Leakesville, MS

Leakesville is a small town located in Hinds County, Mississippi. The population of Leakesville was 2,868 as of the 2010 census. The town is located on U.S. Highway 49, approximately 20 miles north of Jackson and 10 miles south of Vicksburg.

The history of Leakesville can be traced back to 1821 when the land on which the town now stands was purchased by John C. Leake from the Choctaw Nation for $1,000. In 1825, a post office was established in Leakesville and it remained in operation until it was discontinued in 1966. In 1827, John C. Leake built a gristmill on the banks of the Pearl River and this mill served as the nucleus around which the community grew. By 1850, there were already several businesses operating in Leakesville including a blacksmith shop, two stores, a cotton gin and a tavern called "The Bucket".

In 1871, construction began on what would become known as "The Governor's Mansion" which served as home to Hinds County officials until 1902 when it was replaced by the current courthouse building which still stands today. In 1903-04, an opera house was constructed downtown which hosted performances by such famous entertainers as Will Rogers and Gene Autry during its heyday. However, like many other small towns throughout Mississippi during this time period, Leakesville faced economic hardship due to Reconstruction-era policies that restricted access to credit and caused agricultural prices to plummet resulting in widespread unemployment and poverty among residents. This situation continued into the early 20th century prompting many residents to leave for larger cities such as Jackson or Vicksburg where opportunities were more plentiful at that time.

However, things began to change for Leakesville beginning in World War II when military bases were established nearby including Fort Hood (now Keesler Air Force Base) and Camp Shelby (now Camp Shelby Joint National Guard Base). As a result of these developments, businesses started opening up again including an auto dealership owned by Rufus Cox Sr., one of Mississippi's first African American millionaires who also served as mayor of Leakesville from 1951-1953; several restaurants; two banks; two funeral homes; an insurance company; two barbershops; three beauty salons; two gas stations/convenience stores; four lumberyards/building contractors; three churches (including one African American Baptist church); three schools (including one private school); five physicians offices; four hardware stores/home improvement stores; three pharmacies; two hotels (the Delta Queen Hotel & Casino and The White House Inn); one movie theater (the Capitol Theater); one radio station (WLBT); one printing press (the Daily Herald Printing Company); six garages/service stations.; numerous small businesses that catered specifically to local residents such as tailors shops、carpet shops、painters、electricians、plumbers etc.; numerous farmers markets held throughout the year 。

There are also several historic sites located within or near downtown including: The Governor's Mansion Site Museum ; Rufus Cox Sr.'s Auto Dealership Site Museum ; The Old Courthouse Site Museum ; The Opera House Site Museum ; The Masonic Temple Site Museum ; And The First Baptist Church Site Museum .

Today there are still many businesses operating in downtown LeakesVILLE including: McDonalds Restaurant , Subway Restaurant , Taco Bell Restaurant , KFC Restaurant , Wendy's Restaurant , Arby's Restaurant , Dominoes Pizza Place 、and Sears Department Store . There are also several restaurants located outside of downtown but within easy driving distance such as: Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar 、Buffalo Wild Wings Grill & Bar 、Chili’s Grill & Bar 、Taco Bell Cantina 、Denny’s Grand Slam Cafe . There are also several convenience stores located throughout town such as Circle K Convenience Store 、7-Eleven Convenience Store 、Gas Mart Convenience Store . There are also several medical offices located within or near town including: Dr.'s Associates Medical Group LLC., MD Anderson Cancer Center - Hinds Campus Physicians Group LLC., Primary Care Physicians - Hinds County LLC., Northeast Mississippi Medical Center - Family Practice Physicians Group Incorporated