Port Gibson

History

Port Gibson is the third-oldest European-American settlement in Mississippi. Its development began in 1729 by French colonists and was then within French-claimed territory known as La Louisiane. The British acquired this area after the French ceded their colonies east of the Mississippi River in 1763, Similarly, they founded Chamberlain-Hunt Academy in 1879, a military preparatory boarding school which became co-ed in 1971. CHA was the legacy of Oakland College founded in 1830 in nearby Lorman. Oakland was closed during the Civil War and the Oakland campus was sold to the State of Mississippi to create Alcorn A&M College, the first land-grant college for African Americans. Chamberlain-Hunt closed its doors in 2014. In 1990, the first African American students graduated from Chamberlain-Hunt. Port Gibson was the site of several clashes during the American Civil War and figured in Union General Ulysses S. Grant's Vicksburg Campaign. He was attempting to gain control over the Mississippi River. The Battle of Port Gibson occurred on May 1, 1863, and resulted in the deaths of more than 200 Union and Confederate soldiers. The Confederate defeat resulted in their losing the ability to hold Mississippi and defend against an amphibious attack. Reportedly, many of the historic buildings in the town survived the Civil War because Grant proclaimed the city to be "too beautiful to burn". These words appear on the sign marking the city limits. Despite postwar economic upheaval, the city continued as a center of trade and economy associated with cotton. In 1882, the Port Gibson Oil Works started operating, established as one of the first cottonseed oil plants in the United States. This historic industrial building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.…

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land. Port Gibson has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) with long, hot summers and short, mild winters.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Red-bellied Woodpecker

  Melanerpes carolinus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  118
• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  111
• Tufted Titmouse

  Baeolophus bicolor (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  107
• Carolina Wren

  Thryothorus ludovicianus (Latham, 1790) · Aves
  101
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  100
• Turkey Vulture

  Cathartes aura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  97
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  90
• Black Vulture

  Coragyps atratus (Bechstein, 1793) · Aves
  72

Largest nearby schools

• A. W. WATSON ELEMENTARY
  Elementary · PORT GIBSON · 533 students · 14.8:1 ratio
• PORT GIBSON HIGH SCHOOL
  High · PORT GIBSON · 375 students · 12.5:1 ratio
• PORT GIBSON MIDDLE SCHOOL
  Middle · PORT GIBSON · 280 students · 14:1 ratio
• CLAIBORNE COUNTY VOC COMPLEX
  High · PORT GIBSON