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Shannon, Mississippi
Flag of Shannon, Mississippi
Flag
Official seal of Shannon, Mississippi
Seal
Motto(s): 
Where good neighbors aren't hard to find
Location of Shannon, Mississippi
Location of Shannon, Mississippi
Shannon, Mississippi is located in the United States
Shannon, Mississippi
Shannon, Mississippi
Location in the United States
Country United States
State Mississippi
County Lee
Area
 • Total 4.05 sq mi (10.49 km2)
 • Land 4.05 sq mi (10.49 km2)
 • Water 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
256 ft (78 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 1,496
 • Density 369.38/sq mi (142.62/km2)
Time zone UTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
38868
Area code(s) 662
FIPS code 28-66720
GNIS feature ID 0677612

Shannon is a town in Lee County, Mississippi. The population was 1,496 at the 2020 Census.

Shannon is located on Mississippi Highway 145, west of U.S. Route 45. Chiwapa Creek flows south of the town.

History

The town is named for Samuel Shannon, who purchased land at that location from Chickasaw Chief Itawamba in the early 1800s, then built a cabin and a farm. More settlers arrived following the Treaty of Pontotoc, which ceding Chickasaw land in exchange for financial compensation.

In the early 1800s, Constantine Shannon brought strawberry plants from Shannon to Plant City, Florida, enabling the creation of a multimillion-dollar industry in Plant City.

A church was established in 1839.

The original townsite was north of the present location, and was moved when the Mobile and Ohio Railroad was constructed through the community in the 1850s. Shannon was incorporated in 1860 and a post office was established. Shannon was originally part of Itawamba County, but became part of Lee county after that county formed in 1866.

Commerce expanded in Shannon, and there was a corn elevator, grain elevator, and three cotton gins. Around 1915, Coca-Cola was bottled in Shannon.

The old Francis Store, one of the town's original buildings, is now a restaurant owned by the Town of Shannon.

Geography

Shannon is located at 34°7′1″N 88°42′5″W / 34.11694°N 88.70139°W / 34.11694; -88.70139 (34.116826, -88.701520).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 4.1 square miles (11 km2), all land.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1880 232
1890 329 41.8%
1900 434 31.9%
1910 564 30.0%
1920 498 −11.7%
1930 524 5.2%
1940 615 17.4%
1950 520 −15.4%
1960 554 6.5%
1970 575 3.8%
1980 680 18.3%
1990 1,419 108.7%
2000 1,657 16.8%
2010 1,753 5.8%
2020 1,496 −14.7%
U.S. Decennial Census

2020 census

Shannon Racial Composition
Race Num. Perc.
White 488 32.62%
Black or African American 919 61.43%
Asian 4 0.27%
Pacific Islander 2 0.13%
Other/Mixed 59 3.94%
Hispanic or Latino 24 1.6%

As of the 2020 United States Census, there were 1,496 people, 700 households, and 416 families residing in the town.

Economy

In 2005, General Atomics opened a $38 million manufacturing and test facility in Shannon. Much of the work at the facility is for the U.S. Navy, including advanced launch and recovery systems for aircraft carriers.

The Natchez Trace Parkway RV Park is located in Shannon.

Education

The Town of Shannon is served by the Lee County School District.

Notable people

  • Cousins Bertha Barbee and Norma Barbee of The Velvelettes were born in Shannon.
  • Guy Bush, professional baseball player; retired to Shannon.
  • George Washington Forbes, co-founder of the Boston Guardian.
  • Romaro Miller, former National Football League quarterback
  • Rickey W. Thompson, member of the Mississippi House of Representatives

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Shannon (Misisipi) para niños

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