Jefferson Davis County, Mississippi

Jefferson Davis County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2020 census, the population was 11,321.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Its county seat is Prentiss.<ref name="GR6">Template:Cite web</ref> The county is named after Mississippi Senator and Confederate President Jefferson Davis. The county was carved out of Covington and Lawrence counties in March 1906. Governor James K. Vardaman signed the bill creating the county on May 9, 1906.

History

The genesis of the county occurred on March 31, 1906, when a Mississippi state legislative act authorized the new country's boundaries. The residents of western Covington County and eastern Lawrence County had frequently complained of the rivers and streams impeding the route to their respective county seats. Jefferson Davis County was the state's 77th county.

A 1906 special referendum determined that the county seat would be Prentiss, named for either famed Mississippi lawmaker and orator Seargent Smith Prentiss, or wealthy landowner Prentiss Webb Berry. The settlement was originally named Blountville after early settler William Blount.

In 1933, the county was the first in Mississippi to issue a prohibition on alcohol after the repeal of the Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. Round dancing in the community hall was banned in 1938.

In 1935, notorious bank robber Raymond Hamilton, known to hide out in the county's wilderness, was involved in a hostage situation after robbing Prentiss' Bank of Blountville, but escaped in Memphis.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert is land and Template:Convert (0.2%) is water.<ref name="GR1">Template:Cite web</ref>

Major highways

• File:US 84.svg U.S. Route 84
• File:Circle sign 13.svg Mississippi Highway 13
• File:Circle sign 35.svg Mississippi Highway 35
• File:Circle sign 42.svg Mississippi Highway 42
• File:Circle sign 43.svg Mississippi Highway 43

Adjacent counties

• Simpson County (north)
• Covington County (east)
• Lamar County (southeast)
• Marion County (south)
• Lawrence County (west)

Demographics

Jefferson Davis County racial composition as of 2020<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Race	Num.	Perc.
White (non-Hispanic)	4,330	38.25%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	6,622	58.49%
Native American	8	0.07%
Asian	21	0.19%
Other/Mixed	239	2.11%
Hispanic or Latino	101	0.89%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 11,321 people, 4,713 households, and 3,003 families residing in the county.

Communities

Towns

• Bassfield
• Prentiss (county seat)

Unincorporated communities

• Carson
• Oak Vale (partly in Lawrence County)

Ghost town

• Mount Carmel

Politics

Typical of a majority-black county in Mississippi, Jefferson Davis leans Democratic and last voted Republican in 1984.Template:PresHead Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresFoot

Historic sites

Jefferson Davis County Courthouse in Prentiss is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Education

All residents are zoned to the Jefferson Davis County School District.<ref>Template:Cite web - Text list</ref>

The county is in the zone of Pearl River Community College.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Jefferson Davis County, Mississippi

External links

• Jefferson Davis County Website
• Template:Commons category-inline
• Mississippi Courthouses – Jefferson Davis County
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