Pelahatchie’s history is
mostly unwritten
The public archives hold just one old photo of Pelahatchie. The rest are in attics, shoeboxes and the historical society. Help start the collection.
The story
from WikipediaRead it all ↗Pelahatchie was founded in 1850, and named after Pelahatchie Creek.
The name Pelahatchie is derived from the Native American term meaning "crooked creek". The town was the bright spot in the county during the late 1800s mainly due to the railroad access in the heart of town.
Pelahatchie is home to both a public school, Pelahatchie Attendance Center (Chiefs), and a private school, East Rankin Academy (Patriots).
In June 2017, Ryshonda Harper Beechem was elected as mayor, the first African-American mayor in Rankin County. In June 2021, she was defeated in the general election by Karl VanHorn. VanHorn was reelected as mayor in June 2025 for a second term, defeating Beechem again.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Start Pelahatchie’s collection
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Pelahatchie’s history is told.
0 of 10 decades since 1900 have photos 🔁Retake an old view1940 Census Enumeration District …, 1850: stand where they stood+15 📦Share a family photoSign in to add one+10Famous people from Pelahatchie
See all 2 →Pelahatchie, decade by decade
Then & now
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as 1940 Census Enumeration District Descriptions - Mississippi - Rankin County - ED 61-12, ED 61-13, ED 61-14, ED 61-15, E… (1850) and it appears here side by side.
🔁 Retake this view · +15Stories next door
nearby towns’ historyFrom Wikimedia Commons (6). Images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.