Enterprise dates to 1834, and 23 of its places are on the National Register
Most of Enterprise was built recently: 8% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1976. 23 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 13 buildings. Below: maps from 1957 on and the census since 1900.
Enterprise was so named "to denote the policy of their inhabitants". The town was founded in 1834, by John J. McRae, who later served as Governor of Mississippi.
In 1855, the Mobile and Ohio Railroad laid track and built a train station at Enterprise.
In the early days of the American Civil War, a military training camp was set up at Enterprise for newly created Confederate units. After the fall of Vicksburg and Port Hudson in July, 1863, thousands of paroled Confederate troops were sent to a camp at Enterprise to await exchange.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Enterprise. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1957Enterprise sheet · 1:62,500
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Enterprise.
People over time
Enterprise, census by census
Between 458 and 877 people in every census since 1900.
13 censuses, 1900–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Enterprise’s Wikipedia page.
Places that used to be
Lost post offices, old corners and burying grounds
Enterprise’s post office has been open since 1842. Another post office, West Enterprise, opened and closed inside today’s town.
Enterprise
1842–today
West Enterprise
1931–1958
18401930today
Hamlets and corners on the map
East EnterpriseWest Enterprise
1cemetery inside Enterprise
Enterprise
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Questions about Enterprise’s history
What year was Enterprise founded?
In 1834, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Enterprise’s post office opened in 1842, and the census of 1900 counted 789 people here.
What is on the National Register in Enterprise?
23 listings: 20 buildings, among them the Barbour-Estes House (listed 1980, the first), 1 historic district, the East Enterprise Historic District, with 13 contributing buildings, and 2 structures. 36 historic buildings in all.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →
From Wikimedia Commons (13), the Library of Congress (4), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (23), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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