Kosciusko, Mississippi

Kosciusko developed along the Natchez Trace, a road used first by Native Americans and later European settlers. The modern Natchez Trace Parkway passes through the city.

Kosciusko was named for General Tadeusz Kościuszko, a Polish-Lithuanian officer who served with the Continental Army and assisted its military efforts during the American Revolution,[5] whose name has been anglicized as 'Kosciusko'. The settlement was originally named Red Bud Springs for one of three natural springs that were present in the city.

Throughout the 19th century, cotton was the predominant crop, and remains important in the area.

Kosciusko was the location of Magnolia Bible College from 1976 to 2008.

Kosciusko is located along the Yockanookany River, 62 mi (100 km) northeast of Jackson.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.6 square miles (20 km²), of which 7.5 square miles (19 km²) is land and 0.13% is water.

As of the census[9] of 2000, there were 7,372 people, 2,885 households, and 1,906 families residing in the city. The population density was 977.8 people per square mile (377.5/km²). There were 3,174 housing units at an average density of 421.0 per square mile (162.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 53.66% White, 44.57% African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.46% Asian, 0.60% from other races, and 0.54% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.06% of the population.

There were 2,885 households, out of which 31.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.2% were married couples living together, 21.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.9% were non-families. 31.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 3.04.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.2% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 23.9% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 20.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 82.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $21,737, and the median income for a family was $29,000. Males had a median income of $27,423 versus $16,487 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,478. About 20.9% of families and 24.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 31.9% of those under age 18 and 20.1% of those age 65 or over.

Kosciusko has hosted the Central Mississippi Fair for over 100 years.[10]

Kosciusko has been featured as part of the Mississippi Blues Trail since 2009.[11]

The city of Kosciusko is served by the Kosciusko School District.

• Dave Barnes, singer-songwriter and musician for Razor & Tie
• Billy Ray Bates, former NBA shooting guard for the Portland Trail Blazers, the Washington Bullets, and the Los Angeles Lakers. He also played in several other countries, most notably for the Crispa Redmanizers and Ginebra San Miguel of the Philippine Basketball Association.[12]
• Eva Webb Dodd, Anna Boyd Ellington, and Mary Comfort Leonard, founders of the Delta Gamma fraternity
• Clarence Harmon, former NFL running back for the Washington Redskins
• James Meredith, civil rights figure
• Charlie Musselwhite, blues harmonica player and band leader
• Topher Payne, playwright[13]
• Oprah Winfrey, talk show hostess, media personality, and cultural leader
• Marc Woodard, former NFL linebacker for the Philadelphia Eagles

• 
  Attala County Courthouse
• 
  Illinois Central Depot in Kosciusko, 1920

• City of Kosciusko official website