Lamar County

Lamar County was created by the Alabama legislature on Feb. 4, 1867, and was originally named Jones County after E.P. Jones, a resident of Fayette County. On Nov. 13, 1867 the county was abolished. On Oct. 8, 1868 the county was re-created under the name of Sanford County. On Feb. 8, 1877 the name was changed to Lamar in honor of Senator L.Q.C. Lamar of Mississippi. Lamar County is bordered by Marion, Fayette, and Pickens counties in Alabama, and by Lowndes and Monroe counties in Mississippi. It currently encompasses 605 square miles. The county is drained by the Tombigbee River.

In 1866, the community known as Swayne courthouse, named for Gen. Wager Swayne, military governor of the Chattahoochee District of the state, was designated as the county seat. In 1868 the name was changed to Vernon, after Edmund Vernon, an immigrant from Vernon, England. Other towns and communities include Sulligent, Beaverton, and Millport. From the Alabama Department of Archives & History.

Some Helpful Links:

Lamar County Extension Office

Lamar County Fact Sheet

Lamar County QuickFacts