Pickens is a town in Holmes 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. Per the 2020 census, the population was 920.

History

The town was named for landowner James Pickens and was incorporated in 1858. On May 9, 1919, an African American veteran was lynched as part of the

Red Summer of 1919 Red Summer was a period in mid-1919 during which white supremacist terrorism and racial riots occurred in more than three dozen cities across the United States, and in one rural county in Arkansas. The term "Red Summer" was coined by civil ...

because of an “improper note” written to a white woman.

Geography

Pickens is located in the southeast corner of Holmes County at (32.886672, -89.970092), on the west side of the Big Black River. It is bordered to the south by Yazoo County and to the east across the Big Black by Attala County.

U.S. Route 51 U.S. Route 51 or U.S. Highway 51 (US 51) is a major south-north United States highway that extends from the western suburbs of New Orleans, Louisiana, to within of the Wisconsin–Michigan state line. As most of the United States Numbered Highw ...

passes through the town, leading northeast to

Goodman Goodman or Goodmans may refer to: Businesses and organizations * Goodman Games, American publisher. * Goodman Global, an American HVAC manufacturer. * Goodman Group, an Australian property company. * Goodmans Industries, a British electronic co ...

and south to Canton.

Mississippi Highway 17 Mississippi Highway 17 (MS 17) is a state highway in central Mississippi. It runs from north to south for , serving the counties of Madison, a small portion of Yazoo, Holmes, and Carroll. Route description MS 17 begins in rural Madison Coun ...

follows US 51 through Pickens, but leaves the highway south of town to lead southeast to Camden, and splits from US 51 north of Pickens to lead north to Lexington, the Holmes County seat.

Mississippi Highway 432 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. Mississ ...

leads west from Pickens to Benton.

Interstate 55 Interstate 55 (I-55) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates that end in a five, it is a major cross-country, north–south route, connecting the Gulf of Mexico to the Great Lakes. The h ...

passes west of Pickens, with access from Exit 139 (Highway 432) and Exit 144 (Highway 17). I-55 leads south to

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, Qu ...

, the state capital, and north to

Grenada Grenada ( ; Grenadian Creole French: ) is an island country in the West Indies in the Caribbean Sea at the southern end of the Grenadines island chain. Grenada consists of the island of Grenada itself, two smaller islands, Carriacou and Pe ...

. 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 of Pickens has a total area of , of which , or 1.96%, are water.

Demographics

2020 census

''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be 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 incl ...

of 2000, there were 1,325 people, 452 households, and 333 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 1,062.3 people per square mile (409.3/km). There were 496 housing units at an average density of 397.7 per square mile (153.2/km). The racial makeup of the town was 11.92%

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 ...

, 87.70%

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 ...

, 0.08% Native American, 0.08% 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 0.23% 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 ...

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 1.28% of the population. There were 452 households, out of which 34.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.7% 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, 33.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.3% were non-families. 24.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.93 and the average family size was 3.52. In the town, the population was spread out, with 30.9% under the age of 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 26.8% from 25 to 44, 19.7% from 45 to 64, and 11.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.5 males. The median income for a household in the town was $17,330, and the median income for a family was $20,956. Males had a median income of $23,750 versus $17,574 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 $10,812. About 36.1% 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 t ...

, including 51.4% of those under age 18 and 41.9% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The town of Pickens is served by the Holmes County School District. It is served by Goodman-Pickens Elementary School, between Pickens and

. In 2006 the school had about 379 students.Goodman-Pickens History
" Goodman-Pickens Elementary School. May 4, 2006. Retrieved on July 9, 2017. High school students are zoned to

Holmes County Central High School Holmes County Central High School is a senior high school in unincorporated Holmes County, Mississippi, United States, about south of Lexington.Gus Courts Gus Courts (May 2, 1887 – April 23, 1969) was an American grocery store proprietor and African-American civil rights Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from infringement by governments, social ...

civil rights Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and political life of ...

activist

References

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