Editing Jonestown, Coahoma County, Mississippi

{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name            = Jonestown, Mississippi
| settlement_type          = [[Town]]
| motto                    = 
<!-- Images -->
| image_skyline            = File:Jonestown, Coahoma County, Mississippi.jpg
| imagesize                = 
| image_caption            = Church Street in Jonestown
| image_flag               = Flag of Jonestown, Mississippi.svg
| image_seal               = 
<!-- Maps -->
| image_map                = Coahoma_County_Mississippi_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Jonestown_Highlighted.svg
| mapsize                  = 250px
| map_caption              = Location of Jonestown in Coahoma County, Mississippi
| pushpin_map              = USA
| pushpin_map_caption      = Location in the United States
<!-- Location -->
| subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name         = United States
| subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1        = [[Mississippi]]
| subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Mississippi|County]]
| subdivision_name2        = [[Coahoma County, Mississippi|Coahoma]]
<!-- Government -->
| government_footnotes     = 
| government_type          = 
| leader_title             = 
| leader_name              = 
| established_title        = 
| established_date         = 
<!-- Area -->
| unit_pref                = Imperial
| area_footnotes           = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_28.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=July 24, 2022}}</ref>
| area_total_km2           = 1.00
| area_land_km2            = 1.00
| area_water_km2           = 0.00
| area_total_sq_mi         = 0.39
| area_land_sq_mi          = 0.39
| area_water_sq_mi         = 0.00
<!-- Population -->
| population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_footnotes     = 
| population_total         = 962
| population_density_km2   = 958.79
| population_density_sq_mi = 2485.79
<!-- General information -->
| timezone                 = [[North American Central Time Zone|Central (CST)]]
| utc_offset               = -6
| timezone_DST             = CDT
| utc_offset_DST           = -5
| elevation_footnotes      = <ref name=gnis/>
| elevation_ft             = 171
| coordinates              = {{coord|34|19|20|N|90|27|15|W|region:US-MS|display=inline,title}}
| postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
| postal_code              = 38639
| area_code                = [[Area code 662|662]]
| blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info               = 28-36800<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref>
| blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info              = 2405920<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2405920}}</ref>
| website                  = 
| footnotes                = 
}}

'''Jonestown''' is a town in [[Coahoma County, Mississippi|Coahoma County]], [[Mississippi]], United States. Per the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], the population was 962.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Jonestown town, Mississippi|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=1600000US2836800|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]|accessdate=April 15, 2022}}</ref>

==History==
The Matagorda Plantation, located north of Jonestown, was established by Colonel D.M. Russell and his wife before the [[American Civil War|Civil War]]. Matagorda was named after a special variety of [[long-staple cotton]] raised there.<ref>{{cite book | title = Mississippi: The WPA Guide to the Magnolia State | publisher = Viking Press | year = 1938 | isbn = 9781604732894 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=C4VQ8viRWvYC&pg=PP1}}</ref>

Jonestown was a stop on the [[Mississippi Delta Railroad|Mobile & North Western Railroad]], completed from Jonestown to [[Lula, Mississippi|Lula]] in 1879. Jonestown was incorporated in 1880.<ref>{{cite web | last = Howe | first = Tony | title = Jonestown, Mississippi | publisher = Mississippi Rails | url = http://www.msrailroads.com/Towns/Jonestown.htm | access-date = February 1, 2014}}</ref>

In 1965, John Wing was elected mayor of Jonestown, the first [[Chinese-American]] mayor in Mississippi.<ref>{{cite web | last = Osborn | first = Jeffrey | title = How Asians have Clashed with U.S. Politics | publisher = Northwest Asian Weekly | date = November 10, 2011 | url = http://www.nwasianweekly.com/2011/11/how-asians-have-clashed-with-u-s-politics/}}</ref>

==Geography==
Jonestown is located in northeastern Coahoma County. It is {{convert|2.5|mi}} east of U.S. Routes [[U.S. Route 49#Mississippi|49]] and [[U.S. Route 61 in Mississippi|61]] and {{convert|13|mi}} northeast of [[Clarksdale, Mississippi|Clarksdale]], the [[county seat]].

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{convert|1.0|sqkm|order=flip}}, all land.<ref name="Census 2010">{{cite web| url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/1600000US2836800| archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212191628/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/1600000US2836800| url-status=dead| archive-date=February 12, 2020| title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Jonestown town, Mississippi| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder| access-date=October 7, 2014}}</ref>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|align=right
|1880= 147
|1890= 286
|1900= 317
|1910= 367
|1920= 469
|1930= 506
|1940= 706
|1950= 741
|1960= 889
|1970= 1110
|1980= 1231
|1990= 1467
|2000= 1701
|2010= 1298
|2020= 962
|align-fn=center
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census/decade.html|title=Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades|publisher=[[US Census Bureau]]|access-date=}}</ref><br> 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2/> 2020<ref name=2020CensusP2/>
}}
[[File:JonestownSign.jpg|thumb|right|Jonestown sign]]

===2020 census===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+'''Jonestown town, Mississippi – Racial and ethnic composition'''<br><small>{{nobold|''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.''}}</small>
!Race / Ethnicity <small>(''NH = Non-Hispanic'')</small>
!Pop 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>{{Cite web|title=P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Jonestown town, Mississippi|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=1600000US2836800&tid=DECENNIALPL2010.P2|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref>
!{{partial|Pop 2020}}<ref name=2020CensusP2>{{Cite web|title=P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Jonestown town, Mississippi|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=1600000US2836800&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref>
!% 2010
!{{partial|% 2020}}
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino whites|White]] alone (NH)
|22
|style='background: #ffffe6; |5
|1.69%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.52%
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino African Americans|Black or African American]] alone (NH)
|1,268
|style='background: #ffffe6; |944
|97.69%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |98.13%
|-
|[[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] or [[Alaska Native]] alone (NH)
|1
|style='background: #ffffe6; |1
|0.08%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.10%
|-
|[[Asian Americans|Asian]] alone (NH)
|0
|style='background: #ffffe6; |1
|0.00%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.10%
|-
|[[Native Hawaiian]] or [[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]] alone (NH)
|0
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0
|0.00%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.00%
|-
|[[Race and ethnicity in the United States census|Other race]] alone (NH)
|0
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0
|0.00%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.00%
|-
|[[Multiracial Americans|Mixed race or Multiracial]] (NH)
|3
|style='background: #ffffe6; |4
|0.23%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.42%
|-
|[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] (any race)
|4
|style='background: #ffffe6; |7
|0.31%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.73%
|-
|'''Total'''
|'''1,298'''
|style='background: #ffffe6; |'''962'''
|'''100.00%'''
|style='background: #ffffe6; |'''100.00%'''
|}

===2000 Census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 1,701 people, 491 households, and 364 families residing in the town. The population density was {{convert|4,315.1|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 514 housing units at an average density of {{convert|1,303.9|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units&nbsp;|units|}}. The racial makeup of the town was 96.30% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 2.59% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.06% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.06% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 0.24% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 0.76% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 0.47% of the population.

There were 491 households, of which 47.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 21.2% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 47.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.7% were non-families. 21.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.46 and the average family size was 4.05.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 44.4% under the age of 18, 11.1% from 18 to 24, 25.0% from 25 to 44, 11.5% from 45 to 64, and 7.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 21 years. For every 100 females, there were 82.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 65.8 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $17,250 (in 1999 dollars), and the median income for a family was $18,958. Males had a median income of $16,146 versus $19,125 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $8,258. About 49.6% of families and 52.1% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 57.7% of those under age 18 and 56.3% of those age 65 or over.

==Economy==
Delta Oil Mill has been producing [[cottonseed]] products in Jonestown since 1942.<ref>{{cite web | title = Company Profile | date=2005 | publisher = Delta Oil Mill | url = http://www.deltaoilmill.com/profile.htm | access-date =March 13, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150813061956/http://www.deltaoilmill.com/profile.htm | archive-date=August 13, 2015 }}</ref>

In a 2000 study published by [[Mississippi State University]], Jonestown was described as a community "plagued by difficult problems." Agriculture no longer supported the town as it once had, and many Jonestown residents were employed outside the community. "The direction of Jonestown has declined because of the loss of its financial independence. Citizens have been forced to seek opportunity outside of their own town. As people become more dependent on other cities, the need to stay in Jonestown diminishes."<ref>{{cite web | last = Criss | first = Shannon | title = Jonestown, Mississippi: 1999 | publisher = Mississippi State University | year = 2000 | access-date =March 13, 2021 | url = http://kubuildingtech.org/scriss/projects/jonestown/jonestown.pdf | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141011180205/http://kubuildingtech.org/scriss/projects/jonestown/jonestown.pdf | archive-date=October 11, 2014 }}</ref>

Pulitzer Prize-winning poet [[Charles Simic]] wrote in 2006:<blockquote>There are towns like Jonestown, Mississippi, that in their shocking poverty make one gasp. Weathered, sagging and unpainted houses, boarded-up windows, others covered with plastic, yards full of dismantled rusty cars, their parts scattered about amid all kinds of other junk and trash, are everywhere. Idle people of all ages lounge on collapsing porches or stand on street corners waiting for something to do. In the countryside with its fertile dark soil, soybeans have become the chief crop, poultry farms are a major business, and there are nine gambling casinos in the next county. All that has increased per capita income in the region, but there was no evidence of it among the blacks I saw.<ref>{{cite book | last = Simic | first = Charles | title = Memory Piano | publisher = University of Michigan Press | year = 2006 | isbn = 0472069403 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=dUHG2XvydBQC&pg=PP1}}</ref></blockquote>

==Education==
Jonestown is served by the [[Coahoma County School District]]. Residents are served by Jonestown Elementary School and [[Coahoma County Junior-Senior High School]].<ref>"[http://www.coahoma.k12.ms.us/schools.html Schools] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170704040831/http://www.coahoma.k12.ms.us/schools.html |date=2017-07-04 }}." [[Coahoma County School District]]. Retrieved on July 6, 2017.</ref>

==Infrastructure==
Durocher Service Program is a well-regarded benevolent organization providing social services to Jonestown residents. It is operated by the [[Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary]].<ref>{{cite web | title = Jonestown Family Center for Education and Wellness | publisher = Jonestown Family Center | year = 2010 | url = http://www.jonestownfamilycenter.com/}}</ref> Catholic Cardinal [[Avery Dulles]] described the work of the ministry in Jonestown as "bringing hope to people on the verge of desperation."<ref>{{cite book | last = Avery Cardinal Dulles | title = Christianity and Humanitarian Action | work = Traditions, Values, and Humanitarian Action | publisher = Center for International Health and Cooperation | year = 2003 | isbn = 9780823222889 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=8XBjEtg5uEEC&pg=PP1}}</ref> In 2012, one of the program's nuns survived being beaten and stabbed during a robbery at her Jonestown home.<ref>{{cite web | last = Miles | first = Jason | title = Nun Attacked in Rural North Mississippi Home | publisher = WMCTV | date = May 14, 2012 | url = http://www.wmctv.com/story/18401778/nun-attacked-in-rural-north-mississippi-home}}</ref>

==Notable people==
* [[Luke Easter (baseball)|Luke Easter]], one of the first African-Americans in major-league baseball; first baseman for the [[Cleveland Indians]]<ref>{{cite web | title = Luke Easter | publisher = Sports Reference | url = https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/e/eastelu01.shtml | access-date = December 1, 2013}}</ref>
* [[Oscar Reed]], professional football player<ref>{{cite web | title = Oscar Reed | publisher =  DatabaseSports.com | url = http://www.databasefootball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=REEDOSC01 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070205155442/http://www.databasefootball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=REEDOSC01 | url-status = usurped | archive-date = February 5, 2007 | access-date = December 1, 2013}}</ref>
* [[Owen Whitfield]], preacher and union organizer<ref>{{cite book | last = Craig | first = Robert H. | title = Religion and Radical Politics: An Alternative Christian Tradition in the United States | publisher = Temple University Press | year = 1992 | isbn = 9781566393355 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=HtXTfuY878AC&pg=PP1}}</ref>
* [[Seelig Wise]] (1913–2004), farmer in Jonestown and the first Republican member of the [[Mississippi State Senate]] since [[Reconstruction era in the United States|Reconstruction]]<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.pressregister.com/article_b087cf45-a5b0-5c9e-b798-4dd9cf620d9f.html|title=Seelig Bartel "Bushie" Wise, September 7, 2004|newspaper=[[Clarksdale Press Register]]|access-date=May 10, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150904021739/http://www.pressregister.com/article_b087cf45-a5b0-5c9e-b798-4dd9cf620d9f.html|archive-date=September 4, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
* [http://www.coahoma.k12.ms.us/jonestown/ Jonestown Elementary School] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140128055922/http://www.coahoma.k12.ms.us/jonestown/ |date=January 28, 2014 }}
* [http://www.alisonwright.com/#/documentary-galleries/third-world-america/Third_World_America-1 Photographs] by [[Alison Wright (photojournalist)|Alison Wright]], part of her Third World America series

{{Coahoma County, Mississippi}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Towns in Coahoma County, Mississippi]]
[[Category:Towns in Mississippi]]