Magee, Mississippi
Encyclopedia
Magee is a city in Simpson County
, Mississippi
, United States
. The population was 4,200 at the 2000 census and was estimated to be near 5,019 as of February 2007. It is part of the Jackson
Metropolitan Statistical Area
.
The community was incorporated as a village on February 25, 1900, which consisted of 685 in 1910.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 4.9 square miles (12.7 km²), all land.
Magee is located between Jackson
and Hattiesburg
on U.S. Hwy. 49 at the intersection of MS Highways 541, 545, and 28.
, with an annual mean temperature 65.8 degrees and average annual rainfall of 56.9 inches (1,445.3 mm).
and other technicians from the Mississippi Rural Water Association worked with the city staff, local contractors and the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency to restore water service. Using four MEMA generators, the rural water staff was able to restore service to Magee by 2:20 p.m. the next day.
; State Highways 28, 545, and 541
Railroad: Canadian National Railway
(formally Illinois Central) serves the Magee area.
Bus Lines: Greyhound Bus serves the area.
Airport: The Magee Municipal Airport (FAA identifier 17M) is located three miles west of Magee. It maintains a lighted 3104 ft (946.1 m) × 50 ft (15.2 m) runway and is attended 24 hours a day. There is a hangar, lobby and office building complex (no control tower). The complex is equipped with automatic dusk to dawn lights, a beacon, and a wind directional device.
of 2000, there were 4,200 people, 1,573 households, and 984 families residing in the city. The population density
was 860.5 people per square mile (332.3/km2). There were 1,725 housing units at an average density of 353.4 per square mile (136.5/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 62.67% White, 33.88% African American, 0.07% Native American, 0.26% Asian, 2.31% from other races
, and 0.81% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.62% of the population.
There were 1,573 households out of which 29.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.6% were married couples
living together, 18.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.4% were non-families. 33.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 3.02.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.7% under the age of 18, 9.9% from 18 to 24, 26.3% from 25 to 44, 19.2% from 45 to 64, and 16.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 93.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $20,779, and the median income for a family was $24,176. Males had a median income of $23,690 versus $16,767 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $11,257. About 24.6% of families and 28.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 42.9% of those under age 18 and 17.0% of those age 65 or over.
The Simpson County Development Foundation Industrial Park is an ultramodern, 205 acre (0.8296063 km²) industrial park located on four-lane Highway 49. Rail services are available through Canadian National Railway
. There is an abundant water supply and an Entergy substation providing ample electrical service to the park. Magee Industrial Park in South Magee offers similar facilities.
Magee Medical & Surgical clinic located adjacent to the hospital has five family practitioners. This building also houses the hospital's physical therapy department.
Five dentists have practices in Magee.
Other facilities include Hillcrest Health Center, Boswell Regional Center for adult persons with developmental disabilities, and Millcreek Rehabilitation Center, a private residential center for mental, emotionally and physically handicapped. Five Home Health Agencies serve the area.
Magee also has one fully licensed 12-bed assisted living facility.
There are 16 full-time police personnel, including the Chief of Police and 12 auxiliary officers.
Magee has 36 trained volunteer firemen, three pumpers, one rescue unit and two utility trucks. Magee is served by Emergystat Ambulance Service.
In the Magee, Mississippi National Guard Unit, there are 149 members with five full-time personnel.
Magee is ahome to a 50,000 Watt AM radio station, WSJC
on 810 kHz. WKXI, a 100,000 Watt FM radio station on 107.5 and WRBJ, a television station operating on channel 34, are also legally licensed to Magee, but serve Jackson and have no presence in Magee.
The Chamber of Commerce sponsors the annual Homecoming, the Christmas Parade, tree lighting and caroling.
Crazy Day comes once a year located on main street in Magee. It usually comes the third Saturday of the month September. Many locals go there to set up booths to sell homemade goods. Crazy day is all about people coming together and having a good time.
A new modern Civic Center provides space for meetings for civic clubs and other organizations and houses the Magee Chamber of Commerce office. The Civic Center has complete modern kitchen facilities and was built by the city with financial help from various individuals and organizations.
The Old Magee Cemetery is the burial place of some of Magee's earliest settlers.
The Sanitarium Museum, a museum of memorabilia from the old Tuberculosis (TB) hospital, includes the old telephone switchboard, a patient bedroom with nightstand, equipment and many photographs. It is located on Highway 49 North two miles (3 km) north of Magee.
Simpson County, Mississippi
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 27,639 people, 10,076 households, and 7,385 families residing in the county. The population density was 47 people per square mile . There were 11,307 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...
. The population was 4,200 at the 2000 census and was estimated to be near 5,019 as of February 2007. It is part of the Jackson
Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson is the capital and the most populous city of the US state of Mississippi. It is one of two county seats of Hinds County ,. The population of the city declined from 184,256 at the 2000 census to 173,514 at the 2010 census...
Metropolitan Statistical Area
Jackson metropolitan area
The Jackson Metropolitan Statistical Area is a metropolitan area in the central region of the U.S. state of Mississippi that covers five counties: Copiah, Hinds, Madison, Rankin, and Simpson. As of the 2000 census, the MSA had a population of 497,197...
.
History
The first white settlers in the area were Arthur Mangum and Phil Magee. Both entered the area around 1820. Pioneers from Virginia and the Carolinas followed, and in 1840 Willis Magee built a grist mill on Little Goodwater Creek, inside the present city limits.The community was incorporated as a village on February 25, 1900, which consisted of 685 in 1910.
Geography
Magee is located at 31°52′22"N 89°44′1"W (31.872684, −89.733699).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 city has a total area of 4.9 square miles (12.7 km²), all land.
Magee is located between Jackson
Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson is the capital and the most populous city of the US state of Mississippi. It is one of two county seats of Hinds County ,. The population of the city declined from 184,256 at the 2000 census to 173,514 at the 2010 census...
and Hattiesburg
Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Hattiesburg is a city in Forrest County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 44,779 at the 2000 census . It is the county seat of Forrest County...
on U.S. Hwy. 49 at the intersection of MS Highways 541, 545, and 28.
Weather
Magee has a humid subtropical climateHumid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a climate zone characterized by hot, humid summers and mild to cool winters...
, with an annual mean temperature 65.8 degrees and average annual rainfall of 56.9 inches (1,445.3 mm).
March 2009 tornado
On March 26, 2009, around 1:30 a.m., an EF3 tornado struck the north part of the city. The tornado destroyed 60 homes and 25 injuries occurred, with no fatalities. The tornado significantly damaged the town's water treatment plant, interrupting service to the entire town. Circuit RidersCircuit rider (water/wastewater)
Rural water circuit riders are roving technical experts employed by State Rural Water Associations to provide training and assistance to rural and small water utilities within their state.-History:...
and other technicians from the Mississippi Rural Water Association worked with the city staff, local contractors and the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency to restore water service. Using four MEMA generators, the rural water staff was able to restore service to Magee by 2:20 p.m. the next day.
Transportation
Highways: U.S. Hwy 49U.S. Route 49
U.S. Route 49 is a north–south United States highway. The highway's northern terminus is in Piggott, Arkansas, at an intersection with U.S. Route 62. Its southern terminus is in Gulfport, Mississippi, at an intersection with U.S. Route 90. US 49 is approximately 516 miles in length.It...
; State Highways 28, 545, and 541
Railroad: Canadian National Railway
Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
(formally Illinois Central) serves the Magee area.
Bus Lines: Greyhound Bus serves the area.
Airport: The Magee Municipal Airport (FAA identifier 17M) is located three miles west of Magee. It maintains a lighted 3104 ft (946.1 m) × 50 ft (15.2 m) runway and is attended 24 hours a day. There is a hangar, lobby and office building complex (no control tower). The complex is equipped with automatic dusk to dawn lights, a beacon, and a wind directional device.
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 4,200 people, 1,573 households, and 984 families residing in the city. 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 860.5 people per square mile (332.3/km2). There were 1,725 housing units at an average density of 353.4 per square mile (136.5/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 62.67% White, 33.88% African American, 0.07% Native American, 0.26% Asian, 2.31% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.81% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.62% of the population.
There were 1,573 households out of which 29.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.6% 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, 18.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.4% were non-families. 33.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 3.02.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.7% under the age of 18, 9.9% from 18 to 24, 26.3% from 25 to 44, 19.2% from 45 to 64, and 16.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 93.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $20,779, and the median income for a family was $24,176. Males had a median income of $23,690 versus $16,767 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 city was $11,257. About 24.6% of families and 28.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 42.9% of those under age 18 and 17.0% of those age 65 or over.
Business and industry
Prominent area industries include Tyson Foods, Polk's Meat Products, Real Pure Beverage Group, Howard Industry and Quality Foods.The Simpson County Development Foundation Industrial Park is an ultramodern, 205 acre (0.8296063 km²) industrial park located on four-lane Highway 49. Rail services are available through Canadian National Railway
Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
. There is an abundant water supply and an Entergy substation providing ample electrical service to the park. Magee Industrial Park in South Magee offers similar facilities.
Medical
Magee General Hospital is a modern 64-bed facility with Swing Bed capability. The hospital also has modern delivery suites with a newborn nursery. On staff are a number of specialists. The Radiology department features a CAT scanner, Nuclear Medicine and Ultrasound. The laboratory features the latest technology in computerized diagnostic equipment. The hospital offers 24-hour emergency services.Magee Medical & Surgical clinic located adjacent to the hospital has five family practitioners. This building also houses the hospital's physical therapy department.
Five dentists have practices in Magee.
Other facilities include Hillcrest Health Center, Boswell Regional Center for adult persons with developmental disabilities, and Millcreek Rehabilitation Center, a private residential center for mental, emotionally and physically handicapped. Five Home Health Agencies serve the area.
Magee also has one fully licensed 12-bed assisted living facility.
Public service
A new city hall, police station and city jail has been completed.There are 16 full-time police personnel, including the Chief of Police and 12 auxiliary officers.
Magee has 36 trained volunteer firemen, three pumpers, one rescue unit and two utility trucks. Magee is served by Emergystat Ambulance Service.
In the Magee, Mississippi National Guard Unit, there are 149 members with five full-time personnel.
Media
The Magee Courier and Simpson County News serve the town.Magee is ahome to a 50,000 Watt AM radio station, WSJC
WSJC
WSJC is a radio station licensed to serve Magee, Mississippi. The station is owned by Family Talk Radio. It airs a Religious radio format....
on 810 kHz. WKXI, a 100,000 Watt FM radio station on 107.5 and WRBJ, a television station operating on channel 34, are also legally licensed to Magee, but serve Jackson and have no presence in Magee.
Arts and entertainment
Magee has a modern auditorium and local arts group include Artists Mississippi, the Simpson County Arts Council, and the Lamplight Theatre.The Chamber of Commerce sponsors the annual Homecoming, the Christmas Parade, tree lighting and caroling.
Crazy Day comes once a year located on main street in Magee. It usually comes the third Saturday of the month September. Many locals go there to set up booths to sell homemade goods. Crazy day is all about people coming together and having a good time.
A new modern Civic Center provides space for meetings for civic clubs and other organizations and houses the Magee Chamber of Commerce office. The Civic Center has complete modern kitchen facilities and was built by the city with financial help from various individuals and organizations.
Historical and cultural
Magee Public Library, the first public library in Magee, was established in 1935 through the interest of business and professional people in the town. Mrs. Maude Turner was librarian. In 1937, the library was named Mims Williams Memorial Library. The library is now a member of the Central Mississippi Regional Library System. The new library was built in 1975. It is staffed by two full-time workers and one part-time worker.The Old Magee Cemetery is the burial place of some of Magee's earliest settlers.
The Sanitarium Museum, a museum of memorabilia from the old Tuberculosis (TB) hospital, includes the old telephone switchboard, a patient bedroom with nightstand, equipment and many photographs. It is located on Highway 49 North two miles (3 km) north of Magee.