Vardaman, Mississippi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Vardaman, Mississippi
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Sign located along Mississippi Highway 8
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| Nickname(s):
The Sweet Potato Capital of the World
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| Motto(s):
"A Little Taste of Heaven in Mississippi."
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Location of Vardaman, Mississippi
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 Vardaman, Mississippi
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Mississippi |
| County | Calhoun |
| Established | 1904 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.36 sq mi (3.51 km2) |
| • Land | 1.36 sq mi (3.51 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 289 ft (88 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 1,110 |
| • Density | 817.98/sq mi (315.80/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
38878
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| Area code(s) | 662 |
| FIPS code | 28-76320 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0679189 |
Vardaman is a town in Calhoun County, Mississippi. The town's population was 1,316 at the time of the 2010 United States Census.
History
The town is named after James Kimble Vardaman, Mississippi governor from 1904 to 1908. Vardaman was a Democrat who later became a member of the United States Senate.
In the early days of the town, its post office was named "Timberville" while the town was still known as "Vardaman," leading to confusion in various letterheads. Postmaster Henry Clay Payne refused to name a post office after James K. Vardaman, who had attacked Theodore Roosevelt in newspaper editorials published in the Greenwood Commonwealth.
The town's post office was officially named "Vardaman" in 1912.
Geography
Vardaman is located in eastern Calhoun County. Mississippi Highway 8 passes through the town, leading west 8 miles (13 km) to Calhoun City and east 10 miles (16 km) to Houston, as well as Mississippi Highway 341, leading north 33 miles (53 km) to Pontotoc and south 11 miles (18 km) to Atlanta and Woodland.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.4 square miles (3.5 km2), all land. The Yalobusha River, a tributary of the Yazoo River, flows past the town less than one mile to the south.
Vardaman is located in one of Mississippi's top five sweet potato-producing counties. The Vardaman Sweet Potato Festival, also known as the National Sweet Potato Festival, is held there annually the entire first week in November. Vardaman has been proclaimed as the "Sweet Potato Capital of the World".
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1910 | 430 | — | |
| 1920 | 599 | 39.3% | |
| 1930 | 627 | 4.7% | |
| 1940 | 626 | −0.2% | |
| 1950 | 686 | 9.6% | |
| 1960 | 637 | −7.1% | |
| 1970 | 777 | 22.0% | |
| 1980 | 1,009 | 29.9% | |
| 1990 | 920 | −8.8% | |
| 2000 | 1,065 | 15.8% | |
| 2010 | 1,316 | 23.6% | |
| 2020 | 1,110 | −15.7% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2020 census
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White | 437 | 39.37% |
| Black or African American | 289 | 26.04% |
| Asian | 1 | 0.09% |
| Other/Mixed | 20 | 1.8% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 363 | 32.7% |
As of the 2020 United States Census, there were 1,110 people, 440 households, and 318 families residing in the town.
Education
Vardaman is served by the Calhoun County School District. Children in the Vardaman area attend either Vardaman Elementary School (Grades K-6) or Vardaman High School (Grades 7–12). Vardaman High School's sports teams are known as the Rams.
The Vardaman Rams football program has won 14 division titles in school history and has advanced to the North Half State Finals six times. The Rams also have appeared in the playoffs 29 times, which is tied for the 5th most all-time in the state and 2nd most in the 1A classification.
Odie Armstrong, a running back that broke numerous records in the arena football league, played football at Vardaman. In his high school career, Armstrong rushed for 5,838 yards and 104 touchdowns, including 39 scores in a record-breaking senior season.
The Vardaman Lady Rams basketball team has won two state championships, one in 1959 and another in 1969. The Lady Rams also appeared in the state championship tournament in 2016. The Rams are now coached by Connor Hudspeth or Tupelo, MS.
Notable people
- Odie Armstrong, player in the Arena Football League
- Mary Wilma Hodge, physicist
- Barbara Yancy, politician
See also
In Spanish: Vardaman para niños
