Liberty, Mississippi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Liberty, Mississippi
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Amite County Courthouse in Liberty
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Location of Liberty, Mississippi
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 Liberty, Mississippi
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Mississippi |
| County | Amite |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2.06 sq mi (5.34 km2) |
| • Land | 2.06 sq mi (5.34 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 338 ft (103 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 560 |
| • Density | 271.71/sq mi (104.90/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
39645
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| Area code(s) | 601 |
| FIPS code | 28-40640 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0672435 |
Liberty is a town located in Amite County, Mississippi. It is the main town, or county seat, of Amite County. Liberty is also part of the larger McComb, Mississippi area.
You can get to Liberty by taking I-55 and then heading west on Mississippi Highway 24. There's also a small airport, McGehee Air Park, just west of town.
Every year, Liberty celebrates its Heritage Days Festival during the first weekend of May.
A factory called Air Cruisers is in Liberty. It's owned by a company named Zodiac Aerospace. This factory makes important safety equipment for airplanes, like evacuation slides, life rafts, and life vests.
There are eleven places in or near Liberty that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means they are important historical sites.
Contents
History of Liberty, Mississippi
Liberty officially became a town on February 24, 1809. The Amite County Courthouse in Liberty is the oldest courthouse in all of Mississippi. It was built in 1839 and later updated in 1936. This courthouse is also on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Amite Female Seminary, also known as the 'Little Red Schoolhouse', was a school for girls built in 1853. During the American Civil War in 1863, some soldiers tried to burn the school. However, the commander, Colonel Benjamin Grierson, recognized the music school's director as an old friend. Because of this, the music building was saved. This two-story music building is still standing today and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Gail Borden, who invented a way to make condensed milk in the 1850s and started the company that became Borden Inc., lived in Liberty from 1822 to 1829.
Between 1904 and 1921, a small train line called the Liberty–White Railroad connected Liberty to McComb, Mississippi. It was mainly used to transport logs for the White Lumber Company.
During the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, there were struggles for equal rights in Liberty. In September 1961, Herbert Lee, an African-American farmer and civil rights supporter, was killed. He had been trying to register to vote. Another man, Louis Allen, who knew the truth about what happened, also faced many problems and was later killed in 1964.
In 2001, Liberty experienced a lot of rain from Tropical Storm Allison. It was the fourth-wettest tropical storm in Mississippi's history, with over 18 inches of rain.
It is believed that Liberty, Texas was named after this town. Many families from Amite County moved west in the 1820s to settle in Texas.
Geography and Population
Liberty covers an area of about 2.06 square miles (5.3 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with only a tiny bit of water.
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 560 people living in Liberty. There were 282 households and 184 families in the town.
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 403 | 71.96% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 122 | 21.79% |
| Other/Mixed | 21 | 3.75% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 14 | 2.5% |
Education in Liberty
The schools in Liberty are part of the Amite County School District. Liberty is also home to the Amite School Center, which teaches students from kindergarten through 12th grade. This school is a member of the Mississippi Association of Independent Schools.
The town also manages a special natural area called the Ethel Stratton Vance Natural Area. It's just west of town and is used for learning about nature. It has sports fields, camping spots, a large horse riding center, and over 200 acres of diverse forests and streams along the West Fork Amite River.
Notable People from Liberty
Many interesting people have connections to Liberty, Mississippi:
- Louis Allen – A property owner and logger.
- T. F. Badon – Served in the Mississippi House of Representatives.
- Carl Elkanah Bates – A former President of the Southern Baptist Convention.
- L. C. Bates – An African-American civil rights activist.
- James Brown – A former professional American football player.
- Will D. Campbell – A minister, author, and civil rights activist.
- Jerry Clower – A famous country comedian.
- E. H. Hurst – A member of the Mississippi House of Representatives.
- Gabe Jackson – An American football player for NFL teams like the Oakland Raiders and Seattle Seahawks.
- Herbert Lee – A civil rights activist.
- William F. Love – A U.S. Representative from Mississippi.
- Glenn Moore – A well-known softball coach.
- Clyde V. Ratcliff – Served in the Louisiana Senate.
- Andy Rodgers – A Delta blues musician born near Liberty.
- Jamie Lynn Spears – An actress and singer.
- George H. Tichenor – The inventor of an antiseptic.
Images for kids
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Amite Female Seminary, commonly known as the "Little Red Schoolhouse," established in 1853 and spared during the Civil War
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Liberty (Rexall) Drug Store, Main Street
See also
In Spanish: Liberty (Misisipi) para niños
