text:
Purvis, Mississippi

Purvis is a U.S. city in and the county seat of Lamar County, Mississippi. It is part of the Hattiesburg, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,175 at the 2010 census. The Town of Purvis was incorporated on February 25, 1888 and was founded by and named after Thomas Melville Purves, originally of Marion County, Alabama. Purves, born March 8, 1820, was a second generation Scottish-American; his grandfather emigrated to Charleston, South Carolina in 1765.

History

Purves acquired a land grant in 1870 for a parcel of real estate which was located, at that time, in Marion County, Mississippi. In 1871, Purves moved from his home in Greene County and homesteaded the 160 acre, along with his wife, Dorothy Abney, born May 14, 1826, in Hinds County, and their five surviving children, to the rural property. Dorothy, also known as Dollie or Dolly, was a doctor who tended the sick of the area and delivered babies. Purves built a two-room log cabin for his family with an open fireplace in one room used for cooking and heating. John, Thomas Purves' third surviving child, was the town's first Mayor.

In 1884, the New Orleans and Northeastern Railroad gained right-of-way on Purves' property and a depot was erected, along with a marker, reading "Purvis". There were various recognized spellings of Scottish Clan Purves (surname) with both names previously listed being only a few of many. Purves eventually changed the spelling of his surname to match the town's depot marker which you can see evidenced on his tombstone located in Fillingame Cemetery in Purvis. Purves built and ran the first boarding house for the men who were working on laying rails for the New Orleans and Northeastern Railroad. This building was called a "section house" because that is what a house built for railroad crew was termed at that time. Mrs. Anna Bufkin was a member of one of the first families to live in the section house as her husband was one that helped grade and build that part of the railroad in Purvis. There were around fifty men in the crew working in that area and the water supply was inadequate for that many additional people. They found a second source of water from a spring across the railroad track that was originally used by Thomas Purves (Grandpa Purvis) years before the town sprang into existence.

Lamar became a county on February 19, 1904, in House Bill 166 and was formed from the second Judicial District of Marion County. The county was named after Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar II, who was elected to Mississippi Congress in 1872 and has one county each in Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia named after him. The town of Purvis was designated as the county seat of the county Lamar with the depot of the New Orleans and Northeastern Railroad listed as the town's center and the lines to run with the cardinal points of the compass.

Purvis began as a sawmill town and is noted to be located on the highest point on the Southern Railroad between Meridian and New Orleans by James Bounds, land surveyor, MS REG # L.S.1021. The first homesteaders of the area farmed and would only have to make 2-3 trips to "town" for supplies a year. The best route and the trading post most used was the Pass Christian trading post, some ninety miles south of the area which took eleven days in ox-cart to travel.

James Bounds, surveyor, stated:

"It may be of interest to note the location of the old Pass Christian Road on a map of Stone and Pearl River Counties. This road was used very much by the early settlers of Lamar County to travel south to the coast for supplies. This road followed a natural divide between the water-sheds of Wolf River and Big Black Creek, of which the head waters originate in Lamar County. This road was one of necessity. It crossed no branches or streams of any kind and was one of the main roads of travel until modern means of transportation came into use after the American Civil War."

When the town was in its infancy, lumber companies bought large tracts of virgin pine forested land and erected sawmills at sites along the newly developing rail line. A special meeting of the board of supervisors was held in January 1905, for the purpose of giving a contract for a new courthouse to be built for the sum of $43,516 to P.H. Weathers (architect) of Jackson, Mississippi. This two-story brick and stone building was to replace the frame courthouse that in use at the time. The new Lamar County Courthouse was completed in 1905 at a cost of $50,000 only to be damaged by the 1908 Dixie tornado outbreak, then subsequently demolished by fire in 1934. The building was reconstructed and expanded in 1956 but has fallen into disrepair in recent years. Lamar County Administrator Chuck Bennett stated on December 30, 2008, that the courthouse is slated for a complete renovation that could cost up to $44,000,000 and could take up to four years to complete. Preliminary work began in 2006 and some items have already been paid in full, such as engineering services and an asbestos study.

Geography
Purvis is located at 31.1425°N, -89.40778°W (31.142616, -89.407724).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.9 sqmi, of which 3.9 sqmi is land and 0.25% is water. Because of a well-known system of aquifers and sand mines, this area was selected for "project dribble" to be the site of nuclear tests by the US government during 1961 to 1968 to measure seismic activity.

 * Major highways
 * I-59.svgstate 59
 * US 11.svg 11 (MS)
 * Circle sign 589.svgssippi Highway 589

Purvis is part of the area known as the Pine Belt due to the overwhelming number of longleaf pine trees that populate the forests.

Climate
Purvis is located in the Deep South, in a humid subtropical area of the country with hot summers and mild winters. Located in USDA Hardiness Zone 8, the climate supports a large variety of foliage and plants. Purvis receives about 62 inches of rain annually, January being the wettest month averaging 6.63 in, which provides for the lush growth of native plants and trees. January is also the coldest month of the year with an average temperature of 60 degrees during the daytime and 36 degrees at night.

Summers are long, with 80 degree temperatures beginning in May or sometimes sooner, and lasting normally until the first weeks of October. Night temperatures do not usually vary greatly from daytime temperatures, usually dropping only 21 -24 degrees. Heat indexes can soar during the summer months, due to high humidity and long hours of sunshine, causing a 93 degree day to feel as if it were 101 degrees. Afternoon showers and thunderstorms are to be expected during summer months but are often short lived. July is, on average, the hottest month of the year at 92 degrees, without counting the varying heat index.

Snowfall is rare, and when it does occur it usually is only 3 in or less. Purvis averages freezing temperatures only a few times a winter. The record high was in 1951 at 106 degrees and the record low in 1985 at 4 degrees. On February 23, 2016, a tornado hit Purvis, killing one.

Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,909 people, 821 households, and 496 families residing in the city.

Government
The United States Postal Service operates the Purvis Post Office in Purvis.

The Mississippi Department of Mental Health operates the South Mississippi State Hospital in unincorporated Lamar County, near Purvis.

Education
The Purvis School System's mascot is a tornado as a testament of the courage of those who endured the Tornadoes of 1908, which changed the face of the emerging town, and in honor of those who lost their lives that day. The city of Purvis is serviced by the Lamar County School District which includes the following:

 * Purvis Lower Elementary School K-2
 * Purvis Upper Elementary School 3-5
 * Purvis Middle School 6-8
 * Purvis High School 9-12

Private Schools include:
 * Lamar Christian School
 * Bass Memorial Academy

Military contributions
The citizens of Purvis have contributed greatly to the various branches of the United States Military beginning long before the town was incorporated. The War Memorial located on the grounds of the Old Lamar County Courthouse holds testament of the sacrifices the families of the area have made. The Purvis City Park is dedicated to the men and women who served in World War II and one of the main thoroughfares through the city is named in honor of one of its decorated servicemen.

Tornadoes of 1908

On April 24, 1908, three F4 (207-260 mph) tornadoes left a line of destruction from Livingston Parish, Louisiana northeast to Wayne County. This line of storms left 143 people dead, with 83 dead in Purvis alone. From the reports of Dr. H.R. Hermesch, Assistant Surgeon U.S. Navy and the Relief Committee at Purvis, we know that there were 83 dead, 340 wounded and 1,935 destitute in the town of Purvis. The large "Town Clock" in the domed tower of the courthouse of the time, sustained damage from flying debris and was stopped at 2:13 in the afternoon.

An excerpt from the booklet "The Purvis Tornado" by the Lamar County Historical Society, 2004: "The first thought was of Hattiesburg for help. All the wires were down, and they could not telegraph this city for help, so Sheriff George W. Holleman saddled his horse and W.B. Alsworth mounted the steed, and started across the country for Richburg, 10 miles distance toward Hattiesburg. Mr. Alsworth urged the horse for all he was worth, dashing three veritable creeks, and over rough roads. He made the trip in less than fifty minutes. A second messenger was sent behind Mr. Alsworth, so that if anything happened, the other man might reach the goal and send the news. The other messenger was J.C. Calhoun. Both men reached Richburg about 3 o'clock, Mr. Alsworth sometime ahead of Mr. Calhoun.

Alsworth wired direct over the telephone to Mayor J.D. Donald, asking for physicians to come to the relief of the stricken town.

''Mayor Donald immediately made the fact known in the city. A special train over the North Eastern was the result. Thus the news of the terrible disaster was communicated to the outside world."''

The depot of the New Orleans and Northeastern Railroad, which was responsible for the success of the bustling, growing town, was one of the first public buildings demolished by the twisters and was thrown across the tracks. Railroad cars standing in front of the depot were carried away by the winds. Over 115 businesses, buildings and homes were completely demolished or partially destroyed and the entire African-American section of town was wiped out. The Purvis High School graduating Class of 1908's commencement exercises were due to start the night the tornado hit and part of the exercises had been previously performed the morning of the tornado. The morning exercises were completed at the two story brick schoolhouse on Mitchell Street just one hour before the storm hit and had it lasted one hour longer, the death toll would have been far greater for the entire second floor of the schoolhouse was removed by the twister.

Hurricanes
Purvis has felt the winds of quite a few tropical systems over the years; especially considering how many miles from the Mississippi Gulf Coast the city is located. Category 3 Hurricane Ethel came in 1960 but died down to a tropical storm by the time she had reached the area. Hurricane Hilda in 1964 was not a Category 4 but an extratropical low when she deposited rain in Lamar County. Due to the close proximity of Lamar County to Louisiana, Hurricane Betsy in 1965 also left Purvis some rain. The eye of Hurricane Camille came directly over Lamar County in 1969 and was the largest, costliest and most deadly hurricane to hit the Mississippi Gulf Coast until the monster storm Katrina in 2005. Hurricane Edith came in 1971, followed by Hurricane Carmen in 1974 that drenched us with 7 in of rain before heading off to Texas.

Hurricane Bob made an appearance in 1979 but was quickly forgotten when Hurricane Elena made her way over the area in 1985 as a Category 3 storm. That same year, Purvis received more rain than wind from Category 1 Hurricane Juan. Hurricane Florence passed by in 1988, leaving only rain as a weakening Category 1 storm. In 1992, Hurricane Andrew had thankfully died down from its original Category 5 when it came over and dropped 5 in of rain. Hurricane Georges gave Purvis 5–7 inches of precipitation in 1998, and also some wind before curving back over Alabama. Tropical Storm Allison oddly stayed together long enough to still have an eye like feature over Purvis after traveling from Texas and Louisiana in 2001 and dumped 10–15 inches of rain on Lamar County.

Mississippi felt the effects of The Hurricane in 2005, Hurricane Katrina, which hit the area as a weakening Category 2 hurricane after reaching Category 5 strength in the Gulf of Mexico. This storm killed 1,836 people, 238 of them in Mississippi. The effects from this hurricane can still be seen four years later in the forests around Purvis. Hurricane Gustav passed a little south of the area in 2008 but was close enough to leave wind and rain in its wake.

1960s Vela Uniform/Project Dribble Nuclear Tests
Vela Uniform was an element of Project Vela conducted jointly by the United States Department of Energy (DOE) and the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA). Its purpose was to develop seismic methods for detecting underground nuclear testing.

The Project Dribble program involved two nuclear detonations called Salmon and Sterling that were conducted within Tatum Salt Dome southwest of the Hattiesburg/Purvis area in the late 1960s.

The Sterling Event was the fourth nuclear detonation involved in a study, identified as Project Dribble, sponsored by the Department of Defense's Advanced Research Project Agency. Project Dribble involved the recording and identification of seismic signals from underground detonations. These studies are part of a seismic research program called Vela Uniform which is designed to improve the United States' capability to detect, identify, and locate underground nuclear detonations.

Project Dribble's purpose was to give U.S. scientists experience in detecting underground nuclear tests in the Soviet Union. The first blast, a 5.3 kiloton bomb, took place in 1964 at the bottom of a 2710 ft shaft 28 mi southwest of Hattiesburg and four miles (6 km) northeast of Baxterville. The second bomb, much smaller, was exploded two years later within the cavity created by the first blast.

Notable people

 * William Andrews III, former member of the Mississippi House of Representatives
 * Lacey Chabert, film and television actress.
 * Lillian McMurry, record producer and owner of Trumpet Records
 * Johnny Rawls, soul blues singer and guitarist
 * Willie Shelby, collegiate and NFL football player.
 * Ronald J. Slay, first head football coach for the University of Southern Mississippi
 * Walter Young, major league baseball player.

In popular culture
Referenced in the song "Mississippi" off the 2001 album The Good Times by Afroman. Afroman is said to be "swerving his Cadillac through Purvis."

title: Purvis, Mississippi


text:
Sumrall, Mississippi

Sumrall is a town in Lamar County, Mississippi. It is part of the Hattiesburg, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,421 at the 2010 census.

History
Sumrall was one of many new towns incorporated along the Mississippi Central Railroad during the first decade of the 20th century. Prior to the arrival of the railroad, founder Daniel Sumrall operated a grist mill along Mill Creek. In 1890, the federal government established a post office in the community and named it Sumrall. The J. J. Newman Company, headed by Fenwick Peck, chose the site as the location for a large sawmill. Situated in the heart of South Mississippi's pine belt, the location was ideal for just such a large mill. Evidence of the quality of timber in the area is supported by a prize-winning short leaf pine displayed at the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis. The tree was 160 feet tall, measured 20 feet in circumference and was 6 feet eight inches in diameter. With the arrival of the railroad, the town grew quickly and petitioned for incorporation as a town; this wish was granted by the Mississippi Legislature on October 6, 1902. Some early residents wanted to change the name of the town because, although Daniel Sumrall was a native of Perry County in Mississippi, he had served in the Civil War as a Union soldier. The federal government had the final choice in the matter and, as they refused to change the name of the post office, any change in the name of the city would have been meaningless.

For nearly 30 years the Newman Lumber Company was the main industry of the city. As the timber industry was a "cut out and get out" operation at this time, when the mill depleted the profitable timber supply it ceased operation in 1931. Combined with the Great Depression, the shutdown of the mill had a marked impact on the town and left it with no large employer for nearly 20 years. In 1949, the Movie Star Company opened a woman's lingerie plant in nearby Purvis, and soon opened a similar plant in Sumrall which provided stable employment for many local women until the 1990s. The population of the city remained flat or declined from 1940-2000. As the metropolitan area of Hattiesburg has expanded westward, Sumrall is now once again experiencing economic growth. The Longleaf Trace, a recreational trail which follows the route of the former Mississippi Central Railroad, runs through the center of town. The Longleaf Trace extends from Hattiesburg, MS to Prentiss Mississippi and is popular with cyclists, hikers, and horseback riders.

In 2017 Cooperative Energy opened a solar farm (photovoltaic power station) near Sumrall.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.2 sqmi, of which 2.1 sqmi is land and 0.47% is water.

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, Sumrall has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,765 people, 618 households, and 454 families residing in the town.

2000 census
At the 2000 census, there were 1,005 people, 406 households and 265 families residing in the town. The population density was 468.6 PD/sqmi. There were 436 housing units at an average density of 203.3 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 76.62% White, 22.29% African American, 10.3% Native American, 0.10% from other races, and 0.90% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.70% of the population.

There were 406 households, of which 34.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.0% were married couples living together, 15.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.5% were non-families. 32.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 3.09.

27.2% of the population was under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 27.3% from 25 to 44, 21.8% 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 87.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.0 males.

The median household income was $25,800 and the median family income was $37,784. Males had a median income of $29,500 versus $16,786 for females. The per capita income for the town was $14,715. About 13.3% of families and 18.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.7% of those under age 18 and 25.4% of those age 65 or over.

Sports
Sumrall High School won baseball 3A State Championships in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2015, as well as 4A State Championships in 2022 and 2024. The 2009 team was undefeated, while the 2010 and the 2022 team lost a single game. They currently hold the state record in Mississippi for the consecutive number of high school baseball games won, with a streak of 67 games won between 2008 and 2010.

Education
The Town of Sumrall is served by the Lamar County School District. Schools in Sumrall are the Sumrall Middle School, Sumrall High School (Home of the Bobcats) as well as the Sumrall Elementary School.

Notable people

 * Dawn H. Beam, associate justice of the Supreme Court of Mississippi
 * Jake Brown, former Major League Baseball player
 * Leonard Caston, blues musician
 * Archie Cooley, college football coach
 * Joey Fillingane, member of the Mississippi State Senate
 * Cary Hudson, lead singer, guitarist and main songwriter of the alternative country/Southern rock band Blue Mountain
 * Billy Lott, former running back in the National Football League and American Football League
 * Sixty Rayburn, former member of the Louisiana House of Representatives and Louisiana State Senate
 * Jordan Thomas, NFL tight end

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

title: Sumrall, Mississippi


text:
Marion, Mississippi

Marion is a town in Lauderdale County, Mississippi, United States. It is a northeastern suburb of Meridian, the county seat. The population of Marion was 1,479 at the 2010 census.

History
The town was named for Francis Marion, a military leader known as the "Swamp Fox". Marion was Lauderdale County's seat from its founding to Reconstruction. Prior to the war, Marion was a prosperous town inhabited by numerous planters and enslaved African Americans. In 1840, it had a drugstore, two blacksmith shops, six dry goods stores, and two academies (one for girls and another for boys). It also had at least one newspaper, the Lauderdale Republican.

In 1850, Congress donated land to Alabama and Mississippi in order to build the Mobile & Ohio Railroad, which bypassed Marion and constructed a station two miles to the southwest in a village called McLemore's Old Field (now the city of Meridian). During the 1850s, land values in Lauderdale County increased by 176 percent, which allowed many non-slaveholding whites to purchase slaves to grow cotton, build roads, and clear the surrounding forests for cultivation. By 1860, Lauderdale County's enslaved population had more than doubled—a fact that fed support for secessionism after the election of Abraham Lincoln. On February 16, 1864, U.S. Army forces commanded by General William T. Sherman raided Marion and destroyed the railroad connecting it to Meridian. In 1870, voters opted to move the county seat from Marion to Meridian, which had expanded rapidly since the end of the Civil War.

Geography
Marion is located in central Lauderdale County at 32.42222°N, -88.64722°W (32.422182, -88.647323). It is bordered to the north, west, and south by the city of Meridian. Downtown Meridian is 5 mi to the southwest via Dale Drive. U.S. Route 45 passes through the east side of Marion on a four-lane bypass that continues south around Meridian. The bypass ends at the northeast corner of Marion, and US 45 continues north-northeast from there 83 mi to Columbus.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 7.6 km2, of which 0.02 km2, or 0.27%, are water. Sowashee Creek forms the eastern boundary of the town and flows southwest through Meridian to join Okatibbee Creek, part of the Chickasawhay River and ultimately the Pascagoula River watershed.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States Census, there were 1,751 people, 667 households, and 436 families residing in the town.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,305 people, 468 households, and 324 families residing in the town. The population density was 448.7 PD/sqmi. There were 555 housing units at an average density of 190.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 52.87% White, 45.82% African American, 0.23% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 0.15% from other races, and 0.61% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.69% of the population.

There were 468 households, out of which 42.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.2% were married couples living together, 28.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.6% were non-families. 25.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.4% 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 3.00.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 28.4% under the age of 18, 11.3% from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 16.6% from 45 to 64, and 16.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 70.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 62.3 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $26,413, and the median income for a family was $28,438. Males had a median income of $27,778 versus $17,303 for females. The per capita income for the town was $10,504. About 30.5% of families and 32.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 50.1% of those under age 18 and 20.5% of those age 65 or over.

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, Marion has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Notable people

 * Oscar Lee Gray, member of the United States House of Representatives from 1915 to 1919

title: Marion, Mississippi


text:
Meridian Station, Mississippi

Meridian Station is a census-designated place (CDP) in Lauderdale County, Mississippi, United States, corresponding to the residential portions of Naval Air Station Meridian. The population was 1,090 at the 2010 census.

Geography
Meridian Station is located in northern Lauderdale County at 32.54694°N, -88.62194°W (32.547017, -88.621981). It is 17 mi north of Meridian, the county seat, via Mississippi Highway 39 and John C. Stennis Drive.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 4.5 km2, of which 0.1 km2, or 2.69%, are water.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,849 people, 354 households, and 344 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 656.5 PD/sqmi. There were 526 housing units at an average density of 186.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the CDP was 62.57% White, 26.55% African American, 0.76% Native American, 2.65% Asian, 0.32% Pacific Islander, 3.79% from other races, and 3.35% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.06% of the population.

There were 354 households, out of which 75.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 88.1% were married couples living together, 6.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 2.8% were non-families. 2.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 0.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.45 and the average family size was 3.49.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 29.1% under the age of 18, 30.4% from 18 to 24, 38.6% from 25 to 44, 1.7% from 45 to 64, and 0.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 22 years. For every 100 females, there were 137.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 145.0 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $42,024, and the median income for a family was $42,173. Males had a median income of $24,348 versus $17,284 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $12,353. About 5.3% of families and 5.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.0% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

title: Meridian Station, Mississippi


text:
Monticello, Mississippi

Monticello is a town in and the county seat of Lawrence County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 1,571 at the 2010 census.

Geography
Monticello is in central Lawrence County, on the west side of the Pearl River. U.S. Route 84 runs through the north side of the town on a four-lane bypass. US 84 leads east 15 mi to Prentiss and west 22 mi to Interstate 55 in Brookhaven. Mississippi Highway 27 passes through the west side of Monticello, leading north 37 mi to Crystal Springs and south 33 mi to Tylertown.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town of Monticello has a total area of 11.0 km2, of which 10.8 km2 are land and 0.2 km2, or 2.17%, are water.

Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,441 people, 640 households, and 350 families residing in the town.

Education
The town of Monticello is served by the Lawrence County School District. The district is under the supervision of Superintendent Tammy Fairburn, who took office in 2012.

Notable people

 * Richard Olney Arrington, justice of the Supreme Court of Mississippi from 1950-1963
 * Erick Dampier, NBA center
 * Katherine Ettl, sculptor
 * Major Everett, former NFL running back
 * Cindy Hyde-Smith, United States Senator
 * Al Jefferson, forward/center for the NBA Indiana Pacers
 * Kendra King, Miss Mississippi USA 2006
 * J. B. Lenoir, blues singer
 * Charles Lynch, 8th and 11th Governor of Mississippi
 * Henry Mayson, former member of the Mississippi House of Representatives and attended the 1868 Mississippi Constitutional Convention
 * Harvey McGehee, former member of the Mississippi State Senate and justice of the Supreme Court of Mississippi from 1937 to 1964
 * Jim Pace, professional racing driver
 * Rod Paige, former U.S. Secretary of Education
 * Neville Patterson, justice of the Supreme Court of Mississippi from 1962 to 1986
 * Rosalind Peychaud, former member of the Louisiana House of Representatives
 * Hiram Runnels, 9th Governor of Mississippi
 * George Washington Russell, member of the Mississippi House of Representatives 1916 to 1924
 * Francis M. Sheppard, former member of the Mississippi State Senate and Mississippi House of Representatives
 * Byther Smith, blues singer
 * T. B. Stamps, former member of the Louisiana House of Representatives and the Louisiana State Senate
 * William Sutton Sr., former President of Mississippi Valley State University
 * Matthew Wells, American football linebacker

title: Monticello, Mississippi


text:
Carthage, Mississippi

The city of Carthage is the county seat of Leake County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 5,075 at the 2010 census.

Carthage is home to the Carthage Historic District including the Leake County Courthouse, a Mississippi Landmark. The largest chicken processing plant in the world is located in Carthage.

History
Carthage was established in 1834, and became the county seat. The Harris family were early settlers, and named the town after their former home of Carthage, Tennessee. A courthouse and jail were built in 1836, and a post office was established the following year. Carthage was incorporated in 1876. A brick courthouse replaced the previous one in 1877, and was replaced again in 1910. The present courthouse was designed by E. L. Malvaney and completed in 1939. The Carthaginian newspaper was established in 1872, and remains in publication today.

By 1900, agriculture was the primary industry in Leake County. The Pearl River, located 2 mi south of Carthage, was used to ship goods by steamboat to and from Jackson, the state capital. Although a railroad eventually ran through Carthage, it did not play a significant role in the development of the town. In 1914, the Merrill Brothers Logging Company built a logging railroad from Canton to McAfee, passing through Carthage. The line was taken over in 1927 by the Canton and Carthage Railroad, which then established commercial service to Carthage. The railroad was abandoned in 1960.

In 1927, Jackson's Daily Clarion Ledger wrote an article entitled "Carthage is a Good Progressive and Enterprising City - Thriving Center of Leake County Holds Modern Benefits". By then, Carthage had schools, churches, an ice plant, two banks, a Masonic Hall, and a Coca-Cola bottling plant.

The population had surpassed 2,000 by 1964, and the town was reclassified as a city.

Carthage Historic District includes the county courthouse, commercial and residential properties of various architectural styles and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Carthage Post Office and Jordan House are individually listed.

When Carthage, Texas established in 1848, it was named after Carthage, Mississippi.

Civil Rights Era
As early as 1948, Carthage began holding an annual "Tri-Racial Goodwill Festival", in which all citizens were included. Although the directors of the first festival separated whites, African Americans and Native Americans, this was corrected in subsequent years. The local newspaper reported that at the 1949 festival, "friendship and goodwill fellowship permeated the air".

In 1964, a group known as Americans for the Preservation of the White Race initiated a boycott in Carthage against white-owned businesses that were complying with the Civil Rights Act. When members of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee tried to open a Freedom School in Carthage, local whites told them their deed was invalid, and threatened to burn the school. In 1967, shots were fired into the home of an NAACP worker in Carthage.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 9.4 sqmi, of which 9.4 sqmi is land and 0.1 sqmi (0.53%) is water.

The geographic center of Mississippi is located 9 mi west-northwest of Carthage.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States Census, there were 4,901 people, 1,359 households, and 1,024 families residing in the city.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 4,637 people, 1,490 households, and 1,065 families residing in the city. The population density was 495.9 PD/sqmi. There were 1,654 housing units at an average density of 176.9 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 52.86% White, 44.25% African American, 1.04% Native American, 0.43% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.58% from other races, and 0.82% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.94% of the population.

There were 1,490 households, out of which 37.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.8% were married couples living together, 23.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.5% were non-families. 25.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.12.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.1% under the age of 18, 11.7% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 18.1% from 45 to 64, and 15.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $25,052, and the median income for a family was $30,069. Males had a median income of $27,060 versus $17,280 for females. The per capita income for the city was $12,986. About 21.5% of families and 26.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 39.6% of those under age 18 and 18.8% of those age 65 or over.

Economy
The largest chicken processing plant in the world—able to process 2.5 million chickens per week—is located on Highway 35 north of Carthage. Originally owned by Choctaw Maid Farms, the plant was flanked by a large trailer park built in the mid-1990s to house the factory's growing Hispanic migrant workforce, and the Hispanic population of Carthage increased from 1.9 percent to 12.3 percent between 2000 and 2010. The plant was purchased by Tyson Foods in 2003, and employs 1,700.

Arts and culture
The Square Affair is held annually each May, and features walks, runs, a children's fishing rodeo, an idol competition, vendors, fireworks, and a basketball tournament.

Parks and recreation
McMillian Park in Carthage has baseball diamonds, tennis courts, soccer field, disc golf course, two playgrounds, and a fishing pond.

Lincoln Park in Carthage has a baseball diamond, basketball court, walking trail, and community center.

Education
The City of Carthage is served by the Leake County School District including Leake Central High School.

Highways
Carthage is served by Mississippi Highway 35, Mississippi Highway 16, and Mississippi Highway 25.

Airport
The Carthage-Leake County Airport is located north of the city.

Law enforcement and fire
Carthage is protected by its own police and fire departments.

Health care
The Baptist Medical Center in Carthage provides hospital services and critical care.

Notable people

 * The Chambers Brothers, soul music group
 * Winson Hudson, civil rights activist
 * John Johnson, professional basketball player, First Team All American at University of Iowa
 * Ollie McLaughlin, record producer and record label owner
 * Bennett Malone, member of Mississippi House of Representatives
 * Marcus Mann, Southern Baptist minister and former college basketball player
 * Jay Mathis, former member of the Mississippi House of Representatives
 * Donald Rawson (1925-2014), history professor and administrator at Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana, born in the former Dossville in Leake County
 * Ferr Smith, member of the Mississippi House of Representatives
 * Arthur Tate, member of the Mississippi State Senate
 * Kenneth Walker, member of the Mississippi House of Representatives
 * O'Neal Wilder, World Junior gold medalist

title: Carthage, Mississippi


text:
Redwater, Mississippi

Redwater is a census-designated place (CDP) in Leake County, Mississippi, United States. It is one of the eight communities of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians Reservation, and the population is 61% Choctaw. The population was 633 at the 2010 census, up from 409 at the 2000 census.

Geography
Redwater is located in central Leake County at 32.77694°N, -89.54361°W (32.777025, -89.543724). It is bordered to the south by the city of Carthage, the county seat. Mississippi Highway 25 passes through the CDP, leading northeast 40 mi to Louisville and southwest 55 mi to Jackson, the state capital. Mississippi Highway 35 crosses Highway 25, leading north 20 mi to Kosciusko and south through Carthage 31 mi to Interstate 20 at Forest.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the Redwater CDP has a total area of 27.3 km2, of which 0.05 km2, or 0.17%, are water. Town Creek, a tributary of the Pearl River, flows southward through the center of the CDP.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 683 people, 330 households, and 219 families residing in the CDP.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 409 people, 125 households, and 95 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 39.6 PD/sqmi. There were 140 housing units at an average density of 13.6/sq mi (5.2/km$2$). The racial makeup of the CDP was 10.51% White, 12.47% African American, 76.53% Native American, 0.24% from other races, and 0.24% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.22% of the population.

There were 125 households, out of which 39.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 33.6% were married couples living together, 36.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.0% were non-families. 18.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.27 and the average family size was 3.64.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 37.9% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 25.9% from 25 to 44, 18.1% from 45 to 64, and 7.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 26 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.1 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $16,333, and the median income for a family was $13,542. Males had a median income of $25,667 versus $17,500 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $8,835. About 50.5% of families and 53.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 58.4% of those under age 18 and 55.4% of those age 65 or over.

Education
Redwater is served by the Leake County School District.

Native American students are eligible to attend schools in the Choctaw Tribal School System, a tribal school system operated by the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. Red Water Elementary School is in the community.

title: Redwater, Mississippi


text:
Standing Pine, Mississippi

Standing Pine is a census-designated place (CDP) in Leake County, Mississippi, United States. It is one of the eight communities of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians Reservation, and the population is 94% Choctaw. The total population of the CDP was 517 at the 2020 census.

Geography
Standing Pine is located in southeastern Leake County at 32.67528°N, -89.44472°W (32.675141, -89.444742). It is 8 mi southeast of Carthage, the county seat.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 9.1 km2, of which 0.02 km2, or 0.21%, are water. The community sits on a set of low ridges that drain northeast to Standing Pine Creek and southwest to Pottock Creek, both northwest-flowing tributaries of the Pearl River.

Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 517 people, 177 households, and 168 families residing in the CDP.

As of the census of 2000, there were 509 people, 135 households, and 112 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 158.8 PD/sqmi. There were 143 housing units at an average density of 44.6 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the CDP was 16.11% White, 1.18% African American, 82.12% Native American, 0.59% from other races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.18% of the population.

There were 135 households, out of which 43.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.9% were married couples living together, 24.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.3% were non-families. 15.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.77 and the average family size was 4.04.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 42.8% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 26.9% from 25 to 44, 15.7% from 45 to 64, and 4.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 22 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.0 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $36,538, and the median income for a family was $28,558. Males had a median income of $20,833 versus $18,566 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $10,111. About 10.1% of families and 15.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.5% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

Education
Standing Pine is served by the Leake County School District.

Native American students are eligible to attend schools in the Choctaw Tribal School System, a tribal school system operated by the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. Standing Pine Elementary School is in the community.

Notable people

 * Ross Barnett, governor of Mississippi
 * David W. Huff, David and the Giants singer

title: Standing Pine, Mississippi


text:
Walnut Grove, Mississippi

Walnut Grove is a town in Leake County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 510 at the 2020 census, a sharp decrease from 1,911 at the 2010 census, due to the Walnut Grove Youth Correctional Facility being closed by the state in September 2016 because of repeated problems at the troubled facility. It had been privately owned and operated since 2001 under a contract with the state Department of Corrections. By 2011 it was the largest juvenile facility in the nation.

Golden Memorial State Park is located east of the town.

History
Walnut Grove began as a European-American settlement in a nearby location, now referred to as "Old Walnut Grove". This area was developed as cotton plantations in the antebellum era. The town was incorporated in 1884. A post office was established in 1854, and in the early 1900s, electricity and street lights were installed.

The Jackson and Eastern Railway was completed from Union, Mississippi to Walnut Grove in 1923, and then extended to nearby Tuscola, Mississippi in 1925.

The town was surveyed at its present location in 1923. Two canals were built near Walnut Grove in the late 1920s to improve transportation. Walnut Grove received a telephone franchise in 1927, and was connected to the Forest exchange. In 1962, a sewage and water system was installed, and in 1966, natural gas was installed. In 1970, the town organized and trained a volunteer fire department, though the first fire truck was not purchased until 1974.

Walnut Grove's Town Marshal J.T. "Jake" Trest, was murdered in 1979. His killer, Edward Earl Johnson, was executed in 1987.

In 1981, William Grady Sims, was elected as mayor of Walnut Grove and was repeatedly re-elected, serving until 2012. He was one of the longest-serving mayors in the state. By 2006 the town annexed the property of the Walnut Grove Youth Correctional Facility, which had been constructed nearby in the county in 2001. It added a large area and population of prisoners to the town. As the facility was privately owned, although operated under contract to the state, it made payments to the city in lieu of taxes. In addition, the operating company appointed Sims as warden of the prison in 2009. The company's payments in lieu of taxes for the prison constituted 15% of the city's budget in 2011. State expansion of the prison population at this facility made it the largest youth facility in the nation.

In 2009, Sims took a female prisoner to a nearby motel and raped her. He was convicted of charges and sentenced to seven months in confinement. Numerous investigations of conditions at the prison resulted in a class-action suit filed in 2010 in federal court against its management and the state. The federal government started a separate investigation by the Department of Justice. Sims resigned as warden. In 2011 he was indicted on two federal charges; in February 2012 he resigned as mayor under a federal plea agreement.

In October 2011, he was ordered by the state auditor to pay "$31,530 for using city employees and equipment to work on private prisons in the area, including the one he ran."

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.8 square miles (2.1 km$2$), all land.

Cityscape
The community's town hall, post office, and library are in the central part of Walnut Grove.

Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 510 people, 286 households, and 172 families residing in the town.

As of the census of 2000, there were 488 people, 215 households, and 127 families residing in the town. The population density was 610.2 PD/sqmi. There were 239 housing units at an average density of 298.9 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 57.38% White, 40.78% African American, 0.20% Native American, 0.20% Pacific Islander, and 1.43% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.41% of the population.

There were 215 households, out of which 31.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.3% were married couples living together, 20.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.5% were non-families. 36.7% 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 2.27 and the average family size was 3.00.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 29.1% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 15.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.3 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $21,719, and the median income for a family was $27,981. Males had a median income of $21,667 versus $26,000 for females. The per capita income for the town was $11,851. About 25.2% of families and 29.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 47.1% of those under age 18 and 15.1% of those age 65 or over.

The 2006 population estimate had 1,424 residents; this dramatic increase is due to the annexation of the Walnut Grove Correctional Facility and its inmate population. The continued growth through estimates for 2016 largely represented additional inmate population.

Economy
Marco Apparel, a clothing manufacturer, opened in Walnut Grove in 1984. In 2001, it laid off more than 100 employees. The city was struggling to survive.

In 2001, the privately owned Walnut Grove Youth Correctional Facility was opened in unincorporated county land after being constructed for private operation under contract with the state; it was designed for youth offenders of 18 and under in age. Originally it was considered a model facility. But the state kept raising the age of offenders who were incarcerated there, and some prisoners aged there, so the population included young men in their 20s as well as much younger youths.

From 2003 to 2010, the prison was operated by Cornell Companies, which merged that year with GEO Group. The town annexed the prison property before 2006, thereby markedly increasing its population. The prisoners outnumbered town residents by a two to one ratio. In addition to hiring town residents as guards and staff, the prison paid the city substantial amounts in lieu of taxes, with payments making up 15% of the city's annual budget in 2011. The facility was subject of many state and federal investigations and was closed in September 2016.

Government
The Town of Walnut Grove has an alderman/mayor form of government, with the mayor voting in case of a tie. City government is made up of six elected aldermen from single-member districts, a mayor elected at-large, an elected municipal clerk, and an appointed police chief.

The mayor is Brian Gomillion, elected in 2013, and the Board of Aldermen includes: Jerry Darby, Teresa Darby, Pamela Gill, Shantell Edwards, Cindy Jones, and Mike Johnson.

Education
The town is served by the Leake County School District:
 * Leake County Elementary (K-6)
 * Leake County High School (7-12)

Notable people

 * Thomas Norman Brooks, former member of the Mississippi Senate
 * Homer Casteel, Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi 1920 to 1924
 * Jerrion Ealy, National Football League wide receiver
 * Sue Gunter, Olympic silver medalist and member of the Basketball Hall of Fame; former coach of the LSU Lady Tigers
 * Na'Taki Osborne Jelks, environmental scientist
 * Edward Earl Johnson, convicted of murder. Executed in 1987.
 * Ken Lewis, former CEO, President, and Chairman of the Bank of America
 * Luther Riley, college basketball coach; grew up in Walnut Grove

title: Walnut Grove, Mississippi


text:
Guntown, Mississippi

Guntown is a city in Lee County, Mississippi, United States. It is located in the northern part of the Tupelo micropolitan area. Founded in 1866, the population was 2,410 at the 2020 Census.

Etymology
Guntown is named for Virginia Loyalist émigré James G. Gunn (d. 1826) who found asylum among the Chickasaws in present-day Lee County.

History
During the Civil War, Union cavalry officers described Guntown as "a station and small village on the Mobile & Ohio road." Founded on April 13, 1866, it was incorporated on February 16, 1867.

Geography
Guntown is located along Mississippi Highway 145, with the older parts of the city lying further to the east near the railroad tracks. U.S. Route 45 traverses the western part of the city, running roughly parallel to MS 145. Baldwyn lies just to the north of Guntown, and Saltillo lies just to the south.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.5 sqmi, of which 4.5 sqmi is land and 0.22% is water.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States Census, there were 2,410 people, 880 households, and 671 families residing in the town.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,183 people, 443 households, and 337 families residing in the city. The population density was 261.1 PD/sqmi. There were 482 housing units at an average density of 106.4 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 74.98% White, 24.18% African American, 0.34% Asian, 0.42% from other races, and 0.08% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.01% of the population.

There were 443 households, out of which 45.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.2% were married couples living together, 21.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.9% were non-families. 22.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.12.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 34.3% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 28.6% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 9.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $27,188, and the median income for a family was $29,783. Males had a median income of $27,868 versus $20,375 for females. The per capita income for the town was $12,456. About 19.3% of families and 24.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 34.5% of those under age 18 and 17.9% of those age 65 or over.

Education
Guntown is served by the Lee County School District.

Notable people

 * Cornelius Augustus, baseball pitcher in the Negro leagues
 * L. T. Kennedy, member of the Mississippi House of Representatives from 1918 to 1935
 * Chad McMahan, member of the Mississippi Senate
 * Esther Smith, gospel music singer

title: Guntown, Mississippi


text:
Plantersville, Mississippi

Plantersville is a town in Lee County, Mississippi. The population was 868 at the 2020 census.

Geography
Plantersville is located at 34.21167°N, -88.66361°W (34.211530, -88.663681).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.5 sqmi, of which 1.4 sqmi is land and 0.69% is water.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States Census, there were 868 people, 390 households, and 246 families residing in the town.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,144 people, 416 households, and 301 families residing in the town. The population density was 792.7 PD/sqmi. There were 474 housing units at an average density of 328.4 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 55.33% White, 42.40% African American, 0.17% Native American, 0.44% from other races, and 1.66% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.92% of the population.

There were 416 households, out of which 37.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.6% were married couples living together, 18.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.6% were non-families. 22.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.18.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 29.5% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 29.2% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 9.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.8 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $26,333, and the median income for a family was $32,237. Males had a median income of $28,125 versus $20,069 for females. The per capita income for the town was $12,852. About 19.9% of families and 24.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 31.8% of those under age 18 and 25.8% of those age 65 or over.

Education
The Town of Plantersville is served by the Lee County School District.

Notable person

 * Steve Holland, member of the Mississippi House of Representatives from 1985 to 2020.

title: Plantersville, Mississippi


text:
Saltillo, Mississippi

Saltillo is a city in Lee County, Mississippi, United States. It is located in the northern part of the Tupelo micropolitan area. Founded in 1849, the population was 4,922 at the 2020 Census.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 8.7 sqmi, of which 8.7 sqmi is land and 0.04 sqmi (0.23%) is water.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States Census, there were 4,922 people, 1,839 households, and 1,151 families residing in the city.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,393 people, 1,361 households, and 974 families residing in the town. The population density was 389.5 PD/sqmi. There were 1,453 housing units at an average density of 166.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 93.93% White, 4.69% African American, 0.06% Native American, 0.47% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.09% from other races, and 0.74% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.59% of the population.

There were 1,361 households, out of which 38.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.0% were married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.4% were non-families. 25.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.94.

In the town the population was spread out, with 26.9% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 34.0% from 25 to 44, 19.2% from 45 to 64, and 10.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.0 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $35,912, and the median income for a family was $44,018. Males had a median income of $33,333 versus $23,542 for females. The per capita income for the town was $16,177. About 8.5% of families and 12.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.7% of those under age 18 and 17.3% of those age 65 or over.

Education
Most of Saltillo is served by the Lee County School District while a portion is in the Tupelo School District. The former operates Saltillo High Schoo]. The sole high school of the latter is Tupelo High School.

Notable people

 * Andy Dillard, American baseball player
 * Steve Dillard (born 1951), American baseball player
 * Tim Dillard (born 1983), American baseball player
 * James Gilreath (1936–2003), American musician
 * Kathryn Kelly, convicted bootlegger. Fourth wife of Machine Gun Kelly.
 * Trent Kelly, member of the United States House of Representatives from Mississippi's 1st congressional district
 * Merle Taylor (1927–1987), American musician

title: Saltillo, Mississippi


text:
Shannon, Mississippi

Shannon is a town in Lee County, Mississippi. The population was 1,496 at the 2020 Census.

Shannon is located on Mississippi Highway 145, west of U.S. Route 45. Chiwapa Creek flows south of the town.

History
The town is named for Samuel Shannon, who purchased land at that location from Chickasaw Chief Itawamba in the early 1800s, then built a cabin and a farm. More settlers arrived following the Treaty of Pontotoc, which ceding Chickasaw land in exchange for financial compensation.

In the early 1800s, Constantine Shannon brought strawberry plants from Shannon to Plant City, Florida, enabling the creation of a multimillion-dollar industry in Plant City.

A church was established in 1839.

The original townsite was north of the present location, and was moved when the Mobile and Ohio Railroad was constructed through the community in the 1850s. Shannon was incorporated in 1860 and a post office was established. Shannon was originally part of Itawamba County, but became part of Lee county after that county formed in 1866.

Commerce expanded in Shannon, and there was a corn elevator, grain elevator, and three cotton gins. Around 1915, Coca-Cola was bottled in Shannon.

The old Francis Store, one of the town's original buildings, is now a restaurant owned by the Town of Shannon.

Gay bar controversy
From 1998 until 2007, Shannon was home to Rumors, a gay bar featured in the Kevin Smith/Malcolm Ingram film Small Town Gay Bar. In 2013, after a hiatus, local businesspeople tried to reopen the bar. The town refused. This refusal led to a lawsuit claiming the town had refused the application out of concern of having a gay bar in its jurisdiction.

A message on the town's website reads: "we take pride in being on the quiet side of county with our relaxed country living where traditions of family, faith, and brotherly love make up who we are today."

Geography
Shannon is located at 34.11694°N, -88.70139°W (34.116826, -88.701520).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 4.1 sqmi, all land.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States Census, there were 1,496 people, 700 households, and 416 families residing in the town.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,657 people, 632 households, and 437 families residing in the town. The population density was 403.5 PD/sqmi. There were 691 housing units at an average density of 168.3 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 44.42% White, 54.19% African American, 0.06% Native American, 0.12% Asian, 0.84% from other races, and 0.36% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.57% of the population.

There were 632 households, out of which 40.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.4% were married couples living together, 23.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.7% were non-families. 27.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.18.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 32.0% under the age of 18, 10.6% from 18 to 24, 29.5% from 25 to 44, 19.1% from 45 to 64, and 8.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.3 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $29,773, and the median income for a family was $30,848. Males had a median income of $25,313 versus $20,149 for females. The per capita income for the town was $13,592. About 16.3% of families and 18.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.6% of those under age 18 and 21.4% of those age 65 or over.

Economy
In 2005, General Atomics opened a $38 million manufacturing and test facility in Shannon. Much of the work at the facility is for the U.S. Navy, including advanced launch and recovery systems for aircraft carriers.

The Natchez Trace Parkway RV Park is located in Shannon.

Education
The Town of Shannon is served by the Lee County School District.

Notable people

 * Cousins Bertha Barbee and Norma Barbee of The Velvelettes were born in Shannon.
 * Guy Bush, professional baseball player; retired to Shannon.
 * George Washington Forbes, co-founder of the Boston Guardian.
 * Romaro Miller, former National Football League quarterback
 * Rickey W. Thompson, member of the Mississippi House of Representatives

title: Shannon, Mississippi


text:
Tupelo, Mississippi

Tupelo is a city in and the county seat of Lee County, Mississippi, United States. Founded in 1860, the population was 37,923 at the 2020 census. It is the 7th most populous city in Mississippi and is considered a commercial, industrial, and cultural hub of northern Mississippi.

Tupelo was incorporated in 1870. The area had earlier been settled as "Gum Pond" along the Mobile and Ohio Railroad. On February 7, 1934, Tupelo became the first city to receive power from the Tennessee Valley Authority, thus giving it the nickname "The First TVA City". Much of the city was devastated by a major tornado in 1936 that still ranks as one of the deadliest tornadoes in American history. Following electrification, Tupelo boomed as a regional manufacturing and distribution center and was once considered a hub of the American furniture manufacturing industry. Although many of Tupelo's manufacturing industries have declined since the 1990s, the city has continued to grow due to strong healthcare, retail, and financial service industries. Tupelo is the smallest city in the United States that is the headquarters of more than one bank with over $10 billion in assets.

Tupelo has a deep connection to Mississippi's music history, being known as the birthplace of Elvis Presley. The city is home to multiple art and cultural institutions, including the Elvis Presley Birthplace and the 10,000-seat Cadence Bank Arena, the largest multipurpose indoor arena in Mississippi. Tupelo is the only city in the Southern United States to be named an All-America City five times, most recently in 2015. Its Main Street program, Downtown Tupelo Main Street Association, was the winner of the national Main Street's Great American Main Street Award in 2020.

The Tupelo micropolitan area contains Lee, Itawamba, and Pontotoc counties and had a population of 140,081 in 2017.

European settlement
Indigenous peoples, including the Chickasaw and Choctaw, occupied the area prior to European settlement. The French and British traded with these indigenous peoples and tried to form alliances with them. The French established towns in Mississippi mostly on the Gulf Coast. At times, the European powers came into armed conflict. On May 26, 1736, the Battle of Ackia was fought near the site of present-day Tupelo; British and Chickasaw soldiers repelled a French and Choctaw attack on the then-Chickasaw village of Ackia. The French, under Jean Baptiste Le Moyne, Sieur de Bienville, governor of French Louisiana, had sought to link Louisiana with Acadia and the other northern colonies of New France.

In the early 19th century, after years of trading and encroachment by European-American settlers from the United States, conflicts increased as the US settlers tried to gain land from these nations. In 1830, Congress passed the Indian Removal Act and authorized the relocation of all the Southeast Native Americans to federal territory west of the Mississippi River, which was completed by the end of the 1830s.

In the early years of settlement, European-Americans named this town "Gum Pond", supposedly due to its numerous tupelo trees, known locally as "blackgum". The city still hosts the annual Gumtree Arts Festival.

Civil War and Reconstruction
During the Civil War, Union and Confederate forces fought in the area in 1864 in the Battle of Tupelo or battle of oldtown Creek. Designated the Tupelo National Battlefield, the battlefield is administered by the National Park Service (NPS). In addition, the Brices Cross Roads National Battlefield, about ten miles north, commemorates another American Civil War battle.

After the war, a cross-state railroad for northern Mississippi was constructed through the town, which encouraged industry and growth. With expansion, the town changed its name to Tupelo, in honor of the battle. It was incorporated in 1870.

20th century to present
By the early twentieth century the town had become a site of cotton textile mills, which provided new jobs for residents of the rural area. Under the state's segregation practices, the mills employed only white adults and children. Reformers documented the child workers and attempted to protect them through labor laws.

The last known bank robbery by Machine Gun Kelly, a Prohibition-era gangster, took place on November 30, 1932, at the Citizen's State Bank in Tupelo; his gang netted $38,000 ($0 in current dollar terms). After the robbery, the bank's chief teller said of Kelly, "He was the kind of guy that, if you looked at him, you would never thought he was a bank robber."

During the Great Depression, Tupelo was electrified by the new Tennessee Valley Authority, which had constructed dams and power plants throughout the region to generate hydroelectric power for the large, rural area. The distribution infrastructure was built with federal assistance as well, employing many local workers. In 1935, President Franklin Roosevelt visited this "First TVA City".

Tupelo had only 20 Jewish residents at the beginning of the Great Depression, out of 20,000 total residents. Temple B'nai Israel was established in Tupelo in 1939. The congregation first met in Tupelo City Hall. It later rented space on South Spring Street above the Fooks' Chevrolet dealership. In 1953, it moved to space over Biggs Furniture Store. A synagogue building was dedicated in 1957, with then-Mayor James Ballard giving the remarks.

Into the late 1950s several long-distance trains served Tupelo. These included the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio's Gulf Coast Rebel (St. Louis - Mobile) and the Frisco Railroad's Kansas City-Florida Special (Kansas City - Memphis - Jacksonville), Memphian (Memphis - Birmingham) and its Sunnyland (Kansas City to the west; sections east to Birmingham and Pensacola). The Frisco's Southland ceased running on December 9, 1967, marking the last passenger train in northeast Mississippi.

In 2007, the nearby village of Blue Springs was selected as the site for Toyota's 11th automobile manufacturing plant in the United States.

In 2013 Gale Stauffer of the Tupelo Police Department died in a set up ambush following a bank robbery, possibly the first officer killed in the line of duty in the department's history.

President Donald Trump visited the city of Tupelo twice, in 2018 and 2019. He held a campaign rally for Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith on November 26, 2018, at the Tupelo Regional Airport. Nearly one year later, the president returned to Tupelo to hold another rally (this time for Governor Tate Reeves) on November 1, 2019, at the BancorpSouth Arena. These campaign rallies were broadcast on national television and received attention from news networks, such as CNN and Fox News.

Severe weather
The spring of 1936 brought Tupelo one of its worst-ever natural disasters, part of the Tupelo-Gainesville tornado outbreak of April 5–6 in that year. The storm leveled 48 city blocks and over 200 homes, killing 216 people and injuring more than 700 persons. It struck at night, destroying large residential areas on the city's north side. Among the survivors was Elvis Presley, then a baby. Obliterating the Gum Pond neighborhood, the tornado dropped most of the victims' bodies in the pond. The storm has since been rated F5 on the Fujita scale. The Tupelo Tornado is recognized as one of the deadliest in U.S. history.

The Mississippi State Geologist estimated a final death toll of 233 persons, but 100 whites were still reported as hospitalized at the time. Because the white newspapers did not publish news about blacks until the 1940s and 1950s, historians have had difficulty learning the fates of blacks injured in the tornado. Based on this, historians now estimate the death toll was higher than in official records. Fire broke out at the segregated Lee County Training School, which was destroyed. Its bricks were salvaged for other uses.

The area is subject to tornadoes. On May 8, 2008, one rated an EF3 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale struck the town. On April 28, 2014, another large EF3 tornado struck Tupelo and the surrounding communities, causing significant damage. On the night of May 2, 2021, two EF1 tornadoes formed near town with the second being a large tornado that directly struck the northwest side of downtown, prompting a tornado emergency to be issued by the National Weather Service.

Geography
Tupelo is located in northeast Mississippi, north of Columbus, on Interstate 22 and U.S. Route 78, midway between Memphis, Tennessee (northwest) and Birmingham, Alabama (southeast). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 51.4 sqmi, of which 51.1 sqmi is land and 0.3 sqmi (0.62%) is water.

Climate
Like the rest of the state, Tupelo has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa in the Köppen climate classification); it is part of USDA hardiness zone 7b. The normal monthly mean temperature ranges from 43.4 F in January to 82.3 F in July, while, on average, there are 3.0 days where the temperature stays at or below freezing, 55 days with a low at or below freezing, and 67 days with a high at or above 90 F per year. The all-time record low is −14 F, set on January 27, 1940, while the all-time record high is 109 F, set on July 29, 1930. However, temperatures at or below 0 F are rare, having last occurred December 23, 1989, the date of the all-time record low for December; additionally, while highs can reach 100 F several days a row during severe heat waves, several years may pass between such readings.

Precipitation is high, averaging 57.74 in annually. On average, December is the single wettest month, and February through May are also especially wet; September and October are the driest months. The rainiest calendar day on record is March 21, 1955 when 9.40 in of rain fell; monthly precipitation has ranged from trace amounts in August 1983 to 19.89 in in December 1982. Snow is uncommon, with many years receiving trace amounts or no snowfall at all, and normal (1981–2010) winter snowfall stands at 2.1 in. The most snow in one calendar day was 8.0 in on January 24, 1940, contributing to the 9.2 in that fell that month, the snowiest on record; the snowiest winter was 1935–36 with 14.8 in.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States Census, there were 37,923 people, 14,751 households, and 9,648 families residing in the city.

2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 35,456 people, 13,602 households, and 8,965 families residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 58.7% White, 36.8% African American, 0.1% Native American, 1.0% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 2.0% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. 3.5% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

2007-2011 ACS
According to the 2007–2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, there were 13,395 households, 42.8% were married couples living together, 2.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 22.5% had a female householder with no husband present. 32.2% were non-family households, with 28.4% had a householder living alone and 3.8% having a householder not living alone. In addition, 39.7% of householders were living with related children under 18 and 60.3% with no related children under 18. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.08.

The median income for a household in the city was $39,415. The poverty rate was 20%.

Economy
Historically, Tupelo served as a regional transportation hub, primarily due to its location at a railroad intersection. More recently, it has developed as strong tourism and hospitality sector based around the Elvis Presley birthplace and Natchez Trace. The city has also been successful at attracting manufacturing, retail and distribution operations (see 'Industry' section below).

Industry

 * Tupelo is the headquarters of the North Mississippi Medical Center, the largest non-metropolitan hospital in the United States. It serves people in North Mississippi, northwest Alabama, and portions of Tennessee. The medical center was a winner of the prestigious Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award in 2006 and 2012.
 * The headquarters of two large banking institutions are located here: Cadence Bank, with approximately nearly $48 billion in assets (2024), and Renasant Bank, with assets of more than $17 billion (2024). Tupelo is the smallest U.S. city that hosts the headquarters of more than one bank with over $10 billion in assets.
 * The city is a five-time "All-America City Award" winner.
 * In 1963, Ralph J. Roberts, along with Daniel Aaron and Julian A. Brodsky purchased American Cable Systems, a small cable operator in Tupelo. American Cable was re-incorporated in Pennsylvania as Comcast.
 * It has a large furniture manufacturing industry. The journalist Dennis Seid noted that furniture manufacturing in Northeast Mississippi, "provid[ed] some 22,000 jobs, or almost 13% of the region's employment... with a $732 million annual payroll... producing $2.25 billion worth of goods."
 * Tecumseh, Heritage Home Group, Hancock Fabrics, Inc., Magnolia Fabrics, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Mississippi, H.M. Richards, JESCO Construction, MTD Products, Savings Oil Company (Dodge's Stores), and Cooper Tire & Rubber Company all operate or are headquartered in Tupelo and Lee County. Renin Corporation, a subsidiary of BBX Capital Corporation, operates a production centre in Tupelo which employed 50 but an expansion in 2017 expected to increase staffing to 100.

Arts and culture

 * The Tupelo Buffalo Park and Zoo is home to a large American bison herd, as well as exotic animals like Emu, Pythons, and Zedonks.
 * It is the headquarters of the historic Natchez Trace Parkway, which connects Natchez, Mississippi, to Nashville, Tennessee. The parkway follows the route of the ancient Natchez Trace trail, a path used by indigenous peoples long before the Europeans came to the area.
 * Nearby is the Pharr Mounds, an important Middle Woodland period complex of nearly 2000-year-old burial earthworks, dating from 1 to 200 AD.

 * Civil War sites include Tupelo or the battle of oldtown creek and Brices Cross Roads national battlefields.
 * The Tupelo Automobile Museum was one of the largest in North America. In 2003, it was designated as the official automobile museum of the state. It housed more than 150 rare automobiles, all from the personal collection of Frank K. Spain—who founded the channel WTVA. Unfortunately, the museum closed in March 2019 and the cars were auctioned off the following month.
 * Since its founding in 1969, the Tupelo Community Theatre has produced more than 200 works. In 2001 and 2004, it won awards at the Mississippi Theatre Association's Community Theatre Festival. In 2004 its production of Bel Canto won at the Southeastern Theatre Conference. TCT's home is the historic Lyric Theatre, built in 1912.
 * The North Mississippi Symphony Orchestra's season runs from September–April with concerts held at the Tupelo Civic Auditorium. The symphony's free annual July 4 outdoor concert at Ballard Park draws thousands of fans.
 * In 2005, Rotary International sponsored a commission for a statue to honor Chief Piomingo, a leader of the Chickasaw people who had occupied this area. It was erected in front of the new Tupelo City Hall.
 * The Oren Dunn City Museum tells the Story of Community Building through permanent exhibits and a collection of historic structures. The Special Exhibit Gallery provides a venue for a variety of traveling and temporary shows throughout the year.
 * In June 1956, Elvis Presley returned to Tupelo for a concert at the Mississippi-Alabama State Fair & Dairy Show. This event was recreated at the eighth "Elvis Presley Festival" in Tupelo on June 3, 2006. The fairgrounds are part of Tupelo's Fairpark District. The documentary film The Homecoming: Tupelo Welcomes Elvis Home premiered at the 2006 festival.
 * The Lee-Itawamba Library System was serviced in Tupelo. The Lee County Library in downtown Tupelo has an annual lecture series featuring nationally known authors. In addition to the annual lecture series, the Lee County Library features a Mississippi room dedicated to genealogy research.
 * The Church Street Elementary School (for white students in the segregated system) was hailed as one of the most outstanding designs of its time, which was built in 1937. A scale model of this Art Moderne structure—described as "the ideal elementary school"—was displayed at the 1939 New York World's Fair.
 * The Cadence Bank Arena (previously known as the BancorpSouth Arena) opened in 1993 and is a venue for large events.
 * Taylor Swift mentioned the town in her song "dorothea".

Government
Tupelo's current mayor is Todd Jordan. The Tupelo Council is made up of seven representatives, each elected from single-member districts. They annually elect the president of the council on a rotating basis. In 2021, the President of the Tupelo City Council is Travis Beard. Other council members are Janet Gaston, Rosie Jones, Chad Mims, Buddy Palmer, Lynn Bryan, and Nettie Davis.

Education
Tupelo Public School District is the school district for the vast majority of Tupelo. It participates in the Chromebook Distribution Policy, which means students in grades 6 to 12 are each given a school-owned Google Chromebook to use during the school year. In 2008, Sports Illustrated ranked the high school athletic department as the third-best high school athletic program in the nation. Tupelo High School is the largest public high school in Mississippi with a total of 1,931 students enrolled during the 2018–2019 school year.

Some portions of Tupelo are zoned to the Lee County School District.

For post-secondary education, the city has satellite campuses of the University of Mississippi, Itawamba Community College, and the Mississippi University for Women.

Media
The local daily newspaper is the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal. Tupelo is also served by the weekly Lee County Courier.

Tupelo is home to three television stations serving the 133rd-ranked designated market area among 210 markets nationwide as determined by Nielsen Media Research: WTVA (9), an NBC and ABC affiliate; and WLOV (27), a CW affiliate. Both stations are located on Beech Springs Road and were controlled by Frank K. Spain until his death on April 25, 2006.

The Christian fundamentalist American Family Association is located in Tupelo, and operates the national American Family Radio network and the OneNewsNow news service.

Rail
Tupelo is served by BNSF Railway and Kansas City Southern Railway for freight transportation via rail.

Roads
U.S. Route 45, U.S. Route 78, U.S. Route 278, and Natchez Trace Parkway run through Tupelo; Interstate 22 runs north of the city on an east–west route.

Air
The city is served by Tupelo Regional Airport, with service on Contour Airlines.

Notable people
• John Mills Allen (1846–1917), U.S. congressman

• William Dozier Anderson (1862-1952), Mississippi Supreme Court justice, state legislator, and former Tupelo mayor

• Sharion Aycock (born 1955), American judge

• Alex Carrington (born 1987), American football player

• Dave Clark (born 1962), baseball player and coach

• Diplo (born 1978), musical artist

• Brian Dozier (born 1987), baseball player

• Ally Ewing (born 1992), golfer

• Etta Zuber Falconer (1933-2002), mathematician

• Sam Gilliam (born 1933), color field painter and lyrical abstractionist artist

• Allie Grant (born 1994), film actress

• Jarious Jackson (born 1977), American football player

• Arthur Jafa (born 1960), video artist and cinematographer

• Todd Jordan (born 1970), professional football player and Tupelo mayor

• Slim Jxmmi (born 1991), hip-hop artist and member of Rae Sremmurd

• Catherine Lacey (born 1985), author

• Swae Lee (born 1993), hip-hop artist and member of Rae Sremmurd

• John Murry (born 1979), singer-songwriter

• Elvis Presley (1935–1977), singer and actor

• John E. Rankin (1882-1960), U.S. Congressman

• Paul Rudish (born 1968), animator and writer

• Jumpin' Gene Simmons (1933–2006), singer

• Chris Stratton (born 1990), baseball player

• Paula White (born 1966), American preacher and author

• Roger Wicker (born 1951), U.S. senator whose hometown is Tupelo.

• Brandon Woodruff (born 1993), baseball player

title: Tupelo, Mississippi


text:
Verona, Mississippi

Verona is a city in Lee County, Mississippi. The population was 2,792 at the 2020 census, down from 3,006 at the 2010 census.

History
Verona was settled in 1857 with the construction of the Mobile and Ohio Railroad, and was chartered in July 1860, making it the oldest city in Lee County.

In 1863 during the American Civil War, Confederate general Nathan Bedford Forrest set up his headquarters in Verona. On December 25, 1864, Union cavalry led by general Benjamin Grierson raided Verona's supply depot.

Geography
Verona is located at 34.18833°N, -88.71806°W (34.188350, -88.718083).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.8 sqmi, of which 3.7 sqmi is land and 0.04 sqmi (0.80%) is water.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States Census, there were 2,792 people, 1,282 households, and 636 families residing in the city.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,334 people, 1,276 households, and 831 families residing in the city. The population density was 891.4 PD/sqmi. There were 1,472 housing units at an average density of 393.6 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 38.78% White, 57.68% African American, 0.42% Native American, 0.33% Asian, 1.65% from other races, and 1.14% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.22% of the population.

There were 1,276 households, out of which 37.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.1% were married couples living together, 22.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.8% were non-families. 28.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.22.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 33.1% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 30.6% from 25 to 44, 17.0% from 45 to 64, and 9.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $26,117, and the median income for a family was $30,255. Males had a median income of $25,000 versus $18,305 for females. The per capita income for the city was $12,092. About 18.5% of families and 22.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.9% of those under age 18 and 22.6% of those age 65 or over.

Education
Verona is served by the Lee County School District.

Notable people

 * Roddy Burdine, former owner of the now-defunct department store Burdines
 * Winfield R. Gaylord, minister and member of the Wisconsin State Senate from 1909 to 1913
 * Chester W. Taylor, member of the United States House of Representatives from 1921 to 1923

title: Verona, Mississippi


text:
Itta Bena, Mississippi

Itta Bena is a city in Leflore County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 2,049 at the 2010 census. The town's name is derived from the Choctaw phrase iti bina, meaning "forest camp". Itta Bena is part of the Greenwood, Mississippi micropolitan area. It developed as a trading center of an area of cotton plantations.

Early history
The indigenous Choctaw Indians occupied the Delta region for hundreds of years prior to the arrival of European settlers, with ancestors stretching thousands of years into the past. The first removal treaty carried out under the Indian Removal Act was the 1830 Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek, by which the Choctaw ceded about 11 million acres of the Choctaw Nation (now Mississippi) to the United States in exchange for about 15 million acres in Indian Territory (now Oklahoma).

Benjamin Grubb Humphreys, a state senator from Claiborne County, Mississippi, is credited with the founding of Itta Bena. Following several crop failures in the 1850s at his home in Claiborne County, Humphreys took a trip by river steamer up into the Yazoo wilderness to look for a new farming opportunity in the former Choctaw area.

He found such an opportunity on Roebuck Lake, a stretch of old channel that the river had discarded a few miles west of Greenwood, in what was then Sunflower County. Bringing a group of slaves up from his plantations during the winter, when boats could use high water to pass from the Yazoo into Roebuck, he directed them in clearing timber and brush from the overgrown bottomland to develop agricultural fields for cultivation of cotton. Longtime Claiborne County friends became interested in his project, and others began to acquire land in the area two years later.

Humphreys had established a permanent winter residence, "Lucknow", in Claiborne County. He did not bring his family to his Itta Bena plantation until slaves had completed construction of a substantial home in 1857, which he christened as Itta Bena, the Choctaw words for "camp in the woods". It was built from lumber from the land of the plantation, logs which were plastered and painted. The earliest substantial home built in the frontier Yazoo country, it was the center of the plantation’s many hundred acres. The main portion of the original Humphreys home was still used as a residence in 1954 (thought to be the home of Dr. B. B. Harper on Lakeshore Street). Following the Civil War, Humphreys was elected as governor of Mississippi.

As other settlers moved into the area, the village that grew up around the plantation was also called Itta Bena. Planters used the Yazoo River to ship cotton downriver, ultimately to New Orleans for transport to markets in the United States and Great Britain. Cotton continued as the commodity crop and the source of local wealth after the American Civil War.

Construction of the Columbus and Greenville Railway, begun in 1888 and serving the village, stimulated trade and growth. Among the first to build stores were J. B. Humphreys, P. Cohen, and Uriah Ray. The first store was operated by H. M. Weber and a man named Long. The town’s first school, a one-room building only for white students, was built in 1888 and Emma Cross served as the first teacher.

20th century to present
Development of the growing city continued in the early 20th century. The first high school was erected in 1905, across from the present-day First Baptist Church. The post office in Itta Bena was opened in 1918. The white minority dominated politics and the economy, as the state legislature essentially disenfranchised blacks by the constitution of 1890. Working as sharecroppers and tenant farmers, they had difficulty getting ahead in the agricultural economy. During the 20th century, many left the county for work in industrial cities of the north and midwest, in the Great Migration.

On a march in 1966 between Itta Bena and nearby Greenwood, coordinated by the SNCC but led by Martin Luther King Jr., Stokely Carmichael coined the rallying phrase "Black power!". Byron De La Beckwith, widely known at that time as the murderer of Medgar Evers (although he had been acquitted of charges), drove his truck by the marchers three times while the local police looked on.

The city reached its peak of population in 1980. Population has declined since then, reflecting limited opportunities in the rural region. The population has decreased more markedly in the county outside the city, as agricultural jobs have been reduced.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.5 sqmi, of which 1.4 sqmi is land and 0.04 sqmi (2.72%) is water.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,679 people, 605 households, and 392 families residing in the city.

2010 census
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 2,049 people living in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 89.2% Black, 10.1% White, <0.1% Native American and 0.1% from two or more races. 0.5% were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,208 people, 763 households, and 559 families living in the city. The population density was 1,541.5 PD/sqmi. There were 797 housing units at an average density of 556.4 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 81.34% African American, 18.16% White, 0.23% Asian, and 0.27% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.54% of the population.

There were 763 households, of which 38.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.6% were married couples living together, 35.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.7% were non-families. 24.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.89 and the average family size was 3.43.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 33.3% under the age of 18, 11.7% from 18 to 24, 25.6% from 25 to 44, 18.3% from 45 to 64, and 11.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females, there were 82.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 71.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $20,968, and the median income for a family was $24,271. Males had a median income of $21,917 versus $16,136 for females. The per capita income for the city was $11,132. About 29.5% of families and 34.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 43.1% of those under age 18 and 33.1% of those age 65 or over.

Education
Mississippi Valley State University is located 1 mi northwest of Itta Bena in unincorporated Leflore County. It was the state of Mississippi's black vocational college before educational segregation ended. Jerry Rice, widely considered one of the greatest American football receivers of all time, spent his college days playing for the university's team. The university's Delta Devils play at Itta Bena's 10,000-seat Rice–Totten Stadium.

The City of Itta Bena is served by the Greenwood-Leflore Consolidated School District. Public schools in Itta Bena include Leflore County Elementary School and Leflore County High School. It was previously in the Leflore County School District. Effective July 1, 2019 this district consolidated into the Greenwood-Leflore School District.

Notable people

 * Andre Allen, former Canadian Football League defensive end
 * Smoky Babe, blues musician
 * Marion Barry, civil rights activist, city councilman and former mayor of Washington, D.C.
 * James Bevel, civil rights activist
 * Robert "Big Mojo" Elem, Chicago blues bass guitarist and singer
 * Katie Hall, U.S. Representative from Indiana; attended Mississippi Valley State University in Itta Bena
 * Luther "Guitar Junior" Johnson, blues musician
 * B.B. King, blues musician, was born near Itta Bena in 1925
 * Jimmy Lewis, soul singer, producer, and songwriter
 * Lewis Nordan, author, grew up in Itta Bena
 * Robert Petway, delta blues musician was possibly born here in 1903
 * Euvester Simpson, voting rights activist and Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) member
 * Pervis Spann, broadcaster and music promoter

title: Itta Bena, Mississippi


text:
Morgan City, Mississippi

Morgan City, Mississippi is a town in Leflore County along Mississippi Highway 7. The population was 255 at the 2010 census, down from 305 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Greenwood, Mississippi micropolitan area.

Geography
Morgan City is located in southern Leflore County at 33.37972°N, -90.34972°W (33.379637, -90.349713). Via Highway 7 it is 10 mi south of Itta Bena and 16 mi northeast of Belzoni. Greenwood, the Leflore county seat, is 16 mi to the northeast of Morgan City.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.5 km2, all land. The town is 1.5 mi northwest of the Yazoo River. Leflore County is part of the Mississippi Delta region.

2010 census
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 255 people living in the town. The racial makeup of the town was 79.6% Black, 18.8% White and 1.6% were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

As of the census of 2000, there were 305 people, 98 households, and 77 families living in the town. The population density was 530.7 PD/sqmi. There were 101 housing units at an average density of 175.7 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 16.39% White, 83.28% African American and 0.33% Asian. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.95% of the population.

There were 98 households, out of which 41.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 33.7% were married couples living together, 40.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.4% were non-families. 21.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.11 and the average family size was 3.56.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 36.1% under the age of 18, 11.5% from 18 to 24, 25.2% from 25 to 44, 15.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 27 years. For every 100 females, there were 78.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 69.6 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $19,219, and the median income for a family was $17,917. Males had a median income of $20,375 versus $13,929 for females. The per capita income for the town was $9,465. About 33.8% of families and 42.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 48.3% of those under the age of eighteen and 50.0% of those 65 or over.

Notable person

 * Stewart Patridge, Conerly Trophy winning quarterback from the University of Mississippi

Education
It is in the Greenwood-Leflore School District.

The town was served by the Leflore County School District. Effective July 1, 2019, this district consolidated into the Greenwood-Leflore School District.

Musical significance
Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church, founded in 1909 in the "Shellmound" area on the eastern edge of Morgan City, is the site of a large memorial marker (cenotaph) to blues legend Robert Johnson which was placed by the Mt. Zion Memorial Fund through a major grant from Columbia Records and a number of smaller grants from organizations and individuals across the United States. The site now appears on numerous tour itineraries and is promoted by Leflore County.

title: Morgan City, Mississippi