Utica, Mississippi

This article is about the town in Mississippi. For other uses, see Utica (disambiguation).

Utica, Mississippi
Town
Location of Utica, Mississippi
Utica, Mississippi Location in the United States
Coordinates: 32°06′21″N90°37′20″W / 32.10583°N 90.62222°W / 32.10583; -90.62222
Country	United States
State	Mississippi
County	Hinds
Government
• Type	Mayor-Council
Area [1]
• Total	3.00 sq mi (7.78 km2)
• Land	3.00 sq mi (7.76 km2)
• Water	0.01 sq mi (0.02 km2)
Elevation [2]	285 ft (87 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	636
• Density	212.35/sq mi (82.00/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	39175
Area code	601
FIPS code	28-75760
GNIS feature ID	2406782 [2]

Utica is a town in Hinds County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 820 at the 2010 census, ^[3] down from 966 at the 2000 census. Utica is part of the Jackson Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Utica was originally an area known as Cane Ridge. ^[4] In 1837, it was given the name Utica at the suggestion of the then postmaster, Ozias Osborn, who came from Utica, New York. ^[5] The town was incorporated in 1880.

Utica was located on the Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad. A weekly newspaper, the Herald, was established in 1897. In the early 1900s, Utica had several churches, eight hotels, a public school for white students, and an industrial college for black students. Agriculture consisted of watermelons, cotton and timber. The settlement had a sawmill, three cotton gins, and a brick plant. The population in 1907 was nearly 1,000. ^[6]

Geography

Utica is in southwest Hinds County at the junctions of Mississippi Highways 18 and 27. Highway 18 leads northeast 32 miles (51 km) to Jackson, the state capital, and southwest 28 miles (45 km) to Port Gibson, while Highway 27 leads northwest 25 miles (40 km) to Vicksburg and southeast 20 miles (32 km) to Crystal Springs.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Utica has a total area of 3.0 square miles (7.8 km²), of which 0.01 square miles (0.02 km²), or 0.25%, are water. ^[3]

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by relatively high temperatures and evenly distributed precipitation throughout the year. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Utica has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps. ^[7]

Climate data for Utica, Mississippi
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	16 (60)	17 (63)	21 (70)	25 (77)	29 (84)	33 (91)	33 (92)	34 (93)	32 (89)	27 (80)	21 (69)	16 (61)	25 (77)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	3 (38)	4 (40)	8 (46)	12 (53)	16 (60)	19 (67)	21 (70)	21 (70)	18 (64)	12 (53)	7 (44)	4 (39)	12 (54)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	120 (4.8)	120 (4.7)	140 (5.6)	130 (5.2)	120 (4.7)	100 (4.1)	120 (4.8)	89 (3.5)	69 (2.7)	64 (2.5)	91 (3.6)	130 (5.2)	1,310 (51.5)
Source: Weatherbase [8]

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1880	230		—
1890	370		60.9%
1900	540		45.9%
1910	572		5.9%
1920	445		−22.2%
1930	652		46.5%
1940	818		25.5%
1950	824		0.7%
1960	764		−7.3%
1970	1,019		33.4%
1980	1,064		4.4%
1990	1,033		−2.9%
2000	966		−6.5%
2010	820		−15.1%
2020	636		−22.4%
U.S. Decennial Census [9]

2020 census

Utica racial composition ^[10]

Race	Num.	Perc.
White (non-Hispanic)	129	20.28%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	429	67.45%
Native American	6	0.94%
Other/Mixed	12	1.89%
Hispanic or Latino	60	9.43%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 636 people, 337 households, and 199 families residing in the town.

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 820 people living in the town. The racial makeup of the town was 64.0% Black, 26.8% White, 0.1% Native American, 0.2% from some other race and 0.1% from two or more races. 8.7% were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

2000 census

As of the census ^[11] of 2000, there were 966 people, 339 households, and 241 families living in the town. The population density was 323.0 inhabitants per square mile (124.7/km²). There were 397 housing units at an average density of 132.7 per square mile (51.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 30.54% White, 66.36% African American, 0.10% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 2.07% from other races, and 0.62% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.83% of the population.

There were 339 households, out of which 29.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.8% were married couples living together, 27.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.9% were non-families. 26.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.85 and the average family size was 3.43.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 28.8% under the age of 18, 11.7% from 18 to 24, 24.8% from 25 to 44, 18.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 94.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.9 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $27,614, and the median income for a family was $30,083. Males had a median income of $28,594 versus $21,932 for females. The per capita income for the town was $11,491. About 17.1% of families and 27.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 37.1% of those under age 18 and 24.5% of those age 65 or over.

Religion and society

Utica is the location of the URJ Henry S. Jacobs Camp, organized by the Union for Reform Judaism and dating to when there were more Jews in smaller communities throughout the South. Most now live in larger urban areas with more professional opportunities.

The town is home to several churches of various denominations, including the following on Main Street: Utica Baptist Church (founded in 1829 and affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention), Utica Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Utica United Methodist Church, and St. Peter's Missionary Baptist Church, a black Baptist church founded after the Civil War in 1867 by freedmen. Because black Baptists withdrew en masse from white Baptist churches across the South, St. Peter's was founded as a mission of the white Baptist church in Utica. Black Baptists soon founded independent state associations of their congregations and organized a national convention by the end of the century. There are several other houses of worship in the town proper, as well as others in the county nearby.

Education

Utica is served by the Hinds County School District. Students up to grade nine attend Utica Elementary-Middle School, and older students attend Raymond High School in Raymond. ^[12]

It is also the home of the Utica campus of Hinds Community College. Founded in 1903 as Utica Normal and Industrial Institute, a technical school for African Americans, the institute became known as Utica Junior College. ^[13] Utica was also home to the former Hinds County Agricultural High School.

Jackson/Hinds Library System operates the Evelyn Taylor Majure Library in Utica. ^[14]

Notable people

• Woodrow Borah, historian ^[15]
• Alonzo Bradley who played for Texas Southern University and who was the MVP of the 1977 NAIA basketball championship
• Zack Bragg, first mayor of West Memphis, Arkansas ^[16]
• Charles H. Griffin, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Mississippi's 3rd congressional district ^[17]
• William Henry Holtzclaw, educator and the founder of Utica Institute which became Hinds Community College
• Lindsey Hunter, professional basketball player and coach ^[18]
• Robert Moreland, former basketball coach for Texas Southern ^[19]
• Sonny Boy Nelson, Delta blues musician ^[20]
• Derek Newton, offensive lineman for Houston Texans
• Pete Perry, former professional basketball player ^[21]
• Willie Lee Simmons, former member of the Mississippi State Senate ^[22]
• Marcell Young, professional football defensive back ^[23]

References

1. "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
2. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Utica, Mississippi
3. "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (G001): Utica town, Mississippi". American Factfinder. U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved August 17, 2017.
4. Mary Collins Landin, "Utica," Hinds County Mississippi MSGenWeb (Page Created July 3, 2005)
5. Mary Collins Landin, "Utica Baptist Church Celebrates 175th Anniversary, 1825-2004," SARRETT/SARRATT/SURRATT Families of America (SFA) (website)
6. Rowland, Dunbar (1907). Mississippi: Comprising Sketches of Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form. Vol. 2. Southern Historical Publishing Association. p. 846.
7. Climate Summary for Utica, Mississippi
8. "Weatherbase.com". Weatherbase. 2013. Retrieved on September 21, 2013.
9. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
10. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved 2021-12-16.
11. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved 2008-01-31.
12. "attendance_zone.jpg." Hinds County School District. July 21, 2011. Retrieved on December 29, 2018. The map states: "High School Students from Zone 1 [Utica] attend Raymond High School"
13. Holtzclaw, William Henry (1915). The Black man's burden. New York: The Neale Publishing company. pp.  104–106. Retrieved 10 January 2019.
14. "Evelyn Taylor Majure Library." Jackson/Hinds Library System. Retrieved on December 29, 2018.
15. "Woodrow W. Borah, History: Berkeley". Calisphere. University of California. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
16. "Zach T. Bragg obituary, 1967". Arkansas Digital Archives. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
17. United States. Congress (1969). Official Congressional Directory. U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 93.
18. "Lindsey Hunter - Staff Directory - Mississippi Valley State University". MVSU Athletics. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
19. Washington, Robert. "TSU Celebrates Robert Moreland". Praise Houston. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
20. Justin Gage; Melissa Gage (4 May 2009). Explorer's Guide Memphis & the Delta Blues Trail: A Great Destination. Woodstock, Vermont: Countryman Press. p. 214. ISBN   978-1-58157-923-9.
21. "John "Pete" Perry". Draft Review. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
22. "Willie Simmons' Biography". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
23. "Marcell Young Stats". Pro Football Archives. Retrieved 18 May 2021.