Collins is a city in Covington County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 2,586 at the 2010 census.[3] It is the county seat of Covington County.[4]
Collins, Mississippi | |
|---|---|
 Covington County Courthouse in Collins | |
 Flag  Seal | |
| Motto: Come Grow With Us! | |
 Location of Collins, Mississippi | |
  Collins, Mississippi Location in the United States | |
| Coordinates: 31°38′32″N 89°33′34″W / 31.64222°N 89.55944°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Mississippi |
| County | Covington |
| Settled | Late 1800s |
| Incorporated | November 24, 1906 |
| Named for | Fred W. Collins |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor-Council |
| • Mayor | Hope Magee Jones[1] |
| • City Clerk | Suzette Davis |
| • Deputy Clerk | Carrie Underwood |
| • Alderman At-Large & Mayor Pro Tem | Bobby A. Mooney |
| Area | |
• Total | 7.99 sq mi (20.69 km2) |
| • Land | 7.96 sq mi (20.62 km2) |
| • Water | 0.03 sq mi (0.08 km2) |
| Elevation | 292 ft (89 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 2,342 |
| • Density | 294.18/sq mi (113.59/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code | 39428 |
| Area code | 601 |
| FIPS code | 28-15140 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0668700 |
| Website | www |
History
editFrom Williamsburg Depot to Collins
editCollins was originally incorporated as Williamsburg Depot in 1899. The Gulf and Ship Island Railroad had completed construction, and bypassed Williamsburg, the county seat at that time. The sawmills moved to the new town of Williamsburg Depot in order to be closer to the railroad. As lumber was an important industry during the time, the town moved with them. Not long after, Williamsburg Depot grew to a town of 6,000 - 7,000 people.[5]
Eventually, the difficulties of having such a long town name, Williamsburg Depot, became clear. The length caused many people to write it over their stamps, voiding the postage. In order to correct this issue, the postmaster asked to have the town name changed in 1905, and the postal service came up with a short and easy name "Bad". For reasons that may be clear, the residents rejected this name, and eventually came up with Collins, in honor of Fred W. Collins, leader of the state's Republican party and U. S. Marshal for the Southern District of Mississippi. The town's name was officially changed on November 24, 1906.[6]
Becoming the county seat
editIn 1906, a portion of the west side of Covington County became Jefferson Davis County. As a result, Williamsburg lost its position at the center of the county, and a new county seat was needed. Collins eventually emerged over Seminary and Ora, Mississippi, and a new county courthouse was built. The first court place was held in 1908.[6]
Decline and resurgence
editEventually, the lumber industry in Collins exhausted the timber resources and moved. The town population dwindled from 7,000 to 700. However, industry began to return to the town in 1936 when U.S. 49 and U.S. 84 were built, putting the town at the crossroads of these two major highways. In addition, the Plantation Pipeline was run from Baton Rouge to the east coast. It passed through the community of Kola, which was soon annexed by Collins.[6]
Hurricane Katrina and Duryea Adopt-A-Town
editIn September 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck Collins. As most aid agencies were concentrating on major metropolitan areas such as New Orleans, small towns like Collins were seemingly overlooked. Duryea, Pennsylvania, which had experienced similar flooding as the result of Hurricane Agnes in 1972, sought a town similar in size and demographics to "adopt" and help rebuild after the devastation wrought by the largest natural disaster in the history of the town. By hosting a bazaar and through other various fundraising efforts, Duryea helped rebuild. Collins Mayor V.O. Smith and his wife, Ada, flew to Duryea to thank their mayor Keith Moss, organizer Trina Moss and the townspeople of Duryea. This led to a bond between the two towns and has included several visits to both towns.[7]
Geography
editCollins is located near the center of Covington County, along the southwest side of Okatoma Creek, a tributary of the Bowie River and part of the Pascagoula River watershed.
According to the United States Census Bureau, Collins has a total area of 8.0 square miles (20.7 km2), of which 8.0 square miles (20.6 km2) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km2), or 0.37%, is water.[3]
| Climate data for Collins, Mississippi (1981-2015) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 57.8 (14.3) |
62.0 (16.7) |
69.1 (20.6) |
75.7 (24.3) |
82.3 (27.9) |
88.0 (31.1) |
90.3 (32.4) |
90.2 (32.3) |
85.5 (29.7) |
76.7 (24.8) |
68.3 (20.2) |
59.6 (15.3) |
75.5 (24.1) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 46.2 (7.9) |
50.1 (10.1) |
57.0 (13.9) |
64.2 (17.9) |
71.8 (22.1) |
78.1 (25.6) |
80.7 (27.1) |
80.4 (26.9) |
75.1 (23.9) |
65.0 (18.3) |
56.5 (13.6) |
48.4 (9.1) |
64.5 (18.0) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 34.6 (1.4) |
38.2 (3.4) |
45.0 (7.2) |
52.6 (11.4) |
61.3 (16.3) |
68.3 (20.2) |
71.1 (21.7) |
70.6 (21.4) |
64.7 (18.2) |
53.3 (11.8) |
44.8 (7.1) |
37.1 (2.8) |
53.5 (11.9) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 5.69 (145) |
5.50 (140) |
5.84 (148) |
4.84 (123) |
5.10 (130) |
4.49 (114) |
4.83 (123) |
4.61 (117) |
3.90 (99) |
3.86 (98) |
5.05 (128) |
5.25 (133) |
58.96 (1,498) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.1 (0.25) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.1 (0.25) |
0.2 (0.5) |
| Source: National Weather Forecast Office[8] | |||||||||||||
Demographics
edit| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1910 | 2,581 | — | |
| 1920 | 1,389 | −46.2% | |
| 1930 | 935 | −32.7% | |
| 1940 | 1,100 | 17.6% | |
| 1950 | 1,293 | 17.5% | |
| 1960 | 1,537 | 18.9% | |
| 1970 | 1,934 | 25.8% | |
| 1980 | 2,131 | 10.2% | |
| 1990 | 2,541 | 19.2% | |
| 2000 | 2,683 | 5.6% | |
| 2010 | 2,586 | −3.6% | |
| 2020 | 2,342 | −9.4% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[9] | |||
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 939 | 40.09% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 1,225 | 52.31% |
| Asian | 11 | 0.47% |
| Pacific Islander | 2 | 0.09% |
| Other/Mixed | 57 | 2.43% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 108 | 4.61% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 2,342 people, 905 households, and 661 families residing in the city.
Arts and culture
editAnnual cultural events
editOkatoma Festival
editNamed after the Okatoma Creek, which flows through the county, the Okatoma Festival is held the first Saturday in May. It is held in downtown Collins, and features carnival rides, vendor booths, and local cuisine. In addition, there is a 5K run held in the morning.
Mitchell Farms Pumpkin Patch
editOn Saturdays and Sundays, from the middle of September to the beginning of November, Mitchell Farms hosts the Mitchell Farms Pumpkin Patch & Maze. The event consists of many attractions, such as wagon rides, corn maze, animal barn, and a goat castle.[11]
Christmas in the Park
editFrom the day after Thanksgiving to the day after Christmas, the Chamber of Commerce hosts "Christmas in the Park". This is a massive, drive through light display that takes up the entirety of Bettie D. Robertson Memorial Park. All items in the display are donations from local individuals. It features secular and religious aspects of the holiday.
The city has recently come under scrutiny as a result of this display. On October 19, 2015, the Freedom from Religion Foundation sent a letter to the City of Collins, on behalf of a local citizen, asking for displays of a religious nature to be removed from the Bettie D. Robertson City Park.[12] The letter stated that, among other things, permanent displays of 3 Latin crosses, a statue of Jesus carrying a cross, and a globe with City of Collins displayed above Matthew 8:12 "I am the Light of the World" are unconstitutional and "tremendously un-welcoming to non-Christians".[13] It asks for immediate removal of the displays from Bettie D. Robertson Park. The letter was met with great hostility from the citizens, with some calling for the complainant to leave the county.[14]
Tourism
editThe city features Grand Paradise Water Park. In addition, Mitchell Farms offers tours of the original farm buildings and event planning services, in addition to seasonal fruits and vegetables. Okatoma Golf club provides an 18-hole course in Oak Hills Subdivision.[15]
Parks and recreation
editThere are two major parks in the city of Collins: Bettie D. Robertson and Westside Park. Robertson Park is home to Christmas in the Park, and features athletic fields, a walking track and playground. There is also a duck pond and bird sanctuary. Westside Park features basketball courts and a playground as well.[15]
Education
editThe city of Collins is served Covington County School District.[16] There are three schools within Collins:[17]
- Collins Elementary (K-4)
- Carver Middle School (5-8)
- Collins High School (9-12)
The school district also has a Vocational Center located in Collins, that encompasses, but is not limited to, programs of study such as Health Sciences, Construction Trades, Teacher Academy, and Business & Marketing.[18]
The county is in the zone for Jones College.[19]
Media
editThe city is served by the News-Commercial, a local paper based out of Collins. The paper publishes every Wednesday. The Clarion-Ledger, a regional paper based in Jackson, is available as well.
Both WDAM and WHLT provide the city with local over-the-air television service. The former is based out of Laurel, MS, while the latter is based out of Hattiesburg, MS. There is not a local cable station located within the city.
Infrastructure
editTransportation
editThe city of Collins lies near the intersection of two major highways, U.S. Routes 49 and 84. U.S. 49 passes through the city southwest of the downtown; it leads 63 miles (101 km) northwest to Jackson, the state capital, and 28 miles (45 km) southeast to Hattiesburg. U.S. 84 bypasses the center of the city, crossing U.S. 49 at an interchange in the northern part of the city, and leads east 27 miles (43 km) to Laurel and west 55 miles (89 km) to the vicinity of Brookhaven.
There is not a mass transit system in place in the city of Collins; as a result, many residents drive cars in their daily lives. However, there are sidewalks in many of the subdivisions around the city that link with the city center.
Utilities
editThe city is served by Southern Pines Electric Power Association, out of Taylorsville, MS.
Healthcare
editThe city is served by Covington County Hospital, a 25-bed critical access hospital that opened in 1951. The hospital is active in the community, funding local educational extra-curricular activities and after school programs.[20]
Notable people
edit- Dana Andrews, film legend born on a farmstead near Collins, raised in Huntsville, Texas
- L. Venchael Booth, Baptist minister[21]
- Correll Buckhalter, former NFL running back
- Demario Davis, NFL linebacker
- Billy Hamilton, professional baseball player (Kansas City Royals)[22]
- Dale Houston, singer
- Mack A. Jordan, United States Army soldier during the Korean War who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor[23]
- Randolph Keys, NBA player
- Brandon McDonald, former NFL cornerback[24]
- Gerald McRaney, actor
- Marilyn Mims, soprano with the Metropolitan Opera
References
edit- ^ "Mayor-City of Collins". City of Collins. City of Collins. Retrieved November 14, 2017.
- ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
- ^ a b "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Collins city, Mississippi". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved October 7, 2014.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ "About Collins". City of Collins. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
- ^ a b c Norris-Bryant, Sandra. "City of Collins". Covington County Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
- ^ "Sister City". Central Florida Hurricane Center. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
- ^ "National Weather Service Forecast Office". Retrieved November 6, 2015.
- ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
- ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
- ^ "Mitchell Farms Pumpkin Patch & Maze". Mitchell Farms. Mitchell Farms. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
- ^ "FFRF objects to Miss. park filled with Christian displays". FFRF. October 29, 2015. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
- ^ Cavell, Elizabeth. "Unconstitutional religious display in city park" (PDF). FFRF.org. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
- ^ Baer, Holly (November 3, 2015). "This misrepresentation of church and state". Daily Mississippian. Archived from the original on November 6, 2015. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
- ^ a b "Attractions - City of Collins". City of Collins. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
- ^ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Covington County, MS" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved September 27, 2024. - Text list
- ^ "Covington County Schools - Schools". Covington County Schools. Covington County Schools. Retrieved October 28, 2015.
- ^ "Covington County Schools - Vo-tech - Programs of Study". Covington County Schools. Covington County Schools. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved October 28, 2015.
- ^ "Profile". Jones College. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
- ^ "History". Covington County Hospital. Archived from the original on November 7, 2015. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
- ^ "Rev. L. Venchael Booth". Cincinnati History Library and Archives. Cincinnati Museum Center. Archived from the original on September 9, 2018. Retrieved September 10, 2020.
- ^ "Billy Hamilton". Baseball Reference. Retrieved November 17, 2014.
- ^ "Mack Jordan". Hall of Valor Project. Retrieved September 10, 2020.
- ^ "Brandon McDonald". University of Memphis Athletics. Retrieved September 10, 2020.