Doddsville, Mississippi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Doddsville, Mississippi
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Location of Doddsville, Mississippi
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 Doddsville, Mississippi
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Mississippi |
| County | Sunflower |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.77 sq mi (1.99 km2) |
| • Land | 0.77 sq mi (1.99 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 125 ft (38 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 69 |
| • Density | 89.96/sq mi (34.75/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
38736
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| Area code(s) | 662 |
| FIPS code | 28-19420 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2406383 |
Doddsville is a small town in Sunflower County, Mississippi. It is located in the United States. In 2020, about 69 people lived there. Daniel Doddsman Sr. started the town in 1889.
Contents
History of Doddsville
Early Settlers and Land
In 1888, Daniel Doddsman Sr. and his oldest son, Daniel Jr., were among the first people to settle in this area. They worked by hauling logs. By 1891, they bought 107 acres of land. This is where the town of Doddsville stands today.
Around the same time, Oliver Eastland bought a large piece of land nearby. His grandson, U.S. Senator James Eastland, later became famous. Oliver's son, Woods Eastland, used many workers to clear 2,300 acres of land. This land became a very large farm, known as a plantation.
River and Railroad Connections
Before the railroad, there was a place called "Standing Stump." It was a landing spot on the Sunflower River, west of Doddsville. When the river water was high, boats from Vicksburg could travel up the Yazoo River and then the Sunflower River. They would go as far as Standing Stump, where a post office was located. This helped connect the area to other places.
In 1897, the Yazoo Delta Railroad was finished. A train station, or depot, was built in the town. It was named "Doddsville" after the Dodds brothers. By 1898, the town was growing. It had five stores, and the Sunflower Lumber Company was started.
Town Growth and Services
Doddsville officially became a town in 1920. By 1922, its population had grown to between 400 and 500 people. The town had many services for its residents. There was a hotel and a place to rent rooms. It also had two drug stores with trained pharmacists. People could visit two Chinese grocery stores and a café. There was even a dress shop.
The town had a school and two churches. A woman's club helped bring the community together. There were four doctors to care for people's health. Five passenger trains stopped in Doddsville every day, making travel easy. The town hall was located inside the Doddsville Land and Mercantile Company store.
Later, a jail was built in 1952. In 1963, a town water system was put in place. These additions helped improve the town's services.
Geography of Doddsville
Doddsville covers a total area of about 0.8 square miles (1.99 square kilometers). All of this area is land. There are no large bodies of water within the town's limits.
Population Changes
The population of Doddsville has changed over the years. A census is a count of all the people living in a place.
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1930 | 317 | — | |
| 1940 | 262 | −17.4% | |
| 1950 | 201 | −23.3% | |
| 1960 | 190 | −5.5% | |
| 1970 | 276 | 45.3% | |
| 1980 | 232 | −15.9% | |
| 1990 | 149 | −35.8% | |
| 2000 | 108 | −27.5% | |
| 2010 | 98 | −9.3% | |
| 2020 | 69 | −29.6% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
Population in 2020
According to the 2020 United States Census, there were 69 people living in Doddsville. There were 85 households and 65 families in the town.
Population in 2010
In the 2010 United States Census, Doddsville had 98 people. Most of the people, about 90.8%, were Black or African American. About 9.2% of the people were White.
Education
Students in Doddsville attend schools in the Sunflower County School District. The public high school for the area is Thomas E. Edwards, Sr. High School. This school was formerly known as Ruleville Central High School.
There is also a private school nearby called North Sunflower Academy. It is located in the town of Drew.
Notable People
Some well-known people have connections to Doddsville:
- James Eastland was a U.S. Senator from Mississippi.
- C. L. Franklin was a Baptist preacher and a civil rights activist. He was also the father of the famous singer Aretha Franklin.
- Fruteland Jackson is a talented blues musician.
