Drew, Mississippi
Encyclopedia
Drew is a city in Sunflower County
, Mississippi
, United States
. The population was 2,434 at the 2000 census. Drew, a rural community, is in the vicinity of several plantations and the Mississippi State Penitentiary
, a Mississippi Department of Corrections prison for men.
, the city has a total area of 1.1 square miles (2.8 km²), all of it land.
Drew is located on U.S. Route 49
West, on the route between Jackson
and Clarksdale
. Drew is 8 miles (12.9 km) south of the Mississippi State Penitentiary
(Parchman).
of 2000, there were 2,434 people, 811 households, and 606 families residing in the city. The population density
was 2,172.6 people per square mile (839.1/km²). There were 922 housing units at an average density of 823.0 per square mile (317.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 25.27% White, 73.58% African American, 0.12% Native American, 0.16% Asian, 0.37% from other races
, and 0.49% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.56% of the population.
There were 811 households out of which 42.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.3% were married couples
living together, 35.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.2% were non-families. 21.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.00 and the average family size was 3.51.
In the city the population was spread out with 36.6% under the age of 18, 10.1% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 16.2% from 45 to 64, and 10.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 27 years. For every 100 females there were 82.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 71.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $19,167, and the median income for a family was $20,469. Males had a median income of $22,351 versus $18,693 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $8,569. About 36.1% of families and 40.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 54.6% of those under age 18 and 23.0% of those age 65 or over.
operates the Drew Post Office.
. The district's schools are Drew Hunter High School and A.W. James Elementary School. Prior to the 2010-2011 school year the school district had three school buildings, including A.W. James Elementary School, Hunter Middle School, and Drew High School. Dorothea Collier was the first African-American to attend Drew High School. She was shot to death in 1971 at age 18. Prior to desegregation, the Lil’ Red Rosenwald School served as the school for African-Americans. It now houses a community center.
The North Sunflower Academy
is in an unincorporated area
of Sunflower County, about 3 miles (4.8 km) south of Drew. The school originated as a segregation academy.
Mississippi Delta Community College
has the Drew Center in Drew.
is in unincorporated
Sunflower County, between Drew and Ruleville
. The airport is jointly operated by the cities of Drew and Ruleville.
Sunflower County, Mississippi
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 34,369 people, 9,637 households, and 7,314 families residing in the county. The population density was 50 people per square mile . There were 10,338 housing units at an average density of 15 per square mile...
, Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 2,434 at the 2000 census. Drew, a rural community, is in the vicinity of several plantations and the Mississippi State Penitentiary
Mississippi State Penitentiary
Mississippi State Penitentiary , also known as Parchman Farm, is the oldest prison and the only maximum security prison for men in the state of Mississippi, USA....
, a Mississippi Department of Corrections prison for men.
Geography
Drew is located at 33°48′36"N 90°31′50"W (33.809923, -90.530530). According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 1.1 square miles (2.8 km²), all of it land.
Drew is located on U.S. Route 49
U.S. Route 49
U.S. Route 49 is a north–south United States highway. The highway's northern terminus is in Piggott, Arkansas, at an intersection with U.S. Route 62. Its southern terminus is in Gulfport, Mississippi, at an intersection with U.S. Route 90. US 49 is approximately 516 miles in length.It...
West, on the route between Jackson
Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson is the capital and the most populous city of the US state of Mississippi. It is one of two county seats of Hinds County ,. The population of the city declined from 184,256 at the 2000 census to 173,514 at the 2010 census...
and Clarksdale
Clarksdale, Mississippi
Clarksdale is a city in Coahoma County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 20,645 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Coahoma County....
. Drew is 8 miles (12.9 km) south of the Mississippi State Penitentiary
Mississippi State Penitentiary
Mississippi State Penitentiary , also known as Parchman Farm, is the oldest prison and the only maximum security prison for men in the state of Mississippi, USA....
(Parchman).
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 2,434 people, 811 households, and 606 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 2,172.6 people per square mile (839.1/km²). There were 922 housing units at an average density of 823.0 per square mile (317.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 25.27% White, 73.58% African American, 0.12% Native American, 0.16% Asian, 0.37% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.49% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.56% of the population.
There were 811 households out of which 42.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.3% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 35.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.2% were non-families. 21.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.00 and the average family size was 3.51.
In the city the population was spread out with 36.6% under the age of 18, 10.1% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 16.2% from 45 to 64, and 10.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 27 years. For every 100 females there were 82.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 71.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $19,167, and the median income for a family was $20,469. Males had a median income of $22,351 versus $18,693 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $8,569. About 36.1% of families and 40.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 54.6% of those under age 18 and 23.0% of those age 65 or over.
Government and infrastructure
The United States Postal ServiceUnited States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
operates the Drew Post Office.
Education
The City of Drew is served by the Drew School DistrictDrew School District
The Drew School District is a public school district based in Drew, Mississippi . The school district's attendance boundary includes Drew, Rome, and the employee residences of the Mississippi State Penitentiary , located in an unincorporated area....
. The district's schools are Drew Hunter High School and A.W. James Elementary School. Prior to the 2010-2011 school year the school district had three school buildings, including A.W. James Elementary School, Hunter Middle School, and Drew High School. Dorothea Collier was the first African-American to attend Drew High School. She was shot to death in 1971 at age 18. Prior to desegregation, the Lil’ Red Rosenwald School served as the school for African-Americans. It now houses a community center.
The North Sunflower Academy
North Sunflower Academy
North Sunflower Academy is a private school in unincorporated Sunflower County, Mississippi, in the Mississippi Delta area. The school is about north of Ruleville and about south of Drew. The school has grades Kindergarten through 12...
is in an unincorporated area
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
of Sunflower County, about 3 miles (4.8 km) south of Drew. The school originated as a segregation academy.
Mississippi Delta Community College
Mississippi Delta Community College
Mississippi Delta Community College is a community college based in Moorhead, Mississippi which is located in Sunflower County. It also offers courses at locations in Drew, Greenville, Greenwood, and Indianola, Mississippi. Its mascot is the Trojan warrior. The college's president is Dr. Larry G....
has the Drew Center in Drew.
Transportation
Ruleville-Drew AirportRuleville-Drew Airport
Ruleville-Drew Airport is an airport in unincorporated Sunflower County, between Drew and Ruleville. The airport is jointly operated by the cities of Drew and Ruleville....
is in unincorporated
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
Sunflower County, between Drew and Ruleville
Ruleville, Mississippi
Ruleville is a small city in the fertile Mississippi Delta region in Sunflower County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 3,234 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Ruleville is located at ....
. The airport is jointly operated by the cities of Drew and Ruleville.
Notable residents (past and present)
- Archie ManningArchie ManningElisha Archibald "Archie" Manning III is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League, playing for the New Orleans Saints from 1971 to 1982, then for the Houston Oilers and Minnesota Vikings...
, former NFLNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
quarterback - William EgglestonWilliam EgglestonWilliam Eggleston , is an American photographer. He is widely credited with increasing recognition for color photography as a legitimate artistic medium to display in art galleries—which, until the 1970s, often tended to privilege work by photographers making black-and-white prints.- Early years...
, internationally famous groundbreaking photographer, grew up in Drew - Booboo Davis, blues singer, released an album entitled Drew, Mississippi
- Rob Dixon and Jason King, members of rock band Quintaine AmericanaQuintaine AmericanaQuintaine Americana is a hard rock band from Boston that started out in 1995.-History:Singer/guitarist Rob Dixon and drummer Jason King both hail from the small town of Drew, Mississippi and moved to Boston in the late 1980s. Bassist Marc Schleicher grew up in Norwell, Massachusetts but family...
, both grew up in Drew - Pops StaplesPops StaplesRoebuck "Pops" Staples was a Mississippi-born Gospel and R&B musician.A "pivotal figure in gospel in the 1960s and 70s," he was an accomplished songwriter, guitarist and singer...
and Cleotha Staples, members of The Staple SingersThe Staple SingersThe Staple Singers were an American gospel, soul, and R&B singing group. Roebuck "Pops" Staples , the patriarch of the family, formed the group with his children Cleotha , Pervis , Yvonne , and Mavis...