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Coldwater, Mississippi
Coldwater MS 008.jpg
Nickname(s): 
C-Town
Location of Coldwater, Mississippi
Location of Coldwater, Mississippi
Coldwater, Mississippi is located in the United States
Coldwater, Mississippi
Coldwater, Mississippi
Location in the United States
Country United States
State Mississippi
County Tate
Area
 • Total 2.38 sq mi (6.16 km2)
 • Land 2.38 sq mi (6.15 km2)
 • Water 0.01 sq mi (0.01 km2)
Elevation
249 ft (76 m)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total 1,677
 • Estimate 
(2019)
1,533
 • Density 645.47/sq mi (249.27/km2)
Time zone UTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
38618
Area code(s) 662
FIPS code 28-14900
GNIS feature ID 0668665

Coldwater is a town in Tate County, Mississippi, United States, and is part of the Memphis Metropolitan Area. The population was 1,677 at the 2010 census.

History

The current town square of Coldwater is about two miles south of the Coldwater River, hence the name. The original town began in 1856, called the village of Elm Grove. Construction of the Mississippi and Tennessee Railroad through here in 1858 stimulated development. Rows of stores and other businesses developed on both sides of the tracks, along with houses of worship. Coldwater was officially incorporated in 1872. At that time, the Town was located in DeSoto County and was a mile square with the railroad depot at the center. The area was developed for cotton plantations and Coldwater was a trading center.

In 1873 during the Reconstruction era, the legislature organized Tate County from portions of DeSoto, Marshall, and Tunica counties. Coldwater fell into the new county. The Town began to grow with an influx of settlers from Virginia, the Carolinas, Alabama, and other areas seeking a better life for themselves and their families. There were 397 residents of Coldwater according to the 1890 census. By 1884, there were 96 small schools in Tate County: 54 white and 42 black. They were mostly one teacher, one-room log houses with split logs for seats.

Coldwater steadily grew in numbers. However, periodic river flooding plagued the town, although it was also the basis of the farmland's fertility. The US Corps of Engineers built the Arkabutla Lake and Dam project along the Coldwater River in the early 1940s. Town residents believed they needed to move and the Town was relocated and reconstructed on land about a mile and a half south of its original location.

The site of the old town of Coldwater is 229 feet (70 m) MSL. Parts of it are underwater year round.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.4 square miles (6.2 km2), of which 2.4 square miles (6.1 km²) is land and 0.42% water.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1880 397
1890 518 30.5%
1900 557 7.5%
1910 774 39.0%
1920 856 10.6%
1930 664 −22.4%
1940 690 3.9%
1950 949 37.5%
1960 1,264 33.2%
1970 1,450 14.7%
1980 1,505 3.8%
1990 1,502 −0.2%
2000 1,674 11.5%
2010 1,677 0.2%
2019 (est.) 1,533 −8.6%
U.S. Decennial Census

2020 census

Coldwater Racial Composition
Race Num. Perc.
White 273 19.77%
Black or African American 1,032 74.73%
Native American 1 0.07%
Asian 2 0.14%
Other/Mixed 53 3.84%
Hispanic or Latino 20 1.45%

As of the 2020 United States Census, there were 1,381 people, 711 households, and 541 families residing in the town.

Gallery


Education

The Town of Coldwater is served by the Tate County School District. It has two schools, Coldwater Elementary and Coldwater High School. Coldwater High School has gone to the state championship in track and basketball numerous times. The girls' basketball team has won state championships in 1996, 2007, and 2008 while also making it to the final two since 2003. The boys' basketball team won in 2009 and 2012 and has also made appearances since 2003. The school mascot is known as the Mighty Coldwater Cougar, and the school colors are blue, gold, and white.

Notable people

  • Felicia C. Adams, U.S. Attorney for the United States District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi
  • Dorris Bowdon, actress best known for her role as Rosasharn in the film adaptation of John Steinbeck's novel The Grapes of Wrath
  • Don Castle, baseball player
  • Bill Coday, blues singer
  • Trell Kimmons, Olympic track and field runner
  • Cameron Lawrence, NFL linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys
  • Dumas Malone, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and noted Jeffersonian scholar
  • Big Time Sarah, blues singer
  • T. Webber Wilson, three-term U.S. Representative from Mississippi from 1923-1929
  • Mitch Young, gridiron football player
  • Kamala (1950-2020), The Ugandan Giant, WWE wrestler

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Coldwater (Misisipi) para niños

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