Quitman County, Mississippi
Encyclopedia
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 2000, there were 10,117 people, 3,565 households, and 2,506 families residing in the county. 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 25 people per square mile (10/km²). There were 3,923 housing units at an average density of 10 per square mile (4/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 30.47% White
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...
, 68.62% Black
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...
or African American
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...
, 0.13% Native American
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...
, 0.17% Asian
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...
, 0.01% Pacific Islander
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...
, 0.08% 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 0.52% from two or more races. 0.54% of the population were Hispanic
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...
or Latino
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...
of any race.
In 2000, there were 3,565 households out of which 34.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.60% 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, 26.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.70% were non-families. 26.90% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.80 and the average family size was 3.42.
In the county the population was spread out with 32.00% under the age of 18, 9.60% from 18 to 24, 25.70% from 25 to 44, 19.50% from 45 to 64, and 13.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 86.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.30 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $20,636, and the median income for a family was $25,394. Males had a median income of $23,571 versus $16,993 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 county was $10,817. About 28.60% of families and 33.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 43.10% of those under age 18 and 30.60% of those age 65 or over.
Quitman County has the fifth lowest
Mississippi locations by per capita income
Mississippi is the poorest state in the United States of America, with a per capita income of $15,853 .- Mississippi Counties Ranked by Per Capita Income :1. Madison County - $32,469 2. DeSoto County - $20,468 3. Rankin County - $20,412...
per capita income in Mississippi and the 51st lowest
Lowest-income counties in the United States
-100 counties with lowest per capita income:Number of counties by state in the 100 poorest counties: Texas, 17; Kentucky, 16; Mississippi, 14; South Dakota, 10; Louisiana, 5; Alabama, 4; Georgia, 4; Montana, 4; New Mexico, 4; North Dakota, 3; Arizona, 2; Idaho, 2; Nebraska, 2; Tennessee, 2; West...
in the United States.
Government and infrastructure
The Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC) operates the Quitman County Community Work Center (CWC) in an area near Lambert. In addition MDOC operates the Mississippi State PenitentiaryMississippi State Penitentiary
Mississippi State Penitentiary , also known as Parchman Farm, is the oldest prison and the only maximum security prison for men in the state of Mississippi, USA....
(Parchman) in an unincorporated area
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
in Sunflower County
Sunflower County, Mississippi
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 34,369 people, 9,637 households, and 7,314 families residing in the county. The population density was 50 people per square mile . There were 10,338 housing units at an average density of 15 per square mile...
, in the area. Camp B, an inmate housing unit, was a satellite complex located away from the main Parchman prison property in unincorporated
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
Quitman County, near Lambert
Lambert, Mississippi
Lambert is a town in Quitman County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 1,967 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Lambert is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all land....
. Camp B was one of Parchman's largest African-American housing units. Camp B's buildings have been demolished. The Mississippi Code (§ 47-5-131) gives Quitman County the right to "not over twenty (20) offenders from the Parchman facility for five (5) workdays of each week for the purpose of working the roads of Quitman County," and goes on to state that "The board of supervisors of Quitman County shall lay out and designate roads to be worked by the offenders, and the board of supervisors shall furnish transportation to and from the Parchman facility for offenders."
Communities
- Cities
- MarksMarks, MississippiMarks is a city in Quitman County, Mississippi, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 1,551. It is the county seat of Quitman County...
- Marks
- Towns
- CrenshawCrenshaw, MississippiCrenshaw is a town in Panola and Quitman Counties in the U.S. state of Mississippi. The population was 916 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Crenshaw is located at . Most of the town is in Panola County with a small portion on the west side in adjacent Quitman County...
(mostly in Panola County) - CrowderCrowder, MississippiCrowder is a town in Panola and Quitman Counties in the U.S. state of Mississippi. The population was 766 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Crowder is located at . Most of the town is in Quitman County with a portion on the east in adjacent Panola County...
(partly in Panola County) - FalconFalcon, MississippiFalcon is a town in Quitman County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 317 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Falcon is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all of it land....
- LambertLambert, MississippiLambert is a town in Quitman County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 1,967 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Lambert is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all land....
- SledgeSledge, MississippiSledge is a town located in Quitman County, Mississippi. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 529.Famous African American Country singer Charley Pride is from Sledge. Leroy Brown was an actual man from the area who may have very well have been the inspiration for the Jim Croce...
- Crenshaw
- Unincorporated places
- BelenBelen, MississippiBelen is an unincorporated community in Quitman County, Mississippi, United States. Belen is located on Mississippi Highway 316 west of Marks....
- DarlingDarling, MississippiDarling is an unincorporated community in Quitman County, Mississippi, United States. Darling is located on Mississippi Highway 3 north of Marks....
- VanceVance, MississippiVance is an unincorporated community in Quitman and Tallahatchie counties in the U.S. state of Mississippi. Vance is located on Mississippi Highway 3 northeast of Tutwiler. Vance has a post office with ZIP code 38964....
(partly in Tallahatchie County) - BoboBobo, Quitman County, MississippiBobo is an unincorporated community in Quitman County, Mississippi, United States. Bobo is located on U.S. Route 278 and Mississippi Highway 6 northeast of Marks....
- WalnutWalnut, Quitman County, MississippiWalnut is an unincorporated community in Quitman County, Mississippi, United States. Walnut is located on Mississippi Highway 322 southwest of Lambert....
- DentonDenton, MississippiDenton is an unincorporated community in Quitman County, Mississippi, United States. Denton is located on Mississippi Highway 3 south of Lambert....
- BirdieBirdie, MississippiBirdie is an unincorporated community in Quitman County, Mississippi, United States. Birdie is located on Mississippi Highway 315 northwest of Marks....
- Belen
- OliverfriedOliverfried, MississippiOliverfried is an unincorporated community in Quitman County, Mississippi, United States. Oliverfried is located on Mississippi Highway 3 south of Lambert....
- ChancyChancy, MississippiChancy is an unincorporated community in Quitman County, Mississippi, United States. Chancy is located on Mississippi Highway 321 south of Lambert....
- EssexEssex, MississippiEssex is an unincorporated community in Quitman County, Mississippi, United States. Essex is located on Mississippi Highway 3 north of Marks....
- HinchcliffHinchcliff, MississippiHinchcliff is an unincorporated community in Quitman County, Mississippi, United States. Hinchcliff is located on Mississippi Highway 3 north of Marks....
- LongstreetLongstreet, MississippiLongstreet is an unincorporated community in Quitman County, Mississippi, United States. Longstreet is located on Mississippi Highway 3 southwest of Lambert....
- YarbroughYarbrough, MississippiYarbrough is an unincorporated community in Quitman County, Mississippi, United States. Yarbrough is located on Mississippi Highway 3 south of Lambert....
- BarksdaleBarksdale, MississippiBarksdale is an unincorporated community in Quitman County, Mississippi, United States. Barksdale is southwest of Marks....
- SabinoSabino, MississippiSabino is an unincorporated community in Quitman County, Mississippi, United States. Sabino is east of Clarksdale and west of Lambert....
- AllenAllen, MississippiAllen is an unincorporated community in Quitman County, Mississippi, United States. Allen is located on the Tallahatchie River southeast of Lambert....
- RiverviewRiverview, MississippiRiverview is an unincorporated community in Quitman County, Mississippi, United States. Riverview is northeast of Marks....
Education
On July 24, 1969, federal judge William Keady found that Quitman County school officials were maintaining an unconstitutional de jureDe jure
De jure is an expression that means "concerning law", as contrasted with de facto, which means "concerning fact".De jure = 'Legally', De facto = 'In fact'....
racially segregated school system, placing the school board under the supervision of United States District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi
United States District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi
The United States District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi is a federal court in the Fifth Circuit with facilities in Aberdeen, Ackerman, Clarksdale, Cleveland, Corinth, Greenville, and Oxford....
. As of 1993, this order had not been set aside. In March of 1991, the school board asked the district court for permission to close Crowder elementary and junior high school, a majority white school. The court gave permission, and a group of parents sued for an injunction to prevent the closing. The district court denied them an injunction, and this decision was affirmed by the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* Eastern District of Louisiana* Middle District of Louisiana...
. The majority of African-American students in Quitman county were attending public schools by 1975. However, the majority of white students had moved to private academies. This was still true as of 2007, when the Mississippi Department of Education
Mississippi Department of Education
The Mississippi Department of Education is the state education agency of Mississippi. It is headquartered in the former Central High School Building in Jackson.-External links:*...
found that the students in the district were 97.92% African American, 1.81% White, and 0.27% Hispanic.
- Public School Districts
- Quitman County School DistrictQuitman County School DistrictThe Quitman County School District is a public school district based in Marks, Mississippi . The district's boundaries parallel that of Quitman County.-Schools:*Madison Palmer High School...
- Quitman County School District
- Private Schools
- Delta Academy (Marks)
Notable Residents
- Earl HookerEarl HookerEarl Hooker was an American Chicago blues guitarist, perhaps best known for his slide guitar playing. Considered a "musician's musician", Hooker performed with blues artists such as Sonny Boy Williamson II, Junior Wells, and John Lee Hooker as well as fronting his own bands...
(January 15, 1929 — April 21, 1970) — bluesBluesBlues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
guitarist. - Charley PrideCharley PrideCharley Frank Pride is an American country music singer. His smooth baritone voice was featured on thirty-nine number-one hits on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. His greatest success came in the early- to mid-1970s, when he became the best-selling performer for RCA Records since Elvis...
(March 18, 1938 — ) — country musicCountry musicCountry music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
artist. - Snooky Pryor (September 15, 1921 — October 18, 2006) — harmonicaHarmonicaThe harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
player. - Sunnyland SlimSunnyland SlimAlbert "Sunnyland Slim" Luandrew was an American blues pianist, who was born in the Mississippi Delta, and later moved to Chicago, Illinois, to contribute to that city's post-war scene as a center for blues music...
(September 5, 1907 — March 17, 1995 ) — blues pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
player.
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Quitman County, Mississippi
- People from Quitman County, Mississippi