city, seat (1874) of Clay county, eastern Mississippi, U.S., 47 miles (76 km) south of Tupelo. With Columbus and Starkville it forms the Golden Triangle industrial region. It was developed on land known as “the Granary of Dixie,” which was sold to James Robertson (1844) by two Native Americans. A minor battle was fought there (February 1864) during the American Civil War.

The city is now primarily a retirement community. Meat processing and the manufacture of metal products are also important. Mary Holmes College was founded there in 1892. The Prairie Arts Festival is held each summer; the Waverley Mansion (c. 1852), one of the largest remaining antebellum plantations in the South, is nearby. Inc. 1858. Pop. (1990) 8,489; (2000) 12,145.