De Soto is a census-designated place and unincorporated community in Clarke County, Mississippi, United States.

De Soto, Mississippi
De Soto is located in Mississippi
De Soto
De Soto
De Soto is located in the United States
De Soto
De Soto
Coordinates: 31°58′26″N 88°42′48″W / 31.97389°N 88.71333°W / 31.97389; -88.71333
CountryUnited States
StateMississippi
CountyClarke
Area
 • Total
3.80 sq mi (9.85 km2)
 • Land3.78 sq mi (9.79 km2)
 • Water0.02 sq mi (0.06 km2)
Elevation
210 ft (60 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
274
 • Density72.47/sq mi (27.98/km2)
Time zoneUTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
Area code(s)601 & 769
GNIS feature ID669157[2]

It was first named as a CDP in the 2020 Census which listed a population of 274.[3]

History

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De Soto was named after Hernando de Soto.[4] De Soto was one of four principle towns established in Clarke County before the American Civil War. Established along the Chickasawhay River before the arrival of the Mobile and Ohio Railroad, construction of housing in De Soto may have started as early as 1845 and by 1858 churches were being erected. The town had a Post Office and two churches in 1900 when the population was 258.[5]

A post office operated under the name De Soto from 1856 to 1978.[6]

At one point, De Soto was home to two sawmills, a drug store, a hotel, a blacksmith, and multiple general stores.[4]

Four sites in De Soto are listed on the National Register of Historic Places: the C. V. Akin House, the Carmichael House, the Cook-Sellers House, and the Covington House.[7]

Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Note
2020274
U.S. Decennial Census[8]
2020[9]

2020 census

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De Soto CDP, Mississippi – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) Pop 2020[9] % 2020
White alone (NH) 156 56.93%
Black or African American alone (NH) 108 39.42%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 0 0.00%
Asian alone (NH) 0 0.00%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 0 0.00%
Some Other Race alone (NH) 1 0.36%
Mixed Race or Multi-Racial (NH) 5 1.82%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 4 1.46%
Total 274 100.00%

Education

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It is in the Quitman School District.[10]

The county is in the zone for Jones College.[11]

References

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  1. ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
  2. ^ "De Soto". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  3. ^ "De Soto CDP, Mississippi". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
  4. ^ a b Howe, Tony. "De Soto, Mississippi". Mississippi Rails. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
  5. ^ Enzweiler, Susan M. (May 20, 1994). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Clarke County MPS". National Register of Historic Places. Washington, D.C., USA: National Park Service. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
  6. ^ "Clarke County". Jim Forte Postal History. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
  7. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  8. ^ "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades". US Census Bureau.
  9. ^ a b "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – De Soto CDP, Mississippi". United States Census Bureau.
  10. ^ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Clarke County, MS" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved September 27, 2024. - Text list
  11. ^ "Profile". Jones College. Retrieved September 27, 2024.