▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁census , ▁the ▁population ▁was ▁ 2 5 , 8 3 3 . ▁The ▁county ▁seat ▁is ▁Gro ve ▁Hill . ▁The ▁county ▁was ▁created ▁ ▁by ▁the ▁legisl ature ▁of ▁the ▁Mississippi ▁Territ ory ▁in ▁ 1 8 1 2 . ▁It ▁is ▁named ▁in ▁honor ▁of ▁General ▁John ▁Clar ke ▁of ▁Georgia , ▁who ▁was ▁later ▁elected ▁governor ▁of ▁that ▁state . ▁ ▁The ▁county ▁museum ▁is ▁hous ed ▁in ▁the ▁Al ston - C obb ▁House ▁in ▁Gro ve ▁Hill . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Pre - Europe an ▁era ▁For ▁thousands ▁of ▁years , ▁this ▁area ▁was ▁occupied ▁along ▁the ▁rivers ▁by ▁varying ▁cult ures ▁of ▁ind igen ous ▁pe op les . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁European ▁encounter , ▁Clar ke ▁County ▁was ▁the ▁traditional ▁home ▁of ▁the ▁Cho ct aw ▁and ▁the ▁Creek ▁people . ▁They ▁trad ed ▁with ▁the ▁French , ▁who ▁had ▁settlement s ▁in ▁Mobile ▁and ▁New ▁Orleans . ▁They ▁also ▁were ▁reached ▁by ▁some ▁English ▁and ▁Sc ots ▁trad ers ▁from ▁the ▁British ▁colon ies ▁along ▁the ▁Atlantic ▁Coast . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁Louisiana ▁P urchase , ▁they ▁started ▁to ▁establish ▁relations ▁with ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 0 5 , ▁by ▁the ▁Tre aty ▁of ▁Mount ▁D ex ter , ▁the ▁Cho ct aw ▁convey ed ▁large ▁amounts ▁of ▁land ▁in ▁what ▁is ▁now ▁sout he astern ▁Mississippi ▁and ▁south western ▁Alabama , ▁including ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁western ▁portion ▁of ▁Clar