Smithville, Mississippi

Smithville, Mississippi
Town
Water tower in Smithville (2018)
Motto(s):  "Dig in and grow with us" [1]
Location in Monroe County and the state of Mississippi
Smithville, Mississippi Location in the United States
Coordinates: 34°4′7″N88°23′44″W / 34.06861°N 88.39556°W / 34.06861; -88.39556
Country	United States
State	Mississippi
County	Monroe
Area [2]
• Total	1.61 sq mi (4.17 km2)
• Land	1.48 sq mi (3.84 km2)
• Water	0.12 sq mi (0.32 km2)
Elevation	262 ft (80 m)
Population  (2020) [3]
• Total	509
• Density	342.99/sq mi (132.45/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	38870
Area code	662
FIPS code	28-68720
GNIS feature ID	0677945
Website	smithvillems.org

Smithville is a town in Monroe County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 509 at the 2020 census, ^[4] down from 942 in 2010.

History

Smithville is located on lands purchased from Chickasaw chief Che-lah-cha-chubby in 1836. The town is named for William Smith, an early settler who established a store at the site around 1840. The town was incorporated in 1845. ^[5]

2011 tornado

Main articles: 2011 Super Outbreak and 2011 Smithville, Mississippi tornado

On April 27, 2011, at approximately 3:45 p.m. CDT, an EF5 tornado struck the town with winds which were estimated to have peaked at 205 mph (330 km/h). ^[6] A total of 16 people were killed, ^[7] and 40 people were injured. ^[6] In total, 117 structures were destroyed and 50 more sustained major damage from the storm in Monroe County alone, before the tornado continued into Itawamba County. In Smithville, an SUV was lofted and thrown a half mile into the water tower, making a dent, before being carried even further downwind. Other damage included the complete destruction of the city hall, post office, police station, and four churches, along with appliances and plumbing fixtures being shredded or ripped away from foundations and numerous granite tombstones being knocked down. ^[8]

Geography

Smithville is located in northern Monroe County at 34°4′7″N88°23′44″W / 34.06861°N 88.39556°W / 34.06861; -88.39556 (34.068605, -88.395486). ^[9] The town is situated along the east bank of the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway. The waterway's Glover Wilkins Lock is located just downstream (west). Mississippi Highway 25 traverses Smithville, connecting the town with Fulton to the north and Amory to the south.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.6 square miles (4.1 km²), of which 1.5 square miles (3.9 km²) are land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km²), or 7.71%, are water. ^[2]

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1900	150		—
1910	179		19.3%
1920	138		−22.9%
1930	401		190.6%
1940	402		0.2%
1950	419		4.2%
1960	489		16.7%
1970	552		12.9%
1980	866		56.9%
1990	871		0.6%
2000	882		1.3%
2010	942		6.8%
2020	509		−46.0%
U.S. Decennial Census [10]

As of the census ^[11] of 2000, there were 882 people, 365 households, and 243 families residing in the town. The population density 602.1 people per square mile (233.2/km²). There were 404 housing units at an average density of 275.8 per square mile (106.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town is 97.62% White, 1.59% African American, 0.11% Native American, 0.23% Asian, 0.23% from other races, and 0.23% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.79% of the population.

There were 365 households, out of which 33.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.9% were married couples living together, 14.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.4% were non-families. 32.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.4% had someone living alone who 65 years of age or older. The average household size 2.42 and the average family size 3.03.

In the town, the population spread out, with 26.2% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 25.2% from 25 to 44, 22.9% from 45 to 64, and 15.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.9 males.

The median income for a household in the town $32,583, and the median income for a family $38,750. Males had a median income of $30,294 versus $23,958 for females. The per capita income for the town $14,030. About 7.1% of families and 11.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.7% of those under age 18 and 18.7% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Smithville is served by the Monroe County School District. ^[12]

Smithville High School won two 1A football state championships in 1993 and 1998. The school previously vied for the title in 1989, losing to a Mt. Olive (MS) team quarterbacked by future NFL great Steve McNair. The Smithville High School softball team has won the 1A state championship in 2008, 2011, and 2012. ^[13] The Smithville High School Band has won two state marching championships.

Notable people

• Rod Brasfield, a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame and former member of the Grand Ole Opry
• Anthony J. Cox, former member of the Mississippi State Senate ^[14]
• Mississippi Slim, country singer and former member of the Grand Ole Opry ^[15]
• Frances Irene Reels, screenwriter and actress ^[16]

References

1. "Welcome to Smithville". Smithville, Mississippi. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
2. "2023 U.S. Gazetteer Files: Mississippi". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
3. "P1. Race – Smithville town, Mississippi: 2020 DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171)". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
4. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
5. Dalrymple Family Foundation historical marker at Smithville Town Hall. Information accessed September 15, 2018.
6. Public Information Statement. April 29, 2011, NOAA-National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office, Memphis, TN. Retrieved May 1, 2011
7. "Smithville Tornado Victim Dies," Monroe360.com, April 2011. Accessed at the Internet Archive, September 18, 2018.
8. National Climatic Data Center (2011). "NCDC Storm Events Database". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved April 26, 2011.
9. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
10. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
11. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
12. "SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP (2010 CENSUS): Monroe County, MS" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 19, 2021. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
13. "High School Baseball/Softball Scores". Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal. Retrieved May 22, 2012.
14. Rowland, Dunbar (1917). The Official and Statistical Register of the State of Mississippi. Department of Archives and History. pp. 807–808.
15. Guralnick, Peter (2014). Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley. New York, New York: Little, Brown, and Company. p. 34. ISBN   9780316206792.
16. Babington, Bruce; Barr, Charles, eds. (2018). The Call of the Heart: John M. Stahl and Hollywood Melodrama. East Barnet, United Kingdom: John Libbey Publishing. p. 37. ISBN   9780861969494.

External links

• Media related to Smithville, Mississippi at Wikimedia Commons
• Official website