Philadelphia, Mississippi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Philadelphia, Mississippi
City
Neshoba County courthouse in Philadelphia
Location of Philadelphia, Mississippi
Philadelphia, Mississippi Location in the United States
Country	United States
State	Mississippi
County	Neshoba
Named for	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Area
• Total	12.22 sq mi (31.66 km2)
• Land	12.21 sq mi (31.63 km2)
• Water	0.01 sq mi (0.04 km2)
Elevation	423 ft (129 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	7,118
• Density	582.92/sq mi (225.07/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	39350
Area code(s)	601
FIPS code	28-56960
GNIS feature ID	0675674
Website	City of Philadelphia

Philadelphia is a city in Neshoba County, Mississippi, United States. It is the county seat, which means it's where the main government offices for the county are located. In 2020, about 7,118 people lived there.

History of Philadelphia

Courthouse Square

Philadelphia became an official town in 1903. It was named after Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Two years later, a railroad came to town, bringing new chances for growth and success.

The city's history can be seen in many interesting places. For example, there's a large ceremonial Indian mound and a cave at Nanih Waiya. This mound was built about 1,700 years ago and is very important to the Choctaw people.

Another historic spot is the Williams Brothers Store. This old-fashioned general store opened in 1907. It was even featured in National Geographic magazine in 1937! You could buy almost anything there, from "horse collars to straw hats."

Ronald Reagan's Visit

On August 3, 1980, Ronald Reagan visited Philadelphia. He had just been chosen as the Republican candidate for President of the United States. He gave a speech at the Neshoba County Fair.

In his speech, Reagan talked about "states' rights." This idea means that states should have more power, and the national government should have less. He promised to give more power back to state and local governments.

Marcus Dupree: Football Star

Marcus Dupree was a famous high school football player in Philadelphia. He played for the Philadelphia High School Tornadoes from 1978 to 1981. He was an amazing athlete!

During his high school career, Dupree scored 87 touchdowns. This broke the record set by another famous player, Herschel Walker. Marcus's last high school game was played at Warriors Stadium on the Choctaw Indian Reservation. Many people came to watch, including white, Black, and Native American fans.

Philadelphia's First Black Mayor

In May 2009, Philadelphia made history by electing its first Black mayor, James A. Young. He was a 53-year-old preacher and had served as a county supervisor before.

Young won against the white mayor who had been in office for three terms. He won by only 46 votes in the Democratic primary election. There was no Republican candidate, so he became mayor.

People saw this election as a big step for Philadelphia. Jim Prince, who publishes the local newspaper The Neshoba Democrat, said it was time to stop focusing on the city's difficult past. Many people believed that Barack Obama's presidential campaign helped more Black and young voters register in Philadelphia, and many of them voted for Young. His term as mayor began on July 3, 2009.

The 2011 Tornado

On April 27, 2011, a very powerful tornado hit Philadelphia and the areas around it. This tornado was part of a huge storm system called the 2011 Super Outbreak.

The tornado was an EF5, which is the strongest type of tornado. Its winds reached up to 205 miles per hour! Even though it was incredibly strong, only three people died. This tornado was one of four EF5 tornadoes that hit that day. It was also the first F5/EF5 tornado to strike Mississippi in 45 years.

Geography

Philadelphia is located at coordinates 32°46′27″N 89°6′46″W / 32.77417°N 89.11278°W / 32.77417; -89.11278.

The city covers about 10.6 square miles (27.5 square kilometers) of land. Only a very small part, about 0.04 square miles (0.10 square kilometers), is water.

Population Information

2020 Census Data

In 2020, there were 7,118 people living in Philadelphia. These people lived in 2,836 households, and 1,804 of those were families.

Here's a look at the different groups of people living in Philadelphia in 2020:

Arts and Culture

Philadelphia has several interesting places to visit:

• Geyser Falls Water Theme Park
• Silver Star Casino
• Neshoba County Fair
• Choctaw Indian Fair
• Philadelphia-Neshoba County Museum
• Marty Stuart Congress of Country Music

Education

Most students in Philadelphia go to schools in the Philadelphia Public School District. A small part of the city is served by the Neshoba County School District.

Media

The Neshoba Democrat is a weekly newspaper published in Philadelphia. It has been around since 1881.

City Services

The City of Philadelphia provides electricity, water, and sewer services through "Philadelphia Utilities." Cable television is provided by MetroCast Communications. Natural gas comes from CenterPoint Energy, and AT&T provides local telephone service.

Famous People from Philadelphia

Many notable people have come from Philadelphia, Mississippi:

• Marcus Dupree – A famous football player.
• Marty Stuart – A well-known country music entertainer and member of the Country Music Hall of Fame.
• James Young – The first Black mayor of Philadelphia.
• Otis Rush – A musician in the Blues Hall of Fame.
• Michael Wilson Hardy – A country music singer-songwriter known as HARDY.
• Fred McAfee – A former NFL player for the New Orleans Saints and Pittsburgh Steelers.
• Billy Cannon – A college and pro football player who won the Heisman Trophy in 1959.

Images for kids

• 

  Williams Brothers Store

• 

  Philadelphia, Mississippi seen from the east end of town.

• 

  Philadelphia - Neshoba County Library

• 

  Philadelphia High School

See also

In Spanish: Filadelfia (Misisipi) para niños