Kokomo, Mississippi
Encyclopedia
Kokomo is an unincorporated community
in Marion County
, Mississippi
, United States
.
. The first tracks were made of wood, but they were later replaced with metal. When the tracks crossed a public road, they would give the crossing a name. The names came in the following order: Davo; Barto; Carto; Knoxo; and Kokomo. Kokomo was established approximately ten miles to the east of Tylertown.
distillery, the largest in the US at that time. There were blacksmith
shops, café
, barber
shop, grocery store
s, gristmill
s, and a drug store
.
at Kokomo was the Old China Grove School. This was a one-room, cotton-house-style building that was used from 1904 until 1912 - school terms lasted about six months each year. The logging camp moved in 1912, and so a new school building was erected at the new location in Kokomo. The first Kokomo Baptist Church was used for the school until the new school building could be constructed. In 1935 when the logging camp had move out of Kokomo and most of the population with it, Kokomo became a small town.
stands today. In 1959, when the Kokomo School closed, the Baptist Church bought the school building. This old school building was used until 2001 for the Kokomo Baptist Church.
In 2001 the Baptist Church moved into a newly constructed building at the same location. The Kokomo Methodist Church
was organized in 1910. Before being organized they had started worshipping in 1906 under the leadership of J. E. Williamson. Later from 1907 to 1909 W. B. Waldrop led the worshippers. In 1910 the worship leader was T. H. King and in 1911 it was D. Scarborough. Dr. Henry Lewis Carruth was one of the dedicated people of Kokomo who met in October 1911 to organize Kokomo Methodist Church. Early settlers of the community included the Jarrell, Simmons, Rowley, Packwood, Toney, Summers, Lee, Conerly, Foil and Reagan families.
Although Kokomo is not what it was ninety years ago, presently this small area is a small southern town with a lot a charm and hospitality. The post office
still stands, along with the churches, a trailer park
, a pecan cracking shop and a few stores.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
in Marion County
Marion County, Mississippi
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 25,595 people, 9,336 households, and 6,880 families residing in the county. The population density was 47 people per square mile . There were 10,395 housing units at an average density of 19 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...
.
Establishment
Kokomo was organized by the Phillip Enoch family of Fernwood, Mississippi around 1912. They planned to purchase timber to finance the existing Fernwood railroad that the family was purchasing. After they had secured a right-of-way, the Enochs began to construct and lay the track east of Tylertown, MississippiTylertown, Mississippi
Tylertown is the county seat of Walthall County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 1,910 at the 2000 census.-History:Tylertown was first known as the Magee Settlement. Its first settlement dates back to the emigration of the Magees and Thornhills from South Carolina and is located on a...
. The first tracks were made of wood, but they were later replaced with metal. When the tracks crossed a public road, they would give the crossing a name. The names came in the following order: Davo; Barto; Carto; Knoxo; and Kokomo. Kokomo was established approximately ten miles to the east of Tylertown.
Commerce
While in Kokomo, the Enochs set up a turpentineTurpentine
Turpentine is a fluid obtained by the distillation of resin obtained from trees, mainly pine trees. It is composed of terpenes, mainly the monoterpenes alpha-pinene and beta-pinene...
distillery, the largest in the US at that time. There were blacksmith
Blacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
shops, café
Café
A café , also spelled cafe, in most countries refers to an establishment which focuses on serving coffee, like an American coffeehouse. In the United States, it may refer to an informal restaurant, offering a range of hot meals and made-to-order sandwiches...
, barber
Barber
A barber is someone whose occupation is to cut any type of hair, and to shave or trim the beards of men. The place of work of a barber is generally called a barbershop....
shop, grocery store
Grocery store
A grocery store is a store that retails food. A grocer, the owner of a grocery store, stocks different kinds of foods from assorted places and cultures, and sells these "groceries" to customers. Large grocery stores that stock products other than food, such as clothing or household items, are...
s, gristmill
Gristmill
The terms gristmill or grist mill can refer either to a building in which grain is ground into flour, or to the grinding mechanism itself.- Early history :...
s, and a drug store
Pharmacy
Pharmacy is the health profession that links the health sciences with the chemical sciences and it is charged with ensuring the safe and effective use of pharmaceutical drugs...
.
Education
The first schoolSchool
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
at Kokomo was the Old China Grove School. This was a one-room, cotton-house-style building that was used from 1904 until 1912 - school terms lasted about six months each year. The logging camp moved in 1912, and so a new school building was erected at the new location in Kokomo. The first Kokomo Baptist Church was used for the school until the new school building could be constructed. In 1935 when the logging camp had move out of Kokomo and most of the population with it, Kokomo became a small town.
Churches
The Baptist Church was organized on September 12, 1911. The church building was constructed shortly after this time with the lumber being donated by Mack Williamson and Henry Bourne. Joe Morris donated the pews for the church. This church stood just across the road and a few yards south of where the Kokomo United Methodist ChurchUnited Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination which is both mainline Protestant and evangelical. Founded in 1968 by the union of The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church, the UMC traces its roots back to the revival movement of John and Charles Wesley...
stands today. In 1959, when the Kokomo School closed, the Baptist Church bought the school building. This old school building was used until 2001 for the Kokomo Baptist Church.
In 2001 the Baptist Church moved into a newly constructed building at the same location. The Kokomo Methodist Church
Methodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
was organized in 1910. Before being organized they had started worshipping in 1906 under the leadership of J. E. Williamson. Later from 1907 to 1909 W. B. Waldrop led the worshippers. In 1910 the worship leader was T. H. King and in 1911 it was D. Scarborough. Dr. Henry Lewis Carruth was one of the dedicated people of Kokomo who met in October 1911 to organize Kokomo Methodist Church. Early settlers of the community included the Jarrell, Simmons, Rowley, Packwood, Toney, Summers, Lee, Conerly, Foil and Reagan families.
Although Kokomo is not what it was ninety years ago, presently this small area is a small southern town with a lot a charm and hospitality. The post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
still stands, along with the churches, a trailer park
Trailer park
A trailer park is a semi-permanent or permanent area for mobile homes or travel trailers. The main reasons for living in such trailer parks are the often lower cost compared to other housing, and the ability to move to a new area more quickly and easily, for example when changing jobs to another...
, a pecan cracking shop and a few stores.