MEADVILLE — Before there was a Mississippi, there was Franklin County, and Monday Franklin County residents will celebrate the bicentennial of the county’s founding.

Monday is the 200th anniversary of the county’s charter, and Joan McLemore — who was a long-time Franklin County resident — said locals and state dignitaries have been invited to the celebration at the county courthouse.

“If the weather permits we will have the ceremonies on the front porch, but it will be inside if otherwise,” McLemore said.

The ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. Monday.

Further bicentennial celebrations will be undertaken during a four-day festival in Roxie, Meadville and Bude the first weekend of March, celebrations McLemore said are still being planned.

At Monday’s events, a book titled “Franklin County Remembers 1809-2009,” which chronicles the history of families, churches, communities and organizations associated with the county, was supposed to be made available, but McLemore said that a flood at the publisher’s facility in Michigan pushed the book release back, and the book would not be available until Dec. 28.

But anyone who enjoys history will enjoy the book when it goes on sale, she said.

“A committee has worked very hard, interviewing people revising and resurrecting some histories,” she said.

Franklin County’s culinary heritage will also be celebrated at the bicentennial festivities, where the cookbook “Recipes and Remembrances” will be sold.

“They have taken old cookbooks from the county, taken recipes from that and made a book from that,” McLemore said.

And while Franklin County is small, McLemore said she hopes a lot of people show up for the celebration Monday.

“It’s a wonderful place to live and the people are just great,” she said.

“It will be an exciting time.”