Chunky, Mississippi
Encyclopedia
Chunky is a town in Newton County
Newton County, Mississippi
-History:Newton County was formed in 1836. All sources say it was named in honor of Sir Isaac Newton, including the 1896 history of Newton County.Newton County is adjacent to Jasper County, which was named for Sgt. William Jasper, a Revolutionary War hero of the Siege of Savannah in 1779. Sgt. John...

, Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...

, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. The population was 344 at the 2000 census.

Geography

Chunky is located at 32°19′38"N 88°55′47"W (32.327201, -88.929717), along the Chunky River
Chunky River
The Chunky River is a short tributary of the Chickasawhay River in east-central Mississippi. Via the Chickasawhay, it is part of the watershed of the Pascagoula River, which flows into the Gulf of Mexico.-Course:...

.

According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...

, the town has a total area of 0.8 square miles (2.1 km²), all land.

Chunky is located 10 miles (16.1 km) west of Meridian
Meridian, Mississippi
Meridian is the county seat of Lauderdale County, Mississippi. It is the sixth largest city in the state and the principal city of the Meridian, Mississippi Micropolitan Statistical Area...

. U.S. 80 passes through the town.

History

The name "chunky" is from the Mississippian civilization in Cahokia. Chunky was also part of a "prank call" segment on a New York radio station 92.3 whose radio host, Chunky, decided to prank call a woman and the town hall.

Demographics

As of the census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

of 2000, there were 344 people, 120 households, and 95 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 was 412.9 people per square mile (160.0/km²). There were 136 housing units at an average density of 163.2 per square mile (63.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 87.79% White, 1.74% African American, 9.30% from Choctaw races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, and 1.16% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.76% of the population.

There were 120 households out of which 37.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.8% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...

 living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.8% were non-families. 18.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.87 and the average family size was 3.28.

In the town the population was spread out with 27.0% under the age of 18, 9.9% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 18.6% from 45 to 64, and 15.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 97.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.1 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $34,861, and the median income for a family was $45,313. Males had a median income of $32,813 versus $26,000 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...

 for the town was $14,498. About 16.2% of families and 16.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.8% of those under age 18 and 12.7% of those age 65 or over.

Government

There is a United States Post Office in Chunky. Chunky also has a Town Hall and a Volunteer Fire Department.

Education

The Town of Chunky is served by the Newton County School District
Newton County School District
The Newton County School District is a public school district based in Decatur, Mississippi .In addition to Decatur, the district also serves the towns of Hickory, Chunky, Little Rock, the community of Conehatta, and the Newton County portion of Lake....

, though some of the households within the 39323 postal district are in the West Lauderdale school district, part of the Lauderdale County School District
Lauderdale County School District
The Lauderdale County School District is a public school district based in Lauderdale County, Mississippi .-Schools:*Northeast High School *Southeast High School *Northeast Middle School...

.

Commerce

The retail businesses in Chunky are a convenience store and a hair salon. The Chunky post office serves Chunky and the surrounding area. A nearby restaurant, Boyette's Fish Camp is located on the site of Chunky Shoals, approximately 1/2 mile east of the town of Chunky.

One mile north of Chunky is the Lazy Acres Christmas Tree Plantation and Pumpkin Patch. The farm provides seasonal activities.
Attractions include live reindeer, animal park, corn maze, hayrides, etc.

Chunky Churches

The Chunky Baptist Church and the United Methodist Church are in the town of Chunky. Chunky is home to many who worship in the Seventh-day Adventist Church
Seventh-day Adventist Church
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Protestant Christian denomination distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the original seventh day of the Judeo-Christian week, as the Sabbath, and by its emphasis on the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ...

, most of whom attend church in Meridian
Meridian, Mississippi
Meridian is the county seat of Lauderdale County, Mississippi. It is the sixth largest city in the state and the principal city of the Meridian, Mississippi Micropolitan Statistical Area...

.

Other Community Activities

There is a Masonic Hall in Chunky. For the youth, there is a baseball field. There is also a swimming pool association.

Chunky River

The Chunky River
Chunky River
The Chunky River is a short tributary of the Chickasawhay River in east-central Mississippi. Via the Chickasawhay, it is part of the watershed of the Pascagoula River, which flows into the Gulf of Mexico.-Course:...

 is the premier attraction to most people who visit Chunky. The river forms from the confluence of two creeks a few miles west of the town. The Chunky River is a hidden treasure with very little development along its shores, making it an attractive wilderness recreation adventure to those who choose to canoe or kayak in it. While the river is shallow, occasionally, there are sections where the paddle will not reach the bottom. One such section is known as the "Deep Eddy". Otherwise, the river is seldom deeper than a few feet, and where there are mild rapids, the river may only be a few inches in depth. There is a public landing just east of town on the Highway 80 bridge, and amazingly enough, there is another public landing 1/2 mile farther east on another Highway 80 bridge. This section of river is known as the "Seven Mile Bend", although it is scarcely over three miles (5 km) in length. The ability to put in and take out in very close proximity make this area the most highly used section of the river.

Railroads

The Kansas City Southern Railroad goes through Chunky. Approximately 25 freight trains per day travel through the town. On each side of Chunky, there are 9000 feet (2,743.2 m) sidings at Meehan Junction to the east, and Hickory to the west. The railroad crosses the Chunky River in two places just east of town, and between these two trestles is a very popular photography spot for train buffs to take photos of the trains as they cross the river. The railroad crosses the Chunky River west of town on a much smaller trestle, known locally as "break down". It was on this site that the trestle collapsed under a troop carrying train of Confederate
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...

 soldiers during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

; the wreck is called the Chunky Creek Train Wreck of 1863
Chunky Creek Train Wreck of 1863
The Chunky Creek Train Wreck of 1863 happened during the American Civil War near the town of Hickory, Mississippi on the Chunky River. On February 19, 1863 the train Mississippi Southern left the Meridian, Mississippi depot at 3:00 am to transport Confederate soldiers and some civilians to the...

. A Confederate regiment of Choctaw Indians camping nearby saved many lives of soldiers who had been thrown into the raging flood swollen river.
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