Mendenhall, Mississippi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mendenhall, Mississippi
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Downtown Mendenhall in April 2014; the Simpson County Courthouse is seen in the background.
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Location of Mendenhall, Mississippi
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 Mendenhall, Mississippi
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States | |
| State | Mississippi | |
| County | Simpson | |
| Government | ||
| • Type | Mayor-Council | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 5.36 sq mi (13.89 km2) | |
| • Land | 5.35 sq mi (13.85 km2) | |
| • Water | 0.01 sq mi (0.03 km2) | |
| Elevation | 335 ft (102 m) | |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 2,199 | |
| • Density | 411.18/sq mi (158.74/km2) | |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central (CST)) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) | |
| ZIP code |
39114
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| Area code(s) | 601 | |
| FIPS code | 28-46600 | |
| GNIS feature ID | 0673476 | |
Mendenhall is a city in Mississippi, United States. It is the main town, or county seat, of Simpson County, Mississippi. In 2020, about 2,199 people lived there. Mendenhall is also part of the larger Jackson area.
Contents
History of Mendenhall
Mendenhall was first called Edna. This name honored Edna, the wife of the town's developer, Phillip Didlake. However, there was already another town named Edna in Mississippi. So, the city changed its name.
The new name, Mendenhall, honored Thomas Mendenhall. He was a lawyer from a nearby town called Westville. Westville is now a ghost town, meaning it's no longer inhabited.
Mendenhall became the county seat of Simpson County. The important building where county business is done, the courthouse, was built in 1907. An architect named Andrew J. Byron designed it.
A community called Weathersby used to be southeast of Mendenhall. It was named after one of its first families. In the 1980s, Mendenhall grew and officially took over Weathersby.
Geography of Mendenhall
Mendenhall covers a total area of about 5.3 square miles (13.89 square kilometers). Most of this area is land. Only a very small part, about 0.01 square miles (0.03 square kilometers), is water.
People of Mendenhall
The number of people living in Mendenhall has changed over the years. Here's how the population has grown and changed:
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1910 | 606 | — | |
| 1920 | 637 | 5.1% | |
| 1930 | 919 | 44.3% | |
| 1940 | 1,282 | 39.5% | |
| 1950 | 1,539 | 20.0% | |
| 1960 | 1,946 | 26.4% | |
| 1970 | 2,402 | 23.4% | |
| 1980 | 2,533 | 5.5% | |
| 1990 | 2,463 | −2.8% | |
| 2000 | 2,555 | 3.7% | |
| 2010 | 2,504 | −2.0% | |
| 2020 | 2,199 | −12.2% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
In 2020, there were 2,199 people living in Mendenhall. They lived in 1,024 homes, and 641 of these were families. The people in Mendenhall come from different backgrounds. Here's a look at the racial makeup of the city in 2020:
| Num. | Perc. | |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 1,348 | 61.3% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 743 | 33.8% |
| Native American | 2 | 0.09% |
| Asian | 3 | 0.14% |
| Other/Mixed | 74 | 3.37% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 29 | 1.32% |
Fun Things to Do in Mendenhall
Mendenhall once had its own movie theatre called the Star Theatre. It was built by Edgar French, Ben Slay, and Lonnie Burnham. The theatre was on Main Street and had one big screen. It also had a special balcony for viewers. Upstairs, there was a pool hall and three offices. One of these offices was for the city's Chamber of Commerce.
The Star Theatre opened on November 9, 1938. The first movie shown was a western called Born to the West. Back then, a ticket cost 11 cents, and popcorn was a dime. Edgar French's son, George Lewis French, soon took over running the theatre. He learned how to book movies and use the projection equipment.
Lewis French operated the Star Theatre until 1971. He only stopped for a short time to serve in Europe during World War II.
In the late 1960s, the Star Theatre faced some challenges. There were problems with vandalism. Also, there were growing tensions about segregation. This was a time when laws, known as Jim Crow customs, required Black customers to sit in a separate balcony. These practices ended after new U.S. laws were passed.
In October 1979, the Star Theatre reopened. It had been remodeled and was now open to everyone, without segregation. Danny Collins, a local business owner, was in charge. The first movie shown was A Force of One, starring Chuck Norris. The theatre became popular again for a few years. However, new video arcades and cable TV channels offered more entertainment options. This competition caused Collins to close the theatre about three years later.
The theatre building was later painted for the movie My Dog Skip. Sadly, heavy rains caused the roof to collapse in April 2008. The Star Theatre then burned down completely in 2016.
Famous People from Mendenhall
Many interesting people have come from Mendenhall:
- Pauline Braddy – A talented drummer.
- Willie Camper – One of the tallest verified humans ever.
- Chris Caughman – An American politician.
- Larry Hardy – A professional football player.
- Stephen Hobbs – Another professional football player.
- John M. Perkins – A civil rights activist who worked for equal rights.
- Paul Ramsey – A Christian ethicist, someone who studies moral principles.
- Martinas Rankin – A professional football player.
Images for kids
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Downtown Mendenhall in April 2014; the Simpson County Courthouse is seen in the background.
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Flag of Mendenhall, Mississippi.
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Location of Mendenhall, Mississippi
See also
In Spanish: Mendenhall para niños
