McComb

History

McComb was founded in 1872 after Henry Simpson McComb of the New Orleans, Jackson and Great Northern Railroad, a predecessor of the Illinois Central Railroad (now part of the Canadian National Railway), decided to move the railroad's maintenance shops away from New Orleans, Louisiana, to avoid the attractions of that city's bars. The railroad purchased land in Pike County. Three nearby communities, Elizabethtown, Burglund, and Harveytown, agreed to consolidate to form this town. Main Street developed with the downtown's shops, attractions, and business. The rail center in McComb was one of flashpoints in the violent Illinois Central shopmen's strike of 1911. Riots took place here that resulted in many injuries, at least three black strikebreakers killed, and authorities bringing in state militia to suppress the emergency soon after the strike started on September 30. During the 1960s, McComb and nearby areas were the sites of extreme violence by KKK and other white supremacist opponents to the Civil Rights Movement. In 1961, SNCC conducted its first voter registration project in Mississippi in this city. White officials and local KKK members countered it with violence and intimidation to suppress black voters. In 1961, Brenda Travis, Robert Talbert, and Ike Lewis were arrested for staging a sit-in at a Greyhound station. They were charged with trespassing and kept in jail for 28 days. Following their release, Travis was expelled from school. In response to the expulsion and the murder of Herbert Lee, 115 students staged a walk out on October 4, 1961, known as the Burglund High School Walk Out. At the walk out, many students were beaten by the police and arrested. Students continued protesting by refusing to return to school until Travis was allowed to reenroll. As…

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (0.54%) is water. The climate in McComb is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, McComb has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  279
• Northern Mockingbird

  Mimus polyglottos (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  256
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  241
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  228
• Tufted Titmouse

  Baeolophus bicolor (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  205
• Carolina Chickadee

  Poecile carolinensis (Audubon, 1834) · Aves
  195
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  192
• Carolina Wren

  Thryothorus ludovicianus (Latham, 1790) · Aves
  178

Largest nearby schools

• NORTH PIKE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
  Elementary · Summit · 806 students · 14.7:1 ratio
• NORTH PIKE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
  High · Summit · 697 students · 16.2:1 ratio
• MCCOMB HIGH SCHOOL
  High · MCCOMB · 627 students · 14.9:1 ratio
• SOUTH PIKE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
  High · Magnolia · 454 students · 16.8:1 ratio
• NORTH PIKE UPPER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
  Middle · Summit · 389 students · 16.9:1 ratio
• EVA GORDON LOWER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
  Elementary · Magnolia · 386 students · 14.8:1 ratio
• OTKEN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
  Elementary · MCCOMB · 370 students · 15.4:1 ratio
• NORTH PIKE JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL
  Middle · Summit · 353 students · 13.1:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 3 — 2010-08-02
  16 km ESE of Clinton, Louisiana