Jonestown, Coahoma County, Mississippi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jonestown, Mississippi
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Church Street in Jonestown
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Location of Jonestown in Coahoma County, Mississippi
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 Jonestown, Coahoma County, Mississippi
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States | |
| State | Mississippi | |
| County | Coahoma | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 0.39 sq mi (1.00 km2) | |
| • Land | 0.39 sq mi (1.00 km2) | |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) | |
| Elevation | 171 ft (52 m) | |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 962 | |
| • Density | 2,485.79/sq mi (958.79/km2) | |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) | |
| ZIP code |
38639
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| Area code(s) | 662 | |
| FIPS code | 28-36800 | |
| GNIS feature ID | 2405920 | |
Jonestown is a town in Coahoma County, Mississippi, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 962.
Contents
History
The Matagorda Plantation, located north of Jonestown, was established by Colonel D.M. Russell and his wife before the Civil War. Matagorda was named after a special variety of long-staple cotton raised there.
Jonestown was a stop on the Mobile & North Western Railroad, completed from Jonestown to Lula in 1879. Jonestown was incorporated in 1880.
In 1965, John Wing was elected mayor of Jonestown, the first Chinese-American mayor in Mississippi.
Geography
Jonestown is located in northeastern Coahoma County. It is 2.5 miles (4.0 km) east of U.S. Routes 49 and 61 and 13 miles (21 km) northeast of Clarksdale, the county seat.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.39 square miles (1.0 km2), all land.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 147 | — | |
| 1890 | 286 | 94.6% | |
| 1900 | 317 | 10.8% | |
| 1910 | 367 | 15.8% | |
| 1920 | 469 | 27.8% | |
| 1930 | 506 | 7.9% | |
| 1940 | 706 | 39.5% | |
| 1950 | 741 | 5.0% | |
| 1960 | 889 | 20.0% | |
| 1970 | 1,110 | 24.9% | |
| 1980 | 1,231 | 10.9% | |
| 1990 | 1,467 | 19.2% | |
| 2000 | 1,701 | 16.0% | |
| 2010 | 1,298 | −23.7% | |
| 2020 | 962 | −25.9% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 2010 2020 |
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2020 census
| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2010 | Pop 2020 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 22 | 5 | 1.69% | 0.52% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 1,268 | 944 | 97.69% | 98.13% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 1 | 1 | 0.08% | 0.10% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 0 | 1 | 0.00% | 0.10% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 0 | 0 | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Some Other Race alone (NH) | 0 | 0 | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Mixed Race or Multi-Racial (NH) | 3 | 4 | 0.23% | 0.42% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 4 | 7 | 0.31% | 0.73% |
| Total | 1,298 | 962 | 100.00% | 100.00% |
Economy
Delta Oil Mill has been producing cottonseed products in Jonestown since 1942.
In a 2000 study published by Mississippi State University, Jonestown was described as a community "plagued by difficult problems." Agriculture no longer supported the town as it once had, and many Jonestown residents were employed outside the community. "The direction of Jonestown has declined because of the loss of its financial independence. Citizens have been forced to seek opportunity outside of their own town. As people become more dependent on other cities, the need to stay in Jonestown diminishes."
Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Charles Simic wrote in 2006:
There are towns like Jonestown, Mississippi, that in their shocking poverty make one gasp. Weathered, sagging and unpainted houses, boarded-up windows, others covered with plastic, yards full of dismantled rusty cars, their parts scattered about amid all kinds of other junk and trash, are everywhere. Idle people of all ages lounge on collapsing porches or stand on street corners waiting for something to do. In the countryside with its fertile dark soil, soybeans have become the chief crop, poultry farms are a major business, and there are nine gambling casinos in the next county. All that has increased per capita income in the region, but there was no evidence of it among the blacks I saw.
Education
Jonestown is served by the Coahoma County School District. Residents are served by Jonestown Elementary School and Coahoma County Junior-Senior High School.
Infrastructure
Durocher Service Program is a well-regarded benevolent organization providing social services to Jonestown residents. It is operated by the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary. Catholic Cardinal Avery Dulles described the work of the ministry in Jonestown as "bringing hope to people on the verge of desperation." In 2012, one of the program's nuns survived being beaten and stabbed during a robbery at her Jonestown home.
Notable people
- Luke Easter, one of the first African-Americans in major-league baseball; first baseman for the Cleveland Indians
- Oscar Reed, professional football player
- Owen Whitfield, preacher and union organizer
- Seelig Wise (1913–2004), farmer in Jonestown and the first Republican member of the Mississippi State Senate since Reconstruction
See also
In Spanish: Jonestown (Misisipi) para niños
