Bolivar County, Mississippi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bolivar County
U.S. county
Grover Hotel in Downtown Cleveland Historic District.
Location within the U.S. state of Mississippi
Mississippi's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Mississippi
Founded	1836
Named for	Simón Bolívar
Seat	Rosedale and Cleveland
Largest city	Cleveland
Area
• Total	906 sq mi (2,350 km2)
• Land	877 sq mi (2,270 km2)
• Water	29 sq mi (80 km2)  3.2%
Population  (2020)
• Total	30,985
• Density	34.200/sq mi (13.205/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	2nd

Bolivar County is a county located in the state of Mississippi, right on its western border. As of 2020, about 30,985 people live here. The county has two main towns that serve as its county seats: Rosedale and Cleveland.

The county is named after Simón Bolívar, a famous leader from the early 1800s. He helped several countries in South America gain their freedom from Spain. Bolivar County is part of the Mississippi Delta, an area known for its rich farmland. This region was first used for large cotton farms. Today, other crops like soybeans, corn, and rice are also grown here.

Bolivar County's Past

Bolivar County was started in 1836. The land originally belonged to the Choctaw people. It was then used for farming because the soil was very good. In 1840, most of the people living in the county were enslaved. This number grew even more by 1860, with about 87% of the population being enslaved. This was because the county's economy relied heavily on farming.

After the Civil War, the county continued to have a large Black population. During the period from 1877 to 1950, the county faced significant racial injustice and violence. In the 1920s, Bolivar County became a key place for the UNIA, an organization that worked for Black empowerment. By the 1960s, the county had an important local civil rights movement. Today, it remains an area with a large Black population.

Where Bolivar County Is Located

Bolivar County covers about 906 square miles. Most of this area, about 877 square miles, is land. The rest, about 29 square miles, is water. It is the second-largest county in Mississippi by land area.

Main Roads

• Future Interstate 69
• U.S. Route 61
• Mississippi Highway 1
• Mississippi Highway 8
• Mississippi Highway 32

Neighboring Counties

• Coahoma County (to the north)
• Sunflower County (to the east)
• Washington County (to the south)
• Desha County, Arkansas (to the west)

Protected Natural Areas

• Dahomey National Wildlife Refuge

People of Bolivar County

2020 Population Information

In 2020, there were 30,985 people living in Bolivar County. This included 12,114 households and 7,719 families.

Life Expectancy and Poverty

In 2010, data showed that men in Bolivar County could expect to live about 65 years. This was one of the lowest life expectancies in the United States at the time. The national average for men was 76.1 years.

About 40 years earlier, in the 1960s, Senators Robert F. Kennedy and Joseph S. Clark, Jr. visited the Mississippi Delta. They saw areas of great poverty. In Cleveland, they observed African-American children who were barefoot, underfed, and wearing torn clothes. Senator Kennedy said that he thought he had seen the worst poverty in West Virginia, but what he saw in Cleveland was even more difficult. Their visit helped bring attention to the challenges faced by people in the region.

Learning in Bolivar County

Colleges and Universities

• Delta State University (located in Cleveland)

The county is also served by two community colleges: Coahoma Community College and Mississippi Delta Community College.

Public School Districts

Bolivar County has several public school districts:

• Cleveland School District (in Cleveland)
• North Bolivar Consolidated School District (in Mound Bayou)
• West Bolivar Consolidated School District (serving Rosedale, Shaw, and Benoit)

In the past, there were more school districts in the county. In 2012, Mississippi lawmakers suggested combining some of these districts. This was done to save money and help the schools work together better. It's important to know that as recently as the 1960s, the school board in Bolivar County controlled what Black children could learn. They even said that certain subjects, like foreign languages or American history from 1860 to 1875, should not be taught in schools for Black students.

Private School

• Bayou Academy (in Cleveland)

Local News

The Bolivar Commercial was a newspaper that was distributed in Bolivar County.

Towns and Communities

Cities

• Cleveland (a county seat)
• Rosedale (a county seat)
• Mound Bayou
• Shaw (a small part is in Sunflower County)
• Shelby

Towns

Census-Designated Places

These are areas that are like towns but are not officially incorporated.

• Bolivar
• Scott
• Skene
• Symonds

Unincorporated Places

These are smaller communities without their own local government.

Ghost Towns

These are places that used to be towns but are now abandoned.

Famous People From Bolivar County

• Henry Townsend (musician)

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Bolivar para niños