Located on the banks of the Tombigbee River, Aberdeen was one of the busiest Mississippi ports of the 19th century.

Cotton was heavily traded in town, and for a time Aberdeen was Mississippi's second largest city.

In the spring of each year, Aberdeen hosts pilgrimages to its historic antebellum homes.

In 1540, Hernando DeSoto's expedition was the first occasion that Europeans traveled through the vicinity of Aberdeen.

[5] Lieutenant Colonel Burgh and the 9th Illinois Cavalry Regiment came into contact with rebel militias, driving them back and taking possession of Aberdeen.

The battle resulted in the company taking 18 prisoners of war, as well as the destruction of Confederate food supplies and machinery.

[6] Hiram Revels, the first African-American United States senator, died in Aberdeen on January 16, 1901, while he was attending a church conference.

The downtown area lies on a low rise overlooking the original channel of the Tombigbee River to the east.

[1] The Tombigbee River and the Tennessee–Tombigbee Waterway flow southward through the east end of the city.

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters.