Editing Jasper County, Mississippi

{{short description|County in Mississippi, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox U.S. county
 | county               = Jasper County
 | state                = Mississippi
 | ex image             = Montrose Presbyterian Church.jpg
 | ex image size        = 220px
 | ex image cap         = [[Montrose Presbyterian Church|Historic Montrose Presbyterian Church]]
 | seal                 = 
 | founded              = 1833
 | seat                 = [[Bay Springs, Mississippi|Bay Springs]] and [[Paulding, Mississippi|Paulding]]
 | largest city         = Bay Springs
 | area_total_sq_mi     = 677
 | area_land_sq_mi      = 676
 | area_water_sq_mi     = 1.2
 | area percentage      = 0.2
 | population_as_of     = 2020
 | population_total     = 16367
 | pop_est_as_of        = 
 | population_est       = 
 | population_density_sq_mi = auto
 | district             = 3rd
 | time zone            = Central
 | named for            = [[William Jasper]]
}}

'''Jasper County''' is located in the [[U.S. state]] of [[Mississippi]]. At the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], the population was 16,367.<ref>{{cite web|title=Census - Geography Profile: Jasper County, Mississippi|url=https://data.census.gov/profile/Jasper_County,_Mississippi?g=0500000US28061|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=January 9, 2023}}</ref> In 1906, the state legislature established two county courts, one at the first county seat of [[Paulding, Mississippi|Paulding]] in the eastern part of the county and also one at [[Bay Springs, Mississippi|Bay Springs]] in the west, where the railroad had been constructed.<ref name="GR6">{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |access-date=June 7, 2011 |title=Find a County |publisher=National Association of Counties |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110531210815/http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |archive-date=May 31, 2011 }}</ref> Jasper County is part of the [[Laurel, Mississippi|Laurel]], MS [[Laurel micropolitan area|Micropolitan Statistical Area]].

Bay Springs' growth soon surpassed that of Paulding. No roadway connected the two parts of the county until one was built in 1935–1936. The still largely rural county is the major producer in the state of gas and oil, located in the southeast, and of timber, cattle, and poultry.

==History==
Developed during the period of [[Indian Removal]] from the Southeast and increasing settlement by European Americans in the region, Jasper County was formed in 1833 from the middle section of what was previously a much larger Jones County. It was named for Sgt. [[William Jasper]]<ref>{{cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ | title=The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States | publisher=Govt. Print. Off. | author=Gannett, Henry | year=1905 | pages=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ/page/n167 168]}}</ref> who distinguished himself in the defense of [[Fort Moultrie]] in 1776 during the American Revolutionary War. When a shell from a British warship shot away the flagstaff, he recovered the flag, raised it on a temporary staff, and held it under fire until a new staff was installed. Sgt. Jasper was killed in the [[Siege of Savannah]] in 1779.

During the antebellum years, cotton was cultivated with [[Slavery in the United States|slave labor]] on large plantations in the county. This was the heyday of the county seat of [[Paulding, Mississippi]], called the "Queen City of the East." It was a trading center for the plantations, as well as for yeomen farmers in the area. While some African Americans left the county in the early 20th century during the [[Great Migration (African American)|Great Migration]] out of the rural South to northern cities, in 2010 Jasper County had a population that was 52.6 percent [[African American]], reflecting its history of cotton development and of people's ties to generations in this land.

In the late nineteenth century, when local people declined to invest in railroad construction at Paulding, developers shifted the route to the west, stimulating growth at [[Bay Springs, Mississippi|Bay Springs]], where a sawmill had been built in 1880. About 1900 that community was incorporated as a city. In 1906 the state legislature designated Bay Springs as the second county seat. It attracted major timber companies, such as [[Georgia Pacific]], and other industries.

It was not until 1935–1936, during the [[Great Depression]] under a [[Works Progress Administration|WPA]] project, that the first east–west road was built across the county, connecting the city of Bay Springs in the west with [[Rose Hill, Jasper County, Mississippi|Rose Hill]], north of the community of Paulding, in the east.

Medical facilities have been built at Bay Springs, with the Jasper General Hospital operating since 1962. Jasper General Patient Rehab was constructed on the hospital grounds in 2012 to supplement the offerings.

Recreation in the county includes a 9-hole golf course at the Bay Springs Country Club. Fishing and hunting are available, including around Lake Claude Bennett near Rose Hill.

In the 21st century, the county is still largely rural, leading the state in timber, cattle, and poultry production. It is the state's major producer of gas and oil, with resources concentrated near the community of [[Heidelberg, Mississippi|Heidelberg]].

==Geography==
According to the [[U.S. Census Bureau]], the county has a total area of {{convert|677|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|676|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|1.2|sqmi}} (0.2%) is water.<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_28.txt |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130928074019/http://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_28.txt |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 28, 2013 |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=November 4, 2014 |date=August 22, 2012 |title=2010 Census Gazetteer Files }}</ref>

===Major highways===
* [[Image:I-59.svg|20px]] [[Interstate 59 (Mississippi)|Interstate 59]]
* [[Image:US 11.svg|20px]] [[U.S. Route 11 in Mississippi|U.S. Highway 11]]
* [[Image:Circle sign 15.svg|20px]] [[Mississippi Highway 15]]
* [[Image:Circle sign 18.svg|20px]] [[Mississippi Highway 18]]
* [[Image:Circle sign 503.svg|20px]] [[Mississippi Highway 503]]
* [[Image:Circle sign 513.svg|20px]] [[Mississippi Highway 513]]
* [[Image:Circle sign 528.svg|20px]] [[Mississippi Highway 528]]
* [[Image:Circle sign 531.svg|20px]] [[Mississippi Highway 531]]
* [[Image:Circle sign 533.svg|20px]] [[Mississippi Highway 533]]

===Adjacent counties===
* [[Newton County, Mississippi|Newton County]] (north)
* [[Clarke County, Mississippi|Clarke County]] (east)
* [[Wayne County, Mississippi|Wayne County]] (southeast)
* [[Jones County, Mississippi|Jones County]] (south)
* [[Smith County, Mississippi|Smith County]] (west)

===National protected area===
* [[Bienville National Forest]] (part)

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1840= 3958
|1850= 6184
|1860= 11007
|1870= 10884
|1880= 12126
|1890= 14785
|1900= 15394
|1910= 18498
|1920= 18508
|1930= 18634
|1940= 19484
|1950= 18912
|1960= 16909
|1970= 15994
|1980= 17265
|1990= 17114
|2000= 18149
|2010= 17062
|2020= 16367
|estyear=2023
|estimate=16013
|estref=<ref name="USCensusEst2023">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/tables.html|title=Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=April 5, 2024}}</ref>
|align-fn=center
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=U.S. Decennial Census|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=November 4, 2014}}</ref><br />1790-1960<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu|title=Historical Census Browser|publisher=University of Virginia Library|access-date=November 4, 2014}}</ref> 1900-1990<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/ms190090.txt|title=Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=November 4, 2014}}</ref><br />1990-2000<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100327165705/http://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-date=March 27, 2010 |url-status=live|title=Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=November 4, 2014}}</ref> 2010-2013<ref name="QF">{{cite web|title=State & County QuickFacts|url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/28/28061.html|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=September 3, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607051250/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/28/28061.html|archive-date=June 7, 2011}}</ref>
}}

{| class="wikitable"
|+Jasper County racial composition as of 2020<ref>{{Cite web|title=Explore Census Data|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=0500000US28061&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|access-date=December 17, 2021|website=data.census.gov}}</ref>
!Race
!Num.
!Perc.
|-
|[[White (U.S. Census)|White]] (non-Hispanic)
|7,541
|46.07%
|-
|[[African American (U.S. Census)|Black or African American]] (non-Hispanic)
|8,324
|50.86%
|-
|[[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]]
|28
|0.17%
|-
|[[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]]
|8
|0.05%
|-
|[[Race (United States Census)|Other/Mixed]]
|297
|1.81%
|-
|[[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]]
|169
|1.03%
|}
As of the [[2020 United States census]], there were 16,367 people, 6,629 households, and 4,746 families residing in the county.

==Education==
There are two school districts:<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st28_ms/schooldistrict_maps/c28061_jasper/DC20SD_C28061.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220826000702/https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st28_ms/schooldistrict_maps/c28061_jasper/DC20SD_C28061.pdf |archive-date=August 26, 2022 |url-status=live|title=2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Jasper County, MS|publisher=[[U.S. Census Bureau]]|accessdate=August 25, 2022}} - [https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st28_ms/schooldistrict_maps/c28061_jasper/DC20SD_C28061_SD2MS.txt Text list]</ref>
* [[East Jasper School District]]
* [[West Jasper School District]]

The county is in the zone for [[Jones College (Mississippi)|Jones College]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.jcjc.edu/about/profile.php|title=Profile|publisher=[[Jones College (Mississippi)|Jones College]]|access-date=2024-09-27}}</ref>

==Communities==

===City===
* [[Bay Springs, Mississippi|Bay Springs]] (county seat)

===Towns===
* [[Heidelberg, Mississippi|Heidelberg]]
* [[Louin, Mississippi|Louin]]
* [[Montrose, Mississippi|Montrose]]

===Unincorporated communities===
{{div col}}
* [[Garlandville, Mississippi|Garlandville]]
* [[Lake Como, Mississippi|Lake Como]]
* [[Moss, Mississippi|Moss]]
* [[Paulding, Mississippi|Paulding]]
* [[Rose Hill, Jasper County, Mississippi|Rose Hill]]
* [[Stafford Springs, Mississippi|Stafford Springs]]
* [[Stringer, Mississippi|Stringer]]
* [[Vernon, Jasper County, Mississippi|Vernon]]
* [[Vossburg, Mississippi|Vossburg]]
{{div col end}}

===Ghost town===
* [[Success, Mississippi|Success]]

==In popular culture==
''The Veteran's Story'' is a book written by Ada Christine Lightsey. The subject of the book is [[American Civil War]] veteran Ransom Lightsey and Company F ("Jasper Grays"), [[16th Mississippi Infantry Regiment]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Lightsey |first=Ada Christine |date=1899 |title=The Veteran's Story |url=https://archive.org/details/veteransstoryded00ligh |location=Meridian, Miss. |publisher=The Meridian News |access-date=August 16, 2015}}</ref>

==Politics==
Jasper County was originally almost unanimously [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]], and it has been a Democratic-leaning swing county ever since the [[Civil rights movement|Civil Rights movement]]. From 1984 through 2000, the county was a bellwether, predicting the presidential election winner, but it lost that status in 2004 when it voted for Democrat [[John Kerry]] over incumbent Republican [[George W. Bush]]. After that it was loyal to Democrats especially through the [[Barack Obama|Obama]] era. After this the Democratic margin began narrowing and in 2024 [[Donald Trump]] flipped the county with the highest Republican percentage since 1984.

{{PresHead|place=Jasper County, Mississippi|source=<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS|title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections|last=Leip|first=David|website=uselectionatlas.org|access-date=March 4, 2018}}</ref>}}
<!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{PresRow|2024|Republican|4,118|3,722|50|Mississippi}}
{{PresRow|2020|Democratic|4,302|4,341|93|Mississippi}}
{{PresRow|2016|Democratic|4,038|4,368|69|Mississippi}}
{{PresRow|2012|Democratic|4,193|5,097|50|Mississippi}}
{{PresRow|2008|Democratic|4,135|5,025|50|Mississippi}}
{{PresRow|2004|Democratic|3,855|4,117|37|Mississippi}}
{{PresRow|2000|Republican|3,294|3,104|49|Mississippi}}
{{PresRow|1996|Democratic|2,615|3,170|368|Mississippi}}
{{PresRow|1992|Democratic|2,789|3,059|580|Mississippi}}
{{PresRow|1988|Republican|3,368|3,184|20|Mississippi}}
{{PresRow|1984|Republican|3,727|3,104|71|Mississippi}}
{{PresRow|1980|Democratic|2,781|3,813|79|Mississippi}}
{{PresRow|1976|Democratic|2,356|3,109|48|Mississippi}}
{{PresRow|1972|Republican|3,597|935|52|Mississippi}}
{{PresRow|1968|American Independent|373|987|3,100|Mississippi}}
{{PresRow|1964|Republican|2,994|236|0|Mississippi}}
{{PresRow|1960|Democratic|362|1,147|926|Mississippi}}
{{PresRow|1956|Democratic|287|1,958|200|Mississippi}}
{{PresRow|1952|Democratic|668|1,872|0|Mississippi}}
{{PresRow|1948|Dixiecrat|26|121|1,795|Mississippi}}
{{PresRow|1944|Democratic|47|1,667|0|Mississippi}}
{{PresRow|1940|Democratic|35|1,713|0|Mississippi}}
{{PresRow|1936|Democratic|21|2,004|2|Mississippi}}
{{PresRow|1932|Democratic|38|1,526|15|Mississippi}}
{{PresRow|1928|Democratic|625|979|0|Mississippi}}
{{PresRow|1924|Democratic|61|1,257|1|Mississippi}}
{{PresRow|1920|Democratic|98|899|15|Mississippi}}
{{PresRow|1916|Democratic|38|1,040|37|Mississippi}}
{{PresFoot|1912|Democratic|12|860|70|Mississippi}}

==See also==
{{Portal|Mississippi}}
* [[National Register of Historic Places listings in Jasper County, Mississippi]]
{{clear}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* {{Commons category-inline|Jasper County, Mississippi}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070311022729/http://www.mississippicourthouses.com/Jasper Mississippi Courthouses –Jasper County]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060628043011/http://www.rootsweb.com/~msjasper/jashist.htm History of Jasper County]
* [http://purl.oclc.org/umarchives/MUM00242/ Jasper County, MS Register of Motor Vehicles & Motorcycles &#91;sic&#93; (MUM00242)] at the University of Mississippi, Archives and Special Collections.

{{coord|32.02|-89.12|display=title|type:adm2nd_region:US-MS_source:UScensus1990}}

{{Geographic Location
|Centre    = Jasper County, Mississippi
|North     = [[Newton County, Mississippi|Newton County]]
|Northeast =
|East      = [[Clarke County, Mississippi|Clarke County]]
|Southeast = [[Wayne County, Mississippi|Wayne County]]
|South     = [[Jones County, Mississippi|Jones County]]
|Southwest =
|West      = [[Smith County, Mississippi|Smith County]]
|Northwest =
}}

{{Jasper County, Mississippi}}
{{Mississippi}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Jasper County, Mississippi| ]]
[[Category:Mississippi counties]]
[[Category:Laurel micropolitan area]]
[[Category:1833 establishments in Mississippi]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1833]]
[[Category:Black Belt (U.S. region)]]
[[Category:Majority-minority counties in Mississippi]]