Kosciusko is a city in
Attala County, Mississippi
Attala County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2010 census, the population was 19,564. Its county seat is Kosciusko. Attala County is named for Atala, a fictional Native American heroine from an early-19th-centu ...
, United States. The population was 7,402 at the 2010 census.
It is 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 st ...
of Attala County.
History
Shortly before the War of 1812, David Choate, a French trader along with his wife, a Choctaw, opened the Choate Stand, an inn along the
Natchez Trace
The Natchez Trace, also known as the Old Natchez Trace, is a historic forest trail within the United States which extends roughly from Nashville, Tennessee, to Natchez, Mississippi, linking the Cumberland, Tennessee, and Mississippi rivers. ...
. They chose a location near the intersection of the trace and a cross path that led to the Creek Indian Nation, where there was a natural spring to provide fresh water, at the approximate location of the current town square. Journals from the war of 1812 indicate that Andrew Jackson received supplies at Choate Stand. In 1850, the Choate family was forcibly removed to Indian Territory in Oklahoma by the Indian Removal Act, signed by Andrew Jackson. In 2017 Kosciusko inaugurated an annual ''Return to Redbud Springs Festival'' to honor this history.
The settlement was at one time named Red Bud Springs for a natural spring that was present in the city. Later, Redbud Springs was renamed Kosciusko, for General
Tadeusz Kościuszko
Andrzej Tadeusz Bonawentura Kościuszko ( be, Andréj Tadévuš Banavientúra Kasciúška, en, Andrew Thaddeus Bonaventure Kosciuszko; 4 or 12 February 174615 October 1817) was a Polish Military engineering, military engineer, statesman, an ...
, a Polish officer who served with the
Continental Army
The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies (the Thirteen Colonies) in the Revolutionary-era United States. It was formed by the Second Continental Congress after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, and was establis ...
and assisted its military efforts during the
American Revolution
The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revolut ...
. His name has been anglicized as 'Kosciusko'.
Throughout the 19th century, cotton was the predominant crop, and remains important in the area.
Kosciusko was the location of
Magnolia Bible College
Magnolia Bible College (abbrev. MBC) was a private Christian Bible college, in Mississippi. Founded in 1976, it was affiliated with the Churches of Christ. The founding church was the South Huntington Church of Christ, with an aim for training p ...
from 1976 to 2008.
Geography
Kosciusko is located along the
Yockanookany River
The Yockanookany River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed June 13, 2011 river in central Mississippi in the United States. It is a tributary of the Pearl River, which f ...
, northeast of
Jackson
Jackson may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Jackson (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the surname or given name
Places
Australia
* Jackson, Queensland, a town in the Maranoa Region
* Jackson North, Q ...
.
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. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the city has a total area of , of which is land and 0.13% is water.
Climate
The climate is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the
Köppen Climate Classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
system, Kosciusko has a
humid subtropical climate
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° ...
, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.
The data below are from the WRCC, compiled from 1893 to the time this chart was created (July 2018).
Demographics
2020 census
As of the
2020 United States Census
The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...
, there were 7,114 people, 2,645 households, and 1,720 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 incl ...
of 2000, there were 7,372 people, 2,885 households, and 1,906 families residing in the city. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: 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 term.Matt RosenberPopul ...
was 977.8 people per square mile (377.5/km
2). There were 3,174 housing units at an average density of 421.0 per square mile (162.5/km
2). The racial makeup of the city was 53.66%
White
White is the 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 reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 44.57%
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.16%
Native American, 0.46%
Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0.60% from
other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 0.54% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, 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 Vic ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race were 1.06% of the population.
There were 2,885 households, out of which 31.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.2% 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, 21.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.9% were non-families. 31.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 3.04.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.2% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 23.9% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 20.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 82.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $21,737, and the median income for a family was $29,000. Males had a median income of $27,423 versus $16,487 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 $13,478. About 20.9% of families and 24.2% 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 t ...
, including 31.9% of those under age 18 and 20.1% of those age 65 or over.
Arts and culture
Kosciusko has hosted the
Central Mississippi Fair for over 100 years.
Kosciusko has been featured as part of the
Mississippi Blues Trail
The Mississippi Blues Trail was created by the Mississippi Blues Commission in 2006 to place interpretive markers at the most notable historical sites related to the birth, growth, and influence of the blues throughout (and in some cases beyond) t ...
since 2009.
Education
The city of Kosciusko is served by the
Kosciusko School District and includes Kosciusko Senior High School.
Notable people
*
Dave Barnes
David Mckee Barnes (born June 20, 1978) is an American musician, singer, and songwriter from Nashville, Tennessee. He has released eight studio albums, including two Christmas albums. His most recent full-length album, ''Dreaming in Electric ...
, singer-songwriter and musician for
Razor & Tie
Razor & Tie was an American entertainment company that consisted of a record label and a music publishing company. It was established in 1990 by Craig Balsam and Cliff Chenfeld. Based in New York City (with additional offices in Los Angeles an ...
*
Billy Ray Bates
Billy Ray Bates (born May 31, 1956) is a retired American professional basketball player. Bates played shooting guard at McAdams High in Mississippi and attended Kentucky State University.
Bates played four seasons in the National Basketball A ...
, professional basketball player
*
Eva Webb Dodd,
Anna Boyd Ellington, and
Mary Comfort Leonard, founders of the
Delta Gamma
Delta Gamma (), commonly known as DG, is a women's fraternity in the United States and Canada with over 250,000 initiated members. It has 150 collegiate chapters and more than 200 alumnae groups. The organization's executive office is in Columbus ...
fraternity
*
Clarence Harmon
Clarence Harmon (born 1940) was the 44th Mayor of St. Louis (from 1997 to 2001), and the city's second African-American mayor.
Early life and education
Harmon was born to a Baptist family, and the only boy out of three children. His father was ...
, former
NFL
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the major ...
running back for the
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
*
James Meredith
James Howard Meredith (born June 25, 1933) is an American civil rights activist, writer, political adviser, and Air Force veteran who became, in 1962, the first African-American student admitted to the racially segregated University of Mississ ...
, civil rights figure
*
Charlie Musselwhite
Charles Douglas Musselwhite (born January 31, 1944) is an American electric blues harmonica player and bandleader, one of the white bluesmen who came to prominence, along with Mike Bloomfield, Paul Butterfield, and Elvin Bishop, as a pivotal f ...
, blues harmonica player and band leader
*
Jason Niles
Jason Niles (December 19, 1814 – July 7, 1894) was a lawyer, newspaper editor, and politician in the United States. He served as mayor and for one term as a U.S. Representative from Mississippi from 1873 to 1875.
Biography
Niles was born in ...
, lawyer, newspaper editor, and politician
*
Topher Payne
Topher Payne (born 1979) is an American playwright and screenwriter based in Atlanta, Georgia. Two of his plays premiered in 2015: ''Perfect Arrangement'', which premiered Off-Broadway and was produced by Primary Stages, and ''Angry Fags'', which ...
, playwright
Topher Payne - Mississippi Arts & Entertainment Center
. Msarts.org (2013-11-21). Retrieved on 2015-12-25.
* Blanche Colton Williams
Blanche Colton Williams (February 10, 1879 – August 9, 1944) was an American author, editor, department head and professor of English literature, and pioneer in women’s higher education. She was known for her “groundbreaking work on str ...
, author, editor, department head and professor of English literature, and pioneer in women’s higher education.
* Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Gail Winfrey (; born Orpah Gail Winfrey; January 29, 1954), or simply Oprah, is an American talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and philanthropist. She is best known for her talk show, ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', br ...
, billionaire media entrepreneur and producer, actress, author, philanthropist, and former talk show host.
* Marc Woodard
Marc Fionn Woodard (born February 21, 1970) is a former American football linebacker who played three seasons in the National Football League with the Philadelphia Eagles. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fifth round of the 1993 NF ...
, former NFL
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the major ...
linebacker for the Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...
Gallery
File:Attala County Courthouse - Kosciusko, Mississippi (27832990031).jpg, Attala County Courthouse
File:KOSCIUSKO,MISSISSIPPI - 1920.jpg, Illinois Central Depot in Kosciusko, 1920
References
External links
City of Kosciusko official website
{{authority control
Cities in Attala County, Mississippi
Cities in Mississippi
County seats in Mississippi