Drew, Mississippi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Money, Mississippi
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
Location of Drew, Mississippi
|
|
 Drew, Mississippi
Location in the United States
|
|
| Country | United States |
| State | Mississippi |
| County | Sunflower |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.12 sq mi (2.91 km2) |
| • Land | 1.12 sq mi (2.91 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 135 ft (41 m) |
| Population
(2020)
|
|
| • Total | 1,852 |
| • Density | 1,650.62/sq mi (637.33/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP codes |
38737-38738
|
| Area code(s) | 662 |
| FIPS code | 28-20020 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0669383 |
Drew is a city in Sunflower County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 1,927 at the 2010 census. Drew is in the vicinity of several plantations and the Mississippi State Penitentiary, a Mississippi Department of Corrections prison for men.
Contents
History
When the Yellow Dog Railroad was extended through what is now Drew, the post office was moved from the Promised Land Plantation to the Drew location. The settlement and the post office were named for Miss Drew Daniel, daughter of Andrew Jackson Daniel.
A school called the Little Red Schoolhouse was built by matching funds from the Rosenwald Fund in 1928. In the 21st century it received a grant for renovation of the large school.
In 1955, 14-year-old African-American teenager Emmett Louis Till was abducted and killed near Drew. Till's death attracted national attention. Some locals have raised money to purchase the barn for a memorial.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.1 square miles (2.8 km2), all land. Because of its small size, Billy Turner of The Times-Picayune said "[y]ou can travel all over town in a few minutes." Drew is in the vicinity of several plantations and the Mississippi State Penitentiary (Parchman), a Mississippi Department of Corrections prison for men.
Drew, in northern Sunflower County, is located on U.S. Route 49W, on the route between Jackson and Clarksdale. Drew is 8 miles (13 km) south of the Mississippi State Penitentiary, and it is north of Ruleville. Cleveland, Mississippi is 12 miles (19 km) from Drew. Drew is north of Yazoo City.
Many houses in Drew are government-owned. Some houses sold for $6,000 to $8,000 in the year until 2008. Some Drew residents stated in 2008 that, if put on the market, some houses would sell for over $120,000.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1900 | 195 | — | |
| 1910 | 278 | 42.6% | |
| 1920 | 721 | 159.4% | |
| 1930 | 1,373 | 90.4% | |
| 1940 | 1,579 | 15.0% | |
| 1950 | 1,681 | 6.5% | |
| 1960 | 2,143 | 27.5% | |
| 1970 | 2,574 | 20.1% | |
| 1980 | 2,528 | −1.8% | |
| 1990 | 2,349 | −7.1% | |
| 2000 | 2,434 | 3.6% | |
| 2010 | 1,927 | −20.8% | |
| 2020 | 1,852 | −3.9% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
.jpg)
2020 census
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White | 198 | 10.69% |
| Black or African American | 1,573 | 84.94% |
| Native American | 5 | 0.27% |
| Asian | 3 | 0.16% |
| Other/Mixed | 44 | 2.38% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 29 | 1.57% |
As of the 2020 United States Census, there were 1,852 people, 729 households, and 503 families residing in the city.
2010 census
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 1,927 people living in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 82.7% Black, 16.0% White, 0.2% Native American, 0.2% Asian and 0.2% from two or more races. 0.7% were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
Economy
At one time, Drew was the locality in the United States that had the most cotton gins. In 2008, it only had one cotton gin. Billy Turner of The Times-Picayune said "[t]here's some corn, some beans, but mostly, there's no business." By 2012 the SuperValu grocery store had closed. Melanie Townsend, a woman quoted in a 2012 Bolivar Commercial article, said that since the grocery store closed, few employment opportunities were available in Drew and that the Drew School District was the largest employer in the area.
Education
Drew was first served by the predominantly African-American Drew School District. The City of Drew is currently served by the Sunflower County Consolidated School District. Elementary and middle school students attend schools in Drew: A. W. James Elementary School (K-5) and Drew Hunter Middle School (6-8). High school students attend Ruleville Central High School in Ruleville.
The North Sunflower Academy is in an unincorporated area of Sunflower County, about 3 miles (4.8 km) south of Drew. The school originated as a segregation academy, Mississippi Delta Community College has the Drew Center in Drew.
The Sunflower County Library operates the Drew Public Library.
Transportation
Ruleville-Drew Airport is in unincorporated Sunflower County, between Drew and Ruleville. The airport is jointly operated by the cities of Drew and Ruleville.
Notable people
- Mae Bertha Carter, civil rights activist
- Boo Boo Davis, blues singer who released an album entitled Drew, Mississippi
- Al Dixon, former NFL tight end
- Harold Dorman, rock and roll singer and songwriter
- William Eggleston, photographer who grew up in Drew
- Archie Manning, former NFL quarterback, patriarch of the Manning family
- Billy Stacy, former NFL safety
- Pops Staples and Cleotha Staples, members of the Staple Singers
