Poplarville was named for Poplar Jim Smith, the original owner of the town site. On the night of April 24, 1959, Mack Charles Parker, an African-American accused of r**e, was abducted from the Pearl River County jail in Poplarville by a mob and shot to death. The FBI investigated and even obtained confessions from some of the eight suspects. However, the county prosecutor refused to present eviden
ce to a state grand jury and a federal grand jury refused to indict. The case focused national attention on the persistence of lynching in the South and helped accelerate the American Civil Rights Movement. On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina inflicted heavy damage on the small town. The storm's most powerful, unofficially recorded gust of wind was reported at Pearl River Community College, at 135 mph (217 km/h). On September 2, 2005, the 1st Battalion, 134th Field Artillery (Ohio Army National Guard) arrived at the National Guard armory in Poplarville to assist the community and Pearl River County in recovery efforts in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Initial efforts were the security of banks, pharmacies and gas stations as well as initial responses to rural emergencies. The unit stayed for three weeks ultimately checking on every family and structure in the county. On September 5, 2005, Poplarville played host to a visit by George W. Bush, Laura Bush, and Governor Haley Barbour. The politicians visited Pearl River Community College in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. On December 21, 2006, an early morning fire destroyed 3 downtown buildings. On August 4, 2010, Pearl River Community College Soccer team pulled off a massive signing bringing in the first Scotsman at the college Curtis Sangbarani who had been an up-and-coming professional in Scotland. On March 25, 2014 The citizens voted to allow for beer and wine sales. The final vote count was 361 votes for the measure and 149 against
