Bexley, Mississippi

Bexley, Mississippi
Unincorporated community
Location of Bexley in Mississippi
Coordinates: 30°58′00″N 88°40′27″W / 30.96667°N 88.67417°WCoordinates: 30°58′00″N 88°40′27″W / 30.96667°N 88.67417°W
Country	United States
State	Mississippi
County	George
Elevation[1]	125 ft (38 m)
Time zone	Central (CST) (UTC-6)
• Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
GNIS feature ID	667063[1]

Bexley is an unincorporated place in George County, Mississippi.

History

The Diamond Lumber Company opened a sawmill in Bexley in 1901. The mill was capable of sawing 50,000 ft (15,000 m) of pine per day. The company built a shortline railway running south from Bexley. The mill closed in 1918.^[2]

Bexley was a stop on the mainline of the Illinois Central Railroad.

The Bexley School operated from 1913 to 1959, and was one of the first consolidated schools in Mississippi (consolidation allowed two or more rural schools to combine).^[3]

In 2010, George County Sheriff Garry M. Welford was killed in Bexley while assisting in a high speed chase. Welford was attempting to lay spike strips at an intersection in Bexley, when the vehicle under pursuit struck him. Both occupants of the fleeing vehicle, a boyfriend and girlfriend, were sentenced to life in prison without parole.^[4][5]

Public services

The hamlet is served by the Bexley Volunteer Fire Department.^[6]

References

1. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Bexley, Mississippi
2. Hoffman, Gil. "Diamond Lumber Co. (1901-1904)". Mississippi Rails. Retrieved January 2014.
3. ELMalvaney (July 8, 2009). "Bexley School, Hwy 98 Landmark". Preservation in Mississippi.
4. "History of the Sheriff". George County Sheriff's Department. Retrieved January 2014.
5. "Attorney Says Christopher Baxter Convicted on 'Flawed Grounds' in Death of George County Sheriff Garry Welford". Mississippi Press. January 28, 2014.
6. "Bexley Volunteer Fire Department". Fire Fighting News. October 29, 2004.