Tchula, Mississippi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tchula, Mississippi
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Location of Tchula, Mississippi
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 Tchula, Mississippi
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Mississippi |
| County | Holmes |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.44 sq mi (3.73 km2) |
| • Land | 1.41 sq mi (3.65 km2) |
| • Water | 0.03 sq mi (0.09 km2) |
| Elevation | 112 ft (34 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 1,652 |
| • Density | 1,173.30/sq mi (452.90/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
39169
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| Area code(s) | 662 |
| FIPS code | 28-72440 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0678607 |
Tchula is a town in Holmes County, Mississippi, United States. In 2020, about 1,650 people lived there. This was a decrease from 2,332 people in 2000.
In 2015, an article in The Guardian newspaper said that Tchula was the poorest community in the United States.
Contents
History of Tchula
The first people to settle permanently in Tchula arrived in the 1830s. The town gets its name from Tchula Lake, which is nearby.
Life in the 1960s
In the 1960s, most people living in Tchula worked on farms. These farms were often owned by people who lived in other towns. A Mississippi writer, Sid Salter, said that the Tchula area had "some of the best farmland in America." He also mentioned that it had "some of the most successful plantations."
Important Leaders in Tchula
In 1982, Eddie James Carthan became the town's first Black mayor. He faced legal trouble and was put in jail. A writer from The Guardian said that the charges against him were unfair.
In the 2000s, Yvonne Brown was elected as mayor. She was a member of the Republican Party. People in the community hoped that her election would encourage George W. Bush, who was the President of the United States at the time, to provide more money for the town. Yvonne Brown was the first Black Republican woman to be elected as a mayor anywhere in the country.
Changes Over Time
By 2015, many jobs in the area had disappeared. This was partly because machines were being used more often in farming. Many businesses that used to be in Tchula had also closed down.
Geography of Tchula
Tchula is located in the western part of Holmes County. It is next to Tchula Lake, which is an old river channel in the Mississippi Delta region. U.S. Route 49E goes through the middle of the town. This road leads north about 25 miles (40 km) to Greenwood. It also goes southwest about 27 miles (43 km) to Yazoo. Mississippi Highway 12 goes southeast from Tchula about 11 miles (18 km) to Lexington. Lexington is the main town in Holmes County.
The United States Census Bureau says that Tchula covers a total area of 1.4 square miles (3.7 km²). About 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²), or 2.31%, of this area is water.
Population Information
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 90 | — | |
| 1900 | 398 | — | |
| 1910 | 478 | 20.1% | |
| 1920 | 550 | 15.1% | |
| 1930 | 907 | 64.9% | |
| 1940 | 861 | −5.1% | |
| 1950 | 927 | 7.7% | |
| 1960 | 882 | −4.9% | |
| 1970 | 1,729 | 96.0% | |
| 1980 | 1,931 | 11.7% | |
| 1990 | 2,186 | 13.2% | |
| 2000 | 2,332 | 6.7% | |
| 2010 | 2,096 | −10.1% | |
| 2020 | 1,652 | −21.2% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
Population in 2020
As of the 2020 United States Census, there were 1,652 people living in Tchula. There were 735 households and 400 families in the town.
The population of Tchula is mostly made up of people who identify as Black or African American.
| Race | Number of People | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White | 20 | 1.21% |
| Black or African American | 1,607 | 97.28% |
| Native American | 5 | 0.3% |
| Other/Mixed | 10 | 0.61% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 10 | 0.61% |
Transportation in Tchula
The Amtrak train called City of New Orleans travels through Tchula. This train runs between New Orleans and Chicago on CN tracks. However, the train does not stop in Tchula. The closest train station is in Greenwood, which is about 25 miles (40 km) north of Tchula.
Education in Tchula
The schools in Tchula are part of the Holmes County School District.
The schools currently in the area are S.V. Marshall Elementary School and Holmes County Central High School. The Holmes County Learning Center is also located in Tchula. S.V. Marshall High School used to be on the same campus as S.V. Marshall Elementary.
Notable People from Tchula
- Woodrow Adams (1917–1988), a guitarist and harmonica player known for Delta blues music.
- Yvonne Brown (1952–2012), served as mayor of Tchula from 2001 to 2009. She was the first Black Republican woman to be a mayor in Mississippi.
- Jimmy Dawkins (1936–2013), a blues guitarist and singer who moved to Chicago when he was 18 or 19.
- Bess Phipps Dawson (1916–2004), a painter and art gallery owner.
- Lester Davenport (1932–2009), a blues musician.
- Chris Epps (born 1961), a former government official who admitted to wrongdoing.
- Addison Grace Hadley (born 2001), crowned Miss United States in 2023.
- Johnny Mitchell (born 1971), a former National Football League tight end.
- Little Smokey Smothers (1939–2010), a blues guitarist and singer.
- Hartman Turnbow (1905–1988), one of the first Black people in Mississippi to register to vote in the 1960s after a long period when they were prevented from voting.
Images for kids
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The Mississippi Blues Trail marker shows how important Tchula was to the development of blues music.
See also
In Spanish: Tchula para niños
