Holly Springs, Mississippi
Encyclopedia
Holly Springs is a city in Marshall County
, Mississippi
, United States
. The population was 7,957 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat
of Marshall County. A short drive from Memphis, Tennessee
, Holly Springs is the site of a number of well-preserved antebellum homes and other structures and has a strong tradition of historic preservation. Holly Springs is the site of Rust College
, a historically black liberal arts college established in 1866 by the Freedman's Aid Society
of the Methodist Episcopal Church
. The Holly Springs National Forest
is also nearby.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 12.7 square miles (32.9 km²), of which 12.7 square miles (32.9 km²) is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) (0.16%) is water.
Indians. The economic basis of its populace were the neighboring cotton plantations. The next year it was made seat of the newly created county.
By 1855 it was connected to Grand Junction, Tennessee
by the advancing Mississippi Central Railway and in the next years the line was completed to the south of Hill Springs. Toward the end of the century the Kansas City, Memphis and Birmingham Railroad
came to intersect this line in Holly Springs.
In the American Civil War
the town served General Ulysses S. Grant
as a supply depot and headquarters. In a raid headed by confederate Earl Van Dorn
in December 1862 much of theses supplies were demolished.
In 1878 it was struck with a yellow fever
epidemic and 2,000 residents lost their lives.
of 2000, there were 7,957 people, 2,407 households, and 1,699 families residing in the city. The population density
was 626.3 people per square mile (241.9/km²). There were 2,582 housing units at an average density of 203.2 per square mile (78.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 22.81% White, 76.18% African American, 0.06% Native American, 0.16% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.06% from other races
, and 0.69% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.59% of the population.
There were 2,407 households out of which 36.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.3% were married couples
living together, 31.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.4% were non-families. 27.2% 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 2.66 and the average family size was 3.22.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.1% under the age of 18, 19.1% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 17.2% 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 101.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $23,408, and the median income for a family was $25,808. Males had a median income of $29,159 versus $20,777 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $12,924. About 27.5% of families and 32.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 44.6% of those under age 18 and 21.2% of those age 65 or over.
.
Rust College - A historically black liberal arts college established in 1866 by the Freedman's Aid Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church
Marshall County, Mississippi
-Demographics:At the 2000 census, there were 34,993 people, 12,163 households and 9,110 families residing in the county. The population density was 50 per square mile . There were 13,252 housing units at an average density of 19 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 7,957 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Marshall County. A short drive from Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, Holly Springs is the site of a number of well-preserved antebellum homes and other structures and has a strong tradition of historic preservation. Holly Springs is the site of Rust College
Rust College
Rust College is a historically black liberal arts college located in Holly Springs, Mississippi. Located approximately 35 miles southeast of Memphis, Tennessee, it is the second-oldest private college in the state...
, a historically black liberal arts college established in 1866 by the Freedman's Aid Society
Freedman's Aid Society
The Freedmen’s Aid Society was founded in 1861 during the American Civil War by the American Missionary Association , a group supported chiefly by the Congregational, Presbyterian and Methodist churches in the North. It organized a supply of teachers from the North and provided housing for them,...
of the Methodist Episcopal Church
Methodist Episcopal Church
The Methodist Episcopal Church, sometimes referred to as the M.E. Church, was a development of the first expression of Methodism in the United States. It officially began at the Baltimore Christmas Conference in 1784, with Francis Asbury and Thomas Coke as the first bishops. Through a series of...
. The Holly Springs National Forest
Holly Springs National Forest
The Holly Springs National Forest was established by the United States Forest Service on June 15, 1936 during the tenure of United States Department of Agriculture Chief Forester Ferdinand A. Silcox...
is also nearby.
Geography
Holly Springs is located at 34°46′24"N 89°26′47"W (34.773435, -89.446519).According to the United States Census Bureau
United 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 12.7 square miles (32.9 km²), of which 12.7 square miles (32.9 km²) is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) (0.16%) is water.
History
Holly Springs was founded in 1836, on grounds previously held by ChickasawChickasaw
The Chickasaw are Native American people originally from the region that would become the Southeastern United States...
Indians. The economic basis of its populace were the neighboring cotton plantations. The next year it was made seat of the newly created county.
By 1855 it was connected to Grand Junction, Tennessee
Grand Junction, Tennessee
Grand Junction is a city in Fayette and Hardeman counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee. The population was 301 at the 2000 census, and is currently 321. Grand Junction runs along Tennessee State Route 57, and is bordered to the west by Tennessee State Route 18 . Approximately ten miles to the...
by the advancing Mississippi Central Railway and in the next years the line was completed to the south of Hill Springs. Toward the end of the century the Kansas City, Memphis and Birmingham Railroad
Kansas City, Memphis and Birmingham Railroad
The Kansas City, Memphis & Birmingham Railroad is a historic railroad that operated in the southern United States.The company was created by consolidation in 1887 from a line of the same name and the Memphis and Birmingham Railway. The KCM&B operated between Memphis, Tennessee and Birmingham,...
came to intersect this line in Holly Springs.
In the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
the town served General Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
as a supply depot and headquarters. In a raid headed by confederate Earl Van Dorn
Earl Van Dorn
Earl Van Dorn was a career United States Army officer, fighting with distinction during the Mexican-American War and against several tribes of Native Americans...
in December 1862 much of theses supplies were demolished.
In 1878 it was struck with a yellow fever
Yellow fever
Yellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease. The virus is a 40 to 50 nm enveloped RNA virus with positive sense of the Flaviviridae family....
epidemic and 2,000 residents lost their lives.
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 7,957 people, 2,407 households, and 1,699 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 626.3 people per square mile (241.9/km²). There were 2,582 housing units at an average density of 203.2 per square mile (78.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 22.81% White, 76.18% African American, 0.06% Native American, 0.16% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.06% 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 0.69% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.59% of the population.
There were 2,407 households out of which 36.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.3% 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, 31.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.4% were non-families. 27.2% 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 2.66 and the average family size was 3.22.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.1% under the age of 18, 19.1% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 17.2% 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 101.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $23,408, and the median income for a family was $25,808. Males had a median income of $29,159 versus $20,777 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 $12,924. About 27.5% of families and 32.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 44.6% of those under age 18 and 21.2% of those age 65 or over.
Education
The City of Holly Springs is served by the Holly Springs School DistrictHolly Springs School District
The Holly Springs School District is a public school district based in Holly Springs, Mississippi .-Schools:*Holly Springs High School *Holly Springs Junior High School *Holly Springs Intermediate School...
.
Rust College - A historically black liberal arts college established in 1866 by the Freedman's Aid Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church
Notable residents
- Seth AdamsSeth AdamsSeth Henry Adams was an American football player from Holly Springs, Mississippi. He played quarterback for the University of Mississippi Rebels in the Southeastern Conference.- Background :...
, University of MississippiUniversity of MississippiThe University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss, is a public, coeducational research university located in Oxford, Mississippi. Founded in 1844, the school is composed of the main campus in Oxford, four branch campuses located in Booneville, Grenada, Tupelo, and Southaven as well as the...
American football quarterback. - Robert BelfourRobert BelfourRobert "Wolfman" Belfour is an American blues musician. His father, Grant Belfour taught him the guitar at a young age and he continued his tutelage in the blues from musicians Otha Turner, R. L. Burnside, and Junior Kimbrough. Kimbrough, in particular, had a profound influence on him...
(born 1940), bluesBluesBlues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
musician. - R. L. BurnsideR. L. BurnsideNot to be confused with R. H. Burnside, stage director.R. L. Burnside , born Robert Lee Burnside, was an American blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist who lived much of his life in and around Holly Springs, Mississippi. He played music for much of his life, but did not receive much attention...
(1926–2005), blues musician. - Cassandra "Cassie" DavisCassi DavisCassandra "Cassi" Davis is an American actress. She is mostly known for her role as Ella Payne in Tyler Perry's House of Payne. Davis has done extensive work with director and writer Tyler Perry, and has played many roles in his various productions...
(born July 11, 1964) is an American actress. - Clifton DeBerryClifton DeBerryClifton DeBerry was an American communist and two-time candidate for President of the United States of the Socialist Workers Party. He was the first black American in the 20th Century to be chosen by a political party as its nominee for President....
(1924–2006), born in Holly Springs, was the first black American nominated for President of the United StatesPresident of the United StatesThe President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
by a political party (Socialist Workers PartySocialist Workers Party (United States)The Socialist Workers Party is a far-left political organization in the United States. The group places a priority on "solidarity work" to aid strikes and is strongly supportive of Cuba...
, 1964, 1980) - Ulysses S. GrantUlysses S. GrantUlysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
(1822–1885), wintered in Holly Springs prior to his attack on Vicksburg, MississippiVicksburg, MississippiVicksburg is a city in Warren County, Mississippi, United States. It is the only city in Warren County. It is located northwest of New Orleans on the Mississippi and Yazoo rivers, and due west of Jackson, the state capital. In 1900, 14,834 people lived in Vicksburg; in 1910, 20,814; in 1920,...
during the Civil WarAmerican Civil WarThe American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25... - Syl JohnsonSyl JohnsonSyl Johnson is an American blues and soul singer and record producer.-Biography:Born Sylvester Thompson in Holly Springs, Mississippi, United States, Johnson sang and played with blues artists Magic Sam, Billy Boy Arnold, Junior Wells and Howlin' Wolf in the 1950s, before recording with Jimmy Reed...
(born 1936), blues and soulSoul musicSoul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
singer - Junior KimbroughJunior KimbroughDavid "Junior" Kimbrough was an American blues musician. His best known work included "Keep Your Hands Off Her" and "All Night Long". Music journalist Tony Russell stated "his raw, repetitive style suggests an archaic forebear of John Lee Hooker, a character his music shares with that of fellow...
(1930–1998), blues musician - Jeremy LeSueurJeremy LeSueurJeremy LeSueur is an American football defensive back who currently plays in the Arena Football League for the Philadelphia Soul....
(born 1980), University of MichiganUniversity of MichiganThe University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
American football defensive back. - Paul MaholmPaul MaholmPaul Gurner Maholm is a left-handed Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates.-Amateur career:Maholm is a graduate of Germantown High School in Germantown, Tennessee...
(born 1982),former Mississippi State Bulldog and current member of the Pittsburgh PiratesPittsburgh PiratesThe Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
. American Baseball Player - Eliza Jones McKissack (1828–1900), founding head of music at the University of North Texas College of MusicUniversity of North Texas College of MusicThe University of North Texas College of Music, based in Denton, is a comprehensive music school with the largest enrollment of any music institution accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music, and the oldest in the world offering a degree in jazz studies...
- Jerome Moss (born 1947), served as the first Black postmaster. Named the New Post Office "Ida B. Wells branch"
- Hiram Rhodes RevelsHiram Rhodes RevelsHiram Rhodes Revels was the first African American to serve in the United States Senate. Because he preceded any African American in the House, he was the first African American in the U.S. Congress as well. He represented Mississippi in 1870 and 1871 during Reconstruction...
(1822–1901), first African-American to serve in the United States SenateUnited States SenateThe United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
, taught at Shaw University (present-day Rust College), and buried in Holly Springs's Hillcrest Cemetery - Shepard SmithShepard SmithDavid Shepard Smith, Jr. , known better as Shepard Smith, is an American television news anchor. He is host of Fox Report with Shepard Smith and Studio B weekdays on Fox News Channel. In addition, he anchors the 5:00 p.m...
(born 1964), Fox News ChannelFox News ChannelFox News Channel , often called Fox News, is a cable and satellite television news channel owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a subsidiary of News Corporation...
anchor born in Holly Springs. Also attended high school at Marshall Academy the private school in town - James F. TrotterJames F. TrotterJames Fisher Trotter was a United States Senator from Mississippi.Born in Brunswick County, Virginia, he moved to eastern Tennessee, attended private schools, and studied law. He was admitted to the bar in 1820 and commenced practice in Hamilton, Mississippi in 1823...
(1802–1866), judge and U.S. Senator who resided in Holly Springs until his death. - Edward Cary Walthall (1831–1898), Confederate General, lawyer, and U.S. Senator from Mississippi
- Ida B. WellsIda B. WellsIda Bell Wells-Barnett was an African American journalist, newspaper editor and, with her husband, newspaper owner Ferdinand L. Barnett, an early leader in the civil rights movement. She documented lynching in the United States, showing how it was often a way to control or punish blacks who...
(1862–1931), civil rights and anti-lynching activist born in Holly Springs. - Absolom M. WestAbsolom M. WestAbsolom Madden West was a Southern United States politician, soldier, railroad president and labor organizer.-Biography:...
(1818–1894), planter, politician, Civil War general and labor organizer, resided in Holly Springs after the American Civil War until his death - Mel and TimMel and TimMel and Tim were an American soul music duo active in the 1960s and early 1970s, and best known for the hit, "Backfield in Motion" . They are also well known for: "Hope, Life's Goal" and "Starting All Over Again" .-Career:...
(Mel Hardin and Tim McPherson), soul musicians from Holly Springs who recorded at Stax RecordsStax RecordsStax Records is an American record label, originally based in Memphis, Tennessee.Founded in 1957 as Satellite Records, the name Stax Records was adopted in 1961. The label was a major factor in the creation of the Southern soul and Memphis soul music styles, also releasing gospel, funk, jazz, and...
In popular culture
- In recent years Holly Springs has been used as a filming location, most notably for Robert AltmanRobert AltmanRobert Bernard Altman was an American film director and screenwriter known for making films that are highly naturalistic, but with a stylized perspective. In 2006, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognized his body of work with an Academy Honorary Award.His films MASH , McCabe and...
's Cookie's FortuneCookie's FortuneCookie's Fortune is a 1999 comedy film directed by Robert Altman and starring an ensemble cast, including Patricia Neal, Charles S. Dutton, Julianne Moore, Glenn Close, Liv Tyler and Chris O'Donnell...
, which is also set in the town. - Father Tim Kavanagh, the fictional protagonist of Jan KaronJan KaronJan Karon is an American writer and novelist, who has written for both children and adults. Karon was born in Lenoir, North Carolina, in 1937, as Janice Meredith Wilson. She retired from a career in advertising and moved to Blowing Rock, North Carolina, to write...
's novels, was born in Holly Springs. - Cassi Davis on sit-com Tyler Perry's House of Payne was born in Holly Springs.
- William FaulknerWilliam FaulknerWilliam Cuthbert Faulkner was an American writer from Oxford, Mississippi. Faulkner worked in a variety of media; he wrote novels, short stories, a play, poetry, essays and screenplays during his career...
based his fictionalized Yoknapatawpha County on a diary found at a Holly Springs plantation.
External links
- Visiting Holly Springs: The Holly Springs Tourism Bureau
- History of Holly Springs' Jewish community (from the Institute of Southern Jewish Life)
- Holly Springs Ledger, 1837-1904 (MUM00232) at the University of Mississippi.