New Albany, Mississippi
Encyclopedia
Union County, Mississippi
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 25,362 people, 9,786 households, and 7,241 families residing in the county. The population density was 61 people per square mile . There were 10,693 housing units at an average density of 26 per square mile...
, 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 8,526 at the 2010 census. New Albany is the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Union County
Union County, Mississippi
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 25,362 people, 9,786 households, and 7,241 families residing in the county. The population density was 61 people per square mile . There were 10,693 housing units at an average density of 26 per square mile...
. New Albany was first organized in 1840 at the site of a grist mill and saw mill on the Tallahatchie River
Tallahatchie River
The Tallahatchie River flows from Tippah County, Mississippi to Leflore County, Mississippi, where it joins the Yalobusha River to form the Yazoo River.-History:Tallahatchie is a Choctaw name meaning "rock of waters"....
and was developed as a river port. The birthplace of author William Faulkner
William Faulkner
William Cuthbert Faulkner was an American writer from Oxford, Mississippi. Faulkner worked in a variety of media; he wrote novels, short stories, a play, poetry, essays and screenplays during his career...
as well as Eli Whiteside
Eli Whiteside
Dustin Eli Whiteside is a Major League Baseball catcher for the San Francisco Giants.-Baltimore Orioles :...
and Bettie Wilson and the adopted home of Morris Futorian, father of the Northeast Mississippi furniture industry. As of 2010 New Albany has a population of 8,526 and is known for its education system, well-educated labor force and strong work ethic. The city houses modern factories, robust neighborhoods and vibrant shopping centers, while at the same time preserves its historic downtown area.
Organized in 1840 at the site of a grist mill and a saw mill on the Tallahatchie River near the intersection of two historic Chickasaw Indian trade trails, the town developed as a river port and as a regional center for agriculture and commerce. The Civil War interrupted this progress, however, as Union troops swept through the city and burned all but a few buildings.
Union County was formed from parts of neighboring Lee, Pontotoc, and Tippah Counties in 1870, with New Albany designated as county seat. The city’s new role as a center of government led to renewed economic activity. Citizens’ efforts in the late 1880s to secure a railroad through New Albany were rewarded with two railroads connecting the community to points north, south, east and west. Interestingly, depot clerk for one of the railroads was none other than the father of William Faulkner. Born in 1897 in a single-story clapboard house, Faulkner went on to write 19 novels and 75 short stories, winning the coveted Nobel Prize and the Pulitzer Prize twice for his work.
Geography
New Albany is located at 34°29′32"N 89°0′34"W (34.492237, -89.009448).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 city has a total area of 17.1 square miles (44.3 km²), of which, 17 square miles (44 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (0.35%) is water.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
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 2010, there were 8,526 people, 3,049 households, and 3,027 families residing in the city. 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 476.1 people per square mile (172.3/km²). There were 3,329 housing units at an average density of 195.2 per square mile (75.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 63.98% White, 32.98% African American, 0.17% Native American, 0.35% Asian, 1.54% from other 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 0.97% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.83% of the population.
There were 3,049 households out of which 31.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.0% 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, 17.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.5% were non-families. 30.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.02.
In the city the population was spread out with 26.3% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 17.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 86.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $28,730, and the median income for a family was $38,750. Males had a median income of $29,457 versus $20,579 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 city was $16,507. About 14.7% of families and 18.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.0% of those under age 18 and 23.3% of those age 65 or over.
Transportation
New Albany is served by BNSF RailwayBNSF Railway
The BNSF Railway is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. It is one of seven North American Class I railroads and the second largest freight railroad network in North America, second only to the Union Pacific Railroad, its primary...
(formerly St. Louis – San Francisco Railway) and the Mississippi Tennessee Railroad
Mississippi Tennessee Railroad
The Mississippi Tennessee Railroad is a 27 mile long shortline railroad that runs from New Albany to Falkner, MS, and previously extended from Houston, Mississippi to Middleton, Tennessee along former Gulf, Mobile and Ohio trackage....
(formerly Gulf, Mobile and Ohio). The two railroads cross downtown.
New Albany was once a stop for Gulf, Mobile and Ohio's famous "Rebel"
Rebel (train)
The Gulf, Mobile and Northern Railroad Rebels were lightweight, streamlined Diesel-electric trains built by American Car and Foundry. The first two trains, purchased in 1935, provided service between New Orleans, Louisiana and Jackson, Tennessee. The third train, purchased in 1937, allowed...
streamlined passenger train.
Notable people
- William FaulknerWilliam FaulknerWilliam Cuthbert Faulkner was an American writer from Oxford, Mississippi. Faulkner worked in a variety of media; he wrote novels, short stories, a play, poetry, essays and screenplays during his career...
, Nobel Prize winning author. - Hubert D. StephensHubert D. StephensHubert Durrett Stephens was an American politician who served as a Democratic United States Senator from Mississippi from 1923 until 1935....
, U.S. Senator from Mississippi. - Eli WhitesideEli WhitesideDustin Eli Whiteside is a Major League Baseball catcher for the San Francisco Giants.-Baltimore Orioles :...
, catcher for the San Francisco GiantsSan Francisco GiantsThe San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
. - Bettie Wilson, woman lived to 115