSM), Arcgisonline, Wmflabs. Boundary Data from Database of Global Administrative Areas.

Wesson location map. Where is Wesson town?

Wesson location on the U.S. Map. Where is Wesson town. — Wesson location on the U.S. Map.

Wesson location on the Mississippi map. Where is Wesson town. — Location of Wesson in Mississippi.

History

The town of Wesson was founded in 1864, during the Civil War, by Col. James Madison Wesson. Having lost his mills at Bankston, Wesson relocated to the town that now bears his name. There he built the Mississippi Manufacturing Company which produced a fine quality cotton fabric. In 1871 he sold the mill to William Oliver and John T. Hardy who renamed it the Mississippi Mills.

The mills became famous for the quality of cotton fabric produced which was dubbed “Mississippi silk” at the Centennial celebration of 1876. A product of the Industrial Revolution, the mills in Wesson began to utilize the new technology of the rapidly changing age. One year after Thomas Edison perfected the light bulb, the Mississippi Mills put them to use. It was said that passengers on the evening train would rush to the windows when passing through Wesson in order to see the marvelous lights.

This prosperity, however, came to an end after the death of Captain Oliver in 1891. Financial difficulties followed by the economic Panic of 1893, family conflict, and labor disputes caused the mills to fall into receivership in the early 1900s. Eventually, the mills were dismantled and sold for scrap during the First World War.

The first public school in Wesson was built in 1875, and the community college was added in 1928.

Wesson Road Map

Wesson city Satellite Map

Geography

Wesson is located in southernmost Copiah County. Small portions of the town extend south and east into Lincoln County. U.S. Route 51 passes through the town, leading north 11 miles (18 km) to Hazlehurst, the Copiah county seat, and south 9 miles (14 km) to Brookhaven. Exit 48 on Interstate 55 is located 3.5 miles (5.6 km) west of town on Mount Zion Road.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 4.4 square miles (11.5 km), all land.