Magnolia, Mississippi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Magnolia, Mississippi
City
Location of Magnolia, Mississippi
Magnolia, Mississippi Location in the United States
Country	United States
State	Mississippi
County	Pike
Area
• Total	6.19 sq mi (16.03 km2)
• Land	6.14 sq mi (15.91 km2)
• Water	0.04 sq mi (0.12 km2)
Elevation	305 ft (93 m)
Population  (2010)
• Total	2,420
• Estimate  (2019)	2,212
• Density	360.08/sq mi (139.04/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	39652
Area code(s)	601
FIPS code	28-44680
GNIS feature ID	0673065

Magnolia is a city in Pike County, Mississippi. The population was 2,420 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Pike County, which lies within the McComb, Mississippi Micropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Ansel H. Prewett, founder of Magnolia, Mississippi, shown ca. 1870

Magnolia was founded in 1856 by Ansel H. Prewett, a local civic leader and cotton planter. Knowing that the approaching New Orleans, Jackson, and Great Northern Railroad (now the Illinois Central Railroad) would need a station for water and fuel, Prewett sold a right-of-way to the railroad company – for one dollar, according to legend – and divided a section of his plantation into town lots, which he sold to investors. Prewett, while serving as temporary sheriff of Pike County, was killed by outlaws in the early 1870s escorting a prisoner on the very railroad that made Magnolia a viable community.

Magnolia grew rapidly in the 1860s, and in the late nineteenth century Magnolia served as a popular small-town resort for wealthy New Orleanians, who took trains north from New Orleans to enjoy Magnolia's fresh air and sparkling creeks. At one time early Magnolia boasted an opera house, skating rink, and several hotels that catered largely to these tourists.

In 1860 Magnolia's first newspaper, the "Grand Trunk Magnolian", was established by John Waddill. It did not last the war and was succeeded by the establishment of the "Magnolia Gazette" by J.D. Burke in 1872. The "Magnolia Herald" was established by Luke W. Conerly in 1875 and he continued as its proprietor and editor until 1878.

Geography

Magnolia is located at 31°8′57″N 90°27′41″W / 31.14917°N 90.46139°W / 31.14917; -90.46139 (31.149272, -90.461332).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.3 square miles (8.5 km²), of which 3.2 square miles (8.3 km²) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km²) (1.52%) is water.

Demographics

Child laborers scattered throughout the Magnolia Cotton Mills spinning room, 1911. Photo by Lewis Hine.

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States Census, there were 1,883 people, 825 households, and 444 families residing in the city.

Transportation

Highways

• Interstate 55
• U.S. Highway 51
• Mississippi Highway 48

Air

• McComb-Pike County Airport

Services

The City of Magnolia is served by the South Pike School District. The town has one public library. The nearest hospital is Beacham Memorial Hospital.

Recreation

• Percy Quin State Park
• Homochitto National Forest

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Magnolia has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Notable people

• Prentiss Barnes (12 Apr 1925-1 Oct 2006), bass singer in the doo-wop group The Moonglows. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000.
• Aunjanue Ellis. Oscar-nominated actress.
• William W. Parsons (NASA) Director of the Kennedy Space Center, oversaw return to flight following the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster in 2003.
• Michael Farris Smith, writer
• Lynne Spears, author and mother of Bryan, Britney, and Jamie Lynn Spears.
• Davion Taylor NFL Linebacker drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles, 3rd round, in 2020.

See also

In Spanish: Magnolia (Misisipi) para niños