Thursday, October 3, 2019

Population loss in Mississippi: Claiborne County/Port Gibson


It all started here.

Population loss as in major -- 50% or more. 

Source:  Wikipedia (Claiborne County, Port Gibson)

Port Gibson is the county seat in Claiborne County.  

Population loss by degrees:  80-90%70-79%, 60-69%, 50-59%.



Percentage of population 25 and older with a bachelor's degree:
  • 18.8% - Claiborne County
  • 21.3% - Mississippi
  • 30.9% - U.S.
Percentage of population 65 and older:
  • 16.4% - Claiborne County
  • 15.9% - Mississippi
  • 16.0% - U.S.
% of population living in poverty:
  • 42.6% - Claiborne County
  • 19.7% - Mississippi
  • 11.8% - U.S.

The last time Claiborne County voted for a Republican candidate for president was in 1964.  Clinton received 86.8% of the vote in 2016.  George Wallace received 32.6% of the vote.



Related reading:
A Vestige of King Cotton Fades Out in Mississippi.  (The New York Times, 10/18/2002)
The Port Gibson Oil Mill died in June. The steam whistle that once summoned all 50 workers at 7 every morning -- and woke everyone else in town -- is silent. The day-and-night din of machines crushing cottonseeds is gone, and with it the comforting odor of the seeds cooking. The big tractor trailers have all moved on. 
The mill ran for 120 years, which townspeople say is longer than any other cotton-oil mill anywhere. It was the town's biggest private employer, its biggest taxpayer and the last vestige of an industry that once made Port Gibson one of the richest little towns in America. Shutting it down, said Emma Crisler, editor and publisher of the weekly Port Gibson Reveille, ''is like losing a piece of your soul.''

Other Mississippi population loss posts:
Tunica County/Tunica.  (10/2/2019)
Coahoma County/Clarksdale.  (10/2/2019)
Bolivar County/Cleveland.  (10/3/2019)
Issaquena County/Mayersville.  (10/3/2019)

Population loss series:

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