Corinth is a city in and the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...

of Alcorn County,

Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...

, United States. The population was 14,573 at the 2010 census. Its ZIP codes are 38834 and 38835. It lies on the state line with

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 36th-largest by ...

History

Railroad crossover in Corinth, Mississippi, United States

Corinth was founded in 1853 as Cross City, so-called because it served as a junction for the Mobile & Ohio and Memphis & Charleston railroads. It was the town's early newspaper editor, W. E. Gibson, who suggested its current name for the city of

Corinth Corinth ( ; el, Κόρινθος, Kórinthos, ) is the successor to an ancient city, and is a former municipality in Corinthia, Peloponnese, which is located in south-central Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform, it has been part ...

in Greece that also served as a crossroads. Corinth's location at the junction of two railroads made it strategically important to the Confederacy during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and t ...

. Confederate

General A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". O ...

P. G. T. Beauregard retreated to Corinth after the

Battle of Shiloh The Battle of Shiloh (also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing) was fought on April 6–7, 1862, in the American Civil War. The fighting took place in southwestern Tennessee, which was part of the war's Western Theater. The battlefield i ...

(April 1862), pursued by Union

Major General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...

Henry W. Halleck. General Beauregard abandoned the town on May 29 when General Halleck approached, letting it fall into the Union's hands. Since Halleck had approached so cautiously, digging entrenchments at every stop for over a month, this action has been known as the Siege of Corinth. The Union sent Maj. Gen. William Rosecrans to Corinth as well and concentrated its forces in the city. The Second Battle of Corinth took place on October 3−4, 1862, when Confederate Maj. Gen.

Earl Van Dorn Earl Van Dorn (September 17, 1820May 7, 1863) started his military career as a United States Army officer but joined Confederate forces in 1861 after the Civil War broke out. He was a major general when he was killed in a private conflict. A g ...

attempted to retake the city.

Locales on the National Register of Historic Places

* Battery Williams (also known as Fort Williams) * Siege and Battle of Corinth Sites * Coliseum Theatre- built in the early 20th century in the Colonial Revival style * Corinth National Cemetery * Downtown Corinth Historic District * Dr. Joseph M. Bynum House—a home in the

Late Gothic Revival Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...

style built in the late 19th century * Federal Siege Trench (also known as Harper Road Trench) * Fort Robinette (also known as Battery Robinette)—site of the Civil War Interpretive Center * Jacinto Courthouse (also called the Old Tishomingo County Courthouse)—built in the mid-19th century in the Federal style * L.C. Steele House *

Midtown Corinth Historic District Midtown Corinth Historic District is a historic district in Corinth, Mississippi that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1993. The district then had 229 contributing buildings and one contributing site, as well as 55 no ...

* Moores Creek site—a

prehistoric Prehistory, also known as pre-literary history, is the period of human history between the use of the first stone tools by hominins 3.3 million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems. The us ...

Native American site from 3000 to 3500 B.C. * Old U.S. Post Office * Rienzi Commercial Historic District * Thomas F. Dilworth House * Union Battery F, Battle of Corinth * Union Earthworks * Veranda House (also known as the Curlee House)—built in 1857, it served as headquarters for Confederate generals during the Battle of Corinth

Geography

Corinth is located in northeast Mississippi at the intersection of (north/south) U.S. Route 45 and (east/west)

U.S. Route 72 U.S. Route 72 (US 72) is an east–west United States highway that travels for from southwestern Tennessee, throughout North Mississippi, North Alabama, and southeastern Tennessee. The highway's western terminus is in Memphis, Tennessee and ...

. U.S. 45 runs to the west of the city as a bypass, leading north 19 mi (31 km) to Selmer,

, and south 21 mi (34 km) to Booneville. U.S. 72 runs through the southern part of the city, leading southeast 14 mi (23 km) to Burnsville and west 23 mi (37 km) to Walnut. It is the county seat of Alcorn County, which is the smallest county by area in the state of Mississippi. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and , or 0.43%, is water.

Communities near Corinth

* Eastview,

, * Farmington, * Guys, Tennessee, * Kossuth, * Michie, Tennessee, *

Ramer Ramer may refer to: ; Places in the United States * Ramer, Alabama, an unincorporated community in Montgomery County, Alabama * Ramer, Tennessee, a city in McNairy County, Tennessee * Ramer Field, a stadium in River Falls, Wisconsin ; People * ...

, Tennessee,

Rivers and streams

* Bridge Creek * Elam Creek * Phillips Creek * Turner Creek

Climate

The climate is humid subtropical ( Köppen: ''Cfa'') like all of

but with frequent and regular gusts of

snow Snow comprises individual ice crystals that grow while suspended in the atmosphere—usually within clouds—and then fall, accumulating on the ground where they undergo further changes. It consists of frozen crystalline water throughou ...

Demographics

2020 census

As of the

2020 United States Census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to off ...

, there were 14,622 people, 6,087 households, and 3,555 families residing in the city.

2000 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

of 2000, there were 14,054 people, 6,220 households, and 3,800 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

was 461.5 people per square mile (178.2/km²). There were 7,058 housing units at an average density of 231.8 per square mile (89.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 76.28%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 21.60%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.09% Native American, 0.36% Asian, 0.12%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 0.84% from other races, and 0.73% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race were 1.73% of the population. There were 6,220 households, out of which 26.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.9% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

living together, 14.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.9% were non-families. Of all households, 35.6% were made up of individuals, and 16.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.82. In the city, the population was spread out, with 21.8% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 25.6% from 25 to 44, 23.7% from 45 to 64, and 19.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.0 males. The median income for a household in the city was $23,436, and the median income for a family was $35,232. Males had a median income of $29,027 versus $21,071 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $15,452. About 18.2% of families and 22.2% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 26.2% of those under age 18 and 23.9% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Public schools

Corinth School District The Corinth School District is a public school district based in Corinth, Mississippi (USA The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in Nort ...

: * Corinth High School—grades 9–12 with an enrollment of 473 * Corinth Middle School-grades 5–8 with an enrollment of 265 * Corinth Elementary School—grades K–4 * Easom High School (the only African American school in the city before desegregation; Became home of South Corinth Elementary School teaching 5th and 6th Grade until the 2009-2010 school year, when it ceased to be used until 2014 when a health clinic opened in the building)

Alcorn School District The 'Alcorn School District'' is a public school district based in Alcorn County, Mississippi (USA). The district serves the towns of Farmington, Kossuth, Glen, and Rienzi as well as unincorporated areas of Alcorn County. This district was award ...

: *Alcorn Alternative School * Alcorn Central Elementary—grades K–4, with enrollment of 520 * Alcorn Central Middle School—grades 5–8 with an enrollment of 539 * Alcorn Central High School—grades 9–12 with an enrollment of 515 * Biggersville Elementary—grades K–6 with an enrollment of 161 * Biggersville High School—grades 7–12 with an enrollment of 236 *Kossuth Elementary School—grades K–4 with an enrollment of 562 * Kossuth High School—grades 9–12 with an enrollment of 438 * Kossuth Middle School—grades 5–8 with an enrollment of 499

Libraries

* Corinth Public Library—part of the Northeast Regional Library System

Museums

* Northeast Mississippi Museum * Corinth Civil War Interpretive Center (part of the National Park Service) * Artist Guild Museum and Shop * Museum of Southern Culture * Black History Museum

Health care

* Veranda Health Center * Magnolia Regional Health Center

Transportation

Highways

* U.S. Route 45—runs north–south from

Lake Superior Lake Superior in central North America is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface areaThe Caspian Sea is the largest lake, but is saline, not freshwater. and the third-largest by volume, holding 10% of the world's surface fresh wa ...

to the

Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United ...

—runs east–west from

Chattanooga Chattanooga ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States. Located along the Tennessee River bordering Georgia, it also extends into Marion County on its western end. With a population of 181,099 in 2020, ...

to Memphis * Mississippi Highway 2—runs southwest from the Tennessee state line to Hickory Flat * Mississippi Highway 145

Air travel

Roscoe Turner Airport Roscoe Turner Airport is a public-use airport located four nautical miles (7 km) southwest of the central business district of Corinth, a city in Alcorn County, Mississippi, United States. It is owned by the City of Corinth and Alcorn Cou ...

is a

general aviation General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations with the exception of commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services ...

airport just outside Corinth. The nearest airports with regularly scheduled commercial service are

Tupelo Regional Airport Tupelo Regional Airport is a public use airport located west of the central business district of Tupelo, a city in Lee County, Mississippi, United States. It is owned by the Tupelo Airport Authority. The airport is mostly used for general avia ...

, about south of Corinth, and Memphis International Airport, about west of Corinth.

Media

Newspapers

* '' Daily Corinthian''

FM and AM radio stations

* WKCU 1350, Country music * WXRZ 94.3, News and Talk / Supertalk Mississippi (Mississippi political and local) *

WADI Wadi ( ar, وَادِي, wādī), alternatively ''wād'' ( ar, وَاد), North African Arabic Oued, is the Arabic term traditionally referring to a valley. In some instances, it may refer to a wet (ephemeral) riverbed that contains water ...

95.3, 95.5 The Bee (Country) * Radio Mexico 107.9 (Spanish)

Notable people

* Neal Brooks Biggers, Jr., federal judge * Don Blasingame, baseball player * Ezekiel S. Candler, Jr., U.S. congressman * Bert Cumby, Army intelligence officer *

Larry Dorsey Larry Darnnell Dorsey (born August 15, 1953) is a former American football player and coach. He played college football at Tennessee State University and then played professionally in the National Football League (NFL) with the San Diego Chargers ...

, football coach *

Steve Gaines Steven Earl Gaines (September 14, 1949 – October 20, 1977) was an American musician. He is best known as a guitarist and backing vocalist with rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd from 1976 until his death in the October 1977 airplane crash that claime ...

, pastor *

Frances Gaither __NOTOC__ Frances Ormond Jones Gaither (May 21, 1889 – October 28, 1955) was an American novelist whose major works depict slavery in the plantation South. Gaither was born in Somerville, Tennessee, but her family moved to Corinth, Mississippi, ...

, novelist *

Philip Henson Philip Henson (December 28, 1827 – January 10, 1911) was a scout and spy for the Union Army during the American Civil War. Upon the election of U.S. Grant to the U.S. Presidency (1869–1877), Henson became the ''first Special'' Secret Service ...

, scout and spy * Russell Keaton, aviation cartoonist, first illustrator for the Sunday edition of the Buck Rogers cartoon and first cartoonist to feature women in leading roles in an aviation cartoon. See

Flyin' Jenny ''Flyin' Jenny'' was an aviation adventure comic strip created by illustrator Russell Keaton and distributed to newspapers by Bell Syndicate from October 2, 1939, to July 20, 1946. Publication history Launched in October 1939, ''Flyin' Jenny'' ...

. * Etheridge Knight, poet *

Peggy Smith Martin Peggy Smith Martin (May 22, 1931 – August 24, 2012) was an American politician in Illinois. Peggy Annette Morris was born in Corinth, Mississippi. She moved with her family to Paducah, Kentucky, Detroit, Michigan, and finally to Chicago, Il ...

, Illinois state representative'Illinois Blue Book 1977-1978,' Biographical Sketch of Peggy Smith Martin, pg. 119 * Jimbo Mathus, musician * Thomas K. McCraw, educator * Maty Noyes, singer *

John F. Osborne John F. Osborne (March 15, 1907 – May 3, 1981) was an American magazine editor and journalist. Background He was born in Corinth, Mississippi. Career Osborne wrote for the Memphis Commercial Appeal and the Associated Press before joining t ...

, editor and journalist * Rubel Phillips, politician *

Thomas Hal Phillips Thomas Hal Phillips (October 11, 1922 – April 3, 2007) was an American novelist, actor and screenwriter. Biography Early life Phillips was born on October 11, 1922, on a farm between Corinth and Kossuth in Alcorn County, northeastern ...

, author * J.E. Pitts, poet and songwriter *

Saving Abel Saving Abel is an American rock band from Corinth, Mississippi, founded in 2004 by Jared Weeks and Jason Null. The band is named after the biblical story of Cain and Abel, in which a man named Cain kills his brother Abel. Band member Jason Null ...

, rock band *

Everett Sharp Everett A. Sharp (June 25, 1918 – February 1996) was an American football offensive tackle in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins. He attended California State Polytechnic University, Pomona California State Poly ...

, football player * Jackie Simpson, professional football player. * Orma Rinehart Smith, federal judge * John Benjamin Splann, Mississippi state senator * Roscoe Turner, aviator *

Jack Yarber Jack Yarber (born March 15, 1967), also known by his stage name Jack Oblivian, is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist based in Memphis, Tennessee. He was a founding member of the garage bands The Compulsive Gamblers, and The Oblivi ...

, musician *

Bobby Emmons Bobby Gene Emmons (February 19, 1943 – February 23, 2015) was an American keyboard player and songwriter. He was an active session musician in Memphis, Tennessee, and was the keyboardist of The Memphis Boys, playing keyboards on tracks by ...

, American keyboard player and songwriter, keyboardist of The Memphis Boys keyboards on tracks by

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the " King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. His ener ...

Willie Nelson Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American country musician. The critical success of the album ''Shotgun Willie'' (1973), combined with the critical and commercial success of ''Red Headed Stranger'' (1975) and ''Stardust'' (1978 ...

* Weyman "Big Daddy" Hilliard Cox, W.W.II U.S.Navy SEEBEE's, University of Mississippi Football / Quarterback - 1925.

Notes

References

* Brieger, James. ''Hometown, Mississippi.'' (1997).

External links

*
City of Corinth official website
* {{authority control Cities in Mississippi County seats in Mississippi Micropolitan areas of Mississippi Populated places established in 1853 Cities in Alcorn County, Mississippi 1853 establishments in Mississippi