Corinth is a city in and the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...

Alcorn County Alcorn County is a county located in the northeastern portion of the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2010 census, the population was 37,057. Its county seat is Corinth. The county is named in honor of Governor James L. Alcorn. The Co ...

Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Mis ...

, United States. The population was 14,573 at the 2010 census. Its ZIP codes are 38834 and 38835. It lies on the state line with

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to ...

History

Railroad crossover in Corinth, Mississippi, United States

Corinth was founded in 1853 as Cross City, so-called because it served as a junction for the Mobile & Ohio and Memphis & Charleston railroads. It was the town's early newspaper editor, W. E. Gibson, who suggested its current name for the city of

Corinth Corinth ( ; el, Κόρινθος, Kórinthos, ) is the successor to an ancient city, and is a former municipality in Corinthia, Peloponnese, which is located in south-central Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform, it has been part ...

in Greece that also served as a crossroads. Corinth's location at the junction of two railroads made it strategically important to the

Confederacy Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by state ...

. Confederate

General A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". O ...

P. G. T. Beauregard retreated to Corinth after the Battle of Shiloh (April 1862), pursued by

Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

Major General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

Henry W. Halleck Henry Wager Halleck (January 16, 1815 – January 9, 1872) was a senior United States Army officer, scholar, and lawyer. A noted expert in military studies, he was known by a nickname that became derogatory: "Old Brains". He was an important par ...

. General Beauregard abandoned the town on May 29 when General Halleck approached, letting it fall into the Union's hands. Since Halleck had approached so cautiously, digging entrenchments at every stop for over a month, this action has been known as the

Siege of Corinth The siege of Corinth (also known as the first Battle of Corinth) was an American Civil War engagement lasting from April 29 to May 30, 1862, in Corinth, Mississippi. A collection of Union forces under the overall command of Major General Henry ...

. The Union sent Maj. Gen.

William Rosecrans William Starke Rosecrans (September 6, 1819March 11, 1898) was an American inventor, coal-oil company executive, diplomat, politician, and U.S. Army officer. He gained fame for his role as a Union general during the American Civil War. He was ...

to Corinth as well and concentrated its forces in the city. The

Second Battle of Corinth The second Battle of Corinth (which, in the context of the American Civil War, is usually referred to as the Battle of Corinth, to differentiate it from the siege of Corinth earlier the same year) was fought October 3–4, 1862, in Corinth, ...

took place on October 3−4, 1862, when Confederate Maj. Gen.

Earl Van Dorn Earl Van Dorn (September 17, 1820May 7, 1863) started his military career as a United States Army officer but joined Confederate forces in 1861 after the Civil War broke out. He was a major general when he was killed in a private conflict. A g ...

attempted to retake the city.

Locales on the National Register of Historic Places

* Battery Williams (also known as Fort Williams) *

Siege and Battle of Corinth Sites The Siege and Battle of Corinth Sites are a National Historic Landmark District encompassing surviving elements of three significant American Civil War engagements in and near Corinth, Mississippi. Included are landscape and battlefield features o ...

* Coliseum Theatre- built in the early 20th century in the

Colonial Revival The Colonial Revival architectural style seeks to revive elements of American colonial architecture. The beginnings of the Colonial Revival style are often attributed to the Centennial Exhibition of 1876, which reawakened Americans to the archi ...

style *

Corinth National Cemetery Corinth National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery in the city of Corinth, in Alcorn County, Mississippi. Administered by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, it encompasses , and as of the end of 2005, had 7,137 interme ...

* Downtown Corinth Historic District * Dr. Joseph M. Bynum House—a home in the Late Gothic Revival style built in the late 19th century * Federal Siege Trench (also known as Harper Road Trench) * Fort Robinette (also known as Battery Robinette)—site of the Civil War Interpretive Center * Jacinto Courthouse (also called the Old Tishomingo County Courthouse)—built in the mid-19th century in the Federal style * L.C. Steele House *

Midtown Corinth Historic District Midtown Corinth Historic District is a historic district in Corinth, Mississippi that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1993. The district then had 229 contributing buildings and one contributing site, as well as 55 n ...

* Moores Creek site—a

prehistoric Prehistory, also known as pre-literary history, is the period of human history between the use of the first stone tools by hominins 3.3 million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems. The use o ...

Native American site from 3000 to 3500 B.C. * Old U.S. Post Office * Rienzi Commercial Historic District * Thomas F. Dilworth House * Union Battery F, Battle of Corinth * Union Earthworks * Veranda House (also known as the Curlee House)—built in 1857, it served as headquarters for Confederate generals during the Battle of Corinth

Geography

Corinth is located in northeast Mississippi at the intersection of (north/south)

U.S. Route 45 U.S. Route 45 (US 45) is a major north-south United States highway and a border-to-border route, from Lake Superior to the Gulf of Mexico. A sign at the highway's northern terminus notes the total distance as . US 45 is notable for incorporatin ...

and (east/west)

U.S. Route 72 U.S. Route 72 (US 72) is an east–west United States highway that travels for from southwestern Tennessee, throughout North Mississippi, North Alabama, and southeastern Tennessee. The highway's western terminus is in Memphis, Tennessee and ...

. U.S. 45 runs to the west of the city as a bypass, leading north 19 mi (31 km) to Selmer,

, and south 21 mi (34 km) to Booneville. U.S. 72 runs through the southern part of the city, leading southeast 14 mi (23 km) to Burnsville and west 23 mi (37 km) to

Walnut A walnut is the edible seed of a drupe of any tree of the genus '' Juglans'' (family Juglandaceae), particularly the Persian or English walnut, '' Juglans regia''. Although culinarily considered a "nut" and used as such, it is not a tru ...

. It is the county seat of Alcorn County, which is the smallest county by area in the state of Mississippi. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy An economy is an area of th ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and , or 0.43%, is water.

Communities near Corinth

* Eastview,

, *

Farmington Farmington may refer to: Places Canada *Farmington, British Columbia *Farmington, Nova Scotia (disambiguation) United States * Farmington, Arkansas *Farmington, California * Farmington, Connecticut *Farmington, Delaware * Farmington, Georgia ...

, * Guys, Tennessee, * Kossuth, * Michie, Tennessee, * Ramer, Tennessee,

Rivers and streams

* Bridge Creek * Elam Creek * Phillips Creek * Turner Creek

Climate

The climate is

humid subtropical A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...

: ''Cfa'') like all of

but with frequent and regular gusts of

snow Snow comprises individual ice crystals that grow while suspended in the atmosphere An atmosphere () is a layer of gas or layers of gases that envelop a planet, and is held in place by the gravity of the planetary body. A planet ...

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States Census, there were 14,622 people, 6,087 households, and 3,555 families residing in the city.

2000 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...

of 2000, there were 14,054 people, 6,220 households, and 3,800 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...

was 461.5 people per square mile (178.2/km²). There were 7,058 housing units at an average density of 231.8 per square mile (89.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 76.28%

White White is the lightness, lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully diffuse reflection, reflect and scattering, scatter all the ...

, 21.60%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

, 0.09% Native American, 0.36% Asian, 0.12%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of Ocea ...

, 0.84% from other races, and 0.73% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race were 1.73% of the population. There were 6,220 households, out of which 26.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.9% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 14.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.9% were non-families. Of all households, 35.6% were made up of individuals, and 16.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.82. In the city, the population was spread out, with 21.8% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 25.6% from 25 to 44, 23.7% from 45 to 64, and 19.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.0 males. The median income for a household in the city was $23,436, and the median income for a family was $35,232. Males had a median income of $29,027 versus $21,071 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $15,452. About 18.2% of families and 22.2% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 26.2% of those under age 18 and 23.9% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Public schools

Corinth School District: * Corinth High School—grades 9–12 with an enrollment of 473 * Corinth Middle School-grades 5–8 with an enrollment of 265 * Corinth Elementary School—grades K–4 * Easom High School (the only African American school in the city before desegregation; Became home of South Corinth Elementary School teaching 5th and 6th Grade until the 2009-2010 school year, when it ceased to be used until 2014 when a health clinic opened in the building)

Alcorn School District The 'Alcorn School District'' is a public school district based in Alcorn County, Mississippi ( USA). The district serves the towns of Farmington, Kossuth, Glen, and Rienzi as well as unincorporated areas of Alcorn County. This district was award ...

: *Alcorn Alternative School * Alcorn Central Elementary—grades K–4, with enrollment of 520 * Alcorn Central Middle School—grades 5–8 with an enrollment of 539 * Alcorn Central High School—grades 9–12 with an enrollment of 515 * Biggersville Elementary—grades K–6 with an enrollment of 161 * Biggersville High School—grades 7–12 with an enrollment of 236 *Kossuth Elementary School—grades K–4 with an enrollment of 562 * Kossuth High School—grades 9–12 with an enrollment of 438 * Kossuth Middle School—grades 5–8 with an enrollment of 499

Libraries

* Corinth Public Library—part of the Northeast Regional Library System

Museums

* Northeast Mississippi Museum * Corinth Civil War Interpretive Center (part of the National Park Service) * Artist Guild Museum and Shop * Museum of Southern Culture * Black History Museum

Health care

* Veranda Health Center * Magnolia Regional Health Center

Transportation

Highways

—runs north–south from

Lake Superior Lake Superior in central North America is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface areaThe Caspian Sea is the largest lake, but is saline, not freshwater. and the third-largest by volume, holding 10% of the world's surface fresh w ...

to the

Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United S ...

—runs east–west from

Chattanooga Chattanooga ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States. Located along the Tennessee River bordering Georgia, it also extends into Marion County on its western end. With a population of 181,099 in 2020, ...

to Memphis *

Mississippi Highway 2 Mississippi Highway 2 (MS 2) is a designation for two highways in northern Mississippi. The westernmost segment starts at MS 5 in Hickory Flat, and ends at MS 15 and MS 368 in Blue Mountain. The eastern segment starts at MS 4 near Ripley and ...

—runs southwest from the Tennessee state line to Hickory Flat *

Mississippi Highway 145 Mississippi Highway 145 (MS 145) is the designation for the parts of the old U.S. Route 45 (US 45) roadbed that the state continues to maintain or has designated. Those ten sections travel through Waynesboro, near Boice, th ...

Air travel

Roscoe Turner Airport Roscoe Turner Airport is a public-use airport located four nautical miles (7 km) southwest of the central business district of Corinth, a city in Alcorn County, Mississippi, United States. It is owned by the City of Corinth and Alcorn Count ...

is a

general aviation General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations with the exception of commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation service ...

airport just outside Corinth. The nearest airports with regularly scheduled commercial service are

Tupelo Regional Airport Tupelo Regional Airport is a public use airport located west of the central business district of Tupelo, a city in Lee County, Mississippi, United States. It is owned by the Tupelo Airport Authority. The airport is mostly used for general avia ...

, about south of Corinth, and

Memphis International Airport Memphis International Airport is a civil-military airport located southeast of Downtown Memphis in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States. It is the primary international airport serving Memphis. It covers and has four runways., effective A ...

, about west of Corinth.

Media

Newspapers

* ''

Daily Corinthian The ''Daily Corinthian'' is a daily newspaper published in Corinth, Mississippi, United States, serving Corinth and the immediate region, with a reported circulation of 6,711 Tuesday-Saturday, 6,554 Sundays. The Daily Corinthian is one of two dail ...

FM and AM radio stations

WKCU WKCU is a Country formatted broadcast Broadcasting is the distribution of audio or video content to a dispersed audience via any electronic mass communications medium, but typically one using the electromagnetic spectrum ( radio waves), in ...

1350, Country music *

WXRZ Telesouth Communications Inc, also known as SuperTalk Mississippi Media, is an American, commercial radio network based in Jackson, Mississippi. Its stations across Mississippi broadcast either a music format, or conservative news / talk a ...

94.3, News and Talk /

Supertalk Mississippi Telesouth Communications Inc, also known as SuperTalk Mississippi Media, is an American, commercial radio network based in Jackson, Mississippi. Its stations across Mississippi broadcast either a music format, or conservative news / talk and ...

(Mississippi political and local) *

WADI Wadi ( ar, وَادِي, wādī), alternatively ''wād'' ( ar, وَاد), North African Arabic Oued, is the Arabic term traditionally referring to a valley. In some instances, it may refer to a wet ( ephemeral) riverbed that contains water on ...

95.3, 95.5 The Bee (Country) * Radio Mexico 107.9 (Spanish)

Notable people

Neal Brooks Biggers, Jr. Neal Brooks Biggers Jr. (born July 1, 1935) is a Senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi. Education and career Born in Corinth, Mississippi, Biggers received a Bachelo ...

, federal judge *

Don Blasingame Donald Lee Blasingame (March 16, 1932 – April 13, 2005), nicknamed "Blazer", was an American professional baseball second baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals (1955–1959), San Francisco Giants (1960� ...

, baseball player *

Ezekiel S. Candler, Jr. Ezekiel Samuel Candler Jr. (January 18, 1862 – December 18, 1944) was a United States representative from Mississippi. He was the nephew of Milton A. Candler and cousin of Allen Daniel Candler. He was born in Belleville, Florida. Later, he mo ...

, U.S. congressman *

Bert Cumby Bert Cumby (January 7, 1912 – September 8, 1981) was a United States military intelligence officer who served as head of research of the U.S. Army's Military Intelligence Corps and led the debriefing of repatriated American prisoners of war (P ...

, Army intelligence officer * Larry Dorsey, football coach *

Steve Gaines Steven Earl Gaines (September 14, 1949 – October 20, 1977) was an American musician. He is best known as a guitarist and backing vocalist with rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd from 1976 until his death in the October 1977 airplane crash that claim ...

, pastor * Frances Gaither, novelist * Philip Henson, scout and spy * Russell Keaton, aviation cartoonist, first illustrator for the Sunday edition of the Buck Rogers cartoon and first cartoonist to feature women in leading roles in an aviation cartoon. See Flyin' Jenny. * Etheridge Knight, poet *

Peggy Smith Martin Peggy Smith Martin (May 22, 1931 – August 24, 2012) was an American politician in Illinois. Peggy Annette Morris was born in Corinth, Mississippi. She moved with her family to Paducah, Kentucky, Detroit, Michigan, and finally to Chicago ...

, Illinois state representative'Illinois Blue Book 1977-1978,' Biographical Sketch of Peggy Smith Martin, pg. 119 *

Jimbo Mathus James H. Mathis Jr. (born August 1967), known as Jimbo Mathus, is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and member of the swing revival band Squirrel Nut Zippers. Early life and career He was born in Oxford, Mississippi to Jimmy Mathis and ...

, musician * Thomas K. McCraw, educator *

Maty Noyes Madeline Ashley "Maty" Noyes (born August 25, 1997) is an American singer-songwriter. Noyes rose to prominence in 2015 after a guest appearance on The Weeknd's '' Beauty Behind the Madness'' album, and contributing lead vocals to Kygo's 2015 trac ...

, singer *

John F. Osborne John F. Osborne (March 15, 1907 – May 3, 1981) was an American magazine editor and journalist. Background He was born in Corinth, Mississippi. Career Osborne wrote for the Memphis Commercial Appeal and the Associated Press before joining ...

, editor and journalist * Rubel Phillips, politician *

Thomas Hal Phillips Thomas Hal Phillips (October 11, 1922 – April 3, 2007) was an American novelist, actor and screenwriter. Biography Early life Phillips was born on October 11, 1922, on a farm between Corinth, Mississippi, Corinth and Kossuth, Mississippi ...

, author *

J.E. Pitts J. E. Pitts (December 28, 1967 – August 19, 2010) was an American poet, songwriter, musician, photographer, artist, designer, and editor. Life J. E. (James Edward) "Jimmy" Pitts was born in and grew up in Corinth, Mississippi. He graduated fr ...

, poet and songwriter *

Saving Abel Saving Abel is an American rock band from Corinth, Mississippi, founded in 2004 by Jared Weeks and Jason Null. The band is named after the biblical story of Cain and Abel, in which a man named Cain kills his brother Abel. Band member Jason Nul ...

, rock band * Everett Sharp, football player * Jackie Simpson, professional football player. *

Orma Rinehart Smith Orma Rinehart Smith (September 4, 1904 – July 5, 1982) was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi. Education and career Born in Booneville, Mississippi, Smith received a ...

, federal judge *

John Benjamin Splann John Benjamin Splann (June 22, 1875 - March 24, 1962) was a Democratic member of the Mississippi House of Representatives, representing Alcorn County, from 1916 to 1920. Biography John Benjamin Splann was born on June 22, 1875, in McNairy Cou ...

, Mississippi state senator *

Roscoe Turner Roscoe Turner (September 29, 1895 – June 23, 1970) was a record-breaking American aviator who was a three-time winner of the Thompson Trophy air race and widely recognized by his flamboyant style and his pet, Gilmore the lion, Gilmore the L ...

, aviator *

Jack Yarber Jack Yarber (born March 15, 1967), also known by his stage name Jack Oblivian, is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist based in Memphis, Tennessee. He was a founding member of the garage bands The Compulsive Gamblers, and The Oblivian ...

, musician *

Bobby Emmons Bobby Gene Emmons (February 19, 1943 – February 23, 2015) was an American keyboard player and songwriter. He was an active session musician in Memphis, Tennessee, and was the keyboardist of The Memphis Boys, playing keyboards on tracks by ...

, American keyboard player and songwriter, keyboardist of

The Memphis Boys The American Sound Studio was a recording studio located in Memphis, Tennessee which operated from 1964 to 1972. Founded by Chips Moman, the studio at 827 Thomas Street came to be known as American North, and the studio at 2272 Deadrick Street c ...

keyboards on tracks by

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

, Willie Nelson * Weyman "Big Daddy" Hilliard Cox, W.W.II U.S.Navy SEEBEE's, University of Mississippi Football / Quarterback - 1925.

Notes

References

* Brieger, James. ''Hometown, Mississippi.'' (1997).

External links

*
City of Corinth official website
* {{authority control Corinth, Mississippi, Cities in Mississippi County seats in Mississippi Micropolitan areas of Mississippi Populated places established in 1853 Cities in Alcorn County, Mississippi 1853 establishments in Mississippi