Crosby, Mississippi

Crosby
Town
Location of Crosby, Mississippi
Crosby Location in Mississippi Show map of Mississippi Crosby Crosby (the United States) Show map of the United States
Coordinates: 31°16′44″N91°3′41″W / 31.27889°N 91.06139°W / 31.27889; -91.06139
Country	United States
State	Mississippi
Counties	Wilkinson, Amite
Area [1]
• Total	2.13 sq mi (5.51 km2)
• Land	2.12 sq mi (5.49 km2)
• Water	0.01 sq mi (0.02 km2)
Elevation	171 ft (52 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	242
• Density	114.20/sq mi (44.08/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	39633
Area code	601
FIPS code	28-16620
GNIS feature ID	0693015 [2]

Crosby is a town in Amite and Wilkinson counties, Mississippi, United States. It is part of the McComb, Mississippi micropolitan statistical area. Its population was 242 at the 2020 census. ^[3]

History

Crosby was originally named Dayton in 1884, as a tribute to landowner David Day, who provided a right-of-way for the Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad (Y&MV). ^{[4] [5]} In 1900, the population of Dayton was 30. ^{[6] : 637}

By 1916, the Foster Creek Lumber Company had acquired around 52,000 acres (21,000 ha) of timberland in Wilkinson and Amite Counties, which included Dayton. At that time, two Stephenson brothers from Michigan were building several sawmills in south Mississippi and purchased the Foster Creek Lumber Company landholdings. ^[5] The Stephenson brothers had a new sawmill constructed as well as a new town that included modern homes, a commissary, and post office near the Y&MV railroad. The old town of Dayton was moved to the new town which was renamed Stephenson. ^{[4] [5]} By July 1917, the sawmill was completed and started processing lumber. Because the Stephenson brothers were most interested in building sawmills rather than operating them, they sold their interest in the Foster Creek Lumber and Manufacturing Company in 1918. ^[5]

The Foster Creek Lumber Company sawmill at Stephenson continued to operate through the 1920s. Because the company was heavily mortgaged, it was negatively impacted by the Great Depression in 1929, and the sawmill closed in 1931. ^[5]

In January 1934, L.O. Crosby Sr., a wealthy, self-made lumberman from Picayune, Mississippi purchased Foster Creek Lumber and Manufacturing Company including the sawmill, the town of Stephenson, and 55,000 acres (22,000 ha) of timberland. ^[5] The town of Stephenson was renamed Crosby on April 4, 1934. ^{[4] [5]} L.O. Crosby reactivated the Stephenson sawmill in 1934 under the name Crosby Lumber and Manufacturing Company, and the sawmill continued to operate for another 28 years, shutting down in November 1963. ^[5]

In 1965, Crosby Lumber and Manufacturing sold its landholdings in the area to St. Regis Paper Company, and the Crosby sawmill was sold to Hood Lumber Company. ^[5]

Geography

Crosby straddles the boundary between Amite County on the north and east and Wilkinson County on the west. In the 2000 census, 258 of the town's 360 residents (71.7%) lived in Wilkinson County and 102 (28.3%) in Amite County. ^[7] According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.1 square miles (5.5 km²), of which 2.1 square miles (5.5 km²) is land and 0.47% is water.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1940	1,489		—
1950	1,152		−22.6%
1960	705		−38.8%
1970	491		−30.4%
1980	349		−28.9%
1990	465		33.2%
2000	360		−22.6%
2010	318		−11.7%
2020	242		−23.9%
U.S. Decennial Census [8]

Crosby racial composition as of 2020 ^[3]

Race	Num.	Perc.
White (non-Hispanic)	55	22.73%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	175	72.31%
Other/Mixed	10	4.13%
Hispanic or Latino	2	0.83%

According to the 2020 United States census, there were 242 people, 99 households, and 59 families residing in the town; its racial and ethnic makeup in 2020 was 72.31% Black or African American, 22.73% non-Hispanic white, 4.13% other or mixed, and 0.83% Hispanic or Latino of any race. ^[3]

Education

The town of Crosby is served by two public school districts: Amite County and Wilkinson County (for the Wilkinson County portion). ^{[9] [10]}

Both counties are in the district of Southwest Mississippi Community College. ^[11]

Notable people

• Boyd Brown, former tight end for the Denver Broncos and New York Giants ^[12]

References

1. "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
2. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Crosby, Mississippi
3. "2020 Race and Population Totals". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
4. Mississippi Department of Archives and History. "Historical Markers in Amite County: Crosby". mississippimarkers.com. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
5. "Mississippi Rails|Foster Creek Lumber & Manufacturing Co. and Crosby Lumber & Manufacturing Co". www.msrailroads.com. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
6. Rowland, Dunbar, ed. (1907). "Mississippi: Comprising Sketches of Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form (Volume I)" (PDF). archive.org. Atlanta: Southern Historical Publishing Association.
7. "Subcounty population estimates: Mississippi 2000-2006". United States Census Bureau, Population Division. June 28, 2007. Archived from the original (CSV) on November 26, 2007. Retrieved July 21, 2007.
8. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
9. "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Amite County, MS" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau . Retrieved April 25, 2022.
10. "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Wilkinson County, MS" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau . Retrieved April 25, 2022.
11. "Welcome from the President". Southwest Mississippi Community College . Retrieved September 27, 2024.
12. Reed, Carlee (December 26, 2014). "Boyd Brown Jr". The Natchez Democrat. Retrieved May 18, 2020.

External links

• Town of Crosby official website