Making Their Mark: Noxubee County
The historical marker for Noxubee County honors 5 African American men elected to the legislature in the 19th century. Marker text:
After the Civil War, the Fourteenth Amendment and a new state constitution enabled the people of Mississippi to elect 162 Black men to state or national office over the next twenty – years, more than any other state. Representing Noxubee County in the 1870s were Thomas A. Cotton, Lieutenant Governor Alexander K. Davis, Marshall McNeese, Lawrence W. Overton, and Isham Stewart. The overthrow of Reconstruction and passage of the 1890 state constitution ended multiracial democracy in Mississippi for over 70 years.
Current status (October 16, 2026): The unveiling program for the historical marker will be held at the county courthouse in Macon on November 2, 2026, at 11:30 AM. MSMS student Brooklyn Sanders will present the story of Noxubee’s first Black legislators.
This page was last updated on October 16, 2026.