Yazoo City, Mississippi

Yazoo City is a U.S. city in Yazoo County, Mississippi. It was named after the Yazoo River, which, in turn was named by the French explorer Robert La Salle in 1682 as "Rivière des Yazous" in reference to the Yazoo tribe living near the river's mouth. It is the county seat of Yazoo County and the principal city of the Yazoo City Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is part of the larger Jackson–Yazoo City Combined Statistical Area. According to the 2010 census, the population was 11,403.[6]

A yellow fever epidemic struck Yazoo City in 1853. During the American Civil War, a makeshift shipyard was established on the Yazoo River at Yazoo City after the Confederate loss of New Orleans. The shipyard was destroyed by Union forces in 1863, but the Confederates soon recovered Yazoo City. Union forces returned the following year and this time burned down almost the entire town.

Yazoo City was rebuilt, but yellow fever struck and took more victims in 1878. On May 25, 1904, a fire destroyed much of central Yazoo City.[8] According to a local legend, the fire was caused by a witch avenging her death.[9] In reality, a boy playing with matches accidentally set a house ablaze. The fire quickly spread, and three-fourths of the town was destroyed, including most of the homes. It was stopped by a canal, which saved the new courthouse (built in 1872 to replace the one burned by the Union forces) and 10 antebellum homes nearby. The town took almost two years to recover.

Tupelo, Mississippi

Tupelo /ˈtuːpəloʊ/ is a city in, and the county seat of, Lee County, Mississippi, United States. With an estimated population of 38,114 in 2017, Tupelo is the seventh-largest city in Mississippi and is considered a commercial, industrial, and cultural hub of North Mississippi.

Tupelo was incorporated in 1866, although the area had earlier been settled as "Gum Pond" along the Mobile and Ohio Railroad.[5] On February 7, 1934, Tupelo became the first city to receive power from the Tennessee Valley Authority thus giving it the nickname "The First TVA City."[6][7] Much of the city was devastated by a major tornado in 1936 that still ranks as one of the deadliest tornadoes in American history.[8] Following electrification, Tupelo boomed as a regional manufacturing and distribution center and was once considered a hub of the American furniture manufacturing industry.[9] Although many of Tupelo's manufacturing industries have declined since the 1990s, the city has continued to grow due to strong healthcare, retail, and financial service industries. Tupelo is the smallest city in the United States that is the headquarters of more than one bank with over $10 billion in assets.[10]

Tupelo has a deep connection to Mississippi's music history, being associated with artists as diverse as Elvis Presley, Rae Sremmurd, and Diplo. The city is home to multiple art and cultural institutions, including the Elvis Presley Birthplace and the 10,000-seat BancorpSouth Arena, the largest multipurpose indoor arena in Mississippi. Tupelo is the only city in the Southern United States to be named an All-America City five times, most recently in 2015.[11]

Tylertown, Mississippi

The town of Tylertown was first known as the Magee Settlement. It was settled by emigrants of the Magee and Thornhill families, who came from South Carolina. J. Thornhill acquired the first tract of land for the settlement on September 20, 1816, after Native Americans were pushed out of the area. Cullen Conerly went there in 1850 and bought out the Garland Hart store and established a post office which was called Conerly's post office. The store and post office served as the social center of the community for over a half century.

The town bore the name Conerly's from 1848 to 1879. It was renamed as Tyler Town in honor of William G. Tyler;[who?] the name was shortened to one word in 1894. Cullen Conerly sold his mercantile interest to his brother-in-law Benjamin Lampton. He laid the foundation of the mercantile business of Tylertown.[5] Tylertown was part of Pike County until 1912, when Walthall County was formed from Pike and Marion counties. The Tylertown Times (local newspaper) was started in 1907. Tylertown Insurance Agency, Inc. has been serving Tylertown's insurance needs since 1924. Luter's Supply, established in 1944, is a retail center for tubs, showers, and whirlpools. Jones Furniture opened in 1939. Tylertown's oldest pharmacy, Pigott's Drug Store, has been around since 1919. WTYL radio station came to Tylertown in 1969.

As of the census[7] of 2000, there were 1,910 people, 707 households, and 461 families residing in the town. The population density was 625.9 people per square mile (241.8/km²). There were 825 housing units at an average density of 270.3 per square mile (104.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 56.34% White, 41.41% African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.84% Asian, 0.47% from other races, and 0.79% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.10% of the population.

Union, Mississippi

Union is located at 32°34′17″N 89°7′5″W / 32.57139°N 89.11806°W / 32.57139; -89.11806 (32.571320, -89.118118).[3] Most of the town is in Newton County with a portion extending north into adjacent Neshoba County.[4] In the 2000 census, 1,496 of the town's 2,021 residents (74.0%) lived in Newton County and 525 (26.0%) in Neshoba County.[5]

As of the census[7] of 2000, there were 2,021 people, 780 households, and 509 families residing in the town. The population density was 589.0 people per square mile (227.5/km²). There were 884 housing units at an average density of 257.6 per square mile (99.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 62.84% White, 35.53% African American, 0.35% Native American, 0.20% Asian, 0.05% from other races, and 1.04% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.64% of the population.

There were 780 households out of which 31.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.1% were married couples living together, 18.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.7% were non-families. 32.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.12.

MS

Vicksburg, Mississippi

Vicksburg is the only city in, and county seat of, Warren County, Mississippi, United States. It is located 234 miles (377 km) northwest of New Orleans at the confluence of the Mississippi and Yazoo Rivers, and 40 miles (64 km) due west of Jackson, the state capital. It is located on the east bank of the Mississippi River across from Louisiana.

The city has increased in population since 1900, when 14,834 people lived here. The population was 26,407 at the 2000 census. In 2010, it was designated as the principal city of a Micropolitan Statistical Area with a total population of 49,644, which includes all of Warren County.

The area that is now Vicksburg was long occupied by the Natchez Native Americans as part of their historical territory along the Mississippi. The Natchez spoke a language isolate not related to the Muskogean languages of the other major tribes in the area. Before the Natchez, other indigenous cultures had occupied this strategic area for thousands of years.

MS-13

Mara Salvatrucha, popularly known as MS-13, is an international criminal gang that originated in Los Angeles, California, in the 1970s and 1980s. Originally, the gang was set up to protect Salvadoran immigrants from other gangs in the Los Angeles area. Over time, the gang grew into a more traditional criminal organization. MS-13 is defined by its cruelty (the gang's motto is “rape, control, kill”), and its rivalry with the 18th Street Gang.

Many MS-13 members were deported to El Salvador after the close of the Salvadoran Civil War in 1992 or upon being arrested, facilitating the spread of the gang to Central America. The gang is currently active in many parts of the continental United States, Canada, Mexico, and Central America. Most members are Central American, Salvadorans in particular. As an international gang, its history is closely tied to U.S.–El Salvador relations. In 2018, the gang accounted for less than 1 percent (10,000) of total gang members in the United States (1.4 million), and a similar share of gang murders.

There is some dispute about the etymology of the name. Some sources state the gang is named for La Mara, a street in San Salvador, and the Salvatrucha guerrillas who fought in the Salvadoran Civil War.[6] Additionally, the word mara means gang in Caliche slang and is taken from marabunta, the name of a fierce type of ant. "Salvatrucha" may be a combination of the words Salvadoran and trucha, a Caliche word for being alert. The term "Salvatruchas" has been explained as a reference to Salvadorian peasants trained to become guerrilla fighters, referred to as the "Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front."[7]

Water Valley, Mississippi

As of the census[5] of 2000, there were 3,677 people, 1,470 households, and 961 families residing in the city. The population density was 523.2 people per square mile (201.9/km²). There were 1,675 housing units at an average density of 238.3 per square mile (92.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 57.87% White, 40.74% African American, 0.33% Native American, 0.16% Asian, 0.22% Pacific Islander, 0.19% from other races, and 0.49% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.20% of the population.

There were 1,470 households out of which 30.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.0% were married couples living together, 23.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.6% were non-families. 31.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 3.07.

In the city, the population was spread out with 26.5% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 21.1% from 45 to 64, and 17.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 81.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 74.3 males.

Waveland, Mississippi

Waveland is a city located in Hancock County, Mississippi, United States, on the Gulf of Mexico. It is part of the Gulfport–Biloxi, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city of Waveland was incorporated in 1972. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 6,435.[4] Waveland was nearly destroyed by Hurricane Camille on August 17, 1969, and by Hurricane Katrina on August 29, 2005.

On August 17, 1969, Hurricane Camille made landfall at the tip of Louisiana before continuing on shore at Waveland. The storm heavily damaged the areas south of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad. Recovery efforts went on for nearly a decade. The town later erected a plaque commemorating the efforts of the volunteers who committed time and resources towards rebuilding.

The city of Waveland was "ground zero" of Hurricane Katrina's landfall on August 29, 2005. The city received massive damage and is still in the process of recovering and rebuilding. South of the CSXT mainline, the area was almost completely destroyed. The rest of the city took heavy flooding. In a news report, state officials said Waveland took a harder hit from the wind and water than any other town along the Gulf Coast, and that the town was obliterated. 36 years earlier, in 1969, Waveland had been severely damaged by Hurricane Camille.[8]

Waynesboro, Mississippi

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 5,043 people residing in the city. 61.9% were African American, 35.2% White, 0.2% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 1.4% from some other race and 1.0% of two or more races. 1.9% were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

As of the census[6] of 2000, there were 5,197 people, 1,982 households, and 1,335 families residing in the city. The population density was 781.6 people per square mile (301.7/km²). There were 2,276 housing units at an average density of 342.3 per square mile (132.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 41.54% White, 57.28% African American, 0.21% Native American, 0.37% Asian, 0.25% from other races, and 0.35% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.94% of the population.

There were 1,982 households out of which 36.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.5% were married couples living together, 26.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.6% were non-families. 29.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.12.