Weir is a town in Choctaw County,

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. Miss ...

, United States. The population was 459 at the 2010 census, down from 553 at the 2000 census.

History

The town of Weir was settled by former

Confederate 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 1 ...

Colonel John Weir and his brother James in 1868. Weir experienced a tornado on April 24, 2010.

Geography

Weir is located in southwestern Choctaw County at (33.263423, -89.289439), bordered on the north by 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 ...

Mississippi Highway 12 Mississippi Highway 12 (MS 12) is a state highway in northern Mississippi that runs west–east from MS 1 west of Hollandale at the Mississippi River to State Route 18 (SR 18) at the Alabama state line northeast of Columbus. MS 12 travers ...

passes north of the town, leading northeast to

Ackerman Ackerman may refer to: Surname *Ackerman (surname), people with the surname Ackerman *Ackerman is a family name for singer Barlin Ackerman Places *Ackerman, Mississippi, town in Choctaw County, Mississippi, US *Ackerman, West Virginia, former un ...

, the county seat, and southwest to Kosciusko. 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 town has a total area of , of which , or 1.43%, is water.

Demographics

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 553 people, 208 households, and 149 families residing in the town. 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 526.5 people per square mile (203.3/km). There were 234 housing units at an average density of 222.8 per square mile (86.0/km). The racial makeup of the town was 45.21%

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 ...

, 53.71%

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 ...

, 0.90% Native American, 0.18% 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 ...

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 ...

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 0.18% of the population. There were 208 households, out of which 34.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.7% 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, 22.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.9% were non-families. 25.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.19. In the town, the population was spread out, with 31.1% under the age of 18, 9.9% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 18.1% from 45 to 64, and 15.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.0 males. The median income for a household in the town was $23,125, and the median income for a family was $28,472. Males had a median income of $31,875 versus $16,250 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 town was $13,697. About 19.7% of families and 25.3% 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 33.1% of those under age 18 and 24.7% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Weir is home to Weir Elementary Center, a pre-kindergarten through 6th grade school. It is part of the

Choctaw County School District The Choctaw County School District is a public school district based in Ackerman, Mississippi (USA). The district's boundaries parallel that of Choctaw County. Schools *Choctaw County High School ( Choctaw County, Grades 7-12) *Choctaw County E ...

. The school once was known statewide for its football program which competed in ten state championships between 1984 and 2004, winning six 1A state football titles. The school received a new building in 2005 that was dedicated to Mr. Marion Kelly who served as teacher, coach, and principal for approximately 40 years.

Notable people

Dennis Johnson Dennis Wayne Johnson (September 18, 1954 – February 22, 2007), nicknamed "DJ", was an American professional basketball player for the National Basketball Association's (NBA) Seattle SuperSonics, Phoenix Suns, and Boston Celtics. He was a c ...

, former

fullback Fullback or Full back may refer to: Sports * A position in various kinds of football, including: ** Full-back (association football), in association football (soccer), a defender playing in a wide position ** Fullback (gridiron football), in Americ ...

and

tight end The tight end (TE) is a position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football, on the offense. The tight end is often a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like ...

in the

National Football League 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 ...

for the

Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...

and

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...

* Kenneth Johnson, NFL defensive back for the

Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...

* Tony Kimbrough, former NFL wide receiver *

Alvin McKinley Alvin Jerome McKinley (born June 9, 1978) is a former American football defensive tackle. He was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the fourth round of the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at Mississippi State. McKinley has also playe ...

, former National Football League

defensive tackle A defensive tackle (DT) is a position in American football that will typically line up on the line of scrimmage, opposite one of the offensive guards, however he may also line up opposite one of the tackles. Defensive tackles are typically the la ...

Roy Oswalt Roy Edward Oswalt (; born August 29, 1977) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. Oswalt played for the majority of his Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the Houston Astros. He also played for the Philadelphia Phillies, Texa ...

, former pitcher for the

Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after ...

Gallery

Image:JohnWeirGrave.jpg, Col. John Weir grave - Weir Presbyterian Church File:WeirTownhalllibrary.JPG, Town Hall and Library File:WeirMississippiPostoffice.JPG, Post Office

References

External links

{{authority control Towns in Choctaw County, Mississippi Towns in Mississippi