Poplarville is located in Pearl River County, Mississippi and has earned the title of the Blueberry Capital of Mississippi. Poplarville was incorporated in 1886 and became the county seat of Pearl River County in 1890 when the County was formed. The city was named after “Poplar” Jim Smith. Smith owned a large tract of land with bountiful Poplar trees, that the railroad ran through, and what became the county seat. Poplarville is the largest city in the county with a population of approximately 2,800. 

In 1892, the first courthouse was built in Poplarville, the first elections were held, and a boarding school was constructed. The old courthouse is now the county hospital. The current Pearl River County Courthouse was built in 1918 by prolific architect Penn Jeffries Krouse. The Pearl River Community College is also located in Poplarville. It started as the state’s first county agricultural high school in 1909 and first public two-year college in 1921. Jimmy Buffet is an alumnus of the River!

In addition to education, forestry and farming were the predominant industries in the area. Agriculture is still important to Poplarville, every year they host a Blueberry Jubilee festival celebrating their rich agricultural heritage.