Cleveland, Mississippi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cleveland, Mississippi
City
Motto(s):  A Different Kind of Delta
Location of Cleveland, Mississippi
Cleveland, Mississippi Location in the United States
Country	United States
State	Mississippi
County	Bolivar
Area
• Total	7.58 sq mi (19.63 km2)
• Land	7.58 sq mi (19.63 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	135 ft (41 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	11,199
• Density	1,478.03/sq mi (570.63/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP codes	38732-38733
Area code(s)	662
FIPS code	28-14260
GNIS feature ID	2404072
Website	City Website

Cleveland is a city in Bolivar County, Mississippi, United States. In 2020, about 11,199 people lived there.

Cleveland is a busy city with many shops, restaurants, and services along U.S. 61. It is one of two county seats for Bolivar County. This means it's an important center for local government. Cleveland is also home to Delta State University and The Grammy Museum Mississippi. This Grammy Museum is the first one built outside of Los Angeles!

History of Cleveland

The city of Cleveland is named after President Grover Cleveland. It started to form in 1869 when people moved away from the Mississippi River. A railroad, the Louisville, New Orleans & Texas Railroad, ran through the town. Parts of this railroad are still there today.

In its early days, the community had different names. In 1884, it was called Fontaine. At another time, it was known as Coleman's Station. Moses W. Coleman built the first home in the area by the bayou. In 1885, the town was officially named Sims. This name honored Rueben T. Sims, who owned some of the land where the town was built.

The village of Cleveland officially became a chartered town on March 25, 1886. The United States Post Office recognized the name Cleveland on August 5, 1887. It was Sims's son, B.C. Sims, who helped change the name to Cleveland.

The town grew steadily. By 1901, Cleveland was chosen as the second county seat for Bolivar County. A new courthouse was built. Bolivar County is special because it is one of only ten counties in Mississippi with two main judicial districts.

As more trees were cleared, more land was used for farming. In the past, all planting and harvesting were done by hand. After World War I, many African Americans moved away from Bolivar County. However, many stayed and became tenant farmers. There was a big need for workers, so Delta farmers started to bring people from other countries. Today, Cleveland is a mix of many cultures. Its first settlers were from English, Scottish, German, Irish, and African backgrounds.

African-American history is very important in Cleveland. Nearby Dockery Plantation has a Mississippi Blues Trail marker. This marker says the plantation is likely the "Birthplace of the Blues." Many early Delta Blues musicians lived and worked around Dockery. They influenced each other and taught new musicians.

In the early 1920s, the state looked for a place for a new college. Cleveland was a great choice because it was in the center of the Delta. It also had the railroad and leaders who donated land. City leaders even moved a famous saloon, the Black Bear Saloon. This saloon was between the train station and the new college, which is now Delta State University.

In the early 1950s, city leaders brought in Baxter Laboratories and Mississippi Power & Light's Delta Steam Electric Station. These new businesses helped Cleveland grow a lot. The city's population almost doubled in the next ten years.

In 1967, Senators Robert F. Kennedy and Joseph S. Clark Jr. visited Cleveland. They were looking at how well programs to help people were working. They saw people facing hard times and learned about the challenges they faced. Kennedy said that the poverty he saw in Cleveland was more difficult than anything he had seen before.

Recently, the City of Cleveland and Bolivar County worked with Delta State University. They opened the Grammy Museum right next to the university campus. It is a very modern music museum.

Cleveland also has other interesting museums:

• The Railroad Heritage Museum has a huge model train setup. It also has many railroad items and a 1941 Illinois Central caboose. This museum celebrates Cleveland's railroad history.
• The Mississippi Delta Chinese Heritage Museum is on the third floor of the Delta State Archives & Museum.
• The Boo Ferriss Baseball Museum is next to the Delta State University baseball stadium. It honors Boo Ferriss, a famous baseball coach and former Red Sox pitcher.
• The Amzie Moore House is the actual home of Amzie Moore, a leader in the Civil Rights movement. It has been saved and turned into a museum. It is also a stop on the Freedom Trail.

Geography and Climate

Cleveland is about 19 miles southeast of Rosedale and the Mississippi River. It is located along Mississippi Highway 8. U.S. Route 61 (running north-south) and Route 8 (running east-west) are the main highways in Cleveland. Jones Bayou and the old Illinois Central Railroad also pass through the city.

The United States Census Bureau says that Cleveland covers about 7.58 square miles (19.63 square kilometers) of land. There is no water area within the city limits.

People of Cleveland

Bologna Performing Arts Center in Cleveland, Mississippi

Ellis Theater in Cleveland

2020 Census Information

In 2020, there were 11,199 people living in Cleveland. These people made up 4,266 households and 2,611 families.

Arts and Culture

Chrisman Street Mississippi Blues Trail Marker

Mississippi Blues Trail

Cleveland is an important place for blues music. Four Mississippi Blues Trail markers are located here.

• The first marker is on Chrisman Street. This street was once a busy center for African-American businesses and social life in Cleveland.
• The second marker honors blues musician W. C. Handy.
• The third marker is at The Grammy Museum Mississippi.
• The fourth marker recognizes Rev. C.L. Franklin. He was a preacher at St. Peter's Rock M.B. Church. He influenced many gospel, R&B, and blues artists. His daughters, Aretha, Erma, and Carolyn, became famous soul singers. They started by singing in church.

Education

Colleges and Universities

• Delta State University is located in Cleveland.

Students from Bolivar County can also attend two community colleges:

• Coahoma Community College
• Mississippi Delta Community College

Schools in Cleveland

The Cleveland School District serves the city. Here are the schools within Cleveland:

• Cleveland Central High School – This school was formed in 2017. It combined Cleveland High School and East Side High School.
• Cleveland Central Middle School – This school was also formed in 2017. It combined D.M. Smith Middle School and Margaret Green Junior High School.

Elementary schools

• Nailor Elementary School
• Cypress Parks Elementary School
• Pearman Elementary School
• Parks Elementary School
• D. M. Smith Elementary

Other schools

• Alternative School
• Cleveland Voc Tech Complex (Vocational Technical Complex)

Private schools

• K-12: Bayou Academy
• K-6: Presbyterian Day School

In the past, Chinese students had to attend separate schools. This continued into the 1940s. The Chinese Mission School taught these students. The building for this school was taken down in 2003.

Media

Newspapers

• The Bolivar Bullet

Television

• Channel 17, WXVT-LD

FM Radio

• 88.1 WDSW-LP: (Delta State University radio station) Plays different types of music like Americana and Blues.
• 92.1 WKXY: Plays Country music.
• 98.3 WBYB (FM): Plays Oldies music.
• 101.7 WZYQ: Plays Adult R&B music.

City Services

Police Services

The Cleveland Police Department keeps the city safe. It is located on South Sharpe Avenue. The department has 45 employees. 39 of these are police officers, and six people work in support roles. This means there is about one police officer for every 357 citizens.

Fire Services

The Cleveland Volunteer Fire Department helps put out fires and respond to emergencies. It has three paid employees and 37 volunteer firefighters. The paid staff include a Fire Inspector and Maintenance workers. All other positions are volunteer.

The department has three fire stations. A new station opened at the Cleveland Municipal Airport in late 2011. They use four main fire trucks, two rescue vehicles, and other special trucks. They also have a training center. This center helps firefighters practice important skills like rope rescue, working in smoky areas, and putting out fires safely.

Notable People

Many interesting people have connections to Cleveland:

• Bobby Bradford – A jazz musician and composer.
• Amzie Moore – A leader in the Civil Rights movement.
• Walter Rhodes – A blues accordion player and singer.
• Bobbie L. Steele – A past president of Chicago's Cook County Board of Commissioners.
• Larry Speakes – He was a spokesman for the White House under President Ronald Reagan.

Professional baseball players

• Dave Ferriss
• Josh Hancock
• Chet "Chick" Morgan
• Kevin Rogers

Professional football players

• Pat Coleman
• John Eubanks
• Ken Lucas
• Shane Matthews
• Lou Rash
• Floyd Womack

• Johnny O'Bryant III – A professional basketball player.
• Margaret Wade – A famous Basketball Hall of Fame Coach. The Wade Trophy is named after her.

See also

In Spanish: Cleveland (Misisipi) para niños