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Quick Facts
The Edmonson Cemetery on Stateline Road, dates back to the 1840s and is the burial site of many famous DeSoto County residents, including Anna Leigh McCorkle, author of Tales of Old Whitehaven. A walk through the cemetery provides a fascinating trip back through time.
In 1959, developer Carey Whitehead and his company purchased 90 acres of land adjacent to the Memphis suburb Whitehaven at the northeast corner of Highway 51 and Stateline Road. The new Mississippi town was named "Southaven." The attractive, quality built, affordable homes in the first subdivision of this area sold out in no time. Southaven was officially incorporated on April 15, 1980.
Best-selling author John Grisham moved with his family to Southaven in 1967. He graduated from Southaven High School in 1973. He earned his law degree in 1981 and soon opened a law practice in Southaven. In l983, the voters of Mississippi's Seventh District sent Grisham to the Legislature in Jackson as their State Representative. His first novel, A Time to Kill, was published in 1989.
Today, Southaven is home to state-of-the-art medical facilities, a college, more than ample shopping, industry, and a variety of housing choices. Southaven's commercial district is now booming with everything from national chain retailers to local shops.
