Greenville, Mississippi
Greenville, Mississippi | ||
---|---|---|
FIPS code 28-29180 | | |
GNIS feature ID | 0670711 | |
Website | www.greenvillems.org |
Greenville is the 9th most populous city in Mississippi. It is the county seat of Washington County. The population was 29,670 at the 2020 census. It is located in the area of historic cotton plantations and culture known as the Mississippi Delta.
History
Early history
This area was occupied by indigenous peoples for thousands of years. When the French explored here, they encountered the historic
The current city of Greenville is the third in the State to bear the name. The first, (known as Old Greenville) located to the south near Natchez, became defunct soon after the American Revolution, as European-American settlement was then still concentrated in the eastern states.
The second Greenville was founded in 1824 by American William W. Blanton, who filed for land from the United States government. He was granted section four, township eighteen, range eight west. This plot now constitutes most of downtown Greenville. It was named by its founders for General Nathanael Greene, friend of President George Washington, for whom the county was named.
Many migrants came to the area from the eastern and
The second town was thriving hamlet in the antebellum years, as cotton plantations developed in the area generated high profits for major planters. They built their wealth on the labor of enslaved African Americans.
Greenville was designated as the county seat in 1844. It had become a trading center for the region's plantations. The two previous county seats,
The destruction of Greenville and the Civil War
The town was destroyed during the Union Army's actions related to the siege of Vicksburg. Troops from a Union gunboat landed at Greenville. In retaliation for being fired upon, they burned every building. The inhabitants took refuge in plantation homes of the area. When the war ended, veterans of Mississippi regiments returned to find Greenville in a state of ruin.
The former residents soon decided to build again. They chose a new site three miles away, at the highest point on the Mississippi River between the towns of Vicksburg and Memphis. Much of the land belonged to the Roach and Blanton families; the major part of the area selected was within property owned by Mrs. Harriet Blanton Theobald. She welcomed the idea of a new Greenville, and donated land for schools, churches and public buildings. She was called the "Mother of Greenville". Major Richard O’Hea, who had planned the wartime defense fortifications at Vicksburg, was hired to lay out the new town.
Greenville recovered prosperity, still based on cotton, despite the decline in world markets for this commodity. In the early 20th century, its elite families had considerable political influence in the state, and US Senator
Nelson Street
African Americans in the Delta developed rich varieties of innovative music. Nelson Street is a historic strip of blues clubs that drew crowds in the 1940s and 1950s to the flourishing club scene to hear Delta blues, big band, jump blues and jazz. Record companies came to Greenville to recruit talent.[3] It was similar to Beale Street in mid-20th century Memphis.[4]
In the early 21st century, the
Southern Whispers Restaurant on Nelson Street in Greenville was the second site identified on this trail; this was a stop on the Chitlin' Circuit in the early days of the blues. The historic marker in front of the restaurant commemorates its importance in the history of the blues in Mississippi.[5][6]
21st century
In 2020 the city ordered churches to shut down to prevent the spread of
Geography
Greenville is located on the eastern bank of Lake Ferguson, an oxbow lake left from an old channel of the Mississippi River.[citation needed]
One floating casino is located on the lake near the downtown area known as the Trop Casino Greenville, with a second just west of the city near the Greenville Bridge known as Harlow's Casino Resort. Chicago Mill and Lumber Co. operated a lumber mill on the lake two-tenths of a mile south of the casino levee parking lot; the mill specialized in making hardwood boxes until it closed.[citation needed]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 27.7 square miles (72 km2), of which 26.9 square miles (70 km2) is land and 0.8 square miles (2.1 km2) (2.82%) is water.
Climate
Climate data for Greenville, Mississippi, Greenville Mid-Delta Airport 1991–2020, extremes 1903–present | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °F (°C) | 90 (32) |
91 (33) |
91 (33) |
96 (36) |
100 (38) |
107 (42) |
110 (43) |
107 (42) |
107 (42) |
99 (37) |
88 (31) |
85 (29) |
110 (43) |
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 53.0 (11.7) |
57.9 (14.4) |
66.0 (18.9) |
74.5 (23.6) |
82.7 (28.2) |
89.4 (31.9) |
92.5 (33.6) |
92.3 (33.5) |
88.0 (31.1) |
77.2 (25.1) |
64.7 (18.2) |
55.2 (12.9) |
74.5 (23.6) |
Daily mean °F (°C) | 44.1 (6.7) |
47.9 (8.8) |
55.6 (13.1) |
64.0 (17.8) |
72.5 (22.5) |
79.4 (26.3) |
82.4 (28.0) |
81.6 (27.6) |
76.0 (24.4) |
65.1 (18.4) |
53.5 (11.9) |
46.2 (7.9) |
64.0 (17.8) |
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 35.1 (1.7) |
37.9 (3.3) |
45.2 (7.3) |
53.5 (11.9) |
62.4 (16.9) |
69.3 (20.7) |
72.4 (22.4) |
70.9 (21.6) |
64.0 (17.8) |
53.0 (11.7) |
42.4 (5.8) |
37.1 (2.8) |
53.6 (12.0) |
Record low °F (°C) | −1 (−18) |
−2 (−19) |
15 (−9) |
29 (−2) |
36 (2) |
49 (9) |
53 (12) |
50 (10) |
37 (3) |
25 (−4) |
16 (−9) |
−1 (−18) |
−2 (−19) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 4.49 (114) |
4.72 (120) |
4.71 (120) |
5.01 (127) |
3.79 (96) |
3.32 (84) |
3.18 (81) |
2.83 (72) |
3.62 (92) |
4.22 (107) |
4.01 (102) |
5.10 (130) |
49.00 (1,245) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 9.2 | 10.5 | 10.4 | 8.5 | 9.5 | 7.5 | 8.6 | 7.5 | 7.0 | 8.2 | 8.0 | 9.4 | 104.3 |
Source: |
Demographics
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1860 | 760 | — | |
1870 | 890 | 17.1% | |
1880 | 2,191 | 146.2% | |
1890 | 6,658 | 203.9% | |
1900 | 7,642 | 14.8% | |
1910 | 9,610 | 25.8% | |
1920 | 11,560 | 20.3% | |
1930 | 14,807 | 28.1% | |
1940 | 20,892 | 41.1% | |
1950 | 29,936 | 43.3% | |
1960 | 41,502 | 38.6% | |
1970 | 39,648 | −4.5% | |
1980 | 40,613 | 2.4% | |
1990 | 45,226 | 11.4% | |
2000 | 41,633 | −7.9% | |
2010 | 34,400 | −17.4% | |
2020 | 29,670 | −13.7% | |
Sources: U.S. Decennial Census[10] 2018 Estimate[11] |
2020 census
Race | Num. | Perc. |
---|---|---|
White
|
4,821 | 16.25% |
Black or African American
|
23,787 | 80.17% |
Native American
|
33 | 0.11% |
Asian
|
264 | 0.89% |
Pacific Islander
|
3 | 0.01% |
Other/Mixed
|
493 | 1.66% |
Latino
|
269 | 0.91% |
As of the
2013 ACS
As of the 2013
2000 census
As of the
There were 14,784 households, out of which 35.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.8% were married couples living together, 27.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.5% were non-families. Of all households, 25.8% were made up of individuals, and 10.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.77 and the average family size was 3.34.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 31.4% under the age of 18, 10.1% from 18 to 24, 26.3% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 11.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $25,928, and the median income for a family was $30,788. Males had a median income of $29,801 versus $20,707 for females. The
1990 census
As of the
Government
Mayors of Greenville, Mississippi | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Transportation
Air
Transportation
Rail
The Columbus and Greenville Railway operates the Greenwood–Greenville rail line for freight traffic. North of Greenville, the Great River Railroad's line to Rosedale branches off.
Economy
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (April 2020) |
Circa 2008 there were ten grocery stores operated by
Education
Most of Greenville is served by the Greenville Public School District, while a small portion of the city lies in the Western Line School District.[34] Greenville High School is the public high school of the Greenville district, while O'Bannon High School serves Western Line residents.
The private schools, Washington School and Greenville Christian School,[35] also serve the city, as well as St. Joseph Catholic School (K-12),[36] a parochial school which is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Jackson. The diocese formerly operated Our Lady of Lourdes Elementary School,[37] which merged into St. Joseph in 2016.[38]
The Greenville Higher Education Center offers non-credit community courses and credit courses from Delta State University, Mississippi Delta Community College (MDCC), and Mississippi Valley State University.[39] All of Washington County is in the service area of MDCC.[40]
Media
Delta Democrat Times is the daily newspaper of the town.
Sports
The Greenville Bucks were a minor-league baseball team in the Cotton States League from 1922 to 1955.
The Greenville Bluesmen were an independent minor league professional baseball team from 1996–2001 in Greenville.
The
Greenville will become host to a mega-sports complex for young athletes.[citation needed]
Sites
The
The Winterville Mounds has been designated as a state park and National Historic Landmark. A museum on the grounds displays artifacts recovered in professional excavations and adds to the interpretation of this complex, and the park has walking trails. It is located about 3 miles north of the city. It can be reached at 2415 Highway 1 N.
In popular culture
The movies Crossroads (1986) and The Reivers (1969) were filmed in Greenville.[41] Also, the 1975 song "Mississippi" by the Dutch band Pussycat mentions Greenville throughout the song.
The movie Django Unchained (2012) is set in Greenville for some scenes.[42]
Notable people
Born in Greenville
- Quentin Groves, (1984–2016) was an American football linebacker, drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the second round of the 2008 NFL. Groves was a sack specialist at Auburn and finished tied for the Auburn career sack record at 26.
- Steve Azar, country singer[43]
- Heather McTeer Toney, former mayor of Greenville and EPA regional administrator.[44]
- John Colbert, a.k.a. J Blackfoot, Soul singer with the Bar-Kays and Soul Children, was born in Greenville.[45]
- Eden Brent, blues boogie-woogie musician, composer, and performer
- Vivian Brown, meteorologist for The Weather Channel
- Charles Chew, (1922–1986), Illinois state senator; born in Greenville[46]
- Tommy Davidson, actor/comedian
- Ross Davis, Negro league baseball player
- Tyrone Davis, blues musician
- Johnny Dollar, (1941–2006), Chicago blues guitarist, singer and songwriter[47]
- Shelby Foote, author and historian
- Jimmie Giles, NFL tight end, four-time Pro Bowl selection in the 1980s with Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Brooks Haxton, poet and professor at Syracuse University
- Robert T. Henry, World War II soldier and Medal of Honor recipient
- Jim Henson, (1936–1990), puppeteer, television and film producer, creator of The Muppets
- Corey Holmes, all-star Canadian Football League player and Mayor of Metcalfe, Mississippi
- Lucy Somerville Howorth, feminist and New Deal lawyer
- Carla Hughes, convicted of murdering Avis Banks and her unborn baby.[48]
- Antonio Johnson, NFL player for the Indianapolis Colts
- Germany Kent, model and media personality
- Cornelia Lampton, pianist
- Chinese Americanjournalist
- John Ramsey Miller, writer and journalist
- Wilbert Montgomery, former NFL running back, member of Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame
- The Percy family, including U.S. Senator Le Roy Percy and his son, author William Alexander Percy, lived here. They directed efforts to prevent and recover from the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927. The younger Percy wrote a memoir, Lanterns on the Levee about the Mississippi Delta culture. Walker Percy, another writer from the Percy family, and his brothers were raised by William Alexander Percy here after being orphaned. He lived most of his life in Louisiana.
- Julia Evans Reed, author, journalist and columnist
- Carol Schwartz, former member of Council of the District of Columbia
- Nellie Nugent Somerville, first woman elected to Mississippi Legislature, mother of Lucy Somerville Howorth
- WNBA, first round draft pick of Cleveland Rockers
- Walter Turnbull, African American musician, founder of Boys Choir of Harlem, as well as a Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame inductee, was born in Greenville in 1944
- Frank White, professional baseball player
- Mary Wilson, singer of The Supremes
- Benjamin_Wright_(composer), (born July 11, 1946) is an American record producer, composer and arranger.As an arranger, he has conducted hits for many artists including Justin Timberlake, OutKast, Brandy, Destiny's Child, Dru Hill, Aretha Franklin, Quincy Jones, James Ingram, Richard Ashcroft, Janet Jackson and Michael Jackson.
- Malcolm Wynn, first black police chief of Greenville Police Department[49]
- Kelvin Jones, director of the LSU Tiger Band and first African American head athletic band director in SEC history[50]
- Ray Brown, NFL football player
- Hodding Carter, Pulitzer Prize-journalist, managed the city's Delta Democrat Times. His descendant Hodding Carter III, also a journalist, lived and worked here during and after the civil rights movement.
- Holt Collier is buried in Greenville. Collier was an African-American bear hunter and sportsman; he served as the guide for President Theodore Roosevelt on a bear hunt in Sharkey County.[51] In January 2004 the Holt Collier National Wildlife Refuge was established on Collier's "historic hunting grounds" south of Greenville.[52]
- Samuel Gibbs French (1818-1910), Confederate Major General, managed a plantation in Greenville[53]
- John F. Harris, Mississippi State Representative from Greenville elected in 1890.
- Gerald R. Ford, Jr., at the 1976 Republican National Convention, has resided in Greenville since 1950; he is a businessman and investor.[54]
- Sam Stein, Russian Jewish immigrant who founded the retail store chain Stein Mart
- Thomas R. Yarborough, first Black city councilman in California[55]
Sister cities
- Kronach, Bavaria, Germany, since 2006
- Greenville, Liberia, since 2009
See also
References
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- ^ Cloues, Kacey (November 2007). "Great Southern Getaways – Mississippi" (PDF). Atlanta Magazine. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 18, 2008. Retrieved 2008-05-31.
- ^ "Introducing the Mississippi Blues Trail" (PDF). The Mississippi Blues Commission. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-05-29. Retrieved 2008-05-29.
- ^ "Blues Matters! – Delta sites to be included on new blues trail". www.bluesmatters.com. Retrieved 2008-05-28.[dead link]
- ^ "Mississippi Blues Commission – Blues Trail". www.msbluestrail.org. Archived from the original on 2008-05-09. Retrieved 2008-05-28.
- ^ "NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
- ^ "Station: Greenville ASOS, MS". U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991–2020). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
- ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". Census.gov. Retrieved August 21, 2013.
- ^ "Population Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 8, 2018.
- ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved 2021-12-06.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
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- ^ "Schelben Park to lose some amenities". The Washington Times. September 5, 2014.
The park at Lake Ferguson dates to the late 1950s and is named for former Mayor Fred Schelben, who served from 1928 to 1932.
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- ^ "Democrat Hudson Makes History, Is Elected Greenville Mayor". The Greenwood Commonwealth. December 9, 2003.
- ^ "New Greenville Mayor Jordan Takes Office Jan. 3 - Jordan Defeated McGee In Monday's Election". WAPT. December 15, 2011.
- ^ a b "Greenville mayor resigns following cancer diagnosis". WAPT. September 19, 2012.
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- U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on July 15, 2011.
- ^ "Route Map".
- ^ Thornell, John G. (2008). "A Culture in Decline: The Mississippi Delta Chinese". Southeast Review of Asian Studies. 30: 196–202.
- U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on July 4, 2017.
- ^ Greenville Christian School website Archived 2008-07-05 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "St. Joseph Catholic School, Greenville, Mississippi". Stjoeirish.org. Archived from the original on 18 September 2015. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
- ^ Our Lady of Lourdes Elementary School website Archived 2008-09-08 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "2020-21 Parent/Student Handbook" (PDF). St. Joseph Catholic School. p. 6/42. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-05-14. Retrieved 2021-05-14. - Linked from here
- ^ Emerson, Melaney. "MDCC – GHEC". ghec.org. Archived from the original on 28 May 2013. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
- ^ "About MDCC". Mississippi Delta Community College. Retrieved 2021-05-12.
Service District Bolivar, [...]
- ISBN 9780809243266.
- ^ Vance, Kelly (December 24, 2012). "Django Unchained". East Bay Express. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
- ^ "Steveazar". Steve Azer. Archived from the original on October 29, 2013. Retrieved June 21, 2014.
- ^ "Heather McTeer Toney". Moms Clean Air Force. Retrieved 2020-09-22.
- ^ "Stax star J Blackfoot Dies". The Commercial Appeal. 30 November 2011. Archived from the original on 20 November 2013. Retrieved 6 February 2014.
- ^ Illinois Blue Book 1985–1986, "Biographical Sketch of Charles Chew", p. 79
- ^ "Illustrated Johnny Dollar discography". Wirz.de. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
- ^ "Carla Hughes". Mdoc.state.ms.us. Archived from the original on March 23, 2012. Retrieved February 23, 2015.
- ^ (1987, August 31st) "First Black Police Chief Hired in Greenville, Miss." JET, Vol 72, No. 23, p. 10
- ^ "Band director with HBCU roots making history at LSU". Wbrz.com. Retrieved 2022-11-23.
- ^ Buchannan, Minor Ferris. "Holt Collier: Guiding Roosevelt through the Mississippi [Canebrake]." Archived 2010-05-27 at the Wayback Machine U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Conservation Library Archived 2009-08-12 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Home – Holt Collier – U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service". fws.gov. Archived from the original on April 3, 2015. Retrieved September 21, 2015.
- ^ Losson, Christopher. "Samuel Gibbs French (1818–1910) Confederate General". www.mississippiencyclopedia.org. Retrieved 11 October 2021.
- ^ "Sid Salter, GOP pioneer Clarke Reed faces post-crash surgeries, June 25, 2010". DeSoto Times Tribune. Archived from the original on May 12, 2014. Retrieved May 12, 2014.
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External links
- City of Greenville
- Delta Democrat-Times
- History of Greenville's Jewish community (from the Institute of Southern Jewish Life)
- Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). 1911. .