Corinth, Mississippi

History

Established in 1853, Corinth was first named Cross City for its location at the junction of the Mobile & Ohio and Memphis & Charleston railroads, it was renamed Corinth after the famous Greek crossroads city. Because of the town’s strategic location, it was a center of contention between Union and Confederate forces during the Civil War and was ultimately occupied by Union troops from 1862 to 1864.

Confederate General P. G. T. Beauregard retreated to Corinth after the Battle of Shiloh (April 1862), pursued by Union Major General Henry W. Halleck. General Beauregard abandoned the town on May 29 when General Halleck approached, letting it fall into the Union's hands. Since Halleck had approached so cautiously, digging entrenchments at every stop for over a month, this action has been known as the Siege of Corinth.

The Union sent Maj. Gen. William Rosecrans to Corinth as well and concentrated its forces in the city. The Second Battle of Corinth took place on October 3−4, 1862, when Confederate Maj. Gen. Earl Van Dorn attempted to retake the city. Corinth ultimately became a destination for refugees from slavery called contrabands and their camp was "widely regarded as a 'model' camp."

Locales on the National Register of Historic Places

Main article: National Register of Historic Places listings in Alcorn County, Mississippi

• Battery Williams (also known as Fort Williams)
• Siege and Battle of Corinth Sites
• Coliseum Theatre- built in the early 20th century in the Colonial Revival style
• Corinth National Cemetery
• Downtown Corinth Historic District
• Dr. Joseph M. Bynum House—a home in the Late Gothic Revival style built in the late 19th century
• Federal Siege Trench (also known as Harper Road Trench)
• Fort Robinette (also known as Battery Robinette)—site of the Civil War Interpretive Center
• Jacinto Courthouse (also called the Old Tishomingo County Courthouse)—built in the mid-19th century in the Federal style
• L.C. Steele House
• Midtown Corinth Historic District
• Moores Creek site—a prehistoric Native American site from 3000 to 3500 B.C.
• Old U.S. Post Office
• Rienzi Commercial Historic District
• Thomas F. Dilworth House
• Union Battery F, Battle of Corinth
• Union Earthworks
• Veranda House (also known as the Curlee House)—built in 1857, it served as headquarters for Confederate generals during the Battle of Corinth

Geography

Corinth is located in northeast Mississippi at the intersection of (north/south) U.S. Route 45 and (east/west) U.S. Route 72. U.S. 45 runs to the west of the city as a bypass, leading north 19 mi to Selmer, Tennessee, and south 21 mi to Booneville. U.S. 72 runs through the southern part of the city, leading southeast 14 mi to Burnsville and west 23 mi to Walnut. It is the county seat of Alcorn County, which is the smallest county by area in the state of Mississippi.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 78.4 km2, of which 78.1 km2 is land and 0.3 km2, or 0.43%, is water.

Communities near Corinth

• Eastview, Tennessee, 9.85 mi
• Farmington, 3.97 mi
• Guys, Tennessee, 7.24 mi
• Kossuth, 8.21 mi
• Michie, Tennessee, 9.75 mi
• Ramer, Tennessee, 10.92 mi
• Selmer, Tennessee, 17.28 miles (27.81 km)

Rivers and streams

• Bridge Creek
• Elam Creek
• Phillips Creek
• Turner Creek

Climate

The climate is humid subtropical (Köppen: Cfa) like all of Mississippi but with frequent and regular gusts of snow. |Jan record high F = 80 |Feb record high F = 86 |Mar record high F = 89 |Apr record high F = 97 |May record high F = 100 |Jun record high F = 106 |Jul record high F = 111 |Aug record high F = 110 |Sep record high F = 105 |Oct record high F = 96 |Nov record high F = 88 |Dec record high F = 80 |year record high F = 111 |Jan record low F = −19 |Feb record low F = −6 |Mar record low F = 9 |Apr record low F = 25 |May record low F = 35 |Jun record low F = 43 |Jul record low F = 51 |Aug record low F = 47 |Sep record low F = 33 |Oct record low F = 21 |Nov record low F = 4 |Dec record low F = −6 |year record low F = −19 | access-date = June 9, 2021}}{{cite web | access-date = June 9, 2021}}

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 14,622 people, 6,087 households, and 3,555 families residing in the city.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 14,054 people, 6,220 households, and 3,800 families residing in the city. The population density was 461.5 /mi2. There were 7,058 housing units at an average density of 231.8 /mi2. The racial makeup of the city was 76.28% White, 21.60% African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.36% Asian, 0.12% Pacific Islander, 0.84% from other races, and 0.73% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.73% of the population.

There were 6,220 households, out of which 26.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.9% were married couples living together, 14.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.9% were non-families. Of all households, 35.6% were made up of individuals, and 16.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.82.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 21.8% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 25.6% from 25 to 44, 23.7% from 45 to 64, and 19.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $23,436, and the median income for a family was $35,232. Males had a median income of $29,027 versus $21,071 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,452. About 18.2% of families and 22.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.2% of those under age 18 and 23.9% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Public schools

Corinth School District:

• Corinth High School—grades 9–12 with an enrollment of 473
• Corinth Middle School-grades 5–8 with an enrollment of 265
• Corinth Elementary School—grades K–4
• Easom High School (the only African American school in the city before desegregation; Became home of South Corinth Elementary School teaching 5th and 6th Grade until the 2009–2010 school year, when it ceased to be used until 2014 when a health clinic opened in the building)

Alcorn School District:

• Alcorn Alternative School
• Alcorn Central Elementary—grades K–4, with enrollment of 520
• Alcorn Central Middle School—grades 5–8 with an enrollment of 539
• Alcorn Central High School—grades 9–12 with an enrollment of 515
• Biggersville Elementary—grades K–6 with an enrollment of 161
• Biggersville High School—grades 7–12 with an enrollment of 236
• Kossuth Elementary School—grades K–4 with an enrollment of 562
• Kossuth High School—grades 9–12 with an enrollment of 438
• Kossuth Middle School—grades 5–8 with an enrollment of 499

Libraries

• Corinth Public Library—part of the Northeast Regional Library System

Museums

• Northeast Mississippi Museum
• Corinth Civil War Interpretive Center (part of the National Park Service)
• Artist Guild Museum and Shop
• Museum of Southern Culture
• Black History Museum

Health care

• Veranda Health Center
• Magnolia Regional Health Center

Transportation

Highways

• U.S. Route 45—runs north–south from Lake Superior to the Gulf of Mexico
• U.S. Route 72—runs east–west from Chattanooga, Tennessee to Memphis
• Mississippi Highway 2—runs southwest from the Tennessee state line to Hickory Flat
• Mississippi Highway 145

Air travel

Roscoe Turner Airport is a general aviation airport just outside Corinth. The nearest airports with regularly scheduled commercial service are Tupelo Regional Airport, about 54 miles south of Corinth, and Memphis International Airport, about 90 miles west of Corinth.

Media

Newspapers

• Daily Corinthian

FM and AM radio stations

• WKCU 1350, Country music
• WXRZ 94.3, News and Talk / Supertalk Mississippi (Mississippi political and local)
• WADI 95.3, 95.5 The Bee (Country)
• Radio Mexico 107.9 (Spanish)

Notable people

• Neal Brooks Biggers Jr., federal judge
• Don Blasingame, baseball player
• Ezekiel S. Candler Jr., U.S. congressman
• Bert Cumby, Army intelligence officer
• Larry Dorsey, football coach
• Bobby Emmons, songwriter and keyboardist of The Memphis Boys
• Steve Gaines, pastor
• Frances Gaither, novelist
• George Grace, linguist
• Philip Henson, scout and spy
• Etheridge Knight, poet
• Peggy Smith Martin, Illinois state representative
• Jimbo Mathus, musician
• Thomas K. McCraw, educator
• Maty Noyes, singer
• John F. Osborne, editor and journalist
• Rubel Phillips, politician
• Thomas Hal Phillips, author
• J.E. Pitts, poet and songwriter
• Saving Abel, rock band
• Everett Sharp, football player
• Jackie Simpson, professional football player.
• Orma Rinehart Smith, federal judge
• John Benjamin Splann, Mississippi state senator
• Roscoe Turner, aviator
• Jack Yarber, musician

References

References

1. Moore, William. (2022-08-02). "Dance holds slim lead for Corinth mayor".
2. "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau.
3. {{GNIS. 2404132
4. "Find a County". National Association of Counties.
5. "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Corinth city, Mississippi". U.S. Census Bureau.
6. Manning, Chandra. (2017-12-19). "Contraband Camps and the African American Refugee Experience during the Civil War". Oxford University Press.
7. "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Corinth city, Mississippi". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder.
8. "Corinth climate: Average Temperature, weather by month, Corinth weather averages - Climate-Data.org".
9. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov.
10. "Explore Census Data".
11. "U.S. Census website". [[United States Census Bureau]].
12. "Corinth School District :: Welcome to Corinth School District".
13. "Alcorn School District".
14. "Alcorn School District ::".
15. "Alcorn School District ::".
16. "Alcorn School District ::".
17. [http://www.corinth.ms/museum/index.html Northeast Mississippi Museum] {{webarchive. link. (2005-03-08)
18. "Corinth".
19. "AirNav: KCRX - Roscoe Turner Airport".
20. 'Illinois Blue Book 1977–1978,' Biographical Sketch of Peggy Smith Martin, pg. 119