After receiving a federal land grant of about 2 @,@ 000 acres ( 810 ha ) , Richard McLemore , the first settler of Meridian , began offering free land to newcomers to attract more settlers to the region and develop the area . Most of McLemore 's land was bought in 1853 by Lewis A. Ragsdale , a lawyer from Alabama . John T. Ball , a merchant from Kemper County , bought the remaining 80 acres ( 0 @.@ 32 km2 ) . Ragsdale and Ball , now known as the founders of the city , began laying out lots for new development on their respective land sections .