Yazoo City is a U.S. city in

Yazoo County Yazoo County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2010 census, the population was 28,065. The county seat is Yazoo City. It is named for the Yazoo River, which forms its western border. Its name is said to come from a ...

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 ...

. It was named after the Yazoo River, which, in turn was named by the French explorer Robert La Salle in 1682 as "Rivière des Yazous" in reference to the Yazoo tribe living near the river's mouth. It is the county seat of Yazoo County and the principal city of the Yazoo City Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is part of the larger Jackson–Yazoo City

Combined Statistical Area Combined statistical area (CSA) is a United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB) term for a combination of adjacent metropolitan (MSA) and micropolitan statistical areas (µSA) across the 50 US states and the territory of Puerto Ric ...

. According to the 2010 census, the population was 11,403. The most important industry in 2021 is a group of federal prisons.

History

The community now known as Yazoo City was founded in 1824 with the name Hannan's Bluff. It was later renamed Manchester, then changed to Yazoo City in 1841. Yazoo City became the county seat in 1849. A

yellow fever Yellow fever is a viral disease of typically short duration. In most cases, symptoms include fever, chills, loss of appetite, nausea, muscle pains – particularly in the back – and headaches. Symptoms typically improve within five days. In ...

epidemic struck Yazoo City in 1853. 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 ...

, the Confederate ironclad CSS ''Arkansas'' was completed at a makeshift shipyard in Yazoo City after the Confederate loss of

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

Memphis. During her short career, the ''Arkansas'' challenged the Union navy's control of the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it ...

and helped avert the early fall of Vicksburg. On May 21, 1863, as a Union fleet steamed up the Yazoo River, the Confederate forces burned down the shipyard to keep their foes from capturing the vessels being built there. The Federal forces then burned down the sawmill and lumberyard before withdrawing. After their capture of Vicksburg in July 1863, another Union raid briefly occupied Yazoo City, but this time the Union ironclad USS ''Baron DeKalb'' was sunk by a mine. Federal troops occupied the town in September and again in October 1863. Another occupation resulted in the Battle of Yazoo City on March 5, 1864 between the Union troops and Confederates led by Robert V. Richardson and Lawrence Sullivan Ross. The Union troops held their ground but departed the following day. The Federal forces returned again on May 19, 1864, doing more damage to the town. Yazoo City was rebuilt, but yellow fever struck and took more victims in 1878. On May 25, 1904, a fire destroyed much of central Yazoo City.FLAMES SWEPT OVER THE CITY
, in '' The Tacoma Times'' (via Publishing America); published May 25, 1904; retrieved August 11,2016 According to a local legend, the fire was caused by a witch avenging her death. In reality, a boy playing with matches accidentally set a house ablaze. The fire quickly spread, and three-fourths of the town was destroyed, including most of the homes. It was stopped by a canal, which saved the new courthouse (built in 1872 to replace the one burned by the Union forces) and 10 antebellum homes nearby. The town took almost two years to recover. In 1915, the Orr Modern Motor Car Company was founded in Yazoo City by G.A. Wilson and C.D. Orr, with capital of $2,000,000 (). Despite its name, the company was focused just on making Orr's innovative worm drive and assembled only one automobile as a prototype. Not long after, Orr shut its doors. The

Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 was the most destructive river flood in the history of the United States, with inundated in depths of up to over the course of several months in early 1927. The uninflated cost of the damage has been estimate ...

did much damage to the entire Delta, but Yazoo City was restored and is now protected by an effective flood-prevention system.

Tornado History

A strong tornado, rated EF4 on the Enhanced Fujita scale and with a path width of , hit Yazoo County on April 24, 2010. Four people were killed in the Yazoo City area, and a number were seriously injured; four of the victims were airlifted to the University of Mississippi Medical Center in the capital city of Jackson, away. The Governor of Mississippi, Haley Barbour, toured the area in a National Guard helicopter and held a news conference on the disaster at 3:30 pm. The tornado and the aftermath were shown in an episode of the

Discovery Channel Discovery Channel (known as The Discovery Channel from 1985 to 1995, and often referred to as simply Discovery) is an American cable channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav. , Discovery Chan ...

series '' Storm Chasers'', and several

YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second most ...

videos show considerable detail and descriptions. On November 29, 2010 around 8:05 pm local time, Yazoo City was struck by two EF2 tornadoes: the first one tracked southwest of town. The second went right through downtown causing significant damage to several buildings. A high-end EF1 tornado passed through the southeast side of the city on May 2, 2021. Multiple mobile homes were destroyed and trees, power lines, and homes were damaged.

Geography

Yazoo City is located northwest of Jackson at the junctions of U.S. Routes 49, 49E, and 49W, and MS Highways 3, 16, and 149, on the banks of the Yazoo River, near the Panther Swamp National Wildlife Refuge.

U.S. Route 49W U.S. Route 49W (US 49W) is an U.S. Highway in the Delta region of Mississippi, passing through Yazoo, Humphreys, Sunflower, and Tallahatchie counties. Route description US 49W begins just north of downtown Yazoo City at an interchange betwe ...

provides a fairly direct link between Yazoo City and Belzoni. The old highway segment, renamed

Mississippi Highway 149 Mississippi Highway 149 (MS 149) is a state highway in Mississippi. The route designation is given to six former segments of U.S. Route 49 (US 49), and two former sections of US 49W, within the state that have been bypassed. The sections run thr ...

, passes through Panther Swamp National Wildlife Refuge and the communities of Louise and

Midnight Midnight is the transition time from one day to the next – the moment when the date changes, on the local official clock time for any particular jurisdiction. By clock time, midnight is the opposite of noon, differing from it by 12 hours ...

before reconnecting with the new US 49W at Silver City, south of Belzoni. The new highway makes the town of Carter so near, it might be considered for annexation by Yazoo City. Two bridges now cross the Yazoo River at Yazoo City. The section of MS 3 in Yazoo City is called Haley Barbour Parkway. Barbour, the former governor of Mississippi, grew up in Yazoo City and has a home on Wolf Lake, a lake north of Yazoo City. U.S. Route 49 (part of which was formerly U.S. 49E) through Yazoo City is named

Jerry Clower Howard Gerald "Jerry" Clower (September 28, 1926 – August 24, 1998) was an American stand-up comedian. Born and raised in the state of Mississippi, Clower was best known for his stories of the rural South and was given the nickname "The Mouth o ...

Boulevard, after the famous comedian, a former resident of Yazoo City. Yazoo City is also known as the "Gateway to the Delta" due to its location on the transition between the two great landforms that characterize the geography of Mississippi (the western part of the city lies in the

Mississippi Delta The Mississippi Delta, also known as the Yazoo–Mississippi Delta, or simply the Delta, is the distinctive northwest section of the U.S. state of Mississippi (and portions of Arkansas and Louisiana) that lies between the Mississippi and Yaz ...

and the eastern part lies in the loess bluffs that characterize most of eastern 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 (1.19%) is covered by water.

Demographics

FEMA - 44232 - AmeriCorps at Work in Yazoo City, MS

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States Census, there were 10,316 people, 3,670 households, and 2,050 families residing in the city.

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 11,403 people living in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 82.0% Black, 16.1% White, 0.1% Native American, 0.5% Asian and 0.5% from two or more races. 0.7% were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

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, 14,550 people, 4,271 households, and 2,968 families resided 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 1,349.2 people per square mile (521.1/km). The 4,676 housing units averaged 433.6 per mi² (167.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 28.73% White, 69.68% African American, 0.18% Native American, 0.58% Asian, 0.23% from other races, and 0.60% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 7.47% of the population. Of the 4,271 households, 37.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 31.5% 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, 32.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.5% were not families. About 27.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.85 and the average family size was 3.49. In the city, the population was distributed as 29.0% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 31.3% from 25 to 44, 17.3% from 45 to 64, and 11.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 112.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 115.9 males. The median income for a household in the city was $19,893, and for a family was $22,470. Males had a median income of $26,109 versus $18,650 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 $9,251. About 35.0% of families and 40.2% 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 52.5% of those under age 18 and 23.5% of those age 65 or over.

Jewish community

The Institute of Southern Jewish Life stated that the Jewish community has been characterized by assimilation and was "small, but influential". 44 Jews lived in the community in 1878, but a flood of the

in 1882 meant that additional Jews displaced by the flood came. There were 61 Jews in the city by 1937. The Jews in the community did not create a congregation, and the nearest houses of worship were, in the mid-20th century, in Jackson and

Greenwood Green wood is unseasoned wood. Greenwood or Green wood may also refer to: People * Greenwood (surname) Settlements Australia * Greenwood, Queensland, a locality in the Toowoomba Region * Greenwood, Western Australia, a suburb of Perth C ...

Economy

The

Federal Bureau of Prisons The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) is a United States federal law enforcement agency under the Department of Justice that is responsible for the care, custody, and control of incarcerated individuals who have committed federal crimes; that i ...

operates the

Federal Correctional Complex, Yazoo City The Federal Correctional Complex, Yazoo City (FCC Yazoo City) is a United States federal prison complex for male offenders in unincorporated Yazoo County, Mississippi. It is operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, a division of the United State ...

, which consists of FCI Yazoo City Low, FCI Yazoo City Medium, FCI Camp, and FCI USP Yazoo City.

Government

Diane Delaware was sworn in as the first female mayor of Yazoo City on April 14, 2014. She was re-elected to a second term on April 2, 2018. Yazoo City's current mayor is David "Mel" Starling, who was sworn in on Monday, April 11, 2022. The

United States Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an Independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the executive branch of the Federal government of the Uni ...

operates the Yazoo City Post Office.

Education

Yazoo City is served by the

Yazoo City Municipal School District The Yazoo City Municipal School District is a public school district based in Yazoo City, Mississippi (USA). The district boundaries parallel that of Yazoo City. History In 2019, the school district was taken over by the Mississippi Department o ...

;SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP (2010 CENSUS): Yazoo County, MS
" U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on July 7, 2017.

Yazoo City High School The Yazoo City Municipal School District is a public school district based in Yazoo City, Mississippi ( USA). The district boundaries parallel that of Yazoo City. History In 2019, the school district was taken over by the Mississippi Departm ...

is the public school of this district. Yazoo County High School, outside of the city limits and a part of the Yazoo County School District, does not serve areas in the Yazoo City city limits. The three private schools are Thomas Christian Academy (Pre-K–12), Manchester Academy (Pre-K–12), and Covenant Christian School (K–6th grade).

Media

WBYP WBYP (107.1 FM) is a radio station broadcasting a country music format. Licensed to Belzoni, Mississippi Belzoni ( ) is a city in Humphreys County, Mississippi, United States, in the Mississippi Delta region, on the Yazoo River. The populati ...

and

WYAZ Tofino-Long Beach Airport is a non-towered airport that is located within the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. Immediately adjacent to Long Beach, it is southeast of Tofino, British Columbia, Canada. It is both a general aviation and com ...

, both FM, are two local radio stations. ''The Yazoo Herald'' is Yazoo County's only daily newspaper.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous U.S. States and nine cities in Canada ...

, the national passenger rail system, provides service to Yazoo City using the

Yazoo City Station Yazoo City station is an Amtrak intercity train station in Yazoo City, Mississippi, United States. The station is unstaffed and requires notification in advance for the train to stop, because it is listed as a flag stop in the Amtrak timetable ...

. The Amtrak station is located at 222 West Broadway.

Yazoo County Airport Yazoo County Airport is five miles northwest of Yazoo City in unincorporated Yazoo County, Mississippi. It is owned by the County of Yazoo.

is in unincorporated

, – Retrieved on September 23, 2010. west of central Yazoo City. Lynne W. Jeter of the '' Mississippi Business Journal'' said in 2001 that the county airport "may have played an important role in landing the multiphase federal prison project that is currently under expansion."

Notable people

* Alexander Boarman, Yazoo City native served as

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well as ...

of Shreveport, Louisiana, U.S. representative from Louisiana's 4th congressional district, and as a federal judge for 35 years until his death in 1916. * Willie Brown (American football), Oakland Raiders, NFL Hall of Fame *

James Paul Clarke James Paul Clarke (August 18, 1854 – October 1, 1916) was a United States Senator and the 18th Governor of Arkansas as well as a white supremacist. Biography Clarke was born in Yazoo City, Mississippi. His father died when Clarke was seven y ...

United States Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and p ...

and the 18th

Governor of Arkansas A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

* Haley Barbour, former

Governor of Mississippi A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

, famous country comedian who spent more than 30 years as a resident of the town before moving back to the area he was born, Liberty, Mississippi, in 1988. Many of Clower's comical stories mention Yazoo City. *

Fletcher Cox Fletcher Cox (born December 13, 1990) is an American football defensive tackle for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Mississippi State, and was drafted by the Eagles in the first roun ...

, Philadelphia Eagles All-Pro defensive lineman * Mike Espy, Secretary of Agriculture (1993–94); U.S. House of Representatives, 2nd district of Mississippi (1987–93) *

Kaleb Eulls Kaleb Lashun Eulls (born June 28, 1991) is an American football defensive tackle who is currently a free agent. He played college football at Mississippi State Eulls attended Yazoo County High School in Mississippi, where he was rated a four- ...

, NFL Player * W. C. Friley, 19th-century Baptist clergyman in Yazoo City; later president of two Baptist colleges * Kenneth Gainwell, Running Back Philadelphia Eagles 2021 5th Round draft pick 150th overall. Cousin to

* Lawrence Gordon, film producer ('' Die Hard'') *

Lynn Hamilton Lyn(n) or Lynne Hamilton may refer to: *Lynn Hamilton (actress) (born 1930), American actress * Lynn Hamilton (basketball) (born 1962), née Polson, Canadian basketball player * Lynn Hamilton (politician) *Lyn Hamilton (1944–2009), author *Lynne ...

, actress * Michael Henderson, R&B singer *

T. J. Huddleston, Sr. Thomas Jefferson Huddleston Sr. (June 1, 1876 – October 1959) was a prominent African American entrepreneur and community leader in Mississippi. He owned dozens of funeral homes in Mississippi. He was the grandfather of former U.S. Secretary of A ...

, entrepreneur * Wardell Jackson, professional basketball player * Mary Johnson, blues singer and one-time wife of Lonnie Johnson * Tommy McClennan, blues musician * Patrick Claiborne Meagher, member of the Mississippi House of Representatives (1916–1920) * Mike Miley, MLB player and

Louisiana State University Louisiana State University (officially Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as LSU) is a public land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The university was founded in 1860 near ...

quarterback * L.T. Miller, first medical director of the Afro-American Hospital and co-founder of the Mississippi Medical and Surgical Association * William Joseph Mills, Governor of the New Mexico Territory * Willie Morris, writer who grew up in Yazoo City * Jerry Moses, MLB player *

Norman Albert Mott Norman Albert Mott, (April 4, 1855 – July 16, 1920), was a member of the Mississippi House of Representatives from 1912 to 1916. Early life Mott was born in Alburgh, Vermont to Nichols and Amanda (Chilton) Mott. Mr. Mott and his 2 brothers w ...

, member of the Mississippi Legislature (1911) * Michael Passons, "

Contemporary Christian Musician Contemporary Christian music, also known as CCM, Christian pop, and occasionally inspirational music is a genre of modern popular music, and an aspect of Christian media, which is lyrically focused on matters related to the Christian faith and s ...

", founding former member of the

Christian music Christian music is music that has been written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life and faith. Common themes of Christian music include praise, worship, penitence, and lament, and its forms vary widely aro ...

group Avalon * Robert Petway, blues musician *

Joseph A. Redding Joseph is a common male given name, derived from the Hebrew Yosef (יוֹסֵף). "Joseph" is used, along with "Josef", mostly in English, French and partially German languages. This spelling is also found as a variant in the languages of the m ...

, US Army

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 ...

who commanded the 39th Infantry Division in the 1950s * Stella Stevens, actress *

Pecolia Warner Pecolia Warner (March 9, 1901 – March 1983) was an American quiltmaker. Early life Pecolia Leola Deborah Jackson was born in a log house near Bentonia, Mississippi, and raised in Yazoo City, the ninth of eleven children. She learned to make qui ...

, 20th-century quiltmaker * James Wheaton, actor, spent his adolescent years in Yazoo City, and graduated from high school there * Zig Ziglar, personal development speaker and trainer

References

External links

City of Yazoo City
{{DEFAULTSORT:Yazoo City, Mississippi Cities in Mississippi Cities in Yazoo County, Mississippi County seats in Mississippi Populated places established in 1824 Micropolitan areas of Mississippi 1824 establishments in Mississippi