Raymond

History

In 1829, three commissioners, including John B. Peyton, were appointed by U.S. President Andrew Jackson to find a place near the center of Hinds County for the county seat. The current location of Raymond is a ridge about a mile from the center of the county, and was selected because the actual center was low and subject to flooding. The town of Raymond received its charter from the Mississippi legislature on December 15, 1830. Because of its status as a seat of justice and its proximity to the Natchez Trace, Raymond developed quickly into a prosperous small town whose prosperity and small size have continued to this day. In the late 1840s, Cooper's Well, a property near Raymond with a well that provided sulphured water, was developed into a resort for those seeking the perceived health benefits from its ingestion. Construction of a new county courthouse was begun at the center of the town square in 1857 and completed in 1859; the work was largely done by enslaved African Americans. The courthouse is still in use as a secondary location of county legal matters (the city of Jackson having become the primary county seat). The Raymond courthouse is "...a prime example of Greek Revival style". The Battle of Raymond was fought by Confederate and Union soldiers near Raymond on May 12, 1863 as part of General Ulysses S. Grant's Vicksburg Campaign during the Civil War. Four days later, the pivotal Battle of Champion Hill was won by Grant's troops and sealed the fate of Vicksburg. Grant stayed at Waverly, the plantation of John B. Peyton, and Union soldiers used St. Mark's Episcopal Church as a hospital. Blood stains can still be seen on the church's floor from that period. Construction of a water tower was begun in 1903 in the center of the town square. It and the…

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• CLINTON HIGH SCHOOL
  High · Clinton · 1,226 students · 19.2:1 ratio
• FOREST HILL HIGH SCHOOL
  High · JACKSON · 991 students · 16.5:1 ratio
• CLINTON JR HI SCHOOL
  Middle · Clinton · 871 students · 15.8:1 ratio
• BYRAM MIDDLE SCHOOL
  Middle · Terry · 772 students · 15.4:1 ratio
• EASTSIDE ELEM
  Elementary · Clinton · 761 students · 15.5:1 ratio
• NORTHSIDE ELEM
  Elementary · Clinton · 728 students · 17.8:1 ratio
• CLINTON PARK ELEM SCHOOL
  Elementary · Clinton · 712 students · 11:1 ratio
• GARY ROAD INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL
  Elementary · Jackson · 703 students · 15:1 ratio