Scooba, Mississippi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Scooba, Mississippi
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| Town of Scooba | |||
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Scooba railway station in 1975
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Location in Kemper county and Mississippi
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 Scooba, Mississippi
Location in the United States
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| Country |  United States |
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| State |  Mississippi |
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| County | Kemper | ||
| District | 1 | ||
| Founded | December 13, 1858 | ||
| Incorporated | April 9, 1873 | ||
| Named for | Choctaw: scooba ("Reed brake") |
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| Government | |||
| • Type | Mayor–Council | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 2.48 sq mi (6.42 km2) | ||
| • Land | 2.48 sq mi (6.42 km2) | ||
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) | ||
| Elevation | 213 ft (65 m) | ||
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 744 | ||
| • Density | 300.12/sq mi (115.88/km2) | ||
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) | ||
| ZIP code |
39358
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| Area code(s) | 662 | ||
| FIPS code | 28-66160 | ||
| GNIS feature ID | 677458 | ||
| Highways |
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| Major airport | Jackson Airport (JAN) | ||
Scooba is a town in Kemper County, Mississippi, United States. Founded in 1858, the population was 744 as of the 2020 Census.
Etymology
Scooba is a Choctaw word meaning "reed brake" (i.e., a farming tool used on reeds), and the early settlement was noted for its productive farmland.
History
The first permanent settlement at Scooba was made in the 1830s. A line of the Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad passed through Scooba. A Democratic weekly newspaper, The Kemper Herald, was established in Scooba in 1876. By the early 1900s, Scooba had several residential homes, a hotel, a livery barn, a post office, two saw milling plants, a cotton gin, a general store, five churches (three white and two colored), a school, and a bank (the Bank of Kemper, established in 1904). Scooba was a local market for cotton.
In late December 1906, Scooba and Wahalak, Mississippi, were the sites of white rioting against blacks. In the various conflicts, which started with confrontations between passengers and conductors on the railroad, a total of 12 blacks and two whites were killed by December 26. The county sheriff called in the state militia for assistance. The events were covered by national newspapers.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.5 square miles (6.5 km2), all land. Scooba is adjacent to U.S. Route 45, Mississippi Highway 16, and a railroad. It is 35 miles (56 km) north of Meridian and 50 miles (80 km) south of Columbus.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1900 | 286 | — | |
| 1910 | 322 | 12.6% | |
| 1920 | 700 | 117.4% | |
| 1930 | 933 | 33.3% | |
| 1940 | 606 | −35.0% | |
| 1950 | 734 | 21.1% | |
| 1960 | 513 | −30.1% | |
| 1970 | 626 | 22.0% | |
| 1980 | 511 | −18.4% | |
| 1990 | 541 | 5.9% | |
| 2000 | 632 | 16.8% | |
| 2010 | 732 | 15.8% | |
| 2020 | 744 | 1.6% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2020 census
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
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| White | 186 | 25.0% |
| Black or African American | 539 | 72.45% |
| Native American | 11 | 1.48% |
| Other/Mixed | 4 | 0.54% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 4 | 0.54% |
As of the 2020 United States Census, there were 744 people, 191 households, and 107 families residing in the town.
Education
The Town of Scooba is served by the Kemper County School District. The main campus of East Mississippi Community College, including the college system's administrative headquarters, is in Scooba. EMCC was featured on the Netflix documentary Last Chance U, which chronicled their 2015 and 2016 football seasons.
Notable people
- Abner M. Aust - United States Air Force officer and World War II flying ace.
- Kevin Granger - professional basketball player.
- Charles Jones - played four seasons in the National Basketball Association.
- John J. Pettus - 23rd Governor of Mississippi; moved to Scooba at age 22.
See also
In Spanish: Scooba para niños
