Hazlehurst, Mississippi
Hazlehurst, Mississippi | ||
---|---|---|
FIPS code 28-31220 | | |
GNIS feature ID | 0671047 |
Hazlehurst is a city in and the
History
The first settlement here by European Americans became known as the town of Gallatin; two lawyers and brothers-in-law named Walters and Saunders came from Gallatin, Tennessee, in 1819 and named the village after their hometown. They built their homes on the banks of the Bayou Pierre, in the western part of Copiah County. Other settlers came with them, and in 1829 the state legislature incorporated the town. The first decades of agriculture The incorporation charter was repealed on January 18, 1862.
The construction of the
As Hazlehurst grew, Gallatin declined into a settlement at a crossroads. In April 1872, the legislature ordered the county board of supervisors to hold an election to decide whether the county seat should be moved from Gallatin to Hazlehurst. After a majority voted for the change, Gallatin's old brick courthouse was torn down and reassembled in Hazlehurst
This city had civil rights activity during the mid-1960s. Because of violence against black people in this area, Mississippi, the armed Deacons for Defense and Justice established centers here and in nearby Crystal Springs in 1966 and 1967. They provided physical protection for protesters working with the NAACP on a commercial boycott of white merchants to force integration of facilities and employment, and to gain jobs for African Americans following passage of civil rights legislation in 1964.[5]
On
Geography
Hazlehurst is located slightly east of the center of Copiah County.[7] U.S. Route 51 passes through the center of the city, leading north 9 miles (14 km) to Crystal Springs and south 20 miles (32 km) to Brookhaven. Interstate 55 runs west of and generally parallel to US 51, with access to Hazlehurst from exits 59 and 61. Mississippi Highway 28 crosses US 51 and I-55 in the northern part of town, leading east 14 miles (23 km) to Georgetown and west 46 miles (74 km) to Fayette.
According to the United States Census Bureau, Hazlehurst has a total area of 4.4 square miles (11.5 km2), of which 4.4 square miles (11.3 km2) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km2), or 1.02%, is water.[3]
Demographics
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1870 | 662 | — | |
1880 | 463 | −30.1% | |
1900 | 1,579 | — | |
1910 | 2,056 | 30.2% | |
1920 | 1,762 | −14.3% | |
1930 | 2,447 | 38.9% | |
1940 | 3,124 | 27.7% | |
1950 | 3,397 | 8.7% | |
1960 | 3,400 | 0.1% | |
1970 | 4,577 | 34.6% | |
1980 | 4,437 | −3.1% | |
1990 | 4,221 | −4.9% | |
2000 | 4,400 | 4.2% | |
2010 | 4,009 | −8.9% | |
2020 | 3,619 | −9.7% | |
U.S. Decennial Census[8] |
Race | Num. | Perc. |
---|---|---|
White (non-Hispanic)
|
461 | 12.74% |
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)
|
2,744 | 75.82% |
Native American
|
2 | 0.06% |
Asian
|
30 | 0.83% |
Pacific Islander
|
3 | 0.08% |
Other/Mixed
|
106 | 2.93% |
Latino
|
273 | 7.54% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 3,619 people, 1,108 households, and 743 families residing in the city.
Education
The city is served by the Hazlehurst City School District. The Copiah-Jefferson Regional Library main offices are in Hazlehurst, as well as the main office of Copiah County School District.[10]
Infrastructure
Rail transportation
Notable people
- Joe Bailey (1863-1929), an attorney and US Senator from Texas, lived and worked in Hazlehurst before moving.[11]
- Houston Boines, blues singer and harmonica player[12]
- Alvin Chester Cockrell Jr.; awarded a Navy Cross in World War II
- Max Dale Cooper, immunologist and Professor of Pathology at Emory University known for identifying T cells and B cells[13]
- Clifford Davis, U.S. Representative from Tennessee from 1940 to 1965[14]
- Mablean Ephriam, adjudicator of the courtroom series Divorce Court for seven seasons from the 1999–2006 season[15]
- John Epperson, actor and singer best known for his performance as Lypsinka; born in Hazlehurst
- Robert Evans, member of the Mississippi House of Representatives[16]
- sportscaster[17]
- Ben Garry, NFL player
- Beth Henley, playwright, was born in Jackson but spent much of her childhood here, as it was where her father grew up. Her Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Crimes of the Heart, is set in Hazlehurst.
- William Hester, tennis player and official. Former president of the United States Tennis Association.[18]
- Roy Hilton, former professional football defensive end[19]
- Gregory Holloway Sr., member of the Mississippi House of Representatives[20]
- Ruth Atkinson Holmes, painter and philanthropist[21]
- Trustmark Bank. Johnson's birth home is located near the courthouse; the City of Hazlehurst is in litigation to determine its future.
- Southern Baptist colleges[22]
- Print Matthews, former sheriff of Copiah County[23]
- Presbyterianminister, made Hazlehurst his family's home in the summer of 1862 as he served as chaplain with the Washington Artillery of New Orleans.
- Lawrence Pillers, former professional football defensive end[24]
- Mary Tillman Smith, outsider artist[25]
- blocking back[26]
- Lewis Tillman, professional football player
- Walter Washington, former president of Alcorn State University and Alpha Phi Alpha[27]
- H. Lynn Womack, publisher[28]
References
- ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ a b "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Hazlehurst city, Mississippi". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved October 7, 2014.
- ^ a b Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. pp. 153.
- ^ Ted Ownby, The Civil Rights Movement in Mississippi, Univ. Press of Mississippi, 2013, pp. 221-223
- ISBN 1-879362-03-1.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
- ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
- ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
- ^ "Homepage". Copiah-Jefferson Regional Library. Retrieved July 12, 2014.
- ^ Acheson, Sam Hanna. Joe Bailey, the Last Democrat. New York: Macmillan, 1932
- ISBN 978-1-136-70748-3.
- ISBN 9780948875915.)
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link - ^ Frank Embrick Bass (1961). Who's who in Tennessee: A Reference Edition Recording the Biographies of Contemporary Leaders in Tennessee with Special Emphasis on Their Achievements in Making the Volunteer State One of America's Greatest. Historical Record Association. p. 181.
- ^ "Judge Mablean Ephraim". Great Black Speakers. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
- ^ "Bob Evans' Biography". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
- ^ "Ron Franklin To Host 2004 Conerly Telecast". Ole Miss Sports. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
- ^ "Slew Harris". International Tennis Hall of Fame. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
- ISBN 978-1-61703-428-2.
- ^ "Greg Holloway Sr.'s Biography". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
- ISBN 978-1-887422-14-7.
- ^ "Pastors Serving Antioch Church". barlowgenealogy.com. Retrieved July 30, 2013.
- ISBN 978-1-61703-436-7.
- ISBN 978-1-77090-061-5.
- ISBN 978-1-57233-356-7.
- ^ "Truett Smith Stats". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
- ISBN 978-1-60473-390-7.
- ISBN 978-1-135-57871-8.