Prentiss, Mississippi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Prentiss, Mississippi
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The Jefferson Davis County Courthouse is one of four sites in Prentiss listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
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| Motto(s):
"The Natural Choice"
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Location of Prentiss, Mississippi
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 Prentiss, Mississippi
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States | ||
| State | Mississippi | ||
| County | Jefferson Davis | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 2.99 sq mi (7.75 km2) | ||
| • Land | 2.99 sq mi (7.75 km2) | ||
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) | ||
| Elevation | 331 ft (101 m) | ||
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 976 | ||
| • Density | 326.31/sq mi (126.01/km2) | ||
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) | ||
| ZIP code |
39474
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| Area code(s) | 601 | ||
| FIPS code | 28-59920 | ||
| GNIS feature ID | 0676320 | ||
Prentiss is a town in Jefferson Davis County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 1,081 at the 2010 census, down from 1,158 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat.
Prentiss is located on the Longleaf Trace, Mississippi's first recreational rail trail.
Contents
History
Originally part of Lawrence County, the town was first named "Blountville", after William Blount, an early settler and merchant. Blountville High School was established in 1885 on 10 acres (4.0 ha) of land. A depot was established in Blountville when the Pearl & Leaf Rivers Railroad (later Illinois Central Railroad) was completed in 1903. That same year the town was officially established and named "Prentiss", after Prentiss Webb Berry, a prominent landowner in the area.
When Jefferson Davis County was created in 1906, a special election determined that Prentiss would serve as the county seat. In 1907, Jonas Edward Johnson and his wife Bertha LaBranche Johnson established the Prentiss Institute. Situated on 40 acres (16 ha) of land, with remnants of slave quarters on the property, it was considered one of the finest schools for African Americans in Mississippi. The school at first taught only the elementary grades, and began with 40 students whose tuition was often paid with chickens, eggs and produce. A Rosenwald classroom was built on the campus in 1926, and by 1953 the "Prentiss Normal and Industrial Institute" included a high school and junior college, had 44 faculty and more than 700 students, and included 24 buildings and 400 acres (160 ha) of farmland, pasture and forest. In 1955, Heifer International donated 15 pure-bred cows to the school with the intention that the offspring be donated to needy farm families. It is noteworthy that the school gave some of the animals to poor white families. The school closed in 1989 and was designated an official Mississippi landmark in 2002.
Ralph Fults and Raymond Hamilton, members of the notorious Barrow Gang, robbed the bank in Prentiss in 1935.
In 1958, Rev. H.D. Darby of Prentiss filed a federal lawsuit challenging Mississippi's rigid voting eligibility laws for African Americans; it was the first lawsuit of its kind in Mississippi.
Prentiss police officer Ron Jones, Jr. was shot and killed by Cory Maye while executing a search warrant in 2001.
Geography
Prentiss is located in central Jefferson Davis County at 31°35′49″N 89°52′11″W / 31.596990°N 89.869776°W. U.S. Route 84 passes north and west of the town center on a bypass; the four-lane highway leads east 20 miles (32 km) to Collins and west 16 miles (26 km) to Monticello. Mississippi Highway 13 passes through the town slightly east of the center; it leads north 27 miles (43 km) to Mendenhall and south 26 miles (42 km) to Columbia. Mississippi Highway 42 leads southeast from Prentiss 11 miles (18 km) to Bassfield.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.9 square miles (4.9 km2), all land.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1910 | 640 | — | |
| 1920 | 468 | −26.9% | |
| 1930 | 655 | 40.0% | |
| 1940 | 989 | 51.0% | |
| 1950 | 1,212 | 22.5% | |
| 1960 | 1,321 | 9.0% | |
| 1970 | 1,789 | 35.4% | |
| 1980 | 1,465 | −18.1% | |
| 1990 | 1,487 | 1.5% | |
| 2000 | 1,158 | −22.1% | |
| 2010 | 1,081 | −6.6% | |
| 2020 | 976 | −9.7% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2020 census
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 468 | 47.95% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 479 | 49.08% |
| Asian | 2 | 0.2% |
| Other/Mixed | 15 | 1.54% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 12 | 1.23% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 976 people, 429 households, and 289 families residing in the town.
2010 census
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 1,081 people living in the town. 60.3% were White, 37.3% African American, 0.6% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 0.5% from some other race and 0.9% of two or more races. 0.6% were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
Arts and culture
Annual events
Prentiss hosts an annual "Run for the Roses 5K Run/Walk".
Tourism
Local attractions include:
- The Holloway-Polk house – the oldest continuously inhabited settlement in Jefferson Davis County.
- Lake Jeff Davis – a campground and picnic area southeast of Prentiss.
- Mt. Zion Church and Cemetery – the second-oldest African American church and cemetery in Jefferson Davis County.
- Spring Hill Missionary Baptist Church and Cemetery (c. 1847) – the oldest African American Baptist Church and cemetery in Jefferson Davis County.
Parks and recreation
In 1993, the Canadian National Railway announced it would abandon the former Illinois Central line which ran through Prentiss. This enabled the construction of the Longleaf Trace, Mississippi's first recreational rail trail, located between Prentiss and Hattiesburg.
Education
Prentiss is served by the Jefferson Davis County School District.
A football rivalry existed between Prentiss High School's "Bulldogs" and Columbia High School's "Wildcats" before Prentiss closed after the 2016-2017 school year. In one notable game during the 1970s, the Bulldogs were winning 6-0 when a Wildcats' player Walter Payton scored two touchdowns, running 95 yards for the first touchdown and 65 yards for the second. The Wildcats won 14-6.
There is one private school serving K-12 students, Prentiss Christian School.
Media
The community is served by the Prentiss Headlight newspaper.
Infrastructure
Transportation
Prentiss is accessed from Mississippi Highway 42, Mississippi Highway 13, and U.S. Route 84.
The Prentiss-Jefferson Davis County Airport is located 3 miles (5 km) west of the town.
Notable people
- Thelma Farr Baxter, member of the Mississippi House of Representatives from 1950 to 1956
- Vincent Davis, judge for the Mississippi 17th Chancery Court District and former Mississippi senator
- Al Jefferson, NBA player for five teams
- Felecia M. Nave, chemical engineer and 20th President of Alcorn State University
- Clyde Otis, songwriter and record producer
- Garland H. Williams, law enforcement specialist in covert operations
In popular culture
Blues musician Houston Stackhouse stated that fellow musician Tommy Johnson: "was stayin' over around Prentiss, Mississippi. I believe, I don't know how long he stayed there, but that was his hangout. It was out east of Crystal Springs, back there around Prentiss and Pinola, or somewhere back in there. Big piney thickets and like that."
See also
In Spanish: Prentiss (Misisipi) para niños
