Poplarville, Mississippi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Poplarville, Mississippi
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Pearl River County Courthouse
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| Nickname(s):
P-Ville, PopVegas
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Location of Poplarville, Mississippi
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 Poplarville, Mississippi
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Mississippi |
| County | Pearl River |
| Area | |
| • Total | 5.42 sq mi (14.04 km2) |
| • Land | 5.41 sq mi (14.01 km2) |
| • Water | 0.01 sq mi (0.03 km2) |
| Elevation | 318 ft (97 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 2,833 |
| • Density | 523.85/sq mi (202.26/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
39470
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| Area code(s) | 601/769 |
| FIPS code | 28-59480 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0676247 |
Poplarville is a city in Pearl River County, Mississippi, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 2,894. It is the county seat of Pearl River County. It hosts an annual Blueberry Jubilee, which includes rides, craft vendors and rodeos.
History
Poplarville was named for Poplar Jim Smith, the original owner of the town site.
On the night of April 24, 1959, Mack Charles Parker, an African-American, was abducted from the Pearl River County jail in Poplarville by a mob and and killed. His body was found in the Pearl River 10 days later. The FBI investigated and even obtained confessions from some of the eight suspects. However, the county prosecutor refused to present evidence to a state grand jury and a federal grand jury refused to indict. The case focused national attention on the persistence of lynching in the South and helped accelerate the American Civil Rights Movement.
On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina inflicted heavy damage on the small town. The storm's most powerful, unofficially recorded gust of wind was reported at Pearl River Community College, at 135 mph (217 km/h). On September 2, 2005, the 1st Battalion, 134th Field Artillery (Ohio Army National Guard) arrived at the National Guard armory in Poplarville to assist the community and Pearl River County in recovery efforts in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Initial efforts were the security of banks, pharmacies and gas stations as well as initial responses to rural emergencies. The unit stayed for three weeks ultimately checking on every family and structure in the county. On September 5, 2005, Poplarville played host to a visit by George W. Bush, Laura Bush, and Governor Haley Barbour to Pearl River Community College in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
On December 21, 2006, an early morning fire destroyed 3 downtown buildings.
On March 25, 2014 citizens voted to allow for beer and wine sales. The final vote count was 361 votes for the measure and 149 against.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.9 square miles (10 km2), of which, 3.8 square miles (9.8 km2) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km2) of it (0.52%) is water.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1890 | 232 | — | |
| 1900 | 990 | 326.7% | |
| 1910 | 1,272 | 28.5% | |
| 1920 | 1,290 | 1.4% | |
| 1930 | 1,498 | 16.1% | |
| 1940 | 1,664 | 11.1% | |
| 1950 | 1,852 | 11.3% | |
| 1960 | 2,136 | 15.3% | |
| 1970 | 2,312 | 8.2% | |
| 1980 | 2,562 | 10.8% | |
| 1990 | 2,561 | 0.0% | |
| 2000 | 2,601 | 1.6% | |
| 2010 | 2,894 | 11.3% | |
| 2020 | 2,833 | −2.1% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2020 census
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 1,857 | 65.55% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 774 | 27.32% |
| Native American | 8 | 0.28% |
| Asian | 22 | 0.78% |
| Other/Mixed | 101 | 3.57% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 71 | 2.51% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 2,833 people, 733 households, and 499 families residing in the city.
Notable people
- Theodore G. Bilbo, U.S. Senator, was born in 1877 in Juniper Grove, an eastern township of Poplarville.
- Jimmy Buffett, musician, lived in Poplarville for a period of time starting in 1959.
- Grady C. Cothen, preacher and president of the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary from 1970 to 1974
- Glen Day, PGA Tour Golfer.
- Jonathan J. C. Grey, federal judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
- Chapel Hart, country music group.
- Jim Henderson, radio voice announcer for the New Orleans Saints from 2012 to 2018
- Hudson Holliday, politician and Major General in the Mississippi National Guard
- Zac Houston, Major League Baseball pitcher
- John Lumpkin, head football coach of the Mississippi State Teachers for the 1930 season
- Whitney Miller, the United States' first MasterChef.
- Jansen Owen, member of the Mississippi House of Representatives
- Argile Smith, pastor and president of Louisiana Christian University from 2014 to 2015
- Larkin I. Smith, member of U.S. House of Representatives.
- Martin T. Smith, lawyer and politician.
- Ahmos Zu-Bolton, activist, poet, playwright
Education
The City of Poplarville is served by the Poplarville School District and is home to Pearl River Community College.
See also
In Spanish: Poplarville para niños
