Poplarville, Mississippi
Encyclopedia
Poplarville is a city in Pearl River County
, Mississippi
, United States
. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 2,601. It is the county seat
of Pearl River County
. It hosts an annual Blueberry Jubilee, which includes rides, craft vendors, and rodeos.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 3.9 square miles (10.1 km²), of which, 3.8 square miles (9.8 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) of it (0.52%) is water.
of 2000, there were 2,601 people, 852 households, and 558 families residing in the city. The population density
was 676.5 people per square mile (260.8/km²). There were 936 housing units at an average density of 243.4 per square mile (93.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 74.32% White, 23.95% African American, 0.50% Asian, 0.15% Native American, 0.12% Pacific Islander, 0.15% from other races
, and 0.81% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.65% of the population.
There were 852 households out of which 32.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.6% were married couples
living together, 19.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.4% were non-families. 30.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the city the population was spread out with 21.6% under the age of 18, 20.8% from 18 to 24, 22.3% from 25 to 44, 18.2% from 45 to 64, and 17.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 84.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,417, and the median income for a family was $32,339. Males had a median income of $35,250 versus $21,667 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $12,833. About 20.8% of families and 25.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 38.8% of those under age 18 and 17.5% of those age 65 or over.
Harry Connick, Jr.
Delta Burke
Wild Bill Watson
The Dalton gang
.
The City of Poplarville is home to Pearl River Community College
Pearl River County, Mississippi
-National protected areas:*Bogue Chitto National Wildlife Refuge *De Soto National Forest -Demographics:The census estimates of 2006 place the county population over 57,000 and place it among the 10 fastest growing counties in the U.S. As of the census of 2000, there were 48,621 people, 18,078...
, 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...
. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 2,601. 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 Pearl River County
Pearl River County, Mississippi
-National protected areas:*Bogue Chitto National Wildlife Refuge *De Soto National Forest -Demographics:The census estimates of 2006 place the county population over 57,000 and place it among the 10 fastest growing counties in the U.S. As of the census of 2000, there were 48,621 people, 18,078...
. It hosts an annual Blueberry Jubilee, which includes rides, craft vendors, and rodeos.
History
- Theodore G. BilboTheodore G. BilboTheodore Gilmore Bilbo was an American politician. Bilbo, a Democrat, twice served as governor of Mississippi and later was elected a U.S. Senator . A master of filibuster and scathing rhetoric, a rough-and-tumble fighter in debate, he made his name a synonym for white supremacy...
, US senator, was born in Juniper Grove, an eastern township of Poplarville in 1877.
- Larkin I. SmithLarkin I. SmithLarkin I. Smith was an American politician from Mississippi.Smith was born in Poplarville, Mississippi. He served at various positions in the Pearl River County and then Harrison County police forces, eventually becoming Chief of Police of Gulfport Police Dept...
was born in Poplarville in June 1944.
- On the night of April 24, 1959, Mack Charles ParkerMack Charles ParkerMack Charles Parker was an African-American victim of lynching in the United States. He was accused of raping a pregnant white woman in northern Pearl River County, Mississippi. Three days before he was to stand trial, he was kidnapped from his jail cell in the Pearl River County Courthouse by a...
, an African-American accused of rape, was abducted from the Pearl River County jail in Poplarville by a white mob and shot to death. His body was found in the Pearl RiverPearl River (Mississippi-Louisiana)The Pearl River is a river in the U.S. states of Mississippi and Louisiana. It forms in Neshoba County, Mississippi from the confluence of Nanih Waiya and Tallahaga creeks. It is long. The Yockanookany and Strong rivers are tributaries. Northeast of Jackson, the Ross Barnett Reservoir is formed by...
10 days later. The FBI investigated and even obtained confessions from some of the eight white suspects. However, the county prosecutor refused to present evidence to a state grand jury and a federal grand jury refused to indict. The case focused national attention on the persistence of lynchingLynchingLynching is an extrajudicial execution carried out by a mob, often by hanging, but also by burning at the stake or shooting, in order to punish an alleged transgressor, or to intimidate, control, or otherwise manipulate a population of people. It is related to other means of social control that...
in the South and helped accelerate the African-American Civil Rights Movement.
- On August 29, 2005, Hurricane KatrinaHurricane KatrinaHurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
inflicted heavy damage on the small town. The storm's most powerful unofficially recorded gust of wind was reported at Pearl River Community CollegePearl River Community CollegePearl River Community College is a public community college in Poplarville, Mississippi, USA. It was founded as Pearl River County Agricultural High School in 1909, then became the first junior college in Mississippi in 1921.-History:...
, at 135 mi/h.
- On September 2, 2005, the 1st Battalion, 134th Field Artillery (Ohio Army National Guard) arrived at the National Guard armory in Poplarville to assist the community and Pearl River County in recovery efforts in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Initial efforts were the security of banks, pharmacies and gas stations as well as initial responses to rural emergencies. The unit stayed for three weeks ultimately checking on every family and structure in the county.
- On September 5, 2005, Poplarville played host to a visit by George W. BushGeorge W. BushGeorge Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
, Laura BushLaura BushLaura Lane Welch Bush is the wife of the 43rd President of the United States, George W. Bush. She was the First Lady of the United States from January 20, 2001, to January 20, 2009. She has held a love of books and reading since childhood and her life and education have reflected that interest...
, and Governor Haley BarbourHaley BarbourHaley Reeves Barbour is an American Republican politician currently serving as the 63rd Governor of Mississippi. He gained a national spotlight in August 2005 after Mississippi was hit by Hurricane Katrina. Barbour won re-election as Governor in 2007...
. The politicians visited Pearl River Community CollegePearl River Community CollegePearl River Community College is a public community college in Poplarville, Mississippi, USA. It was founded as Pearl River County Agricultural High School in 1909, then became the first junior college in Mississippi in 1921.-History:...
in the aftermath of Hurricane KatrinaEffect of Hurricane Katrina on MississippiHurricane Katrina's winds and storm surge reached the Mississippi coastline on the afternoon of August 28, 2005,beginning a two-day path of destruction through central Mississippi; by 10 a.m. CDT on August 29, 2005, the eye of Katrina began travelling up the entire state, only slowing from...
.
- On December 21, 2006, an early morning fire destroyed 3 downtown buildings.
- After hurricane Katrina ,the famous fabricator Joseph Runnels now resides as a full time resident
Geography
Poplarville is located at 30°50′26"N 89°32′2"W (30.840507, -89.534021).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 3.9 square miles (10.1 km²), of which, 3.8 square miles (9.8 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) of it (0.52%) is water.
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 2,601 people, 852 households, and 558 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 676.5 people per square mile (260.8/km²). There were 936 housing units at an average density of 243.4 per square mile (93.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 74.32% White, 23.95% African American, 0.50% Asian, 0.15% Native American, 0.12% Pacific Islander, 0.15% from other races
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 0.81% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.65% of the population.
There were 852 households out of which 32.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.6% were married couples
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, 19.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.4% were non-families. 30.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the city the population was spread out with 21.6% under the age of 18, 20.8% from 18 to 24, 22.3% from 25 to 44, 18.2% from 45 to 64, and 17.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 84.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,417, and the median income for a family was $32,339. Males had a median income of $35,250 versus $21,667 for females. The per capita income
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 $12,833. About 20.8% of families and 25.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 38.8% of those under age 18 and 17.5% of those age 65 or over.
Famous residents
- Glen DayGlen DayGlen Edward Day is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour.Day was born in Mobile, Alabama, and raised in Poplarville, Mississippi, by his mother Jeanne Bass Day. Jeanne was widowed at the age of 28 when Glen was approximately 2 years of age. His grandfather Glyndol Bass, was...
, PGA Tour Golfer - Whitney Miller, America's first MasterChef.
Harry Connick, Jr.
Delta Burke
Wild Bill Watson
The Dalton gang
Education
The City of Poplarville is served by the Poplarville School DistrictPoplarville School District
The Poplarville School District is a public school district based in Poplarville, Mississippi .In addition to Poplarville, the district serves a large portion of rural Pearl River County.-Schools:*Poplarville High School...
.
The City of Poplarville is home to Pearl River Community College
Pearl River Community College
Pearl River Community College is a public community college in Poplarville, Mississippi, USA. It was founded as Pearl River County Agricultural High School in 1909, then became the first junior college in Mississippi in 1921.-History:...
External links
- President George W. Bush Visits with Residents of Poplarville, a White HouseWhite HouseThe White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
press release - FBI investigation of Mack Charles Parker abduction, from the FBI website