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A−History
History · Water Valley

Water Valley’s post office opened in 1848, and 13% of its homes were built before 1940

More historic than 83% of U.S. towns · #7 of 100 in Mississippi. What drives it

3 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 81 buildings. Below: 6 old photos and papers, maps from 1885 on, and the census since 1880.

1848first post office
3on the National Register
13%homes built before 1940
6old photos & papers
6famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Water Valley’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Water Valley began

When was Water Valley founded?

1848

The Water Valley post office opened in 1848, the earliest record of the town by name.

First census: 2,220 in 18802020 census: 3,380178 years

How historic is Water Valley?

A−

More historic than 83% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: the first Water Valley post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).
History grade

What drives Water Valley’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Water Valley is more historic than 83% of U.S. towns, #7 of 100 in Mississippi. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its National Register listings ranks highest and its share of homes from before 1940 lowest.

A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Water Valley’s overall grade.
Founding era1848, from the first post office: founded 1776–1849, an older era than 75% of U.S. townsA−Homes built before 194012.6% of homes (±5.3) · typical MS town 4.5% · U.S. 8.4%B−National Register3 listings, 85 historic buildings, 252 per 10,000 residents · typical MS town 71.9 · U.S. 2.4A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 83%
NewerOlder
Mississippi towns of 2,500+ (100)Ahead of 94%

Mississippi towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Mississippi town has 71.9 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Water Valley’s 252 sits above most of its state (80% of Mississippi towns have fewer) while its 85 historic buildings outnumber those of 88% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B+ to A. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±5.3 points). The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date.

Founding year: the first post office (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →

What stands out about Water Valley’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A historic districtThe Water Valley Main Street Historic District takes in 81 historic buildings.Mapped building by building7 fire insurance maps, 1885 to 1925, drew every building in Water Valley.Deep rootsA post office since 1848: 178 years of Water Valley.
★ What stands out · On the National Register

3 listings protect 85 historic buildings

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

places listed
3
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
85
each building in a district counts
first listed
1985
US Post Office-Water Valley
US Post Office-Water ValleySimmons HouseWater Valley Main Street Historic District
BuildingsDistricts

Architectural styles listings

Neo-Classical Revival1
Queen Anne1
Colonial Revival1
Classical Revival1
Tudor Revival1
Bungalow1
US Post Office-Water ValleyNeo-Classical Revival
Simmons HouseBuilding
All 3 listings
Water Valley Main Street Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2012

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

Every building

Water Valley, building by building, 1885–1925

Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.

Water Valley fire insurance map, 1885, sheet 21885Sheet 2 of 2
Edition
BrickWoodStone

Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

Timeline

Water Valley, 1848 to 1972

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1848Post officeThe Water Valley post office opens
  3. 20th century
  4. 1904Born hereFrank Ragland is born here
  5. 1911In the archiveNearly the entire force, Yooona (i.e., Yocona) Mills, Water Valley, Miss. Some of the sma…
  6. 1911Born hereJames A. Ford is born here
  7. 1911Born hereLloyd L. Gaines is born here
  8. 1954On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  9. 1972Born hereBryant Mix is born here
The story so far

Water Valley, in brief

Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Water Valley yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.

Water Valley is a city in Yalobusha County, Mississippi. As of the 2020 census, Water Valley had a population of 3,380. It is the larger of two county seats in the rural county and at one time was the center of railroad shops. Water Valley is served by the Water Valley School District.

Its first post office opened in 1848. Its population held steady between the last two censuses: 3,392 in 2010, 3,380 in 2020.

Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.

By decade

Water Valley, decade by decade

One decade in the archive so far: the 1910s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1910s6 items
Nearly the entire force, Yooona (i.e., Yocona) Mills, Water Valley, Miss. Some of the smallest workers not in photo. Th…1911Nearly the entire force, Yooona (i.e., Yocona) Mills,…Housing conditions in mill settlement1911Housing conditions in mill settlementSmallest boy is Dorris Fabanks[?], been working in Yocona Mill1911Smallest boy is Dorris Fabanks[?], been working in Yo…Nearly the entire force, Yooona [i.e., Yocona] Mills1911Nearly the entire force, Yooona [i.e., Yocona] MillsNearly the entire force, Yooona [i.e., Yocona] Mills1911Nearly the entire force, Yooona [i.e., Yocona] MillsNearly the entire force, Yooona [i.e., Yocona] Mills1911Nearly the entire force, Yooona [i.e., Yocona] Mills
1920s–1990snothing yet
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Add from your album
Today6 recent
The 2021 Flood of2021The 2021 Flood ofCasey Jones Blues Trail Marker2019Casey Jones Blues Trail MarkerWater Valley Mississippi sidewalk2015Water Valley Mississippi sidewalkWater Valley Mississippi Post Office2015Water Valley Mississippi Post OfficeMain Street2015Main StreetWater Valley MS from airplane2012Water Valley MS from airplane
On the map

Water Valley on the map, 1954 to 1983

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Water Valley. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Water Valley on the 1954 USGS mapWater Valley on the 1983 USGS map1954Water Valley West sheet · 1:24,000

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Water Valley.

Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

Nearly the entire force, Yooona (i.e., Yocona) Mills, Water Valley, Miss. Some of the smallest workers not in photo. Th…
Retake this viewNearly the entire force, Yooona (i.e., Yocona) Mills, Water Valley, Miss. Some of the smallest workers not in photo. Th…, 1911

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Water Valley’s page.

Retake this view · +15
People over time

Water Valley, census by census

05001,0001,5002,0002,5003,0003,5004,0004,50018801900192019401960198020002020Peak: 4,315

Between 2,220 and 4,315 people in every census since 1880.

15 censuses, 1880–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Water Valley’s Wikipedia page.

Famous people

6 famous people were born in Water Valley

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
J
James A. FordAmerican archaeologist · b. 1911
B
Bryant MixAmerican football player · b. 1972
L
Lloyd L. GainesAmerican activist · b. 1911
F
Frank RaglandAmerican baseball player · b. 1904
Henry Jackson LewisAmerican editorial cartoonist · b. 1857
R
Ray TerrellAmerican football player · b. 1919
Places that used to be

Places now gone and burying grounds

Water Valley’s post office has been open since 1848.

Gone or out of use
Ragsdale Stand Post Officepost office
1cemetery inside Water Valley
Oak Ridge

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Help out

Finish Water Valley’s story

Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
1 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewNearly the entire force, Yooona (i.e., …: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10

Questions about Water Valley’s history

What year was Water Valley founded?

The Water Valley post office opened in 1848, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).

How does Water Valley rank for history?

Water Valley is more historic than 83% of U.S. towns, #7 of 100 in Mississippi. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.

What is on the National Register in Water Valley?

Three places: the US Post Office-Water Valley (listed 1985), the Simmons House (2020) and the Water Valley Main Street Historic District (2012).

How old are the homes in Water Valley?

13% of Water Valley’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±5.3 points), against a typical 4.5% for a Mississippi town; the median home was built in 1972.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

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).

From Wikimedia Commons (7), the Library of Congress (5), the National Register of Historic Places (3), 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), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.