Tylertown, Mississippi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tylertown, Mississippi
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Walthall County Courthouse in Tylertown
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Location of Tylertown, Mississippi
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 Tylertown, Mississippi
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Mississippi |
| County | Walthall |
| Area | |
| • Total | 3.29 sq mi (8.51 km2) |
| • Land | 3.28 sq mi (8.49 km2) |
| • Water | 0.01 sq mi (0.02 km2) |
| Elevation | 295 ft (90 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 1,515 |
| • Density | 462.03/sq mi (178.38/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
39667
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| Area code(s) | 601 |
| FIPS code | 28-75160 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0690939 |
| Website | http://www.co.walthall.ms.us/town-of-tylertown.html |
Tylertown is a town in Mississippi, United States. It is the main town, or county seat, of Walthall County. Tylertown is about 55 miles southwest of the Hattiesburg metropolitan area. In 2020, 1,515 people lived there.
Contents
History of Tylertown
Early Settlement and Name Changes
Tylertown was first known as the Magee Settlement. It was founded by families named Magee and Thornhill. They moved there from South Carolina. J. Thornhill bought the first piece of land for the settlement on September 20, 1816. This happened after Native Americans moved out of the area.
In 1850, Cullen Conerly arrived and bought a store from Garland Hart. He also started a post office, which was called Conerly's post office. This store and post office were important gathering places for the community for over 50 years.
The town was called Conerly's from 1848 to 1879. Then, it was renamed Tyler Town to honor William G. Tyler. In 1894, the name was shortened to just one word: Tylertown. Cullen Conerly later sold his store business to his brother-in-law, Benjamin Lampton. Lampton helped build the foundation of Tylertown's business community.
Growth and Local Businesses
Tylertown was part of Pike County until 1912. That year, Walthall County was created from parts of Pike and Marion counties. Tylertown became the county seat.
The local newspaper, The Tylertown Times, started in 1907. Tylertown Insurance Agency, Inc. has been helping people with insurance since 1924. Luter's Supply, which opened in 1944, sells things like tubs, showers, and whirlpools. Jones Furniture started in 1939. Pigott's Drug Store, Tylertown's oldest pharmacy, has been open since 1919. The WTYL radio station came to Tylertown in 1969.
Tylertown's Role in World War II
During World War II, the United States and its allies needed a lot of food. Farmers faced challenges because many farm workers went to war or worked in factories for better pay. This made it hard to pick crops.
Walthall County, where Tylertown is located, helped a lot. Farmers there produced huge amounts of food. They grew 23% more cotton, 146% more hay, 110% more eggs, and an amazing 619% more truck crops (vegetables and fruits).
To celebrate their hard work, the community held a "Food for Freedom Thanksgiving" in early October. This event took place in Tylertown, which had about 1,100 people at the time. Farmers brought a lot of food, including 5,000 fried chickens and 350 turkeys. It was enough food to feed a small army! Claude Wickard, who was in charge of the Food Requirements Committee, visited Tylertown that day. He praised the small farmers and told them their efforts were key to winning the war.
Geography of Tylertown
Tylertown is located at 31°6′58″N 90°8′34″W / 31.11611°N 90.14278°W.
The United States Census Bureau says that the town covers a total area of 3.1 square miles (8.0 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 3.0 square miles (7.8 square kilometers), is land. A very small part, 0.33%, is water.
Population Information
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1910 | 795 | — | |
| 1920 | 1,116 | 40.4% | |
| 1930 | 1,102 | −1.3% | |
| 1940 | 1,376 | 24.9% | |
| 1950 | 1,331 | −3.3% | |
| 1960 | 1,532 | 15.1% | |
| 1970 | 1,736 | 13.3% | |
| 1980 | 1,976 | 13.8% | |
| 1990 | 1,938 | −1.9% | |
| 2000 | 1,910 | −1.4% | |
| 2010 | 1,609 | −15.8% | |
| 2020 | 1,515 | −5.8% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
What the 2020 Census Shows
| Race | Number of People | Percentage |
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| White (not Hispanic) | 822 | 54.26% |
| Black or African American (not Hispanic) | 609 | 40.2% |
| Native American | 5 | 0.33% |
| Asian | 25 | 1.65% |
| Pacific Islander | 1 | 0.07% |
| Other/Mixed | 29 | 1.91% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 24 | 1.58% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,515 people living in Tylertown. These people lived in 618 households, with 382 of them being families.
Education in Tylertown
The Walthall County School District serves the town of Tylertown. The main schools in the area are Tylertown High School and Salem Attendance Center.
Famous People from Tylertown
- Ruby Bridges – a famous activist for civil rights
- Melerson Guy Dunham (1904–1985) – an educator and activist for civil and women's rights, also a historian
- Jon Hinson – a politician
- Lester Holmes – a former player in the NFL
- George T. Johnson – a former player in the NBA, who was part of the 1975 champion Golden State Warriors team
- Jameon Lewis – a professional indoor football player
- Sylvester Magee – known as one of the oldest living former slaves
- H. Dean Pittman – a U.S. Ambassador to Mozambique
See also
In Spanish: Tylertown para niños
