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Poplarville, Mississippi facts for kids

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Poplarville, Mississippi
Pearl River County Courthouse
Pearl River County Courthouse
Nickname(s): 
P-Ville, PopVegas
Location of Poplarville, Mississippi
Location of Poplarville, Mississippi
Poplarville, Mississippi is located in the United States
Poplarville, Mississippi
Poplarville, Mississippi
Location in the United States
Country United States
State Mississippi
County Pearl River
Area
 • Total 5.43 sq mi (14.06 km2)
 • Land 5.42 sq mi (14.03 km2)
 • Water 0.01 sq mi (0.03 km2)
Elevation
318 ft (97 m)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total 2,894
 • Estimate 
(2019)
2,899
 • Density 535.07/sq mi (206.61/km2)
Time zone UTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
39470
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
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%
2019 (est.) 2,899 0.2%
U.S. Decennial Census

2020 census

Poplarville racial composition
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.

Education

HuffHallPearlRiverCC
Huff Hall at Pearl River Community College

The City of Poplarville is served by the Poplarville School District and is home to Pearl River Community College.

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.
  • Glen Day, PGA Tour Golfer.
  • Chapel Hart, country music group.
  • Whitney Miller, America's first MasterChef.
  • Larkin I. Smith was born in Poplarville in June 1944. In August 1989, Smith died in a plane crash just 7 months after taking office in the U.S. House of Representatives and was succeeded by Democrat Gene Taylor, who would hold that office until his defeat by Republican Steven Palazzo in the 2010 midterm elections. Smith served capacities in both the Harrison and Pearl River County Sheriff's Departments and as Sheriff of Harrison County before being elected to the U.S. Congress.
  • Martin T. Smith, American lawyer and politician.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Poplarville para niños

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