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Starkville, Mississippi

Starkville is a city in, and the county seat of, Oktibbeha County, Mississippi, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, Starkville's population is 24,360, making it the 16th-most populated city in Mississippi. Starkville is the largest city in the Golden Triangle, which had a population of 175,474 in 2020, and the principal city of the Starkville-Columbus, MS CSA. Founded in 1831, the city was originally known as Boardtown for the local sawmilling operation there, but was renamed in 1837 to honor American Revolutionary War general John Stark.

Starkville is adjacent to and closely associated with Mississippi State University, which was founded as the state's flagship land-grant research university in 1878. The university was located near Starkville in the Mississippi Black Belt due to the region's agricultural productivity, particularly in the timber, cattle, and dairying industries. The expansion of the university transformed Starkville from a primarily agricultural center into a college town, and its economy today is mostly centered around advanced research and manufacturing, retail, and tourism supported by the university population. The Cotton District, developed in the 1960s as North America's first New Urbanist community, is an active student quarter located between downtown Starkville and the university campus.

History
The Starkville area has been inhabited for over 2,100 years. Artifacts in the form of clay pot fragments and artwork dating from that time period have been found east of Starkville at the Herman Mound and Village site, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The village site can be accessed from the Indian Mound Campground. The earthwork mounds were made by early Native Americans of moundbuilder cultures as part of their religious and political cosmology.

Shortly before the American Revolutionary War period, the area was inhabited by the Choccuma (or Chakchiuma) tribe. They were annihilated about that time by a rare alliance between the Choctaw and Chickasaw peoples.

Early 19th century
The modern European-American settlement of the Starkville area was started after the Choctaw inhabitants of Oktibbeha County surrendered their claims to land in the area in the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek in 1830. Most of the Native Americans of the Southeast were forced west of the Mississippi River during the 1830s and Indian Removal.

White settlers were drawn to the Starkville area because of two large springs near the old part of the town, which Native Americans had used for thousands of years. A mill on the Big Black River southwest of town produced clapboards, giving the town its original name, Boardtown in 1834. The first court met in 1834 under a large tree. In 1835, when Boardtown was established as the county seat of Oktibbeha County, it was renamed as Starkville in honor of Revolutionary War hero General John Stark. A log courthouse and a one-room jailhouse were constructed in 1835. The jailhouse was unusual in that it had no doors or windows. Prisoners were made to climb a ladder to the roof and then let down through a trap door using a rope.

The first newspaper was founded in 1847. Originally titled The Starkville Whig, it was later renamed The Broad Ax.

Reconstruction to the 20th century
In 1865, during reconstruction, the officer in charge of Starkville allowed a black man accused of raping a white girl to be lynched by running him down with hounds.

In 1875 a fire destroyed 52 buildings. The entire business district was destroyed.

A carpetbagger named McLaughlin, who served as the local head of the Freedmen's Bureau, assisted in the establishment of a black Methodist church and established a cooperative store for blacks in his home. This enraged the white citizens so the Klan attacked the store.

On May 5, 1879, two black men who had been accused of burning a barn, Nevlin Porter and Johnson Spencer, were taken from the jail by a mob of men and hung from crossties of the Mobile and Ohio Railroad.

In 1888, a mob hanged an African-American man, Eli Bryant, for an alleged attack on a white woman.

Several newspapers were founded in this time period, including The Starkville News in 1891. Early banks included The Peoples Bank in 1889 and Security State Bank in 1896.

A yellow fever epidemic in 1898 resulted in a quarantine of Starkville's railroads by the towns of West Point, Columbus, Artesia and Kosciusko. This resulted in a depletion of medical and other supplies which ultimately resulted in intervention by the state.

20th century
Before the Civil War, Colonel Montgomery imported cattle from the isle of Jersey, initiating the areas prominence as a dairy center. In 1912, the co-operative creamery was created, and in 1926 the Borden Condensary was established.

In April 1912, Gabe (sometimes reported as Abe) Coleman, an African-American man was accused of attacking a farmer's wife and was shot to death by a mob. Nine men were tried for the murder. In February 1912, another African-American man, Mann Hamilton, was murdered by a mob for allegedly attacking a woman. Following an incident in which whites fired into a Republican Meeting at a church in Chapel Hill, Mississippi, killing a black man, a group of black men planned a march in Starkville. They were met at a bridge near the A & M dairy barn by white men from Starkville and West Point armed with cannon loaded with buckshot and iron.

In 1915, two African-American men, Dit Seals and Peter Bolen, were hanged in a public execution while a crowd of 5,000, including blacks and whites, and children watched and sang There is a Land of Pure Delight. The crowd ate lunch while the execution was being conducted. Vendors were on hand selling popcorn, soda pop and sandwiches. The men had been convicted of killing Willie Taylor, an African-American porter on the Mobile and Ohio Railroad. The story was widely reported as a "gala hanging" sponsored by the merchants of Starkville by various newspapers including the New York World and Chicago Tribune, while the Detroit Times described it as little better than a lynching.

In 1922, Starkville was the site of a large rally of the Ku Klux Klan.

In 1926 the Borden Condensery was established, the first condensery in the southern U.S. At the time, Starkville was served by two railroads, the Illinois Central and the Mobile and Ohio.

In 1970, several Black organizations organized a boycott or selective buying campaign. This was met with firebombings, and a crowd of African-Americans assembled near Henderson High School was broken up by gunfire.

21st century
On March 21, 2006, Starkville became the first city in Mississippi to adopt a smoking ban for indoor public places, including restaurants and bars. This ordinance went into effect on May 20, 2006.

In February 2018, Starkville denied a local LGBTQ organization a permit to host a pride parade. The organizers initiated legal action, after which the city reversed its decision. The parade was held in March 2018 with almost 3,000 attendees.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 25.8 square miles (66.9 km2), of which 25.7 square miles (66.5 km$2$) is land and 0.2 square miles (0.4 km$2$) (0.58%) is water.

U.S. Route 82 and Mississippi Highways 12 and 25 are major roads through Starkville. US 82 runs east to west across the northern portion of the city as a bypass, leading east 25 mi to Columbus and northwest 28 mi to Eupora. Route 25 leads south 31 mi to Louisville and Route 12 leads southwest 26 mi to Ackerman. The nearest airport with scheduled service is Golden Triangle Regional Airport (GTR). George M. Bryan Field (KSTF) serves as Starkville's general aviation airport. There are multiple privately owned airstrips in the area.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States Census, there were 24,360 people, 10,092 households, and 4,895 families residing in the city.

2010 census
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 23,888 people, 9,845 households, and 4,800 families residing in the city. The population density was 936.4 PD/sqmi. There were 11,767 housing units at an average density of 396.7 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 58.5% white, 34.06% African American, 0.2%  Native American, 3.75% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.64% from other races, and 1.3% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 1.8% of the population.

There were 9,845 households, out of which 24.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.1% were married couples living together, 13.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 50.1% were non-families. 32.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.92.

The age distribution, strongly influenced by the presence of Mississippi State, was 18.8% under 18, 29.7% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 15.2% from 45 to 64, and 9.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 25 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $31,357, and the median income for a family was $40,557. Males had a median income of $35,782 versus $23,711 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,787. About 19.1% of families and 33.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.3% of those under age 18 and 17.8% of those age 65 or over.

Religion
Starkville has more than 80 places of worship, which serve most religious traditions. Faculty, staff and students at Mississippi State University, including those from other nations, have greatly increased the city's diversity. As of October 2007, approximately half (49.74%) of the residents of Starkville claim a religious affiliation; most are Christian. Of those claiming affiliation, 41.59% self-identify as Protestant, including 25% Baptist and 11% Methodist. Lower percentages identify as Catholic, Mormon, Hindu and Muslim.

Cotton District
The Cotton District is a neighborhood located in Starkville that was redeveloped as part of the new urbanism movement. It was founded in 1969 by Dan Camp, who was the developer, owner and property manager of much of the area. The architecture of the Cotton District has historical elements and scale, with Greek Revival mixed with Classical or Victorian. It is a compact, walkable neighborhood that contains many restaurants and bars, in addition to thousands of unique residential units.

Libraries
The Starkville-Oktibbeha County Public Library System is headquartered at its main branch in Downtown Starkville. In addition to the local public library, the Mississippi State University Library has the largest collection in Mississippi. The Mississippi State Mitchell Memorial Library also hosts the Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library and the Frank and Virginia Williams Collection of Lincolniana.

Government
Executive and legislative authority in the city of Starkville is respectively vested in a mayor and seven-member board of aldermen concurrently elected to four-year terms. Since 2017 the mayor has been Lynn Spruill, a Democrat and the first female mayor elected in Starkville's history. Starkville has a strong-mayor government, with the mayor having the power to appoint city officials and veto decisions by the board of aldermen.

Starkville is split between Mississippi House districts 38 and 43, currently represented by Democrat Cheikh Taylor and Republican Rob Roberson. The city is similarly split between Mississippi Senate districts 15 and 16 represented by Republican Bart Williams and Democrat Angela Turner-Ford. Starkville and Oktibbeha County are in the northern districts of the Mississippi Transportation Commission and Public Service Commission, represented by Republican John Caldwell and Democrat Brandon Presley.

Starkville is in Mississippi's 3rd Congressional District, represented by Congressman Michael Guest.

Public schools
In 1927, the city and the Rosenwald Foundation opened a pair of schools, the Rosenwald School and the Oktibbeha County Training School, later known as Henderson High School, for its African-American residents. In 1970, integration caused the merger of these schools with the white schools. Henderson was repurposed as a junior high school, and the Rosenwald School was burned to the ground.

Until 2015, Starkville and much of the surrounding area was served by the Starkville School District (SSD) while Oktibbeha County was served by Oktibbeha County School District (OCSD). The two districts were realigned following integration in 1970 in a way that placed Starkville and majority-white, relatively affluent areas immediately outside of the city limits into SSD while the remaining portions of Oktibbeha County, which are over 90% Black, were placed into OCSD. As a result of this disparity in the racial demographics of the two districts, Oktibbeha County was placed under a Federal desegregation order. Previous attempts to consolidate the two districts during the 1990s and in 2010 had been unsuccessful, but following an act of the Mississippi Legislature the two were consolidated in 2015. Contrary to predictions, the public schools experienced an inflow of students from private schools when the predominantly white Starkville School district merged with the predominantly black Oktibbeha schools.

The schools continue to operate under a Federal desegregation order.

The following schools of the Starkville Oktibbeha Consolidated School District are located in Starkville:

 * Sudduth Elementary (grades K-1)
 * Henderson Ward Stewart Elementary (grades 2–4)
 * Overstreet Elementary (grade 5)
 * Partnership Middle School (grades 6–7)
 * Armstrong Junior High School (grades 8–9)
 * Starkville High School (grades 10–12)
 * Emerson Preschool
 * Millsaps Career & Technology Center

In 2015 it was announced that SOCSD and Mississippi State University would cooperate in establishing a partnership school. The school will be for all grade 6 and 7 students in Oktibbeha County and will be located on the Mississippi State University campus. The school will serve as an instructional site for students and faculty of Mississippi State University's College of Education, and as a one-of-a-kind rural education research center. Construction on the partnership school began in spring 2017. The school opened in August 2020.

Prior to integration, African-American students in Starkville attended the historic Henderson High School. The school was later re-purposed as Starkville School District's junior high school and is now an elementary school.

Private schools
Private schools in Starkville include:
 * Starkville Academy, founded 1969
 * Starkville Christian School, founded 1996

Starkville Academy has been described as a segregation academy. Despite fears that the consolidation of the Starkville and Oktibbeha County school districts in 2015 would lead to additional White flight to private schools, district consolidation actually resulted in decreased enrollment at area private schools as more white parents living in Oktibbeha County opted to enroll their children in the consolidated district.

Tertiary education and libraries
Mississippi State University is partially in the Starkville city limits, and partially in the Mississippi State census-designated place.

East Mississippi Community College is the designated community college for the county, but does not operate facilities in it.

Starkville-Oktibbeha County Public Library System maintains the Starkville Library.

Newspapers

 * The Starkville Daily News
 * The Reflector (MSU Student Newspaper)
 * The Starkville Dispatch (a localized edition of The Commercial Dispatch)

Radio

 * WMSV (Mississippi State Radio Station)
 * WMAB (Public Radio)
 * WMSU
 * WQJB
 * WMXU
 * WJZB
 * WSMS
 * WSSO (WSSO was Starkville's first radio station, first broadcasting in 1949 at 250W on 1230 AM)

Television

 * WCBI
 * WTVA
 * WLOV-TV

Magazines

 * Town and Gown Magazine

Notable people

 * Luqman Ali, musician
 * Dee Barton, composer
 * Cool Papa Bell, African-American baseball player; member of Baseball Hall of Fame
 * Fred Bell, baseball player in the Negro leagues; brother of Cool Papa Bell
 * Josh Booty, professional baseball and football player
 * Julio Borbon, professional baseball player
 * Marquez Branson, professional football player
 * A. J. Brown, NFL wide receiver
 * Harry Burgess, governor of the Panama Canal Zone, 1928–1932
 * Cyril Edward Cain, preacher, professor, historian; lived in Starkville
 * John Wilson Carpenter III, distinguished U.S. Air Force pilot and commander
 * Jemmye Carroll, appeared on MTV's The Real World and The Challenge
 * Joe Carter, professional football player
 * Hughie Critz, professional baseball player
 * Sylvester Croom, first black football coach in the Southeastern Conference
 * Mohammad "Mo" Dakhlalla, convicted of offenses related to his attempts to join ISIS in Syria
 * Willie Daniel, professional football player and businessman
 * Kermit Davis, basketball player and coach
 * Al Denson, musician and Christian radio and television show host
 * Antuan Edwards, professional football player
 * Drew Eubanks, basketball player
 * Rockey Felker, football player and coach
 * Willie Gay Jr., NFL linebacker
 * William L. Giles, former president of Mississippi State University; lived in Starkville
 * Scott Tracy Griffin, author, actor, and pop culture historian
 * Horace Harned, politician
 * Helen Young Hayes, investment manager
 * Kim Hill, Christian singer
 * Shauntay Hinton, Miss District of Columbia USA 2002, Miss USA 2002
 * Richard E. Holmes, medical doctor and one of the five young black Mississippians who pioneered the effort to desegregate the major universities of Mississippi; graduate of Henderson High School
 * Bailey Howell, college and professional basketball player; lives in Starkville
 * Gary Jackson, served in Mississippi Senate
 * Paul Jackson, artist; spent childhood in Starkville
 * Hayes Jones, gold medalist in 110-meter hurdles at Tokyo 1964 Olympics
 * Martin F. Jue, amateur radio inventor, entrepreneur; founder of MFJ Enterprises
 * Mark E. Keenum, president of Mississippi State University
 * Harlan D. Logan, Rhodes Scholar, tennis coach, magazine editor, and politician
 * Ray Mabus, former Mississippi governor
 * Ben McGee, professional football player
 * Jim McIngvale, businessman in Houston, Texas
 * Shane McRae, actor
 * William M. Miley, U.S. Army major general; professor of military science; lived in Starkville
 * Freddie Milons, college and professional football player
 * Leland Mitchell, professional basketball player
 * Monroe Mitchell, professional baseball player
 * William Bell Montgomery, agricultural publisher
 * Jess Mowry, author of juvenile books
 * Jasmine Murray, singer
 * Travis Outlaw, professional basketball player
 * Archie Pate, baseball player in the Negro leagues
 * John Peoples, President of Jackson State University from 1967 to 1984
 * Ron Polk, Olympic and college Baseball Coach.
 * Del Rendon, musician; lived in Starkville
 * Jerry Rice, professional football player; member of NFL Hall of Fame and College Football Hall of Fame
 * Nannie Herndon Rice, suffragist and librarian, born and lived in Starkville
 * Dero A. Saunders, journalist and author
 * Bill Stacy, football player, mayor of Starkville
 * Rick Stansbury, Basketball coach
 * John Marshall Stone, longest-serving governor of Mississippi; second president of Mississippi State University; namesake of Stone County, Mississippi
 * April Sykes, professional basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association
 * Amy Tuck, former Mississippi Lieutenant Governor; lives in Starkville
 * Latavious Williams, professional basketball player
 * Jaelyn Young, terrorist

In popular culture
Pilot Charles Lindbergh, the first to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean, made a successful landing on the outskirts of Starkville in 1927 during his Guggenheim Tour. He stayed overnight at a boarding house in the Maben community. Lindbergh later wrote about that landing in his autobiographical account of his barnstorming days, titled WE.

Starkville is one of several places in the United States that claims to have created Tee Ball. Tee Ball was popularized in Starkville in 1961 by W.W. Littlejohn and Dr. Clyde Muse, members of the Starkville Rotarians.

Johnny Cash was arrested for public drunkenness (though he described it as being picked up for picking flowers) in Starkville and held overnight at the city jail on May 11, 1965. This inspired his song "Starkville City Jail":

The song appears on the album At San Quentin.

From November 2 to 4, 2007, the Johnny Cash Flower Pickin' Festival was held in Starkville. At the festival, Cash was offered a symbolic posthumous pardon by the city. They honored Cash's life and music, and the festival was expected to become an annual event. The festival was started by Robbie Ward, who said: "Johnny Cash was arrested in seven places, but he only wrote a song about one of those places."

In 2021, a Mississippi Country Music Trail marker honoring Cash was installed in Starkville near the Oktibbeha County Jail.

In 2014, Gordon Ramsay visited the Hotel Chester in his series Hotel Hell in a successful attempt to help the struggling hotel remain in business.

title: Starkville, Mississippi


text:
Sturgis, Mississippi

Sturgis is a town in Oktibbeha County, Mississippi. The population was 207 at the 2020 census.

Sturgis annually hosts "The Rally", an all-bike motorcycle rally, also known as the Little Sturgis Rally. According to Scott Smith, former Mayor of Sturgis, in 2005 around 20,000 visitors attended that year's rally. The most recent was August 2022 after a hiatus of 2 years due to COVID-19 concerns.

Geography
Sturgis is located at 33.34389°N, -89.04667°W (33.344027, -89.046618).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.3 sqmi, all land.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 206 people, 83 households, and 61 families residing in the town. The population density was 158.3 PD/sqmi. There were 92 housing units at an average density of 70.7 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 93.69% White, 5.83% African American, 0.49% from other races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.97% of the population.

There were 83 households, out of which 28.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.0% were married couples living together, 12.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.5% were non-families. 26.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 2.98.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.3% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 30.1% from 25 to 44, 18.4% from 45 to 64, and 20.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.5 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $33,125, and the median income for a family was $41,667. Males had a median income of $30,179 versus $20,625 for females. The per capita income for the town was $18,916. None of the families and 2.5% of the population were living below the poverty line, including no under eighteens and 11.1% of those over 64.

Education
The Town of Sturgis is served by the Starkville Oktibbeha Consolidated School District. West Oktibbeha County Elementary School (formerly Sturgis Elementary School) is in Sturgis. All residents are zoned to Armstrong Middle School and Starkville High School in Starkville.

It was previously in the Oktibbeha County School District, and Sturgis had its own schools, including Sturgis High School, which was merged with Maben High School to form West Oktibbeha County High School. In 2013, the Mississippi Legislature passed a bill requiring that all Oktibbeha County schools be merged into the Starkville School District.

In 2015 the West Oktibbeha County High School in Maben, which served Sturgis, consolidated into Starkville High.

Sturgis is served by the Starkville-Oktibbeha County Public Library System which operateas the Sturgis Public Library.

Sturgis South Bike Rally
For fourteen straight years, taking advantage of the built-in name recognition of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in Sturgis, South Dakota, Sturgis was home to the annual Sturgis South Bike Rally, which drew crowds of as many as 20,000 people. After being discontinued due to a funding conflict between rally organizers and local government from 2011-2013, the rally resumed in 2014.

Notable people

 * N. Q. Adams, Mississippi state senator (1896-1900) and House member (1908-1912)
 * Lovie Gore, member of the Mississippi House of Representatives from 1952 to 1960
 * Kirby Jackson, a former professional American football defensive back who played for the Los Angeles Rams and the Buffalo Bills, was born in Sturgis.
 * Kid Thomas (musician) was born in Sturgis.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Sturgis, Mississippi


text:
Batesville, Mississippi

Batesville is a city in Panola County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 7,523 at the 2020 census, up from 7,463 at the 2010 census.

Batesville is one of two county seats which the legislature established for Panola County, related to a longstanding rivalry between towns on either side of the Tallahatchie River; the other is Sardis, located north of the river.

History
Batesville was founded in the 1850s following the construction of the Mississippi and Tennessee Railroad.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 11.1 sqmi, all land.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States Census, there were 7,523 people, 3,089 households, and 2,494 families residing in the city.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 7,113 people, 2,577 households, and 1,821 families residing in the city. The population density was 638.2 PD/sqmi. There were 2,791 housing units at an average density of 250.4 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 56.43% White, 41.88% African American, 0.06% Native American, 0.38% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.82% from other races, and 0.39% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.60% of the population.

There were 2,577 households, out of which 35.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.7% were married couples living together, 21.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.3% were non-families. 26.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.14.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 28.9% under the age of 18, 11.6% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 18.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.4 males. The median income for a household in the city was $29,875, and the median income for a family was $38,849. Males had a median income of $30,998 versus $22,029 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,814. About 21.9% of families and 28.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 36.1% of those under age 18 and 27.0% of those age 65 or over.

Education
South Panola School District (SPSD) operates schools in Batesville and has its headquarters in Batesville. Batesville Elementary School, Batesville Intermediate School, Batesville Middle School, Batesville Junior High School, and South Panola High School serve Batesville.

A private academy founded in 1987, North Delta School, also serves Panola County and the surrounding area.

Transportation
Rail service is provided by Grenada Railway (formerly Illinois Central Railroad).

Amtrak's City of New Orleans used to provide passenger service, but the train was rerouted to the Delta region in 1995.

The short-lived Batesville Southwestern Railroad was established in Batesville.

Notable people

 * Lewis Edward Anderson, botanist
 * Al Baker, former Major League Baseball player
 * Kory Chapman, former National Football League player
 * Jerry Dahlke, former Major League Baseball pitcher
 * Cliff Finch, governor of Mississippi from 1976 to 1980
 * Joe C. Gardner, Mississippi state legislator from 2007 to 2013
 * Jermarcus Hardrick, CFL player for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
 * Darrell Henderson, NFL running back
 * John Jerry, NFL offensive lineman
 * Peria Jerry, University of Mississippi and Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle
 * John W. Kyle, member of the Mississippi Supreme Court from 1950 to 1965
 * Richard H. Leigh, four-star admiral and Commander-in-Chief of the United States Fleet from 1932 to 1933
 * Ronnie Musgrove, governor of Mississippi from 2000 to 2004, was born in Tocowa in 1956 and reared in Batesville
 * Derek Pegues, former professional football player
 * Will Renfro, former NFL offensive tackle
 * Jameson Rodgers, Country music singer-songwriter
 * Dwayne Rudd, former NFL player for the Minnesota Vikings, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Oakland Raiders, and Cleveland Browns
 * Jamarca Sanford, former NFL safety
 * Patrick Shegog, former quarterback for the Delta State Statesmen
 * Soulja Boy, rapper
 * Matthew Lyle Spencer, president of the University of Washington from 1927 to 1933 and first Dean of the School of Journalism at Syracuse University
 * Superstar Pride, rapper
 * Billy Tohill, head football coach for Texas Christian University from 1971 to 1973
 * Deshea Townsend, Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back
 * Sammy Vick, former Major League Baseball player
 * Wesley Walls, former NFL tight end
 * Thomas Wayne, rockabilly singer
 * Doc Wood, former Major League Baseball shortstop
 * Lee Woodruff, former NFL player

title: Batesville, Mississippi


text:
Como, Mississippi

Como is a town in Panola County, Mississippi, which borders the Mississippi Delta and is in the northern part of the state, known as hill country. The population was 1,279 as of the 2010 census.

History
In a 2007 article about the area, Wayne Drash, a CNN.com senior producer, described Como as "a hard-hit rural community."

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.9 sqmi, of which 1.9 sqmi is land and 0.53% is water.

It is 45 mi south of Memphis, Tennessee.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States Census, there were 1,118 people, 590 households, and 284 families residing in the town.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,310 people, 461 households, and 352 families residing in the town. The population density was 692.1 PD/sqmi. There were 506 housing units at an average density of 267.3 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 71.83% African American, 26.79% White, 0.08% Native American, 0.61% from other races, and 0.69% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.15% of the population.

There were 461 households, out of which 34.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.7% were married couples living together, 31.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.6% were non-families. 22.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.84 and the average family size was 3.30.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 30.1% under the age of 18, 9.8% from 18 to 24, 24.5% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 15.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 81.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 74.8 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $22,344, and the median income for a family was $25,000. Males had a median income of $28,333 versus $18,977 for females. The per capita income for the town was $12,278. About 31.3% of families and 37.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 57.2% of those under age 18 and 29.6% of those age 65 or over.

Education
The Town of Como is served by the North Panola School District. Como Elementary School in Como, North Panola Junior High School in Como, and North Panola High School in Sardis serve the community.

Infrastructure
The United States Postal Service operates the Como Post Office.

Notable people

 * R.L. Boyce (1955–2023), blues musician, was born lived and died in Como. His album, Roll and Tumble, was nominated a 2018 Grammy Award in the Best Traditional Blues Album category.
 * Floyd Chance, double bass player and session musician
 * Jessie Mae Hemphill (1923–2006), Hill Country blues musician
 * Joe Henderson (1937–1964), R&B and gospel singer who had a 1962 hit with "Snap Your Fingers" was born in Como.
 * Rosa Lee Hill, blues musician
 * Albert R. Howe, member of the United States House of Representatives from 1873 to 1875
 * Alvin Ray Jackson, professional football player
 * Tony Johnson, former National Football League tight end
 * Tommy Joe Martins (b. 1986), racecar driver, was born in Como.
 * Jimbo Mathus (b. 1967), musician, has lived in Como since 2007, where he also runs the Delta Recording Studio, which records artists from around the world.
 * Mississippi Fred McDowell (1904–1972), Hill country blues musician
 * L. H. Musgrove (1832–1868) was born in Como and moved to the American West. An outlaw, he was sprung from jail in Denver, Colorado, in the fall of 1868 and lynched by a vigilante mob.
 * Miriam Greene Paslay (1869–1932), professor of Latin and Greek at Mississippi Industrial Institute & College (1891–1920)
 * Luther Perkins (1928–1968), guitarist who played for singer Johnny Cash, spent most of his childhood in Como.
 * Michael Shaheen (1940–2007), mayor of Como from 1970 to 1973 and longtime head of the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Professional Responsibility, grew up in Como from age 5.
 * Napoleon Strickland (1919–2001), Hill country blues musician
 * Othar Turner (1907–2003), Hill country blues musician
 * Stark Young (1881–1963) was born and grew up in Como. He became a novelist, best known for So Red the Rose (1934), adapted as a 1935 film by the same name. A member of the Southern Agrarians, he had taught in academia for several years before moving to New York City, where he also wrote several plays and worked as theatre critic for The New Republic and The New York Times.

title: Como, Mississippi


text:
Sardis, Mississippi

Sardis is a town in Panola County, Mississippi. As of the 2020 census, the town population was 1,748. Sardis is one of two county seats for Panola County; the other is Batesville, on the south side of the Tallahatchie River.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.0 sqmi, all land.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States Census, there were 1,748 people, 776 households, and 493 families residing in the town.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,038 people, 790 households, and 493 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,028.0 PD/sqmi. There were 862 housing units at an average density of 434.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 41.90% White, 56.43% African American, 0.05% Native American, 0.39% Asian, 0.54% from other races, and 0.69% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.47% of the population.

There were 790 households, out of which 25.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.1% were married couples living together, 23.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.5% were non-families. 33.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.24.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 26.1% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 21.2% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 21.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 77.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 72.1 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $23,042, and the median income for a family was $32,933. Males had a median income of $24,783 versus $18,750 for females. The per capita income for the town was $15,195. About 18.4% of families and 24.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 32.2% of those under age 18 and 24.1% of those age 65 or over.

Education
The Town of Sardis is served by the North Panola School District. North Panola Junior High School in Como and North Panola High School in Sardis serve the community. The Quitman County School District serves the portion of Crenshaw that lies in Quitman County.

Notable people

 * Sanders Bohlke, folk singer
 * Cedric Burnett, member of the Mississippi House of Representatives
 * Charles P. Hall − Lieutenant general of the United States Army, who served in both World Wars. He commanded the XI Corps during the Battle of Bataan.
 * KJ Jefferson − Starting quarterback for the Arkansas Razorbacks football team
 * Germany Kent − media personality. First person inducted into North Panola School District Hall of Fame.
 * John C. Kyle − Democratic politician from the US state of Mississippi during the late 19th century.
 * Nolan Mettetal − Mississippi state legislator
 * Ronnie Musgrove − politician, 62nd Governor of Mississippi
 * Josiah T. Settle, former member of the Mississippi House of Representatives
 * Hubert Anthony Shands, author

title: Sardis, Mississippi


text:
Picayune, Mississippi

Picayune is the largest city in Pearl River County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 11,885 at the 2020 census. The city is located approximately 45 mi from New Orleans, Hattiesburg, and Gulfport–Biloxi. The Stennis Space Center is 10 mi away. Picayune is part of the New Orleans–Metairie–Hammond combined statistical area.

History
The word "picayune" was the name of a Spanish coin, worth half a real or 1/16 of a Spanish dollar (6.25 cents). Its name derives from the French "picaillon", which is itself from the Provençal "picaioun", the name of an unrelated small copper coin from Savoy. By extension, picayune can mean "trivial" or "of little value".

Picayune was incorporated in 1904, and was named by Eliza Jane Poitevent Nicholson in late 1883 or early 1884. She was the owner and publisher of 'The Daily Picayune', a newspaper named for the coin.

The local post office contained a mural, subsequently covered over, Lumber Region of Mississippi, painted by Donald H. Robertson in 1940. Federally commissioned murals were produced from 1934 to 1943 in the United States through the Section of Painting and Sculpture, later called the Section of Fine Arts, of the Treasury Department.

Hurricane Katrina
While Picayune received extensive damage from Hurricane Katrina, it was not as severe as in other nearby cities. This caused Picayune to become the temporary home for many who relocated from the New Orleans area and from the Mississippi Gulf Coast who were seeking a safer home site with easy commuting to those areas.

The bulk of the Katrina damage in Picayune was caused by high winds, as the eye wall passed over the city. This resulted in widespread roof, window, and fence damage. The wind also caused hundreds, if not thousands, of downed trees and power outages of up to a few weeks.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 11.8 sqmi, of which 11.8 sqmi is land and 0.04 sqmi (7.34%) is water. Picayune is a part of the New Orleans–Metairie–Hammond combined statistical area.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 11,885 people, 4,457 households, and 2,951 families residing in the city.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 10,535 people, 4,100 households, and 2,865 families residing in the city. The population density was 895.6 PD/sqmi. There were 4,568 housing units at an average density of 388.3 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 62.02% White, 35.92% African American, 0.38% Native American, 0.30% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.18% from other races, and 1.15% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.15% of the population.

There were 4,100 households, out of which 31.8% had a children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.0% were married couples living together, 20.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.1% were non-families. 26.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.06.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 27.0% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 23.0% from 45 to 64, and 15.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 82.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $26,958, and the median income for a family was $33,260. Males had a median income of $31,438 versus $20,035 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,798. About 18.9% of families and 20.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.2% of those under age 18 and 17.6% of those age 65 or over.

Education

 * Almost all of the City of Picayune is located in the Picayune School District. A small section is in the Pearl River County School District.
 * Within the Picayune school district: Picayune Junior High School serves as the middle school for grades 7 and 8. Picayune Memorial High School is the local high school. The school's mascot is the Maroon Tide. The Center of Alternate Education is also located in Picayune.
 * Pearl River County school district operates Pearl River Central High School

All of Pearl River County is in the service area of Pearl River Community College.

 * Elementary schools (Picayune School District)
 * Nicholson Elementary
 * Roseland Park Elementary
 * South Side Elementary
 * West Side Elementary

Newspaper
Picayune's local newspaper is the Picayune Item.

Radio
The local radio station is WRJW 1320-AM.

Television and radio stations that are part of the New Orleans and Gulfport–Biloxi listening areas serve the city.

Government
The United States Postal Service operates the Picayune Post Office. There is a mural made by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) but subsequent renovations covered up the mural with new paint.

Transportation
Amtrak's Crescent train connects Picayune with the cities of New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, Charlotte, Atlanta, Birmingham, and New Orleans. The Amtrak station is situated at 100 South U.S. Route 11. There is daily service in each direction.

U.S. 11 is the main highway through Picayune. Interstate 59 (via Interstate 10) connects Picayune with New Orleans, LA, to the south and Hattiesburg, MS, Meridian, MS, and Birmingham, AL, to the north.

Mississippi Highway 43 is the main connection to and from the east, connecting to Interstate 10 near Kiln, MS.

Picayune Municipal Airport has a 5000 ft runway and is a popular destination for private fixed-wing and rotary aircraft visiting the New Orleans area. Rental car, taxi and limousine services are available.

Railroads

 * Norfolk Southern Railway

Major highways

 * [[Image:US 11.svg|30px]] U.S. Route 11
 * [[Image:Circle sign 43.svg|30px]] Mississippi Highway 43
 * [[Image:I-59.svg|30px]] Interstate 59

Library
The Margaret Reed Crosby Memorial Library serves Picayune and is the headquarters of the Pearl River County Library System.

Notable people

 * Jonathan Bender, professional basketball player
 * Gary Goff, college football coach
 * T. J. House, professional baseball player
 * Rhyne Hughes, professional baseball player
 * Michael Holloway Perronne, writer
 * Matt Riser, college baseball coach
 * Cailey Fleming, actress

Points of interest

 * Crosby Arboretum
 * Bogue Chitto National Wildlife Refuge
 * Stennis Space Center

title: Picayune, Mississippi


text:
Poplarville, Mississippi

Poplarville is a city in Pearl River County, Mississippi, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 2,894. It is the county seat of Pearl River County. It hosts an annual Blueberry Jubilee, which includes rides, craft vendors and rodeos.

History
Poplarville was named for Poplar Jim Smith, the original owner of the town site.

Four lynchings have been committed in Poplarville since the Civil War. The most recent occurred in 1959 when Mack Charles Parker, an African-American accused of rape, was abducted from the Pearl River County jail in Poplarville by a mob and shot to death. No charges were filed against anyone.

On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina inflicted damage on Poplarville, with storm's most powerful, unofficially recorded gust of wind reported at Pearl River Community College, at 135 mi/h. On September 2, 2005, Ohio Army National Guard arrived in Poplarville to assist with recovery. Initial efforts were the security of banks, pharmacies and gas stations as well as initial responses to rural emergencies. The unit stayed for three weeks ultimately checking on every family and structure in the county. On September 5, 2005, George W. Bush, Laura Bush, and Governor Haley Barbour visited Pearl River Community College in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

On March 25, 2014 citizens voted to allow for beer and wine sales. The final vote count was 361 votes for the measure and 149 against.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.9 sqmi, of which, 3.8 sqmi of it is land and 0.04 sqmi of it (0.52%) is water.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 2,833 people, 733 households, and 499 families residing in the city.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,601 people, 852 households, and 558 families residing in the city. The population density was 676.5 PD/sqmi. There were 936 housing units at an average density of 243.4 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 74.32% White, 23.95% African American, 0.50% Asian, 0.15% Native American, 0.12% Pacific Islander, 0.15% from other races, and 0.81% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.65% of the population.

There were 852 households, out of which 32.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.6% were married couples living together, 19.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.4% were non-families. 30.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.99.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 21.6% under the age of 18, 20.8% from 18 to 24, 22.3% from 25 to 44, 18.2% from 45 to 64, and 17.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $26,417, and the median income for a family was $32,339. Males had a median income of $35,250 versus $21,667 for females. The per capita income for the city was $12,833. About 20.8% of families and 25.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 38.8% of those under age 18 and 17.5% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

 * Theodore G. Bilbo, U.S. Senator, was born in 1877 in Juniper Grove, an eastern township of Poplarville.
 * Jimmy Buffett, musician, lived in Poplarville for a period of time starting in 1959.
 * Glen Day, PGA Tour Golfer.
 * Jonathan J. C. Grey, federal judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
 * Chapel Hart, country music group.
 * Whitney Miller, the United States' first MasterChef.
 * Mack Charles Parker, African-American victim of lynching in the United States, accused of raping a pregnant white woman.
 * Larkin I. Smith, member of U.S. House of Representatives.
 * Martin T. Smith, lawyer and politician.

Education
The City of Poplarville is served by the Poplarville School District and is home to Pearl River Community College.

title: Poplarville, Mississippi


text:
Beaumont, Mississippi

Beaumont is a town in Perry County, Mississippi. It is part of the Hattiesburg, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area, and located on the edge of the De Soto National Forest. The population was 951 at the 2010 census.

Geography
Beaumont is located at 31.16806°N, -88.9225°W (31.168178, -88.922588).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 3.5 sqmi, of which 3.5 sqmi is land and 0.29% is water.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 669 people, 381 households, and 242 families residing in the town.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 977 people, 387 households, and 270 families residing in the town. The population density was 280.6 PD/sqmi. There were 448 housing units at an average density of 128.7 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 51.38% White, 47.49% African American, 0.92% Native American, 0.10% from other races, and 0.10% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.31% of the population.

There were 387 households, out of which 33.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.2% were married couples living together, 22.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.2% were non-families. 28.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.09.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 28.9% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 12.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.9 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $20,147, and the median income for a family was $24,250. Males had a median income of $30,250 versus $17,083 for females. The per capita income for the town was $9,601. About 32.4% of families and 35.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 46.8% of those under age 18 and 43.4% of those age 65 or over.

Education
The Town of Beaumont is served by the Perry County School District. There is an elementary school (K8) in Beaumont, and secondary education is provided in New Augusta.

Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by relatively high temperatures and evenly distributed precipitation throughout the year. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Beaumont has a Humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

On April 17, 2022, the town was heavily damaged by an EF2 tornado, which damaged or destroyed multiple buildings, homes, trees, and power poles and lines.

Notable people

 * Tristan Jackson, former professional Canadian football defensive back
 * Brandon Sumrall, former NFL cornerback

title: Beaumont, Mississippi


text:
New Augusta, Mississippi

New Augusta is a town in Perry County, Mississippi. It is part of the Hattiesburg, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 554 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Perry County. New Augusta is located about two miles south of "Old" Augusta, which was the county seat until 1906.

Geography
New Augusta is located at 31.20417°N, -89.03194°W (31.204062, -89.031957).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 5.3 sqmi, of which 5.2 sqmi is land and 0.1 sqmi (2.64%) is water.

Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 554 people, 238 households, and 165 families residing in the town.

Education
The Town of New Augusta is served by the Perry County School District.

title: New Augusta, Mississippi


text:
Richton, Mississippi

Richton is a town in Perry County, Mississippi, United States. It is part of the Hattiesburg, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,068 at the 2010 census.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.3 sqmi, all land.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 920 people, 345 households, and 205 families residing in the town.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,038 people, 397 households, and 258 families residing in the town. The population density was 452.6 PD/sqmi. There were 497 housing units at an average density of 216.7 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 76.01% White, 21.19% African American, 0.67% Native American, 0.19% Asian, 0.48% Pacific Islander, 0.48% from other races, and 0.96% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.96% of the population.

There were 397 households, out of which 29.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.6% were married couples living together, 18.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.8% were non-families. 32.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 3.04.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.7% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 21.9% from 25 to 44, 25.2% from 45 to 64, and 20.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 75.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 68.5 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $23,365, and the median income for a family was $33,250. Males had a median income of $34,250 versus $16,000 for females. The per capita income for the town was $17,425. About 22.3% of families and 31.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 47.7% of those under age 18 and 26.5% of those age 65 or over.

Education
The Town of Richton is served by the Richton School District.

Strategic Petroleum Reserve
The United States Department of Energy has selected Richton as a possible site for the expansion of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.

Notable people

 * Roy Cochran, Olympic athlete
 * George E. Johnson, Sr., entrepreneur
 * JaCoby Jones, baseball player
 * Frank Stanford, poet
 * Glenda Meadows Grubbs, former Miss Mississippi, artist

title: Richton, Mississippi


text:
Magnolia, Mississippi

Magnolia is a city in Pike County, Mississippi and the county seat. The population was 2,420 at the 2010 census. Magnolia is within the McComb, Mississippi Micropolitan Statistical Area.

History
Magnolia was founded in 1856 by Ansel H. Prewett, a local civic leader and cotton planter. Knowing that the approaching New Orleans, Jackson, and Great Northern Railroad (now the Illinois Central Railroad) would need a station for water and fuel, Prewett sold a right-of-way to the railroad company – for one dollar, according to legend – and divided a section of his plantation into town lots, which he sold to investors. Prewett, while serving as temporary sheriff of Pike County, was killed by outlaws in the early 1870s escorting a prisoner on the very railroad that made Magnolia a viable community.

Magnolia grew rapidly in the 1860s, and in the late nineteenth century Magnolia served as a popular small-town resort for wealthy New Orleanians, who took trains north from New Orleans to enjoy Magnolia's fresh air and sparkling creeks. At one time early Magnolia boasted an opera house, skating rink, and several hotels that catered largely to these tourists.

In 1860 Magnolia's first newspaper, the Grand Trunk Magnolian, was established by John Waddill. It did not last the war and was succeeded by the establishment of the Magnolia Gazette by J.D. Burke in 1872. The Magnolia Herald was established by Luke W. Conerly in 1875 and he continued as its proprietor and editor until 1878.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.3 sqmi, of which 3.2 sqmi is land and 0.1 sqmi (1.52%) is water.

Within the city limits there is the confluence of the Minnehaha River and the Little Tangipahoa River.

Demographics

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,883 people, 825 households, and 444 families residing in the city.

Notable people

 * Prentiss Barnes (1925-2006), bass singer in the doo-wop group The Moonglows. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000.
 * Laphonza Butler (born 1979), U.S. Senator from California.
 * Aunjanue Ellis (born 1969), Oscar-nominated actress.
 * Herman Neugass (1915–1991), track & field athlete who boycotted the 1935 Olympic trials
 * William Parsons, Director of the Kennedy Space Center, oversaw return to flight following the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster in 2003.
 * Michael Farris Smith, writer
 * Lynne Spears (born 1955), author and mother of Bryan, Britney, and Jamie Lynn Spears.
 * Davion Taylor (born 1998), NFL Linebacker drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles, 3rd round, in 2020.
 * Sammy Williams, former NFL offensive tackle

Highways

 * I-55.svg Interstate 55
 * US 51.svg U.S. Highway 51
 * Circle sign 48.svg Mississippi Highway 48

Air

 * McComb-Pike County Airport

Services
The City of Magnolia is served by the South Pike School District. The town has one public library.

Recreation

 * Percy Quin State Park
 * Homochitto National Forest 42 miles away

Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Magnolia has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

title: Magnolia, Mississippi


text:
McComb, Mississippi

McComb is a city in Pike County, Mississippi, United States. The city is approximately 80 mi south of Jackson. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 12,790. It is the principal city of the McComb, Mississippi Micropolitan Statistical Area.

19th century
McComb was founded in 1872 after Henry Simpson McComb of the New Orleans, Jackson and Great Northern Railroad, a predecessor of the Illinois Central Railroad (now part of the Canadian National Railway), decided to move the railroad's maintenance shops away from New Orleans, Louisiana, to avoid the attractions of that city's bars.

The railroad purchased land in Pike County. Three nearby communities, Elizabethtown, Burglund, and Harveytown, agreed to consolidate to form this town. Main Street developed with the downtown's shops, attractions, and business.

20th century
The rail center in McComb was one of flashpoints in the violent Illinois Central shopmen's strike of 1911. Riots took place here that resulted in many injuries, at least three black strikebreakers killed, and authorities bringing in state militia to suppress the emergency soon after the strike started on September 30.

During the 1960s, McComb and nearby areas were the sites of extreme violence by KKK and other white supremacist opponents to the Civil Rights Movement. In 1961, SNCC conducted its first voter registration project in Mississippi in this city. White officials and local KKK members countered it with violence and intimidation to suppress black voters.

In 1961, Brenda Travis, Robert Talbert, and Ike Lewis were arrested for staging a sit in at a Greyhound station. They were charged with trespassing and kept in jail for 28 days. Following their release, Travis was expelled from school. In response to the expulsion and the murder of Herbert Lee, 115 students staged a walk out on October 4, 1961, known as the Burglund High School Walk Out. At the walk out, many students were beaten by the police and arrested. Students continued protesting by refusing to return to school until Travis was allowed to reenroll. As a result, they too were expelled. The 16 seniors who participated were unable to graduate. Travis' fate for participating in the march was more serious. Travis was arrested, again, and sent to a state juvenile facility without a trial. After $6 1/2$ months, Travis was released by the governor and exiled from Mississippi.

After whites severely beat several staff members, staff members being jailed for their involvement with the walkout, and receiving backlash from the community for putting students on the "frontlines", SNCC pulled out of the region in early 1962. They moved north in Mississippi to work in slightly less dangerous conditions.

In 1964, civil rights activists began the Mississippi Project and what would be called Freedom Summer, with teams returning to southwest Mississippi. They sang, "We'll Never Turn Back." SNCC members of the Council of Federated Organizations (COFO) returned to McComb in mid-July 1964 to work on voter registration. From late August 1964 through September, after passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, McComb was the site of eleven bombings directed against African Americans. Malcolm Boyd took part of COFO's Freedom House as a member of a clerical delegation to assist African-American voter registration.

The following summer, Congress passed the Voting Rights Act of 1965 authorizing federal oversight and enforcement to enable blacks to register and vote again in the South. In Mississippi, most blacks had been disenfranchised since 1890. Even with enforcement, it took time to overcome local white resistance to black voting.

On October 20, 1977, a chartered plane carrying members and crew of rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd crashed in a swamp near McComb, killing lead singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines, Steve's sister Cassie (a backup singer), road manager Dean Kilpatrick, as well as both pilots.

In 2006, Zach Patterson was elected as McComb's first African American mayor.

In 2018, voters in the city of McComb elected Quordiniah Lockley as mayor, and for the first time elected a city board consisting of an African American majority.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 11.6 sqmi, of which 11.6 sqmi is land and 0.1 sqmi (0.54%) is water.

Climate
The climate in McComb is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, McComb has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 12,413 people, 4,478 households, and 2,210 families residing in the city.

Arts and culture
An annual Earth Day Fest organized by Pike School of Art – Mississippi is celebrated in April on the Saturday of or following Earth Day. The Summit Street Unity Festival is celebrated annually on the third Saturday in October. The Black History Gallery annually celebrates Juneteenth.

Education
The City of McComb is served by the McComb School District. There are 7 schools in the district, Otken Elementary, Kennedy Early Childhood Center, Higgins Middle School, Denman Jr. High School, McComb High School, Business & Technology Center, and Summit Academy. The McComb and the surrounding Pike County area has three separate school districts, one private school, and a community college in the northern part of the county. St. Alphonsus Catholic Church is located in McComb and provided classes kindergarten through seventh grade until the school closed in 2014. McComb is also the location of Parklane Academy, a K4 through 12th grade private college preparatory school. It is the first of its kind in the Pike County Area. It is located in the central McComb region. Southwest Mississippi Community College is located seven miles north of McComb, and northeast of Summit, MS. McComb High School is one of the 100 National Model Schools.

Rail transportation
Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, provides service to McComb. Amtrak trains 58 & 59, the City of New Orleans stop here.

Notable people

 * Woodie Assaf, weather reporter, WLBT television (Jackson) 1953 to 2001
 * Jimmy Boyd, singer, musician, and actor
 * John Brady, head coach of Arkansas State University men's basketball team, former head coach of LSU Tigers
 * Steve Broussard, NFL player for Green Bay Packers
 * Adrian Brown, Major League baseball player with Pittsburgh Pirates, Boston Red Sox, Kansas City Royals and Texas Rangers
 * Jackie Butler, former NBA player
 * Cooper Carlisle, NFL player
 * Castro Coleman, blues musician
 * Jacqueline Y. Collins, Illinois state legislator
 * Corey Dickerson, MLB player
 * Bo Diddley, blues singer
 * Jarrod Dyson, MLB player
 * Omar Kent Dykes, blues singer and guitarist
 * James Govan, soul singer
 * King Solomon Hill, early blues musician
 * Donnie Izzett notable case regarding a missing college student from Cumberland, Maryland
 * Vasti Jackson, Grammy nominated electric blues guitarist, singer, songwriter and record producer
 * Little Freddie King, American Delta blues guitarist
 * Maxie Lambright, football coach at Louisiana Tech University, 1967–1978
 * Robert "Squirrel" Lester, singer in soul music group The Chi-Lites
 * John Lewis, Civil Rights activist
 * Bobby Lounge, blues pianist and songwriter
 * Sam McCullum, NFL football wide receiver
 * Albert Mollegen, Christian apologist
 * Bucky Moore, NFL player
 * Bob Moses (Robert Moses), Civil Rights activist
 * Brandy Norwood, singer and actress
 * Willie Norwood, singer, father of Brandy and Ray J
 * R. B. Nunnery, football player
 * Steven Ozment, historian
 * Edward Grady Partin, Teamsters Union figure, spent his last years in McComb
 * Tara Wallace, reality star
 * Glover Quin, NFL free safety, Detroit Lions and Houston Texans
 * Ray J, singer and actor
 * La'Porsha Renae, singer, American Idol finalist
 * Michael Farris Smith, writer
 * Britney Spears, singer and actress
 * Bryan Spears, film and television producer
 * Jamie Lynn Spears, actress and singer
 * Davion Taylor, NFL linebacker for Philadelphia Eagles
 * Matt Tolbert, MLB player for Minnesota Twins
 * Brenda Travis, civil rights activist
 * Dan Tyler, songwriter, born in McComb in 1950
 * Charvarius Ward, NFL player

title: McComb, Mississippi


text:
Osyka, Mississippi

Osyka is a town in Pike County, Mississippi, United States. It is located on the Mississippi–Louisiana state line. The population was 440 at the 2010 census. It is part of the McComb, Mississippi Micropolitan Statistical Area. The peak of its population was in 1910.

History
The community was named after Ossika ("The Eagle"), a Choctaw chieftain.

Geography
Osyka is located at 31.00722°N, -90.47111°W (31.007196, -90.471165).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.0 sqmi, of which 1.0 sqmi is land and 0.96% is water.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States Census, there were 381 people, 154 households, and 102 families residing in the town.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 481 people, 193 households, and 132 families residing in the town. The population density was 468.1 PD/sqmi. There were 234 housing units at an average density of 227.7 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 53.01% White, 44.91% African American, 0.83% Native American, 0.42% Asian, and 0.83% from two or more races.

There were 193 households, out of which 32.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.6% were married couples living together, 16.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.6% were non-families. 31.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.12.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 28.9% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 23.9% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 18.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.0 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $17,813, and the median income for a family was $25,078. Males had a median income of $21,750 versus $12,500 for females. The per capita income for the town was $11,550. About 27.1% of families and 29.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 51.6% of those under age 18 and 25.8% of those age 65 or over.

Education
The Town of Osyka is served by the South Pike School District

title: Osyka, Mississippi


text:
Summit, Mississippi

Summit is a town in Pike County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 1,705 at the 2010 census. It is part of the McComb, Mississippi Micropolitan Statistical Area.

The town originated as a railroad town and was named Summit because it was thought to be the highest point on the Illinois Central Railroad between New Orleans and Jackson, Tennessee. However, nearby Brookhaven has that distinction. It was the birthplace of the "Summit Trio", a group of three women artists in the 1960s.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.7 sqmi, all land.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States Census, there were 1,505 people, 770 households, and 379 families residing in the town.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,428 people, 589 households, and 394 families residing in the town. The population density was 848.9 PD/sqmi. There were 658 housing units at an average density of 391.2 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 32.63% White, 66.18% African American, 0.07% Asian, 0.14% from other races, and 0.98% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.42% of the population.

There were 589 households, out of which 33.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.5% were married couples living together, 24.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.1% were non-families. 30.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 3.03.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 27.5% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 14.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.8 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $21,053, and the median income for a family was $24,643. Males had a median income of $27,639 versus $17,000 for females. The per capita income for the town was $12,928. About 26.3% of families and 30.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 46.3% of those under age 18 and 26.1% of those age 65 or over.

Education
The Town of Summit is served by the North Pike School District and the McComb School District.

Summit is home to Southwest Mississippi Community College.

Art
In the 1960s, three women artists, Halcyone Barnes, Bess Phipps Dawson, and Ruth Atkinson Holmes exhibited their artwork in Summit, and they became known as the "Summit Trio". The three housewives were trained by Roy Schultz at Summit Junior College. In 2016, three sisters from Summit exhibited original artwork by the Summit Trio and their recreations at the Summit Railroad Depot.

title: Summit, Mississippi


text:
Algoma, Mississippi

Algoma is a town in Pontotoc County, Mississippi. The population was 705 at the 2020 census, up from 590 at the 2010 census.

Algoma is a Native American word meaning "vale of flowers".

Geography
Algoma is located at 34.17557°N, -89.03213°W.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 6.6 sqmi, of which 6.6 sqmi is land and 0.04 sqmi (0.60%) is water.

Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Algoma has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

2020 census
As of 2020, there were 705 people, 333 households, and 234 families residing in the town.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 508 people, 203 households, and 156 families residing in the town. The population density was 77.2 PD/sqmi. There were 222 housing units at an average density of 33.7 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 77.17% White, 21.65% African American, and 1.18% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.36% of the population.

There were 203 households, out of which 33.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.6% were married couples living together, 13.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.7% were non-families. 20.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 2.90.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.0% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 29.7% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 14.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.9 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $32,333, and the median income for a family was $38,250. Males had a median income of $24,625 versus $18,750 for females. The per capita income for the town was $13,213. About 10.6% of families and 15.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.4% of those under age 18 and 37.7% of those age 65 or over.

Education
The town of Algoma is served by the Pontotoc County School District.

Algoma Cross Tie Festival
The first weekend in October Algoma has its annual "Algoma Cross Tie Festival". This festival is open for all people with live local music, auction, car and tractor show, and selling booths. The Cross-Tie Festival was originally begun in reference to the H. B. Owen Cross-Tie Factory. It was owned by Hardiman Brackett Owen in Algoma, Pontotoc Co., MS. The factory was one of the south's largest industries. Algoma still celebrates with "The Cross-Tie Festival" each year.

Notable people

 * Leroy Foster, blues musician.

title: Algoma, Mississippi


text:
Ecru, Mississippi

Ecru is a town in Pontotoc County, Mississippi. The population was 895 at the 2010 census. Ecru is home to the largest upholstered furniture plant in the world which manufactures Ashley Furniture.

History
Ecru was established by Colonel William Clark Falkner, a prominent post-Civil War businessman. The name of the town comes from the color of its first railroad depot.

Geography
Ecru is located in northern Pontotoc County along Mississippi Highway 15, with the older parts of town stretching eastward along Mississippi Highway 345. The Ashley Furniture plant lies in the southwestern part of town along Mississippi Highway 346. MS 15 connects Ecru to Interstate 22 and New Albany to the north, and Pontotoc to the south. The Little Tallahatchie River, a tributary of the Tallahatchie River, flows through southern Ecru. A rail trail, the Tanglefoot Trail, passes through the town.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 4.1 sqmi, of which 4.1 sqmi is land and 0.24% is water.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 947 people, 374 households, and 259 families residing in the town. The population density was 231.3 PD/sqmi. There were 411 housing units at an average density of 100.4 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 82.37% White, 14.36% African American, 0.32% Native American, 1.80% from other races, and 1.16% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.64% of the population.

There were 374 households, out of which 32.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.3% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.5% were non-families. 28.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.05.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.9% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 17.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.6 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $30,815, and the median income for a family was $38,571. Males had a median income of $27,961 versus $20,263 for females. The per capita income for the town was $15,447. About 6.5% of families and 11.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.4% of those under age 18 and 21.8% of those age 65 or over.

Education
The town of Ecru is served by the Pontotoc County School District.

title: Ecru, Mississippi


text:
Pontotoc, Mississippi

Pontotoc is a city in and the county seat of Pontotoc County, Mississippi, located to the west of the larger city of Tupelo. The population was 5,640 at the 2020 census. Pontotoc is a Chickasaw word that means, “Land of the Hanging Grapes.” A section of the city largely along Main Street and Liberty Street has been designated the Pontotoc Historic District and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Treaty of Pontotoc Site is also listed on the National Register. The Treaty of Pontotoc Creek, part of U.S. president Andrew Jackson's Indian Removal policy, ceded millions of acres of Native American lands and relocated the Chicakasaw west of the Mississippi River.

History
The Chickasaw nation occupied this area long before Europeans colonized the Southeast, the last in a succession of indigenous peoples who had this territory for thousands of years. In the early 1830s they were forced to Indian Territory west of the Mississippi River through the federal program of Indian removal. Pontotoc is a Chickasaw word meaning "Land of Hanging Grapes".

In the late 19th century, the outlaws Jesse and Frank James and their gang came into this area. They once hid at an old house that had been used as a Union Army hospital during the Battle of Harrisburg or Battle of Tupelo in the Civil War. The house was located at a crossroad in east Pontotoc County, near the Lee County line.

The Town Square Museum is located in the historic US post office near the county courthouse. This space is used to house and display Pontotoc memorabilia. A full-service post office continues to operate in the building, which was built in 1937 during the Great Depression. It was one of numerous projects of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) under President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Investment in this program created work opportunities in construction of needed public buildings and infrastructure across the country, employing thousands of workers.

A mural in the post office lobby, titled The Wedding of Ortez and SaOwana - Christmas 1540 (1939), was commissioned as public art. It depicts a legendary feast given by Hernando de Soto to celebrate what was said to be the first recorded Christian marriage on the North American continent. The account appears to be local myth.

The groom was said to be Juan Ortez (his name was spelled Ortiz in Spanish), an interpreter for the expedition. He was a Spanish national who had been captured in Florida years before and held by Chief Uceta. He was finally released as a slave and lived for years with the Mocoso people. His bride was said to be Princess Saowana, daughter of Chief Uceta. But Uceta's daughter was documented as Uleleh and she married a cacique, another Chickasaw chief. The wedding is said to have taken place in Pontotoc County during a visit by de Soto's party, but there is little documentation of such an event.

The mural was painted in 1939 by artist Joseph Pollet, who had immigrated to the US as a child with his family from Germany. He was commissioned under the arts program that was also part of the federal WPA program. Many artists and writers were employed by such projects, in addition to the workers who built federal buildings. Many murals and other art were created for post offices and other public buildings.

The city holds an annual festival in the Town Square during the last week of the month of September, called the Bodock Festival. It celebrates the Maclura pomifera (Osage orange) (also known as bois d'arc, or bowdock) tree located next to the historic mansion, Lochinvar; both survived a massive tornado in 2001.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 9.6 sqmi, of which 9.4 sqmi is land and 0.2 sqmi (1.66%) is covered by water.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States Census, there were 5,640 people, 1,906 households, and 1,342 families residing in the city.

2000 census
As of the census of 2010, 5,625 people, 2,325 households, and 2,129 families resided in the city. The population density was 555.9 PD/sqmi. The 2,250 housing units averaged 238.1/sq mi (91.9/km$2$). The racial makeup of the city was 70.08% White, 20.42% African American, 0.35% Native American, 0.24% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 7.39% from other races, and 1.45% from two or more races. Hispanics of any race were 2.76% of the population.

Of the 2,325 households, 32.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.1% were married couples living together, 16.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.9% were not families. About 29.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41, and the average family size was 2.97.

In the city, the population was distributed as 25.7% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 26.3% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 18.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $28,491, and for a family was $39,306. Males had a median income of $31,403 versus $23,491 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,324. About 12.0% of families and 17.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.5% of those under age 18 and 23.0% of those age 65 or over.

Education
The almost all of the city of Pontotoc is served by the Pontotoc City School District while a small portion of the city limits is in the Pontotoc County School District.

Pontotoc High School and South Pontotoc High School are in Pontotoc. The Pontotoc County School District, serving surrounding areas, has its headquarters in Pontotoc. They are two of the top academic schools in the state of Mississippi. North received the Blue Ribbon Award and South received Level 5, the highest rating for a school in Mississippi. The city's band was the Grand Champion in the state in 2017.

Notable people

 * Lanny Flaherty, American Actor known for the role of Big Al in the 1993 film Blood In Blood Out.
 * Terry "Harmonica" Bean, bluesman; lifelong resident of Pontotoc
 * Delaney Bramlett, singer, songwriter and musician; born in Pontotoc
 * Thad Cochran, former U.S. Senator from Mississippi
 * Alfred Oscar Coffin (born 1861), first African-American man to earn a Ph.D. in biological sciences; professor of Romance languages at Langston University; author, teacher, agent, and traveler; born in Pontotoc
 * Borden Deal, novelist and short-story writer; from Pontotoc
 * Ruby Elzy, pioneer black opera singer; played the soprano role of Serena in George Gershwin's Porgy and Bess; Broadway star; prominent radio, concert and film personality; buried in Pontotoc's City Cemetery
 * Lee Gates (1937–2020), blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter; born in Pontotoc
 * Cyrus Harris (1817–1888, Chickasaw), politician, born on a farm outside the town, lived here until 1827, and returned 1830-37; he was among the Chickasaw removed to Indian Territory; he served five terms as Governor of the Chickasaw Nation.
 * Kent Hull, former NFL Buffalo Bills center; from Pontotoc
 * Cowan F. "Bubba" Hyde (born 1908), Negro league baseball player who played for the Birmingham Black Barons; born in Pontotoc
 * Cordell Jackson, guitarist; born in Pontotoc; she is thought to be the first woman to produce, engineer, arrange, and promote music on her own rock and roll music label
 * Max Palmer, professional wrestler; from Pontotoc
 * Romie J. Palmer, Illinois jurist and legislator; born in Pontotoc
 * Steve Pegues, former Major League Baseball player; from Pontotoc
 * Wesley Walls, former National Football League tight end
 * Jim Weatherly, singer, songwriter and musician, writer of song "Midnight Train to Georgia"; star Ole Miss quarterback; from Pontotoc
 * Elizabeth H. West (born 1873), librarian and archivist; born in Pontotoc
 * Roger Wicker, U.S. Senator from Mississippi

title: Pontotoc, Mississippi


text:
Thaxton, Mississippi

Thaxton is a town in Pontotoc County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 643 at the 2010 census.

Geography
Thaxton is located at 34.30306°N, -89.17194°W (34.302923, -89.171979).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 8.5 sqmi, of which 8.5 sqmi is land and 0.04 sqmi (0.47%) is water.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 513 people, 173 households, and 146 families residing in the town. The population density was 60.4 PD/sqmi. There were 192 housing units at an average density of 22.6 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 99.22% White and 0.78% African American. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.17% of the population.

There were 173 households, out of which 49.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 72.8% were married couples living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 15.6% were non-families. 12.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.97 and the average family size was 3.22.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 29.4% under the age of 18, 12.3% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 19.7% from 45 to 64, and 9.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 98.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.6 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $41,750, and the median income for a family was $42,250. Males had a median income of $31,528 versus $20,536 for females. The per capita income for the town was $15,941. About 8.2% of families and 9.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.7% of those under age 18 and 6.7% of those age 65 or over.

Education
The town of Thaxton is served by the Pontotoc County School District.

title: Thaxton, Mississippi


text:
Booneville, Mississippi

Booneville is a city in the U.S. state of Mississippi and is the county seat of Prentiss County. It is located in the hilly North Mississippi region, and ecologically is part of the Southeastern Plains region.

The city of Booneville is nicknamed "the City of Hospitality," in reference to the town's southern hospitality. The city flag, welcome sign, and city website bear the image of a magnolia blossom, a symbol of hospitality as well as the state flower of Mississippi. Booneville was incorporated in 1861 and named after R.H. Boone, a relative of Daniel Boone. The population was 8,743 at the 2010 census. It is one of 21 certified Mississippi retirement cities.

Booneville is home to Northeast Mississippi Community College, the tenth-largest community college by enrollment in the state.

History
The land of Booneville was bought by B.B. Boone, G.W. Williams, and W.P. Curlee from the Chickasaw tribesman Le-Ho-Yea. The community was named for settler Colonel Reuben Holman Boone, a relative of Daniel Boone, the early American pioneer. The city was initially planned in 1848 as part of the construction on the Mobile and Ohio Railroad. While the settlement grew rapidly in its early years, the American Civil War began just as the city incorporated in 1861 and slowed the city's progress.

Civil War
The Mobile and Ohio Railroad that ran through Booneville was completed shortly before the Civil War began. It was converted to military use and became a critical military target. 184 miles of the line from Union City, Tennessee to Okolona, Mississippi would be totally destroyed by 1866, causing severe financial strain for the railroad even after it was eventually rebuilt.

On May 30, 1862, Col. Washington Lafayette Elliott of the 2nd Iowa Cavalry Regiment led a Union brigade to Booneville, where they destroyed the local depot and a large train loaded with munitions and captured 2,000 sick and wounded Confederates.

On June 28, 1862, Col. Philip Sheridan of the Union fortified a position in Booneville after hearing that the Confederates intended to move from Tupelo to Corinth in an attempt to recapture the rail junction there. Brig. Gen. James R. Chalmers of the Confederacy led 4,700 troops in an assault that pushed the Union troops to withdraw to a backup position 2 mi closer to the town. The bulk of the Union force stayed on the defensive while Sheridan sent the 2nd Michigan Cavalry under Capt. Russell Alexander and the 2nd Iowa Cavalry under Lt. Col. Edward Hatch to attack the Confederate rear and left flank. It is estimated 65 of Chalmers' men were killed; Federal casualties were one dead, 24 wounded, and 16 missing.

Korean War
On December 22, 1950, an explosion and fire at the Booneville Armory killed seven members of Company B, 198th Tank Battalion, a Mississippi Army National Guard unit. Their deaths are considered the first domestic casualties of the Korean War.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 25.7 sqmi, of which 25.7 sqmi is land and 0.04 sqmi (0.16%) is water. The city is concentrated along Mississippi Highway 145 between its intersections with Mississippi Highway 30 to the south and Mississippi Highway 4 to the north. U.S. Route 45 passes through western Booneville, connecting the city with Corinth and Tupelo.

Climate
Climate is characterized by relatively high temperatures and evenly distributed precipitation throughout the year. The Köppen Climate Classification subtype for this climate is "Cfa" (Humid Subtropical Climate).

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States Census, there were 9,126 people, 2,877 households, and 1,710 families residing in the city.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 8,625 people, 3,302 households, and 2,205 families residing in the city. The population density was 335.8 PD/sqmi. There were 3,625 housing units at an average density of 141.1 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 79.88% White, 18.49% African American, 0.30% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 0.15% from other races, and 0.86% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.71% of the population.

There were 3,302 households, out of which 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.8% were married couples living together, 14.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.2% were non-families. 30.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.93.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.2% under the age of 18, 16.6% from 18 to 24, 23.8% from 25 to 44, 20.1% from 45 to 64, and 17.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $28,361, and the median income for a family was $38,918. Males had a median income of $29,667 versus $19,821 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,128. About 11.2% of families and 15.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.2% of those under age 18 and 17.6% of those age 65 or over.

As of the 2010 census, the population was 8,743.

Education

 * The City of Booneville is served by two public school districts - Booneville and Prentiss County (the former has the inner city and the latter has the outskirts)
 * Booneville is home to Northeast Mississippi Community College, which has an annual enrollment in excess of 6,000 students. The community college serves five counties: Prentiss, Tippah, Alcorn, Union, and Tishomingo.

Newspapers

 * Banner Independent
 * Prentiss County Progress

Television stations

 * WMAE-TV Channel 12 TV
 * WHBH-CD Channel 34 TV

Radio stations

 * WBIP AM 1400 Hometown Radio

Transportation
Booneville/Baldwyn Airport, located 6 mi southwest of Booneville, is owned by the cities of Booneville and Baldwyn.

Notable people

 * George E. Allen, American political figure and head football coach for 1 game at Cumberland University
 * Tracy Arnold, current representative in the Mississippi House for District 3.
 * Harold Bishop, Jr., professional football player
 * Cecil Bolton, Major League Baseball first baseman for the Cleveland Indians
 * Asya Branch, Miss Mississippi 2018, Miss Mississippi USA 2020, and Miss USA 2020
 * Travis Childers, former congressman
 * Jamie Davis, Southern rock musician
 * David L. Hill, nuclear physicist for the Manhattan Project
 * Gene Kelton, singer-songwriter, blues musician, and band leader of Mean Gene Kelton & The Die Hards
 * Hayden Thompson, is an American singer, songwriter, and rockabilly musician.

title: Booneville, Mississippi


text:
Jumpertown, Mississippi

Jumpertown is a town in Prentiss County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 480 at the 2010 census.

History
On November 5, 1862, there was a civil war skirmish in Jumpertown. In November 1886, the Mississippi state meeting of the Agricultural Wheel, a forerunner of 19th century American populism, met in Jumpertown.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.8 sqmi, of which 1.8 sqmi is land and 0.55% is water.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 404 people, 168 households, and 119 families residing in the town. The population density was 223.7 PD/sqmi. There were 173 housing units at an average density of 95.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 97.77% White, 1.73% African American, and 0.50% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.72% of the population.

There were 168 households, out of which 39.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.8% were married couples living together, 17.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.6% were non-families. 27.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.92.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 28.5% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 28.2% from 25 to 44, 22.8% from 45 to 64, and 11.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.5 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $21,471, and the median income for a family was $25,000. Males had a median income of $19,464 versus $20,446 for females. The per capita income for the town was $12,122. About 25.4% of families and 24.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 30.8% of those under age 18 and 32.3% of those age 65 or over.

Education
Jumpertown is served by the Prentiss County School District.

title: Jumpertown, Mississippi


text:
Marietta, Mississippi

Marietta is a town in Prentiss County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 248 at the 2000 census.

Geography
Marietta is situated at the intersection of Mississippi Highway 366 and Mississippi Highway 371, southeast of Booneville, and northwest of Fulton. The Natchez Trace Parkway passes just to the south.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.8 sqmi, all land.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 248 people, 103 households, and 73 families residing in the town. The population density was 139.3 PD/sqmi. There were 111 housing units at an average density of 62.3 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 98.79% White and 1.21% African American. Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 103 households, out of which 29.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.1% were married couples living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.2% were non-families. 25.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.91.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 21.8% under the age of 18, 10.1% from 18 to 24, 24.6% from 25 to 44, 26.2% from 45 to 64, and 17.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.2 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $35,000, and the median income for a family was $40,833. Males had a median income of $30,357 versus $19,583 for females. The per capita income for the town was $14,228. About 6.1% of families and 8.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.4% of those under the age of eighteen and 23.1% of those 65 or over.

Education
The Town of Marietta is served by the Prentiss County School District.

Notable person

 * Ellen Stratton, model.

title: Marietta, Mississippi