McComb is a city in
Pike CountyPike County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of 2000, the population was 38,940. The county seat is Magnolia. It is part of the McComb, Mississippi, Micropolitan Statistical Area. Pike County is named for explorer Zebulon Pike....
,
MississippiMississippi is a state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The state's name comes from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, and takes its name from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi . The state is heavily forested outside of the...
,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, about 80 miles south of
JacksonJackson is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Mississippi. It is one of two county seats of Hinds County , but the city also contains areas in Madison and Rankin Counties...
, just off the
I-55Interstate 55 is an Interstate Highway in the central United States. Its odd number indicates that it is a north-south Interstate Highway. I - 55 goes from Laplace, Louisiana at Interstate 10 to Chicago at U.S. Route 41 , at McCormick Place.The section of I-55 between Chicago and St...
. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 13,337, an increase of about a thousand people since the 1980 census of 12,331. It is the principal city of the McComb, Mississippi,
Micropolitan Statistical AreaThe McComb Micropolitan Statistical Area is a micropolitan area in the southwestern Mississippi that covers two counties – Amite and Pike...
.
McComb was founded in 1872 after Colonel Henry Simpson McComb, president of the New Orleans, Jackson and Great Northern Railroad, a predecessor of the
Illinois Central RailroadThe Illinois Central Railroad , sometimes called the Main Line of Mid-America, is a railroad in the central United States, with its primary routes connecting Chicago, Illinois with New Orleans, Louisiana and Birmingham, Alabama. A line also connected Chicago with Sioux City, Iowa...
(now part of the
Canadian National RailwayThe Canadian National Railway is a Canadian Class I railway operated by the Canadian National Railway Company headquartered in Montreal, Quebec....
), decided to move the railroad's maintenance shops away from
New Orleans, LouisianaNew Orleans is a major U.S. port and the largest city in the state of Louisiana. New Orleans is the center of the New Orleans Metropolitan Area, the largest metro area in the state....
, outside of the attractions of that city's
saloonsA bar is an establishment that serves drinks, especially alcoholic beverages such as beer, liquor, and cocktails, for consumption on the premises....
.
McComb is a city in
Pike CountyPike County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of 2000, the population was 38,940. The county seat is Magnolia. It is part of the McComb, Mississippi, Micropolitan Statistical Area. Pike County is named for explorer Zebulon Pike....
,
MississippiMississippi is a state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The state's name comes from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, and takes its name from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi . The state is heavily forested outside of the...
,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, about 80 miles south of
JacksonJackson is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Mississippi. It is one of two county seats of Hinds County , but the city also contains areas in Madison and Rankin Counties...
, just off the
I-55Interstate 55 is an Interstate Highway in the central United States. Its odd number indicates that it is a north-south Interstate Highway. I - 55 goes from Laplace, Louisiana at Interstate 10 to Chicago at U.S. Route 41 , at McCormick Place.The section of I-55 between Chicago and St...
. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 13,337, an increase of about a thousand people since the 1980 census of 12,331. It is the principal city of the McComb, Mississippi,
Micropolitan Statistical AreaThe McComb Micropolitan Statistical Area is a micropolitan area in the southwestern Mississippi that covers two counties – Amite and Pike...
.
History
McComb was founded in 1872 after Colonel Henry Simpson McComb, president of the New Orleans, Jackson and Great Northern Railroad, a predecessor of the
Illinois Central RailroadThe Illinois Central Railroad , sometimes called the Main Line of Mid-America, is a railroad in the central United States, with its primary routes connecting Chicago, Illinois with New Orleans, Louisiana and Birmingham, Alabama. A line also connected Chicago with Sioux City, Iowa...
(now part of the
Canadian National RailwayThe Canadian National Railway is a Canadian Class I railway operated by the Canadian National Railway Company headquartered in Montreal, Quebec....
), decided to move the railroad's maintenance shops away from
New Orleans, LouisianaNew Orleans is a major U.S. port and the largest city in the state of Louisiana. New Orleans is the center of the New Orleans Metropolitan Area, the largest metro area in the state....
, outside of the attractions of that city's
saloonsA bar is an establishment that serves drinks, especially alcoholic beverages such as beer, liquor, and cocktails, for consumption on the premises....
. Main street is one of the main streets in the downtown area with all the shops, attractions, and business. The railroad purchased land in Pike County, and three nearby communities, Elizabeth town, Burglund, and Harveytown, agreed to consolidate.
During the 1960s, McComb played a critical role in the
Civil Rights MovementThe African-American Civil Rights Movement refers to the reform movements in the United States aimed at outlawing racial discrimination against African Americans and restoring Suffrage in Southern states. This article covers the phase of the movement between 1954 and 1968, particularly in the South...
. It was the location of
SNCCThe Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee ' was one of the principal organizations of the American Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. It emerged from a series of student meetings led by Ella Baker held at Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina in April 1960...
's first voter registration project which was met with violence and intimidation on the part of authorities and the
KKKKu Klux Klan , informally known as The Klan, is the name of several past and present hate group organizations in the United States whose avowed purpose was to protect the rights of and further the interests of white Americans by violence and intimidation. The first such organizations originated in...
. More than 100 McComb high school students were arrested in 1961 for protesting the murder of voter-registration activist Herbert Lee and the expulsion of Brenda Travis. McComb was the setting for several bombings involving racial strife.
Malcolm BoydMalcolm Boyd is an American Episcopal Priest and author.-Biography:In the 1960s Boyd became known as “The Espresso Priest” for his religiously-themed poetry-reading sessions at the “Hungry i” nightclub in San Francisco. Boyd went on to become a prominent white clergyman in the American Civil...
took part of COFO's Freedom House as a member of a clerical delegation to assist African-American voter registration.
On October 20, 1977, a chartered plane carrying members and crew of rock band
Lynyrd SkynyrdLynyrd Skynyrd is an American rock band, formed in Jacksonville, Florida in 1964. The band became prominent in the Southern United States in 1973, and rose to worldwide recognition before three members and one road crew member died in an airplane crash in 1977, including lead vocalist and primary...
crashed in a
swampA swamp is a wetland featuring temporary or permanent inundation of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water. A swamp generally has a substantial number of hammocks, or dry-land protrusions, covered by aquatic vegetation, or vegetation that tolerates periodical inundation. The two main types...
near McComb, killing lead singer
Ronnie Van ZantRonald Wayne "Ronnie" Van Zant was the lead vocalist, primary lyricist, and a founding member of the Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd...
, guitarist
Steve GainesSteven Earl Gaines was an American musician. He is most well-known as a guitarist and songwriter for southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd.-Life & Career:...
, Steve's sister Cassie (a backup singer), and road manager Dean Kilpatrick.
Geography
McComb is located at 31°14′41″ North, 90°27′34″ West (31.244629, -90.459500).
According to the
United States Census BureauThe 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. As part of the United States Department of Commerce, the Census Bureau serves as the leading source of quality data about...
, the city has a total area of 11.6
square mileThe square mile is an imperial and US unit of measure for an area equal to the area of a square of one statute mile.
s (30.0 km²), of which, 11.5 square miles (29.8 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km²) of it (0.52%) is water.
Demographics
As of the
censusA "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.In other words every 10 years...next one would be in 2010 The term is used mostly in connection with...
of 2000, there were 13,337 people, 5,265 households, and 3,411 families residing in the city. The
population densityPopulation density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans. It is a key term used in geography....
was 1,157.4 people per square mile (447/km²). There were 5,931 housing units at an average density of 514.7/sq mi (198.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 40.14% White, 58.40% African American, 0.07% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.38% from other races, and 0.48% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.85% of the population.
There were 5,265 households out of which 33.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.5% were
married couplesMarriage is a social union or legal contract between individuals that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged by a variety of ways, depending on the culture or demographic...
living together, 25.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.2% were non-families. 32.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.13.
In the city the population was spread out with 29.0% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 24.7% from 25 to 44, 20.0% from 45 to 64, and 16.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 78.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 71.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $22,644, and the median income for a family was $27,758. Males had a median income of $27,899 versus $17,402 for females. The
per capita incomePer capita income means how much each individual receives, in monetary terms, of the yearly income generated in the country. This is what each citizen is to receive if the yearly national income is divided equally among everyone. Per capita income is usually reported in units of currency per year...
for the city was $13,790. About 27.4% of families and 31.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 43.7% of those under the age of 18 and 21.3% of those 65 and older.
Education
The City of McComb is served by the
McComb School DistrictThe McComb School District is a public school district based in McComb, Mississippi .-Schools:*McComb High School**1982-1983 National Blue Ribbon School *Denman Junior High School*Higgins Middle School*Kennedy Elementary School...
. There are 7 schools in the district, Okten Elementary, Kennedy Elementary, Higgins Middle School, Denman Jr. High School, McComb High School, Business & Technology Center, and Summit Academy. The McComb and the surrounding Pike County area has three separate school districts, two private schools, and a community college in the northern part of the county.
St. Alphonsus Catholic Church is located in McComb and provides classes kindergarten through seventh grade. McComb is also the location of Parklane Academy, a K4 through 12th grade private Christian school.
Southwest Mississippi Community CollegeSouthwest Mississippi Community College is a two-year community college located in Summit, Mississippi with accreditation from the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.-History:...
is located seven miles north of McComb, and northeast of Summit,MS. McComb High School is one of the 100 National Model Schools.
Rail transportation
AmtrakThe National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971 to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a blend of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union Station...
, the national passenger rail system, provides service to McComb. Amtrak Train 59, the southbound
City of New OrleansThe City of New Orleans is a nightly passenger train operated by Amtrak which travels between Chicago, Illinois and New Orleans, Louisiana. Before Amtrak's formation in 1971, the train was operated by the Illinois Central Railroad along the same route . The train currently operates on a 19½ hour...
, is scheduled to depart McComb at 12:41pm daily with service to Hammond and New Orleans. Amtrak Train 58, the northbound City of New Orleans, is scheduled to depart McComb at 3:38pm daily with service to Brookhaven, Hazlehurst,
JacksonJackson is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Mississippi. It is one of two county seats of Hinds County , but the city also contains areas in Madison and Rankin Counties...
, Yazoo City, Greenwood,
MemphisMemphis is a city in the southwest corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. Memphis rises above the Mississippi River on the 4
th Chickasaw Bluff just south of the mouth of the Wolf River....
, Newbern-Dyersburg, Fulton,
CarbondaleCarbondale, "The Capital of Southern Illinois ™," is a city in Southern Illinois in the midwest of the United States. It is located on Illinois Route 13 and U.S. Route 51, miles southeast of St. Louis, Missouri, on the northern edge of the Shawnee National Forest. Carbondale is the home of the...
, Centralia, Effingham, Mattoon,
Champaign-UrbanaChampaign is a city in Champaign County, Illinois, in the United States. The city is located south of Chicago, west of Indianapolis, Indiana, and 178 miles northeast of St. Louis, Missouri. Though surrounded by farm communities, Champaign is notable for sharing the campus of the University of...
, Kankakee, Homewood, and
ChicagoUnion Station is a Chicago train station that opened in 1925, replacing an earlier 1881 station, and is now the only intercity rail terminal in Chicago. Union Station was built on the west side of the Chicago River and stands between Adams Street and Jackson Street...
.
Notable natives and residents
- Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American singer and entertainer. Born in Mississippi and raised in Louisiana, Spears first appeared on national television in 1992 as a contestant on the Star Search program, and went on to star in Disney Channel's television series The New Mickey Mouse Club from 1993 to...
, singer and dancer
- Jamie Lynn Spears
Jamie Lynn Spears is an American teen actress. She is the younger sister of pop star Britney Spears. She is known for playing Zoey Brooks on the Nickelodeon show Zoey 101.-Early life:...
, actress
- Lynne Spears
Lynne Irene Spears is an author and the mother of pop singer Britney Spears and teen actress Jamie Lynn Spears.-Personal life:...
, author
- Adrian Brown
Adrian Brown graduated from the Royal Academy of Music in London, he studied and then worked with Sir Adrian Boult. He is the only British conductor to have reached the finals of the Karajan Conductors' Competition and has conducted the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, the St Petersburg Philharmonic...
, Major League baseball player with the Pittsburgh 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, in addition to the distinction of playing in the first modern World Series. The Pirates are also often...
, Boston Red SoxThe Boston Red Sox are a member of the Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Since , the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park. The "Red Sox" name originates from the iconic uniform feature....
and Kansas City RoyalsThe Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
- King Solomon Hill
King Solomon Hill was a bluesman who recorded a small handful of songs in 1932. Hill is speculated to have been Joe Holmes, a self-taught guitarist from Mississippi....
, early blues musician
- John Brady
John Brady is the head men's basketball coach for Arkansas State University.Brady was previously the head men's basketball coach at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. On February 8, 2008, LSU dismissed Brady, and named his assistant coach, Butch Pierre, the interim head coach...
, head coach of the Arkansas State UniversityArkansas State University is a public university and is the flagship campus of the Arkansas State University System, the state's second largest college system and fourth largest university by enrollment. It is located atop on Crowley's Ridge at Jonesboro, Arkansas, USA...
men's basketball team, former head coach of the LSU Tigers men's basketballThe Louisiana State Tigers basketball team represents Louisiana State University in NCAA Division I men's college basketball. The team is currently coached by Trent Johnson and has enjoyed recent success, including a Final Four run in the 2005–2006 season. Past coaches include John Brady,...
coach
- Bo Diddley
Bo Diddley , born Ellas Otha Bates, was an American rock & roll singer, guitarist, and songwriter. He was known as "The Originator" because of his key role in the transition from blues music to rock & roll, influencing a host of legendary acts including Buddy Holly, Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton...
, blues singer
- Jimmy Boyd
Jimmy Boyd was an American singer, musician, and actor.-Early life:Jimmy Boyd was born in an old farmhouse to Winnie and Leslie Boyd. In 1941 his father, Leslie, put his wife and their two sons , on a train bound for Riverside, California for the second time...
, singer, musician, actor
- Steven Ozment
Steven E. Ozment is an American historian of early modern and modern Germany, the European family, and the Protestant Reformation....
, American historian
- Omar Kent Dykes
Omar Kent Dykes is an American blues guitarist and singer living in Austin, Texas. In 1973 he formed the band, Omar & the Howlers. The band plays electric Texas blues, rock and roll and blues-rock...
, blues singer and guitarist
- Bobby Lounge
Bobby Lounge is an American singer-songwriter from McComb, Mississippi. Lounge began playing for house parties while attending Louisiana Tech University in northern Louisiana in the mid 1970s. In the 1980s, Lounge played a handful of shows at Ruby's Roadhouse in Mandeville, Louisiana...
, blues pianist and songwriter
- Robert "Squirrel" Lester, singer in the soul music group The Chi-Lites
The Chi-Lites are a Chicago-based smooth soul vocal group. During the 1970s, they racked up 11 Top 10 U.S. R&B singles, ranging from the romantic ballads "Have You Seen Her" and "Oh Girl" to protest songs like " Give More Power to the People" and "There Will Never Be Any Peace "...
.
- James Matthews
James Matthews may refer to:*Brander Matthews an American writer*Jim Matthews a US Politician*James Ewen Matthews , Canadian Member of Parliament for Brandon*James Tilly Matthews a British merchant*James M...
, semi-professional football player for the Racine Raiders
- Brandy Norwood
Brandy Rayana Norwood , known professionally as Brandy, is an American R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, actress, television entertainer, film producer and occasional rapper....
, singer and actress
- William "Ray J" Norwood
William Raymond Norwood, Jr. , better known by his stage name Ray J, is an American singer, record producer and actor. He is the son of gospel singer Willie Norwood and Sonja Bates-Norwood, the cousin of rapper Snoop Dogg and the younger brother of R&B singer Brandy.-Career:Ray J was born William...
, singer and actor, brother of Brandy Norwood
External links