Beulah, Mississippi
Encyclopedia
Beulah is a town in Bolivar County
, Mississippi
, United States
. The population was 473 as of the 2000 census.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 0.5 square miles (1.3 km²), all land.
of 2000, there were 473 people, 139 households, and 108 families residing in the town. The population density
was 1,027.5 people per square mile (397.0/km²). There were 151 housing units at an average density of 328.0 per square mile (126.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 2.54% White, 95.98% African American, 0.85% Asian, 0.21% Pacific Islander, and 0.42% from two or more races.
There were 139 households out of which 46.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 28.1% were married couples
living together, 38.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.6% were non-families. 19.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.40 and the average family size was 3.83.
In the town the population was spread out with 38.9% under the age of 18, 9.9% from 18 to 24, 31.5% from 25 to 44, 12.7% from 45 to 64, and 7.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 26 years. For every 100 females there were 87.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 72.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $24,861, and the median income for a family was $25,341. Males had a median income of $22,500 versus $19,205 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $8,631. About 31.8% of families and 33.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 40.3% of those under age 18 and 44.0% of those age 65 or over.
plantations, worked by enslaved laborers. After the American Civil War
, freedmen often moved from plantations to their own communities, to escape white supervision. Beulah was established as a black community. After the war, numerous freedmen managed to clear and buy land in the bottomlands away from the river, with many becoming landowners in the state before the end of the nineteenth century. By 1910, declining financial and social conditions had forced most to lose their land. Others stayed to work as sharecroppers and laborers.
Beginning in the early twentieth century, thousands of blacks left Mississippi as part of the Great Migration
, north by railroad to Chicago
and other Midwestern industrial cities, but others remained where they had been for generations, with strong local ties. In decades past, Beulah had a revival in the pearl button industry as a result of Mississippi River
freshwater clam harvesting -- "clammin'", as it is known to the residents who still make their living in this way. While pearl button production levels in Beulah would never have been competitive with the self-proclaimed "Pearl Button Capital of the World" at Muscatine, Iowa
at the height of industry in that city in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, Beulah shares in the rich heritage of this industry.
Freshwater clam harvesting in Beulah declined significantly during the 19th century as a direct result of the natural evolution of the river and water control projects. Most freshwater clam species tend to concentrate in the bends of the river. Since the 1800s, this section of the Mississippi has abandoned its bends to oxbow lakes
and straightened its course, and levees have been constructed. Many families still participate in clam harvesting further along the length of the river. Pearl button production has not been a part of this industry for a number of years.
Bolivar County, Mississippi
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 40,633 people, 13,776 households, and 9,725 families residing in the county. The population density was 46 people per square mile . There were 14,939 housing units at an average density of 17 per square mile...
, Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 473 as of the 2000 census.
Geography
Beulah is located at 33°47′26"N 90°58′50"W (33.790487, -90.980502).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 0.5 square miles (1.3 km²), all land.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 473 people, 139 households, and 108 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,027.5 people per square mile (397.0/km²). There were 151 housing units at an average density of 328.0 per square mile (126.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 2.54% White, 95.98% African American, 0.85% Asian, 0.21% Pacific Islander, and 0.42% from two or more races.
There were 139 households out of which 46.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 28.1% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 38.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.6% were non-families. 19.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.40 and the average family size was 3.83.
In the town the population was spread out with 38.9% under the age of 18, 9.9% from 18 to 24, 31.5% from 25 to 44, 12.7% from 45 to 64, and 7.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 26 years. For every 100 females there were 87.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 72.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $24,861, and the median income for a family was $25,341. Males had a median income of $22,500 versus $19,205 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $8,631. About 31.8% of families and 33.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 40.3% of those under age 18 and 44.0% of those age 65 or over.
History and industry
This area in the nineteenth century was one of extensive cottonCotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
plantations, worked by enslaved laborers. After the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, freedmen often moved from plantations to their own communities, to escape white supervision. Beulah was established as a black community. After the war, numerous freedmen managed to clear and buy land in the bottomlands away from the river, with many becoming landowners in the state before the end of the nineteenth century. By 1910, declining financial and social conditions had forced most to lose their land. Others stayed to work as sharecroppers and laborers.
Beginning in the early twentieth century, thousands of blacks left Mississippi as part of the Great Migration
Great Migration (African American)
The Great Migration was the movement of 6 million blacks out of the Southern United States to the Northeast, Midwest, and West from 1910 to 1970. Some historians differentiate between a Great Migration , numbering about 1.6 million migrants, and a Second Great Migration , in which 5 million or more...
, north by railroad to Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and other Midwestern industrial cities, but others remained where they had been for generations, with strong local ties. In decades past, Beulah had a revival in the pearl button industry as a result of Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
freshwater clam harvesting -- "clammin'", as it is known to the residents who still make their living in this way. While pearl button production levels in Beulah would never have been competitive with the self-proclaimed "Pearl Button Capital of the World" at Muscatine, Iowa
Muscatine, Iowa
Muscatine is a city in Muscatine County, Iowa, United States. The population was 22,886 in the 2010 census, an increase from 22,697 in the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Muscatine County...
at the height of industry in that city in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, Beulah shares in the rich heritage of this industry.
Freshwater clam harvesting in Beulah declined significantly during the 19th century as a direct result of the natural evolution of the river and water control projects. Most freshwater clam species tend to concentrate in the bends of the river. Since the 1800s, this section of the Mississippi has abandoned its bends to oxbow lakes
Oxbow Lakes
"Oxbow Lakes" is a single by ambient house artist The Orb. It featured remixes from artists such as Carl Craig, Sabres of Paradise and A Guy Called Gerald. It also includes an acoustic version performed by the string sextet Instrumental which was produced by Darren Allison. It reached number...
and straightened its course, and levees have been constructed. Many families still participate in clam harvesting further along the length of the river. Pearl button production has not been a part of this industry for a number of years.