Newton County, Mississippi

Newton County
County
Alabama and Vicksburg Railroad Depot
Location within the U.S. state of Mississippi
Mississippi's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 32°25′N89°07′W / 32.41°N 89.12°W / 32.41; -89.12
Country	United States
State	Mississippi
Founded	1836
Seat	Decatur
Largest city	Newton
Area
• Total	580 sq mi (1,500 km2)
• Land	578 sq mi (1,500 km2)
• Water	1.5 sq mi (4 km2)  0.3%
Population  (2020)
• Total	21,291
• Density	37/sq mi (14/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	3rd
Website	www.newtoncountyms.net

Newton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2020 census, the population was 21,291. ^[1] Its county seat is Decatur. ^[2]

History

The land that would become Newton County was purchased from the Choctaw under the terms of the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek. Newton County was split off from the southern part of Neshoba County and organized on February 26, 1836. ^[3] The county is named for scientist Isaac Newton. ^{[4] [5]}

The Battle of Newton's Station was fought in the county on April 24, 1863, during Grierson's Raid of the American Civil War. Union troops pulled up railroad tracks and burned the depot at Newton's Station. ^[6]

In February 1864, General William Tecumseh Sherman crossed the county, burning the county seat at Decatur and was nearly captured during the Meridian Campaign. Sherman stopped during the return trip from Meridian and slept at Boler's Inn in the town of Union. ^[7]

On October 8, 1908, a Black sharecropper named Shep Jones had a dispute with his white employer regarding his work schedule. The altercation escalated, resulting in the employer's death. In response, a white mob terrorized the local Black community, destroying property, burning a church and meeting lodge near Gardlandville, and threatening families. Unable to locate Jones, the mob targeted and lynched his father-in-law, William Fielder, on October 9. The following day, the mob lynched two other Black men, Dee Dawkins and Frank Johnson, who were associated with Jones. The violence prompted many Black residents to flee Newton County. No one was held accountable for the lynchings or the destruction of property. ^[8]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 580 square miles (1,500 km²), of which 578 square miles (1,500 km²) is land and 1.5 square miles (3.9 km²) (0.3%) is water. ^[9]

Major highways

• Interstate 20
• U.S. Highway 80
• Mississippi Highway 15

Adjacent counties

• Neshoba County (north)
• Lauderdale County (east)
• Jasper County (south)
• Scott County (west)

National protected area

• Bienville National Forest (part)

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1840	2,527		—
1850	4,465		76.7%
1860	9,661		116.4%
1870	10,067		4.2%
1880	13,436		33.5%
1890	16,625		23.7%
1900	19,708		18.5%
1910	23,085		17.1%
1920	20,727		−10.2%
1930	22,910		10.5%
1940	24,249		5.8%
1950	22,681		−6.5%
1960	19,517		−14.0%
1970	18,983		−2.7%
1980	19,944		5.1%
1990	20,291		1.7%
2000	21,838		7.6%
2010	21,720		−0.5%
2020	21,291		−2.0%
2023 (est.)	21,019	[10]	−1.3%
U.S. Decennial Census [11] 1790-1960 [12] 1900-1990 [13] 1990-2000 [14] 2010-2013 [15]

2020 census

Newton County Racial Composition ^[16]

Race	Num.	Perc.
White	12,796	60.1%
Black or African American	6,447	30.28%
Native American	1,169	5.49%
Asian	77	0.36%
Other/Mixed	473	2.22%
Hispanic or Latino	329	1.55%

As of the 2020 United States Census, there were 21,291 people, 8,037 households, and 5,697 families residing in the county.

2000 census

As of the census ^[17] of 2000, there were 21,838 people, 8,221 households, and 6,001 families residing in the county. The population density was 38 people per square mile (15 people/km²). There were 9,259 housing units at an average density of 16 per square mile (6.2/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 65.01% white, 30.37% black or African American, 3.68% Native American, 0.18% Asian, 0.33% from other races, and 0.44% from two or more races. 0.91% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 8,221 households, out of which 33.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.00% were married couples living together, 16.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.00% were non-families. 24.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.04.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.20% under the age of 18, 11.20% from 18 to 24, 26.00% from 25 to 44, 21.70% from 45 to 64, and 14.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 92.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.70 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $28,735, and the median income for a family was $34,606. Males had a median income of $27,820 versus $20,757 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,008. About 16.40% of families and 19.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.30% of those under age 18 and 21.70% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

City

• Newton

Towns

• Chunky
• Decatur (county seat)
• Hickory
• Lake (mostly in Scott County)
• Union (partly in Neshoba County)

Census-designated place

• Conehatta

Unincorporated communities

• Battlefield
• Cedar Grove
• Duffee
• Lawrence
• Little Rock
• Perdue
• Stratton

Ghost towns

• Volcan

Politics

United States presidential election results for Newton County, Mississippi ^[18]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	6,641	71.23%	2,603	27.92%	79	0.85%
2020	6,997	68.71%	3,075	30.20%	111	1.09%
2016	6,548	69.38%	2,756	29.20%	134	1.42%
2012	6,394	65.40%	3,319	33.95%	64	0.65%
2008	6,579	66.76%	3,218	32.65%	58	0.59%
2004	6,165	72.63%	2,280	26.86%	43	0.51%
2000	5,540	71.59%	2,147	27.75%	51	0.66%
1996	4,223	61.30%	2,163	31.40%	503	7.30%
1992	5,128	65.69%	2,146	27.49%	532	6.82%
1988	5,658	70.70%	2,332	29.14%	13	0.16%
1984	5,911	73.23%	2,127	26.35%	34	0.42%
1980	4,317	54.36%	3,455	43.51%	169	2.13%
1976	3,813	57.00%	2,741	40.97%	136	2.03%
1972	5,585	88.05%	597	9.41%	161	2.54%
1968	542	7.85%	799	11.58%	5,561	80.57%
1964	4,735	95.21%	238	4.79%	0	0.00%
1960	508	15.05%	912	27.01%	1,956	57.94%
1956	360	11.52%	2,359	75.46%	407	13.02%
1952	851	25.70%	2,460	74.30%	0	0.00%
1948	39	1.47%	169	6.38%	2,442	92.15%
1944	56	2.18%	2,516	97.82%	0	0.00%
1940	41	1.61%	2,495	98.27%	3	0.12%
1936	39	1.46%	2,624	98.42%	3	0.11%
1932	56	2.41%	2,253	97.11%	11	0.47%
1928	368	15.07%	2,074	84.93%	0	0.00%
1924	72	3.95%	1,657	90.94%	93	5.10%
1920	108	7.73%	1,208	86.41%	82	5.87%
1916	19	1.34%	1,341	94.70%	56	3.95%
1912	6	0.47%	1,197	94.62%	62	4.90%

Education

School districts include: ^[19]

• Newton County School District
• Newton Municipal School District
• Union Public School District

Conehatta Elementary School of the Choctaw Tribal School System is in the community. ^[20]

See also

• Dry counties
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Newton County, Mississippi

References

1. "Census - Geography Profile: Newton County, Mississippi". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 14, 2023.
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties . Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. r2WPadmin. "Newton County". Mississippi Encyclopedia. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
4. Rowland, Dunbar (1907). Mississippi: Comprising Sketches of Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form. Vol. 2. Southern Historical Publishing Association. p. 339.
5. "Newton County Mississippi". Newton County. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
6. "Grierson's Raid Historical Marker". www.hmdb.org. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
7. "Boler's Inn Historical Marker". www.hmdb.org. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
8. "Descendants of Lynching Victims Dedicate Historical Marker in Hickory, Mississippi". Equal Justice Initiative. August 19, 2021. Retrieved October 12, 2021.
9. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on September 28, 2013. Retrieved November 6, 2014.
10. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
11. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 6, 2014.
12. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved November 6, 2014.
13. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 6, 2014.
14. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved November 6, 2014.
15. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on March 9, 2013. Retrieved September 4, 2013.
16. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
17. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
18. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 4, 2018.
19. "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Newton County, MS" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 19, 2021. Retrieved August 6, 2022. - Text list
20. "Home". Conehatta Elementary School. Retrieved August 6, 2022. 851 Tushka Drive Conehatta, MS 39057

Further reading

• A.J. Brown, History of Newton County, Mississippi from 1834 to 1894. Jackson, MS: Clarion-Ledger Co., 1894. • HTML version
• Nicholas Russell Murray, Newton County, Mississippi, 1872-1900. Hammond, LA: Hunting for Bears, 1981.
• Newton County Pictorial History Committee, Newton County, Mississippi: A Pictorial History. Humboldt, TN: Rose Publishing Co., 2000.

32°25′N89°07′W / 32.41°N 89.12°W / 32.41; -89.12