Seminary, Mississippi
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Seminary is a town in Covington County,
Mississippi Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...
, United States. The population was 314 at the 2010 census.
Okatoma Creek Okatoma Creek is a tributary of the Bouie River in the U.S. state of Mississippi. It is part of the Pascagoula River watershed. Okatoma Creek is popular for canoeing and kayaking, particularly near Seminary, Mississippi, where several boat rental ...
, part of the
Pascagoula River The Pascagoula River is a river, about 80 miles (130 km) long, in southeastern Mississippi in the United States. The river drains an area of about 8,800 square miles (23,000 km²) and flows into Mississippi Sound of the Gulf of Mexico. ...
watershed, runs through Seminary, and is popular for canoeing and kayaking.


History


1846–1890

The area was sparsely populated prior to the
Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...
. In the same location as where the town sits today, Covington County resident and
Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...
pastor A. R. Graves opened Zion Seminary, a boarding school for men and women, in 1845. The seminary offered courses in law, medicine, and religious studies. At its largest, the seminary had more than 500 students. Dormitories and cottages housed them. During the Civil War, all but one building of Zion Seminary burned. Local legend has it that the buildings were burned by Union sympathizers, but it is not clear if this is true. The seminary was in operation until it burned again in 1890. The site of the Zion Seminary was then used to build Seminary Attendance Center; the school still sits today upon this location in the center of town.


1899: The town is born

In the late 1800s, across the Piney Woods region of South Mississippi, lumber companies cut the virgin timber from these areas. Towns began springing up along railroads, then the main means of transportation. The population of Seminary began to boom in the late 1800s, but when the timber had been cut, the boom continued on to the next community. In the late 1800s, the residents petitioned the state of Mississippi to incorporate into a municipality, and the charter was granted in 1899. The newborn town's citizens chose the name "Seminary" to keep alive the memory of the Zion Seminary.


Modern-day Seminary

Seminary is still a very small town, with only a handful of businesses, including stores, two banks, two doctor's offices, a pharmacy, an art studio, a hardware store, a barber shop, and one restaurant. The rural area around Seminary, however, is growing significantly. The population of the area, including the town of Seminary and the rural, unincorporated communities of Okahay, Eminence, Sanford, Lux, Foxtrot, Ora, Lone Star, and Richmond, grew by more than 10% between the 2000 and 2010 censuses This significant growth is likely a result of a good school system and the area's proximity to
Hattiesburg Hattiesburg is a city in the U.S. state of Mississippi, located primarily in Forrest County (where it is the county seat and most populous city) and extending west into Lamar County. The city population was 48,730 in 2020, making it the 5th m ...
, which lies 10–20 minutes south of the Seminary area. New businesses are springing up on Highway 49 just outside the town's corporate limits.


Geography

Seminary is located in south-central Covington County. U.S. Highway 49 passes west of the town, leading northwest to Collins, the
county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
, and southeast to Hattiesburg. According to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the town has a total area of , of which , or 0.44%, is water. Okatoma Creek travels along the western edge of the town.


Demographics


2010 Census

As of the
census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2010, there were 314 people, and 148 households. The racial makeup of the town was 94.9%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 3.5%
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.60% from other races, and 0.30% from two or more races.
Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or Latino of any race were 1.6% of the population. In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.2% under the age of 18, 19.7% from 18 to 35, 18.2% from 35 to 49, 20.4% from 50 to 64, and 21.7% over age 65. For every 100 females, there were 73.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 73.8 males. The median income for a household in the town was $32,500, and the median income for a family was $46,250. Males had a median income of $33,750 versus $24,250 for females. The
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the town was $15,857. About 3.6% of families and 12.5% 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 12.3% of those under age 18 and 16.9% of those age 65 or over.


2000 Census

As of the
census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2000, there were 335 people, 141 households, and 97 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 150 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 97.31%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 1.19%
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.90% from other races, and 0.60% from two or more races.
Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or Latino of any race were 1.19% of the population. There were 141 households, out of which 31.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.0% were
married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
living together, 12.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.2% were non-families. 29.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.96. In the town, the population was spread out, with 26.9% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 23.0% from 45 to 64, and 15.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 73.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 73.8 males. The median income for a household in the town was $32,500, and the median income for a family was $46,250. Males had a median income of $33,750 versus $24,250 for females. The
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the town was $15,857. About 3.6% of families and 12.5% 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 12.3% of those under age 18 and 16.9% of those age 65 or over.


Arts and culture


Religion

Churches within the town limits include St. Paul Baptist Church, Seminary Church of Christ, Seminary Methodist Church, and Grace Outreach Baptist Church.


Government

On October 8, 2015, six-term Mayor Billy Karolyi, Mayor Pro-Tem David Daniels, the city clerk, and the public works director all submitted their resignations.


Education

The city of Seminary is served Covington County School District. There are three schools within Seminary: * Seminary Elementary (K–4) * Seminary Middle School (5–8) * Seminary High School (9–12)


Notable people

* Martin Sennet Conner, governor of Mississippi (1932–1936) * Dale Houston, country music singer-songwriter * Sarah Cothran, singer-songwriter


References


External links


Seminary - Covington County Chamber of Commerce
{{authority control Towns in Covington County, Mississippi Towns in Mississippi