Sumrall, MS news and local guide

Sumrall was one of many towns that grew along the Mississippi Central Railroad in the early 1900s. The J. J. Newman Company, headed by Fenwick Peck, chose the site for a large sawmill in the heart of south Mississippi's pine belt; a prize-winning shortleaf pine from the area, 160 feet tall and 20 feet around, was shown at the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis. The legislature granted the town's incorporation on October 6, 1902. For nearly 30 years the Newman Lumber Company was the town's main industry, until it cut out the timber and closed in 1931, during the Depression. In 1949 the Movie Star Company opened a lingerie plant here that employed many local women into the 1990s. As Hattiesburg has grown westward, Sumrall has begun to grow again, and the Longleaf Trace recreational trail follows the old rail line. Sources Wikipedia: Sumrall, Mississippi