Terry, Mississippi

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Terry, Mississippi
settlement_type = Town
nickname =
motto =

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mapsize = 250x200px
map_caption = Location of Terry, Mississippi


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subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = United States
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_name1 = Mississippi
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name2 = Hinds
government_footnotes =
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leader_title =
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unit_pref = Imperial
area_footnotes =

area_magnitude =
area_total_km2 = 6.0
area_land_km2 = 6.0
area_water_km2 = 0.0
area_total_sq_mi = 2.3
area_land_sq_mi = 2.3
area_water_sq_mi = 0.0

population_as_of = 2000
population_footnotes =
population_total = 664
population_density_km2 = 111.0
population_density_sq_mi = 287.4

timezone = Central (CST)
utc_offset = -6
timezone_DST = CDT
utc_offset_DST = -5
elevation_footnotes =
elevation_m = 89
elevation_ft = 292
latd = 32 |latm = 6 |lats = 5 |latNS = N
longd = 90 |longm = 17 |longs = 40 |longEW = W

postal_code_type = ZIP code
postal_code = 39170
area_code = 601
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 28-72680
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = 0678644
website =
footnotes =

Terry is a town in Hinds County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 664 at the 2000 census. It is located near Interstate 55, about 15 miles southwest of Jackson, Mississippi and located in Supervisors District Five of Hinds County. The town is part of the Jackson Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

The area to become known as "Terry" was first settled in 1811 by settlers from Virginia. In 1867, the town of Terry was established when the railroad was built through the area. For a number of years, Terry was the home Mississippi governor Albert G. Brown. [cite book |last= Brieger |first= James |title= Hometown, Mississippi |year= 1997 |publisher= Town Square Books, Inc. |isbn= 1886017271]

Geography

Terry is located at coor dms|32|6|5|N|90|17|40|W|city (32.101443, -90.294572).GR|1

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.3 square miles (6.0 km²), all of it land.

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 664 people, 263 households, and 181 families residing in the town. The population density was 287.4 people per square mile (111.0/km²). There were 288 housing units at an average density of 124.7/sq mi (48.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 48.80% White, 50.45% African American, and 0.75% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.30% of the population.

There were 263 households out of which 35.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.4% were married couples living together, 15.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.8% were non-families. 26.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.10.

In the town the population was spread out with 27.7% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 15.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 88.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.6 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $30,192, and the median income for a family was $35,875. Males had a median income of $25,781 versus $24,167 for females. The per capita income for the town was $19,011. About 17.0% of families and 16.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.6% of those under age 18 and 18.5% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The Town of Terry is served by the Hinds County School District and is home to [http://www.terryhs.com/ Terry High School] . Pharmistist J. W. Combs was the president of the board of trustees for many years.

The football field at the high school is named after B. C. Lee.

Newspapers

The Terry Headlight (named for the Head family, who for generations operated a pharmacy downtown) was the town's newspaper for many years. It has ceased to be published, but the Hinds County Gazette has a column each week about what goes on in Terry.

Notable natives

Terry is the birthplace of influential blues musician Tommy Johnson, who had claimed to have sold his soul to the devil at a secluded Mississippi crossroads in exchange for fame and fortune, a legend that was later popularized by its attribution to bluesman Robert Johnson.

Other persons of note who have lived in Terry include writer Rick Bass, former chairman of the Mississippi Democratic Party Rickey Cole, and Bobby DeLaughter, prosecutor in the Byron De La Beckwith murder trial.

Churches

There are several church buildings of note in Terry. The First Baptist Church (formerly Terry Baptist Church) is the largest of the houses of worship. The Episcopal Church of the Good Shepard is located near where the town's water tower once stood. This building was a hospital during the Civil War. A grave lies behind the church. It supposedly belongs to a Gypsy girl who fell out of her wagon when the Gypsies were not allowed to drive through the middle of town.

Two former churches which have closed but served the town for many years are the Terry United Methodist Church and the Terry Sanctified Church.

A smaller church, located in the middle of a neighborhood, is known as Little Bethel C.M.E. Church. The pastor is Pastor Eugene McLamore and the superintendent is Nathan Slater.

Elected Officials

Roderick "Rod" Nicholson is the current mayor. The Board of Aldermen includes Virginia Smith Bailey, Joseph Kendrick, Elzena Kitchens Johnson, Greg Moore, and Doris Young. These town officers are elected every four years in non-partisan elections, that is they are independent of any party labels.

Three Hinds County officials are from the Terry area: George S. Smith (supervisor for District Five), Clyde Chapman (Justice Court Judge for District Five), and Bennie Buckner (Constable for District Five).

The state senator representing the district that includes Terry is Richard White. Terry is represented by both Jim Ellington and Greggory Holloway in the state House of Representatives.

References

External links