Fort Towson

Mize is a town in Smith County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 285 at the 2000 census.

It is the home of the Mississippi Watermelon Festival.

History

Mize was settled by Europeans by the early 1900s on the Gulf and Ship Island Railroad lines, though immigrants from Scotland may have settled the area as early as 1810.[citation needed] Choctaw Indians had lived in the area for thousands of years, and were being forced westward by the early 1800s.[2] It is proximate to Sullivan's Hollow, Mississippi, the home of outlaw William Cicero "Wild Bill" Sullivan.[3][4]

On April 6, 2005, an F-3 tornado struck Mize High School. The school's second floor was ripped off and the entire structure was severely damaged.[5] Reconstruction efforts were completed in 2007.

The mayor of Mize is Joe Hancock.[6]

Geography

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

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note
1910321
19203323.4%
193042929.2%
194056130.8%
1950430−23.4%
1960371−13.7%
19703720.3%
1980363−2.4%
1990312−14.0%
2000285−8.7%
201034019.3%
2020317−6.8%
U.S. Decennial Census[7]
Mize racial composition as of 2020[8]
Race Num. Perc.
White (non-Hispanic) 294 92.74%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 5 1.58%
Other/Mixed 13 4.1%
Hispanic or Latino 5 1.58%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 317 people, 88 households, and 64 families residing in the town.

Education

The Town of Mize is served by the Smith County School District. Mize Attendance Center (K-12) provides education for the area. The school's mascot is Bully the Bulldog. The school's colors are blue and gold.

Notable people

See also

References

  1. ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
  2. ^ "Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians".
  3. ^ "The History of Sullivan's Hollow in Mississippi". March 13, 2021.
  4. ^ Hammons, Ann (1980). Wild Bill Sullivan: King of the Hollow. Jackson, Mississippi: University Press of Mississippi. p. 71. ISBN 978-0878055685. OCLC 6555284.
  5. ^ Ford, Dick. "Mize, MS Tornado 2005". dick-ford.com. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  6. ^ "Officials | Mize". Retrieved July 25, 2019.
  7. ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  8. ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 17, 2021.

External links