Inverness is a town in Sunflower County,

Mississippi Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...

, United States. The population was 868 at the 2020 census. As the town had the largest cotton gin 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 Yazo ...

, it served as a gathering place for farmers from the region when they brought their cotton for processing. The town was heavily damaged by a tornado in 1971.

Historic weather event

The small town was virtually destroyed on February 21, 1971, when an F5 tornado, one of many storms in the outbreak, struck more than a dozen towns in portions of

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

and

. A total of 36 people were killed in rural Mississippi as a result of the storm. Twenty-one of the victims were from Inverness, where a broad section of houses were destroyed.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the town has a total area of , all land. Inverness is about north of

Jackson Jackson may refer to: Places Australia * Jackson, Queensland, a town in the Maranoa Region * Jackson North, Queensland, a locality in the Maranoa Region * Jackson South, Queensland, a locality in the Maranoa Region * Jackson oil field in Durham, ...

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 868 people, 355 households, and 256 families residing in the town.

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 1,019 people living in the town. The racial makeup of the town was 50.7% Black, 47.6% White, 0.2% Native American, 0.6% Asian and 0.2% from two or more races. 0.7% were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

2000 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there were 1,153 people, 411 households, and 311 families living in the town. The population density was . There were 432 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 59.41%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 39.64%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.78% Asian, and 0.17% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 1.13% of the population. There were 411 households, out of which 31.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.2% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 24.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.1% were non-families. 22.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.81 and the average family size was 3.28. In the town, the population was spread out, with 27.6% under the age of 18, 10.8% from 18 to 24, 24.8% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 14.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.3 males. The median income for a household in the town was $27,500, and the median income for a family was $31,912. Males had a median income of $26,429 versus $19,000 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the town was $12,050. About 26.6% of families and 34.0% 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 39.8% of those under age 18 and 39.3% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Primary and secondary schools

The Town of Inverness is served by the Sunflower County Consolidated School District (formerly Sunflower County School District). Residents are zoned to school in

Moorhead, Mississippi Moorhead is a city in Sunflower County, Mississippi, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 2,405. This dropped in 2022 and the population recorded was 1,512. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the cit ...

. it was zoned to Ruleville Central High School (now Thomas E. Edwards, Sr. High School), at the time the sole school of the district. After desegregation began in Inverness in the mid-20th century, white parents withdrew their children from the white public school, which closed. The white high school students began attending a private school in Indianola.Reed, Roy.
A Town's Luck Ends as Tornado Hits; A Town's Luck Ends as Tornado Hits
" ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

''. February 23, 1971. Page 1. Retrieved on August 17, 2010. "closed the white public school and sent their children to a private school at nearby Indianola rather than .. Formerly Inverness School (K-8) is the sole public school in Inverness. Inverness School closed in 2022, with students redirected to Moorhead.

Central Delta Academy Central Delta Academy (CDA) was a private elementary and middle school,, and later just elementary school, in Inverness, Mississippi,

was constructed in Inverness as a

segregation academy Segregation academies are private schools in the Southern United States that were founded in the mid-20th century by white parents to avoid having their children attend Racial segregation in the United States, desegregated public schools. They ...

, a private school for white students whose parents did not want them in the public school system, which was under federal rulings to desegregate. It closed on May 21, 2010. The building was auctioned off in 2011, and was bulldozed soon thereafter.

Colleges and universities

Delta State University Delta State University (DSU) is a public university in Cleveland, Mississippi, a city in the Mississippi Delta. History The school was established in 1924 by the State of Mississippi, using the facilities of the former Bolivar County Agricultu ...

, a public research university, and

Mississippi Valley State University Mississippi Valley State University (MVSU, The Valley or Valley) is a Public university, public Historically black colleges and universities, historically black university in Mississippi Valley State, Mississippi, adjacent to Itta Bena, Mississ ...

, a

historically black college Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are institutions of higher education in the United States that were established before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 with the intention of serving African Americans. Most are in the Southern U ...

, are in the area.

Public libraries

The Sunflower County Library operates the Inverness Public Library.Sunflower County Library Directory

Archive
. Sunflower County Library. Retrieved on July 21, 2010. It was previously in a "Community House". In 1962 its location changed to that of a facility that was formerly a grocery store. By 2012 it was in Inverness City Hall. Little Milton

Notable people

* Mary E. Flowers, member of the

Illinois House of Representatives The Illinois House of Representatives is the lower house of the Illinois General Assembly. The body was created by the first Illinois Constitution adopted in 1818. The House under the constitution as amended in 1980 consists of 118 representativ ...

* Boyd Gilmore

Delta blues Delta blues is one of the earliest-known styles of blues. It originated in the Mississippi Delta and is regarded as a regional variant of country blues. Guitar and harmonica are its dominant instruments; slide guitar is a hallmark of the s ...

musician * Samuel Jones, composer and

Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame Mississippi ( ) is a state in the Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the southwest, and Arkansas to the northwest ...

inductee *

Willie Kent Willie Kent (February 24, 1936 – March 2, 2006) was an American Chicago blues singer, bassist and songwriter. Career Kent was born in Inverness, Sunflower County, Mississippi. Although he had played the bass guitar in Chicago's clubs since the ...

, blues musician *

Little Milton James Milton Campbell Jr. (September 7, 1934 – August 4, 2005), better known as Little Milton, was an American blues singer and guitarist, best known for his List of number-one R&B singles of 1965 (U.S.), number-one R&B single "We're Gonna Ma ...

, blues musician and Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame member *

Ernie Terrell Ernest Terrell (April 4, 1939 – December 16, 2014) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1957 to 1973. He held the World Boxing Association's heavyweight title from 1965 to 1967, and was one of the tallest heavyweights of his era ...

, boxer *

Norris Thomas Norris Lee Thomas (May 3, 1954 – March 7, 2025) was an American professional football player who was a cornerback for nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for the Miami Dolphins and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played college footba ...

, professional American football player

References

External links

Inverness Chamber of Commerce

Inverness Elementary School
{{authority control Towns in Sunflower County, Mississippi Towns in Mississippi