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Jefferson Davis County, Mississippi
Jefferson Davis County Mississippi Courthouse
Jefferson Davis County courthouse in Prentiss
Map of Mississippi highlighting Jefferson Davis County
Location in the state of Mississippi
Map of the U.S
Mississippi's location in the U.S.
Founded 1906
Named for Jefferson Davis
Seat Prentiss
Largest town Prentiss
Area
 - Total
 - Land
 - Water

409 sq mi (1,059 km²)
408 sq mi (1,057 km²)
0.7 sq mi (2 km²), 0.2
Population
 - (2020)
 - Density

11,321
Congressional district 3rd
Time zone Central: UTC-6/-5

Jefferson Davis County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2020 census, the population was 11,321.[1] Its county seat is Prentiss.[2] The county is named after Mississippi Senator and Confederate President Jefferson Davis. The county was carved out of Covington and Lawrence counties in March 1906. Governor James K. Vardaman signed the bill creating the county on May 9, 1906.

History[]

The genesis of the county occurred on March 31, 1906, when a Mississippi state legislative act authorized the new country's boundaries. The residents of western Covington County and eastern Lawrence County had frequently complained of the rivers and streams impeding the route to their respective county seats. Jefferson Davis County was the state's 77th county.

A 1906 special referendum determined that the county seat would be Prentiss, named for either famed Mississippi lawmaker and orator Seargent Smith Prentiss, or wealthy landowner Prentiss Webb Berry. The settlement was originally named Blountville after early settler William Blount.

In 1933, the county was the first in Mississippi to issue a prohibition on alcohol after the repeal of the Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. Round dancing in the community hall was banned in 1938.

In 1935, notorious bank robber Raymond Hamilton, known to hide out in the county's wilderness, was involved in a hostage situation after robbing Prentiss' Bank of Blountville, but escaped in Memphis.[3]

Geography[]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 409 square miles (1,060 km2), of which 408 square miles (1,060 km2) is land and 0.7 square miles (1.8 km2) (0.2%) is water.[4]

Major highways[]

  • US 84 U.S. Route 84
  • Circle sign 13 Mississippi Highway 13
  • Circle sign 35 Mississippi Highway 35
  • Circle sign 42 Mississippi Highway 42
  • Circle sign 43 Mississippi Highway 43

Adjacent counties[]

Demographics[]

Historical populations
Census Pop.
1910 12,860
1920 12,755 −0.8%
1930 14,281 12.0%
1940 15,869 11.1%
1950 15,500 −2.3%
1960 13,540 −12.6%
1970 12,936 −4.5%
1980 13,846 7.0%
1990 14,051 1.5%
2000 13,962 −0.6%
2010 12,487 −10.6%
U.S. Decennial Census[5]
1790-1960[6] 1900-1990[7]
1990-2000[8] 2010-2020[9]

2020 census[]

Jefferson Davis County racial composition[10]
Race Num. Perc.
White (non-Hispanic) 4,330 38.25%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 6,622 58.49%
Native American 8 0.07%
Asian 21 0.19%
Other/Mixed 239 2.11%
Hispanic or Latino 101 0.89%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 11,321 people, 4,713 households, and 3,003 families residing in the county.

2010 census[]

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 12,487 people living in the county. 59.9% were Black or African American, 38.7% White, 0.3% Native American, 0.1% Asian, 0.3% of some other race and 0.7% of two or more races. 0.8% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race).

2000 census[]

As of the census[11] of 2000, there were 13,962 people, 5,177 households, and 3,768 families living in the county. The population density was 34 people per square mile (13/km2). There were 5,891 housing units at an average density of 14 per square mile (6/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 57.38% Black or African American, 41.66% White, 0.14% Native American, 0.18% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.08% from other races, and 0.57% from two or more races. 0.77% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 5,177 households, out of which 32.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.7% were married couples living together, 21.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.2% were non-families. 25.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.20.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 28.4% under the age of 18, 9.9% from 18 to 24, 25.4% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 89.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.7 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $21,834, and the median income for a family was $27,594. Males had a median income of $23,942 versus $16,510 for females. The per capita income for the county was $11,974. About 23.2% of families and 28.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 38.7% of those under age 18 and 24.5% of those age 65 or over.

Communities[]

Towns[]

  • Bassfield
  • Prentiss (county seat)

Unincorporated communities[]

Ghost town[]

  • Mount Carmel

Politics[]

Jefferson Davis County is heavily Democratic. It has only voted for the Republican candidate for president three times since 1912 (although long ago it also voted for third-party segregationist candidates three times). Prior to the 1960s, its Democratic lean was due to its location in the "Solid South". At the statewide level, Jefferson Davis County has only voted for the Republican candidate for governor once since Reconstruction: for Kirk Fordice in 1991.

United States presidential election results for Jefferson Davis County, Mississippi[12]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 2,534 40.79% 3,599 57.93% 80 1.29%
2016 2,466 39.54% 3,720 59.64% 51 0.82%
2012 2,507 36.52% 4,267 62.16% 90 1.31%
2008 2,871 38.96% 4,454 60.43% 45 0.61%
2004 2,668 46.28% 2,959 51.33% 138 2.39%
2000 2,437 45.83% 2,835 53.32% 45 0.85%
1996 1,890 38.84% 2,663 54.73% 313 6.43%
1992 2,228 39.55% 2,991 53.10% 414 7.35%
1988 2,745 47.92% 2,948 51.47% 35 0.61%
1984 2,884 51.81% 2,644 47.50% 38 0.68%
1980 2,280 36.85% 3,831 61.92% 76 1.23%
1976 1,868 39.76% 2,747 58.47% 83 1.77%
1972 2,830 72.83% 1,005 25.86% 51 1.31%
1968 297 6.79% 1,465 33.48% 2,614 59.73%
1964 2,351 90.91% 235 9.09% 0 0.00%
1960 225 13.06% 510 29.60% 988 57.34%
1956 156 10.92% 1,049 73.41% 224 15.68%
1952 473 22.53% 1,626 77.47% 0 0.00%
1948 51 3.30% 41 2.66% 1,452 94.04%
1944 88 6.03% 1,372 93.97% 0 0.00%
1940 38 2.86% 1,289 96.92% 3 0.23%
1936 67 4.81% 1,325 95.05% 2 0.14%
1932 30 3.09% 940 96.71% 2 0.21%
1928 163 16.00% 856 84.00% 0 0.00%
1924 88 10.73% 732 89.27% 0 0.00%
1920 179 26.76% 485 72.50% 5 0.75%
1916 45 6.59% 634 92.83% 4 0.59%
1912 43 6.63% 542 83.51% 64 9.86%



See also[]

  • National Register of Historic Places listings in Jefferson Davis County, Mississippi

References[]

  1. ^ "Census - Geography Profile: Jefferson Davis County, Mississippi". United States Census Bureau. https://data.census.gov/profile/Jefferson_Davis_County,_Mississippi?g=0500000US28065. 
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx. 
  3. ^ "Jefferson Davis County Mississippi Genealogy & History Network". http://jeffdavis.msghn.org/. 
  4. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. https://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_28.txt. 
  5. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html. 
  6. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu. 
  7. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/ms190090.txt. 
  8. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf. 
  9. ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/28/28065.html. 
  10. ^ "Explore Census Data". https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=0500000US28065&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2. 
  11. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov. 
  12. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS. 

External links[]

Coordinates: 31°34′N 89°49′W / 31.56, -89.82


This page uses content from the English language Wikipedia. The original content was at Jefferson Davis County, Mississippi. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with this Familypedia wiki, the content of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons License.
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