Magee, Mississippi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Magee, Mississippi
City
Downtown Magee in March 2013
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Location of Magee, Mississippi
Magee, Mississippi Location in the United States
Country	United States
State	Mississippi
County	Simpson
City	February 25, 1900
Government
• Type	Mayor-Council
Area
• Total	5.26 sq mi (13.62 km2)
• Land	5.26 sq mi (13.62 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	433 ft (132 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	3,988
• Density	758.32/sq mi (292.80/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP code	39111
Area code(s)	601
FIPS code	28-44600
GNIS feature ID	0673055
Website	www.cityofmagee.com

Magee is a city in Simpson County, Mississippi, United States. It is part of the larger Jackson metropolitan area.

History of Magee

The first people to settle in the Magee area arrived around 1820. These early settlers included Arthur Mangum and Phil Magee. More pioneers from Virginia and the Carolinas soon followed them.

The town was first called Mangum, named after Arthur Mangum. This name was used until 1859.

In 1840, Willis Magee built a grist mill on Little Goodwater Creek. This mill was located within what is now the city of Magee. He also started the first postal service in the area in 1855. The city of Magee was later named after Robert Solomon Magee, who was the first postmaster.

Richard Farthing came to Magee in 1859. He was in the leather tanning business. He bought 80 acres of land and built a tanyard. He used water from the mill pond to tan his leather. By 1919, Magee had a population of 786 people and about 23 businesses.

Magee is about 42 miles south of Jackson and 45 miles north of Hattiesburg. It is also 12 miles south of Mendenhall, which is the county seat of Simpson County.

R.P. Vinson was Magee's first mayor. He served from 1900 to 1907.

In 2013, the First Baptist Church in downtown Magee was badly damaged by a fire. However, it has since been rebuilt and restored.

Windham's Restaurant, known locally as "Zip's," opened in Magee in 1963. In 2015, their "Zip Burger" was voted the best hamburger in Mississippi.

In 2017, the Magee Sportsplex was renamed the Jimmy Clyde Sportsplex. This was done to honor Jimmy Clyde, who was a former mayor of Magee. As of 2017, Dale Berry is the mayor of Magee.

The city of Magee was even shown on the Discovery Channel TV show Dirty Jobs.

Geography and Climate

Magee covers a total area of about 4.9 square miles (13 square kilometers), and all of it is land. The city is located on U.S. Highway 49, between Jackson and Hattiesburg. It is also where three Mississippi Highways meet: 541, 545, and 28. Magee is about 155 miles north of New Orleans, Louisiana. It is also about 142 miles north of Mobile, Alabama.

Magee's Climate

Magee has a humid subtropical climate. This means it has hot, humid summers and mild winters. The average yearly temperature is about 65.8 degrees Fahrenheit (18.8 degrees Celsius). The city gets an average of 56.9 inches (1,445 mm) of rain each year.

2009 Tornado Event

On March 26, 2009, an EF3 tornado hit the northern part of Magee. This happened around 1:30 AM. The tornado destroyed 60 homes and caused 25 injuries. Luckily, no one died.

The tornado also badly damaged the town's water treatment plant. This stopped water service for the whole town. Experts from the Mississippi Rural Water Association worked with city staff to fix the problem. They used generators to help restore water service by the next day.

Population of Magee

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 3,988 people living in Magee. There were 1,465 households and 933 families in the city.

Economy and Industry

Magee Post Office

Main Street in Magee

Some important businesses in the Magee area include Tyson Foods, Polk's Meat Products, Real Pure Beverage Group, and Howard Industry.

The Simpson County Development Foundation Industrial Park is a modern industrial area. It covers 205 acres (0.83 km2) and is located right on four-lane Highway 49.

Arts and Culture

The Chamber of Commerce in Magee helps organize several yearly events. These include the annual Homecoming, the Christmas Parade, and tree lighting and caroling events.

Crazy Day is a fun event held every year on Main Street. It usually takes place on the third Saturday of September. During this event, local people set up booths to sell their products or homemade goods.

Magee was once home to the Broadcountry Cinema 3 Theater. It opened in 1985 and closed in 2010. Today, the building is used by Shining Starz ABA Autism Therapy.

A new civic center in Magee provides a place for meetings. It is used by local clubs and organizations. The Magee Chamber of Commerce office is also located there.

The Magee Public Library was the first public library in Magee. It was started in 1935. In 1937, it was renamed the Mims Williams Memorial Library. The current library building was built in 1975. It is now part of the Central Mississippi Regional Library System.

Education in Magee

The Simpson County School District serves the city of Magee.

Public Schools

• Magee High School
• Magee Middle School
• Magee Elementary

Higher Education

A branch of Copiah-Lincoln Community College is located in Magee. This college offers higher learning opportunities for students.

Media and News

Newspapers

The local newspapers that serve Magee are The Magee Courier and Simpson County News.

Online News

Mageenews.com is an online news source for the local area.

Radio Stations

• WSJC 810 AM (talk radio)
• WKXI 107.5 FM (urban adult contemporary music)
• WSMP-LP 96.9 FM (owned by Church Alive)

City Services and Transportation

Transportation

• Highways: Major roads include U.S. Hwy 49 and State Highways 28, 545, and 541.
• Railroad: The Canadian National Railway (formerly Illinois Central) serves the Magee area.
• Bus Lines: Greyhound Bus provides bus service to the area.
• Airport: The Magee Municipal Airport (FAA identifier 17M) is located three miles west of Magee. It has a lighted runway that is 3,104 feet (946 m) long and 50 feet (15 m) wide. The airport is open 24 hours a day. It has a hangar, a lobby, and an office building.

Public Services

Magee has a new city hall, police station, and city jail. The police department has 16 full-time officers, including the Chief of Police, and 12 auxiliary officers.

The Magee Fire Department has 36 trained volunteer firefighters and one full-time Fire Marshall. They have four fire trucks, one ladder truck, one rescue unit, and two utility trucks. Emergency medical services are provided by ASAP EMS, CORP.

The Magee, Mississippi National Guard Unit has 149 members, with five full-time staff.

Notable People

Many interesting people have come from Magee, including:

• Roland Dale, a professional football player
• Woody Evans, a librarian and writer
• John Mangum, a professional football player
• Kris Mangum, a professional football player
• David Myers, a politician
• Dan Monroe Russell Jr., a United States federal judge
• Terrill Shaw, a professional football player
• Harold Shaw, a professional football player
• Prentiss Walker, a farmer, businessman, and politician
• Joshua Hayes, a professional baseball player

See also

In Spanish: Magee para niños