The county is named after the Choctaw tribe of Native Americans. They had long occupied this territory as their homeland before European exploration. Under the Indian Removal Act of 1830, they were forced by the United States to cede their lands and to move west of the Mississippi River to what became Indian Territory (today's state of Oklahoma).
History
This was one of the first counties organized in central Mississippi after Indian Removal, and it was originally much larger in geography. As the population increased in the Territory, additional counties were organized. For instance, in 1874 Webster County was formed from some of this county, as were Montgomery and Grenada counties.
The first county seat was Greensboro, which was later assigned to the territory of Webster County and designated as its county seat. Eventually Walthall, Mississippi was designated as the county seat of that county, resulting in the decline and abandonment of Greensboro.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 420 square miles (1,100 km2), of which 418 square miles (1,080 km2) is land and 1.7 square miles (4.4 km2) (0.4%) is water. The Big Black River forms the county's northern border.[3]
The adjacent table reflects major decreases in population from 1910 to 1920, and from 1940 to 1960. These were periods of the Great Migration from the South by African Americans, who first moved to jobs in industrial cities in the North and Midwest. In the 1940s and after, they moved to the West Coast for jobs in the rapidly growing defense industry. Farm work declined with mechanization of agriculture. But Black people also migrated to escape the violence and social repression of Mississippi, where they had been essentially disenfranchised since 1890 and lived under Jim Crow laws and the threat of violence; the state had a high rate of lynchings.
As of the census[11] of 2000, there were 9,758 people, 3,686 households, and 2,668 families living in the county. The population density was 23 people per square mile (8.9 people/km2). There were 4,249 housing units at an average density of 10 units per square mile (3.9 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 68.03% White, 30.68% Black or African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.13% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.42% from other races, and 0.42% from two or more races. 0.81% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 3,686 households, out of which 32.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.30% were married couples living together, 14.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.60% were non-families. 25.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.06.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 27.80% under the age of 18, 8.80% from 18 to 24, 24.90% from 25 to 44, 23.50% from 45 to 64, and 15.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 91.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.40 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $27,020, and the median income for a family was $31,095. Males had a median income of $26,966 versus $17,798 for females. The per capita income for the county was $13,474. About 17.70% of families and 24.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 33.80% of those under age 18 and 21.30% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Primary and secondary schools
Choctaw County School District operates public schools, including Choctaw County High School, Ackerman Elementary, French Camp Elementary, and Weir Elementary.[12]
David A. Chandler, Former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Mississippi.
James Plemon "J.P." Coleman 52nd Governor of Mississippi and a United States Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
Thomas Fulton, Former conductor of the New York Metropolitan Opera
Dennis Johnson Fullback for Mississippi State University who played for the New York Giants and Buffalo Bills in the NFL.[15]