Byhalia, Mississippi
Byhalia, Mississippi | |
---|---|
Country | United States |
State | Mississippi |
County | Marshall |
Area | |
• Total | 2.9 sq mi (7.4 km2) |
• Land | 2.9 sq mi (7.4 km2) |
• Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) |
Elevation | 361 ft (110 m) |
Population (2000) | |
• Total | 1,302 |
• Density | 246.8/sq mi (95.3/km2) |
Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
ZIP code | 38611 |
Area code | 662 |
FIPS code | 28-10060 |
GNIS feature ID | 0667879 |
Byhalia (bye-HAIL-yah)[1]) is a town in Marshall County, Mississippi. The population was 1,302 as of the 2010 census.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.9 square miles (7.5 km2), all land.
History
Like many American places, Byhalia has a complicated history of race relations. The Civil War and abortive Reconstruction engendered bitterness among many whites and did little to turn black residents into community stakeholders. The mutual resentment and mistrust boiled over in 1974, when a black 21 year old named Butler Young Jr. was shot and killed by a police officer after escaping from a squad car. Young had been arrested on suspicion of committing a hit-and-run. The shooting and subsequent handling of the case by the sheriff and grand jury resulted in one of the longest boycotts in Mississippi history. The black boycott of white businesses received national media coverage. The shooting and boycott hardened racial attitudes on both sides. White business owners complained that they were being punished for grievances that they had not caused, while many black community members claimed that the shooting was part of a broader marginalization of blacks.[2][3]
Demographics
The following demographic information is based on 2000 Census information; however, the population of Byhalia has significantly increased in recent years due to immigration and a 2005 annexation of adjacent area. The population in 2007 was estimated at over 2,000.[4]
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 706 people, 275 households, and 188 families residing in the town. The population density was 246.8 people per square mile (95.3/km²). There were 306 housing units at an average density of 107.0 per square mile (41.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 60.76% White, 35.69% African American, 0.14% Native American, 3.12% from other races, and 0.28% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.12% of the population.
There were 275 households out of which 30.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.5% were married couples living together, 22.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.6% were non-families. 27.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.2% 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 3.13.
In the town the population was spread out with 26.5% under the age of 18, 10.8% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 14.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 84.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $26,618, and the median income for a family was $35,313. Males had a median income of $34,375 versus $19,219 for females. The per capita income for the town was $15,156. About 25.0% of families and 26.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 31.2% of those under age 18 and 39.2% of those age 65 or over.
Education
The Town of Byhalia is served by the Marshall County School District, one of the districts being supported by the Mississippi Teacher Corps. [5]
Notable people and events
- The original field recording of "Sea Lion Woman", sung by Katherine and Christine Shipp, was recorded in Byhalia by Herbert Halpert on May 13, 1939.[6]
- Novelist and Nobel laureate William Faulkner died of a heart attack at Wright's Sanitorium in Byhalia in 1962 at the age of 64.
- The soul singer Jan Bradley was born in Byhalia in 1943.
References
- ^ Keith A. Baca Native American place names in Mississippi
- ^ http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,917174-1,00.html
- ^ http://www.thecrimson.com/article/1974/10/2/the-once-and-future-mississippi-plast/
- ^ Town of Byhalia General Development Plan, Working Draft, p. 13, August 18, 2008. http://www.gobyhalia.com/images/stories/townofbyhalia.pdf
- ^ http://marshallcountysd.org/
- ^ http://odeo.com/episodes/11268763-See-Line-Sea-Lion-Woman