Rowland's History of Athens, Monroe County, Mississippi

Source:  Rowland, Dunbar, ed.  Mississippi: Comprising Sketches of 
Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, Arranged in 
Cyclopedic Form.  3 vols.  Atlanta:  Southern Historical Publishing 
Association, 1907.

From:  Volume 1, p. 172

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  Athens.  This is an extinct town of Monroe county and became its second 
county seat in 1830, when that county was divided to form Lowndes county.  
A beautiful plateau near the geographical center of the county was 
selected for its location by a commission, consisting of Sketon Standifer, 
Richard Dilworth, and W. F. Boyakin.  The last named gentleman humorously 
described the choice of its name thus, "half the county had a name to give 
it without charge.  A large number, and among them one member of our board, 
thought as the Legislature had given no authority therefor [sic.] we had 
no right to name it at all.  But a majority overruled and after much 
parleying, the writer, having a dim view that this town might in the future 
be a great center of learning, suggested the name of 'Athens' for it."  The 
little city thrived and grew for many years thereafter, and was a 
flourishing center of trade for the thickly settled region round about.  It 
was finally forced to yield, however, to the superior claims of its rival, 
Aberdeen, west of the river.  When the seat of justice was moved to that 
town, the old settlement of Athens rapidly sank into obscurity.