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Booneville, Mississippi
South Main Street
South Main Street
Flag of Booneville, Mississippi
Flag
Nickname(s): 
The City of Hospitality
Location in Prentiss County and Mississippi
Booneville, Mississippi is located in Mississippi
Booneville, Mississippi
Booneville, Mississippi
Location in Mississippi
Booneville, Mississippi is located in the United States
Booneville, Mississippi
Booneville, Mississippi
Location in the United States
Booneville, Mississippi is located in North America
Booneville, Mississippi
Booneville, Mississippi
Location in North America
Country  United States
State  Mississippi
County Prentiss
Settled 1858
Incorporated (city) 1861
Area
 • Total 25.79 sq mi (66.79 km2)
 • Land 25.75 sq mi (66.70 km2)
 • Water 0.03 sq mi (0.09 km2)
Elevation
489 ft (149 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 9,126
 • Density 354.37/sq mi (136.82/km2)
Demonym(s) Boonevillian
Time zone UTC-6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST) UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
38829
Area code(s) 662
FIPS code 28-07780
GNIS feature ID 2403898
U.S. Routes US 45.svg

Booneville /ˈbnvɪl/ is a city in the U.S. state of Mississippi and is the county seat of Prentiss County. It is located in the hilly North Mississippi region, and ecologically is part of the Southeastern Plains region.

The city of Booneville is nicknamed "the City of Hospitality," in reference to the town's southern hospitality. The city flag, welcome sign, and city website bear the image of a magnolia blossom, a symbol of hospitality as well as the state flower of Mississippi. Booneville was incorporated in 1861 and named after R.H. Boone, a relative of Daniel Boone. The population was 8,743 at the 2010 census. It is one of 21 certified Mississippi retirement cities.

Booneville is home to Northeast Mississippi Community College, the tenth-largest community college by enrollment in the state.

History

The land of Booneville was bought by B.B. Boone, G.W. Williams, and W.P. Curlee from the Chickasaw tribesman Le-Ho-Yea. The community was named for settler Colonel Reuben Holman Boone, a relative of Daniel Boone, the early American pioneer. The city was initially planned in 1848 as part of the construction on the Mobile and Ohio Railroad. While the settlement grew rapidly in its early years, the American Civil War began just as the city incorporated in 1861 and slowed the city's progress.

Civil War

The Mobile and Ohio Railroad that ran through Booneville was completed shortly before the Civil War began. It was converted to military use and became a critical military target. 184 miles of the line from Union City, Tennessee to Okolona, Mississippi would be totally destroyed by 1866, causing severe financial strain for the railroad even after it was eventually rebuilt.

On May 30, 1862, Col. Washington Lafayette Elliott of the 2nd Iowa Cavalry Regiment led a Union brigade to Booneville, where they destroyed the local depot and a large train loaded with munitions and captured 2,000 sick and wounded Confederates.

On June 28, 1862, Col. Philip Sheridan of the Union fortified a position in Booneville after hearing that the Confederates intended to move from Tupelo to Corinth in an attempt to recapture the rail junction there. Brig. Gen. James R. Chalmers of the Confederacy led 4,700 troops in an assault that pushed the Union troops to withdraw to a backup position 2 miles (3.2 km) closer to the town. The bulk of the Union force stayed on the defensive while Sheridan sent the 2nd Michigan Cavalry under Capt. Russell Alexander and the 2nd Iowa Cavalry under Lt. Col. Edward Hatch to attack the Confederate rear and left flank. It is estimated 65 of Chalmers' men were killed; Federal casualties were one dead, 24 wounded, and 16 missing.

Korean War

On December 22, 1950, an explosion and fire at the Booneville Armory killed seven members of Company B, 198th Tank Battalion, a Mississippi Army National Guard unit. Their deaths are considered the first domestic casualties of the Korean War.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 25.7 square miles (67 km2), of which 25.7 square miles (67 km2) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km2) (0.16%) is water. The city is concentrated along Mississippi Highway 145 between its intersections with Mississippi Highway 30 to the south and Mississippi Highway 4 to the north. U.S. Route 45 passes through western Booneville, connecting the city with Corinth and Tupelo.

Climate

Climate is characterized by relatively high temperatures and evenly distributed precipitation throughout the year. The Köppen Climate Classification subtype for this climate is "Cfa" (Humid Subtropical Climate).

Climate data for Booneville, Mississippi (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1892–2021)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 80
(27)
90
(32)
90
(32)
96
(36)
98
(37)
107
(42)
108
(42)
107
(42)
107
(42)
97
(36)
86
(30)
79
(26)
108
(42)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 50.0
(10.0)
54.4
(12.4)
63.4
(17.4)
71.9
(22.2)
79.0
(26.1)
85.7
(29.8)
88.9
(31.6)
88.5
(31.4)
83.7
(28.7)
73.6
(23.1)
61.9
(16.6)
53.0
(11.7)
71.2
(21.8)
Daily mean °F (°C) 39.5
(4.2)
43.2
(6.2)
51.3
(10.7)
59.7
(15.4)
68.0
(20.0)
75.4
(24.1)
78.7
(25.9)
78.0
(25.6)
72.2
(22.3)
61.3
(16.3)
50.0
(10.0)
42.6
(5.9)
60.0
(15.6)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 29.0
(−1.7)
32.1
(0.1)
39.2
(4.0)
47.5
(8.6)
57.0
(13.9)
65.1
(18.4)
68.5
(20.3)
67.5
(19.7)
60.7
(15.9)
48.9
(9.4)
38.1
(3.4)
32.2
(0.1)
48.8
(9.3)
Record low °F (°C) −10
(−23)
−9
(−23)
0
(−18)
25
(−4)
36
(2)
45
(7)
50
(10)
49
(9)
36
(2)
26
(−3)
2
(−17)
−6
(−21)
−10
(−23)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 5.11
(130)
5.26
(134)
5.48
(139)
5.59
(142)
5.61
(142)
5.64
(143)
4.33
(110)
4.49
(114)
4.38
(111)
3.98
(101)
4.28
(109)
6.27
(159)
60.42
(1,535)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 0.3
(0.76)
0.7
(1.8)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.1
(0.25)
1.1
(2.8)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 11.8 10.4 11.4 10.0 10.3 10.4 9.9 9.3 7.1 7.7 9.5 11.4 119.2
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 0.4 0.6 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 1.1
Source: NOAA

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1870 458
1880 603 31.7%
1890 748 24.0%
1900 1,050 40.4%
1910 1,337 27.3%
1920 1,495 11.8%
1930 1,703 13.9%
1940 1,893 11.2%
1950 3,295 74.1%
1960 3,480 5.6%
1970 5,895 69.4%
1980 6,199 5.2%
1990 7,955 28.3%
2000 8,625 8.4%
2010 8,743 1.4%
2020 9,126 4.4%
U.S. Decennial Census

2020 census

Booneville Racial Composition
Race Num. Perc.
White 6,576 72.06%
Black or African American 1,876 20.56%
Native American 22 0.24%
Asian 57 0.62%
Pacific Islander 5 0.05%
Other/Mixed 323 3.54%
Hispanic or Latino 267 2.93%

As of the 2020 United States Census, there were 9,126 people, 2,877 households, and 1,710 families residing in the city.

Education

  • The City of Booneville is served by two public school districts - Booneville and Prentiss County (the former has the inner city and the latter has the outskirts)
  • Booneville is home to Northeast Mississippi Community College, which has an annual enrollment in excess of 6,000 students. The community college serves five counties: Prentiss, Tippah, Alcorn, Union, and Tishomingo.

Media

Newspapers

  • Banner Independent
  • Prentiss County Progress

Television stations

  • WMAE-TV Channel 12 TV
  • WHBH-CD Channel 34 TV

Radio stations

  • WBIP AM 1400 Hometown Radio

Infrastructure

Transportation

Booneville/Baldwyn Airport, located 6 mi (9.7 km) southwest of Booneville, is owned by the cities of Booneville and Baldwyn.

Notable people

  • George E. Allen, American political figure and head football coach for 1 game at Cumberland University
  • Tracy Arnold, current representative in the Mississippi House for District 3.
  • Harold Bishop, Jr., professional football player
  • Cecil Bolton, Major League Baseball first baseman for the Cleveland Indians
  • Asya Branch, Miss Mississippi 2018, Miss Mississippi USA 2020, and Miss USA 2020
  • Travis Childers, former congressman
  • Jamie Davis, Southern rock musician
  • David L. Hill, nuclear physicist for the Manhattan Project
  • Gene Kelton, singer-songwriter, blues musician, and band leader of Mean Gene Kelton & The Die Hards
  • Hayden Thompson, is an American singer, songwriter, and rockabilly musician.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Booneville (Misisipi) para niños

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