The Lauderdale County Department of Archives and History was the first county Archives Department organized in the state. It is located on the second floor of the courthouse annex building. In addition to managing various county records and documents, the department holds a wealth of historical information.

Of particular interest to Civil War buffs is a collection of more than 40 volumes on Civil War soldiers titled Confederate Deaths & Burials, which makes it easier to research the families involved in the war. The Archives also house the Civil War Diary, written by James Palmer. Many other publications concerning the war can be found on shelves inside the Archives.

Archives employees and volunteers are involved in ongoing research projects, which are published in-house and placed for sale in the Archives bookstore. One such publication is a short biography written by local historian S.W. Calhoun, Jr., titled Constantine Rea and the 46^th Regiment, Mississippi Volunteers in The War for Southern Independence. Major Rea is buried in Old Marion Cemetery.

The Archives Department is open to the public weekdays, 8 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m.