Editing Raymond, Mississippi (section)

==History==
In 1829, three commissioners, including John B. Peyton, were appointed by [[President of the United States|U.S. President]] [[Andrew Jackson]] to find a place near the center of [[Hinds County, Mississippi|Hinds County]] for the [[county seat]]. The current location of Raymond is a ridge about a mile from the center of the county, and was selected because the actual center was low and subject to flooding. The town of Raymond received its charter from the [[Mississippi]] [[legislature]] on December 15, 1830. Because of its status as a seat of justice and its proximity to the [[Natchez Trace]], Raymond developed quickly into a prosperous small town whose prosperity and small size have continued to this day.

In the late 1840s, Cooper's Well, a property near Raymond with a well that provided sulphured water, was developed into a resort for those seeking the perceived health benefits from its ingestion.

Construction of a new county courthouse was begun at the center of the town square in 1857 and completed in 1859; the work was largely done by enslaved African Americans. The courthouse is still in use as a secondary location of county legal matters (the city of Jackson having become the primary county seat). The [[Hinds County Courthouse (Raymond, Mississippi)|Raymond courthous]]e is considered by many {{who|date=March 2012}} to be a prime example of southern [[Greek Revival architecture]].

The [[Battle of Raymond]] was fought by [[Confederate States of America|Confederate]] and Union soldiers near Raymond on May 12, 1863 as part of [[General]] [[Ulysses S. Grant]]'s [[Vicksburg Campaign]] during the [[American Civil War|Civil War]]. Four days later, the pivotal [[Battle of Champion Hill]] was won by Grant's troops and sealed the fate of [[Vicksburg, Mississippi|Vicksburg]]. Grant stayed at Waverly, the plantation of John B. Peyton, and Union soldiers used St. Mark's Episcopal Church as a hospital. Blood stains can still be seen on the church's floor from that period.

Construction of a water tower was begun in 1903 in the center of the town square. It and the courthouse are landmarks for the town. A small agricultural high school was opened in 1917; it developed as [[Hinds Community College]], which has several sites and the largest student body of any college in the state.