Pearl, Mississippi

Beginning in the 1860s a small influx of people migrated into the Pearl area. It was during these later years of the 1800s that Pearl had its origin as a rural farming area adjacent to the Pearl River and, until the middle 1900s, the Pearl area was primarily a farming community that was sparsely populated. In the mid 1900s, the influx of industry and people working in Jackson, in neighboring Hinds county, saw the area grow. Pearl's expansion, consequently originated as an extension of urban growth and development in the State's capital city. Subsequent reasons that contributed to the continued development of Pearl include the completion of levees and flood control works which protect the city from the Pearl River, close proximity of the Jackson International Airport, and direct access to Interstate 20 and Interstate 55.

Pearl is a rarity in Mississippi cities in that it does not have a downtown square. Over the years the city has developed the old Pearl High School into a city administration building that houses city hall, Pearl Police Department, public works departments and city courts. A large auditorium-style community center was built next door. The city is in the process of turning this whole area into its downtown.

[edit] Geography

Pearl is located at 32°16′19″N, 90°6′19″W (32.271979, -90.105266)^[3].

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 22.0 square miles (57.1 km²), of which, 21.8 square miles (56.5 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.6 km²) of it (1.00%) is water. Neighbors include Flowood, Brandon, Richland and the state capital Jackson.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^[1] of 2000, there were 21,961 people, 8,608 households, and 6,025 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,005.9 people per square mile (388.4/km²). There were 9,128 housing units at an average density of 418.1/sq mi (161.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 81.18% White, 16.24% African American, 0.22% Native American, 0.79% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.78% from other races, and 0.75% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.03% of the population.

There were 8,608 households out of which 34.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.2% were married couples living together, 15.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.0% were non-families. 25.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.05.

In the city the population was spread out with 26.4% under the age of 18, 10.1% from 18 to 24, 31.8% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 10.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 90.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $37,617, and the median income for a family was $42,013. Males had a median income of $30,860 versus $24,610 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,136. About 9.2% of families and 12.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.3% of those under age 18 and 12.4% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Transportation

[edit] Air travel

Pearl is served by Jackson-Evers International Airport, located at Allen C. Thompson Field, at the Pearl city limits in the city in Flowood in Rankin County. Its IATA code is JAN. The airport has non-stop service to 12 cities throughout the United States and is served by 6 mainline carriers (American, Delta, Continental, Southwest, Northwest, and US Airways).

While technically Jackson-Evers Internaitonal Airport is located in Flowood, it is Jackson property and the city of Jackson is responsible for everything within the airport's defined grounds.

Underway is the Airport Parkway project. The environmental impact study is complete and final plans are drawn and awaiting Mississippi Department of Transportation approval. Right-of-way acquisition is underway at an estimated cost of $19 million. The Airport Parkway will connect High Street in downtown Jackson to Mississippi Highway 475 in Flowood at Jackson-Evers International Airport. The Airport Parkway Commission consists of the Mayor of Pearl, the Mayor of Flowood and the Mayor of Jackson, as the Airport Parkway will run through and have access from each of these three cities.

[edit] Ground transportation

[edit] Interstate highways

Interstate 55 (I-55)
Runs north-south from Chicago through Jackson towards Brookhaven, McComb, and the Louisiana state line to New Orleans. Pearl is roughly halfway between New Orleans and Memphis, Tennessee. The interstate connects to U.S. Interstate 20 in Jackson.

Interstate 20 (I-20)
Runs east-west from near El Paso, Texas to Florence, South Carolina and is the main interstate to Pearl. Pearl is roughly halfway between Dallas, Texas and Atlanta, Georgia.

[edit] U.S. highways

U.S. Highway 49
Runs north-south from the Arkansas state line at Lula via Clarksdale and Yazoo City, towards Hattiesburg and dead ends at the Gulf of Mexico in Gulfport. From Gulfport going north back towards Jackson, this highway ends at Pearl where it is bypassed via Interstate 20 to Interstate 220 (I-220) to U.S. Highway 49 again towards Yazoo City.

U.S. Highway 80
Roughly parallels Interstate 20. It is the main corridor through the heart of Pearl.

[edit] State highways

Mississippi Highway 25
This highway is known as Lakeland Drive in the metro-Jackson area and runs northeast towards Carthage and Starkville.

Mississippi Highway 475
This highway runs from Mississippi Highway 25 in Flowood, though Pearl crossing U.S. Highway 80 and ends at Mississippi Highway 468.

[edit] History

[edit] Becoming a city

The Rankin County Press headline from 1973

The city was officially incorporated in 1973 but the first meeting to incorporate Pearl was held on September 16, 1968. The 1968 meeting attracted 657 residents with 651 voting in favor of incorporation.

The "Boundary Committee" presented 3 suggested boundaries on October 28, 1968.

On January 6, 1969, a majority voted to approve the boundaries which consisted of the area from the Pearl River to the Airport Road, excluding East Jackson, with only Cunningham Heights and Grandview Heights being including South of Interstate 20.

Two other big questions were settled at that January 6 meeting. The first was the name of the city. A majority in attendance selected the name Pearl. Other names submitted and considered were Riverview and Brightsville.

The second was who would be the first mayor and council members. After a report from the nomination committee, Harris Harvey was selected to be the first Mayor of the new city. The alderman selected were Jimmy Joe Thompson for District 1, W.D. McAlpin for District 2, James Netherland for District 3, Mrs. Ophelia Byrd for District 4, Mack Morgan for District 5, W. L. Maddox for District 6, and Bobby Joe Davis for At-Large.

On June 5, 1973, the Mississippi Supreme Court ruled in favor of Pearl’s incorporation. The charter was issued on June 12, 1973. Governor William Winter presented the charter and city officials were sworn in on June 29, 1973, which was the first annual Pearl Day celebration. The new mayor and city officials held their first organizational meeting on July 3, 1973.

At the official incorporation in 1973, it included approximately 11 square miles of area. It has expanded over the years to now include 23.8 square miles.

[edit] Odds and Ends

Hinds Community College in Pearl

The Pearl Municipal Separate School District is created on May 18, 1976 by an Ordinance of the City of Pearl Mayor and Board of Alderman.

The first franchise by the City of Pearl for cable television to be installed was granted on July 6, 1976.

The Pearl Chamber of Commerce was formed on August 24, 1978.

Pearl voters approved a $1.5 million bond issue to construct a new junior high school on December 1, 1981.

The Rankin County Branch of Hinds Community College opened in Pearl on July 1, 1983.

Pearl voters approved a $ 7.5 million bond issue to construct a new high school on May 19, 1987.

An Open House was held to commemorate the official opening of Pearl's new City Hall in a renovated portion of old Pearl High School on January 15, 1992.

A new, modern equipped Community Room, next door to City Hall, is officially opened and the adjoining new Alumni Clock Tower is dedicated on June 23, 2003. The clock tower includes inscriptions of the names of graduates of Pearl High School for the period 1949 through 1989 while the high school occupied this site.

A standing room only crowd welcomes the Mississippi Braves to their new home in Pearl, Trustmark Park, a new $28 million ball park, on April 18, 2005.

A new 25,000 sq. ft. state-of-art library opened near City Hall on July 18, 2005.

Until 2003, Pearl formerly had the distinction of being the unofficial mobile home capital of Mississippi. Businesses selling mobile homes lined Pearl's main corridor, U.S. Highway 80, from city limits to city limits. Pearl now has the distinction of being the unofficial payday loan capital of Mississippi, with 37 such businesses that make payday loans lining U.S. Highway 80 from city limits to city limits. This is distinctive in that Pearl's neighbor city and the state's capital, Jackson, only has 21 within its three times the size limits.

[edit] Education

The City of Pearl's public schools are served by the Pearl Public School District whose Board is appointed by the City of Pearl Board of Alderman.

[edit] Colleges and universities

Hinds Community College Rankin Campus (state two-year college not served by the Pearl Public School District)

[edit] Public high schools

Pearl High School (Grades 9 through 12)
Pearl Junior High School (Grades 6 through 8)

[edit] Public elementary schools

Pearl Lower Elementary (Grades K and 1)
Northside Elementary (Grades 2 and 3)
Pearl Upper Elementary (Grades 4 and 5)

Pearl High School is currently rated a 5, which is the highest education level a school can reach in our Nation's Standard as set down by the No Child Left Behind Act, signed by President George W. Bush. Schools ratings are based on the Mississippi Curriculum Tests, which are issued every year to determine a school's effectiveness on its students.

[edit] Private schools

Faith Academy - Grades Pre-kindergarten though 8 (served by the Mississippi Private School Association)

[edit] Recreation

Pearl is home to many parks and recreational facilities.

Center City Complex - softball, baseball, soccer, and offices of the Parks and Recreation Department (has been the site of several United States Specialty Sports Association Regional and National Tournaments)
Pearl Activity Center (Old Boys Club) - baseball, meeting room, and gymnasium
Bright Park - A 2/3 mile physical fitness walking trail through nature and picnic areas
City Park - A family recreation area which includes, picnic areas, reserveable pavilion, children's playground, tennis courts, basketball court, and covered stage
Jenkins Park - A family recreation facility, children’s playground, picnic areas, pavilion, 1/2 mile walking trail, and softball field
Old Library Walking Trail - A 1/4 mile walking trail
Henry F. Shepherd Field Walking Trail - A 1/4 mile walking track around the old Pearl High School football field
Center City Walking Trail - A 1 mile walking trail winding through the scenic wooded terrain
Pearl Municipal Golf Course - An 18 hole public golf course with a Club House and short order restaurant

[edit] Noteworthy natives

Tommy Aldridge - drummer - Born August 15, 1950 and raised in Pearl (most bios say Jackson, Mississippi but that's because people associate Pearl with the Jackson metro area), Aldridge became a hard rock drumming legend. He was entirely self-taught on drums. By the early 1970s, Aldridge had joined up with up-and-coming Southern rockers Black Oak Arkansas, playing on a total of nine albums from 1972 through 1976 and touring the U.S. nonstop. It was around this time that Aldridge developed the double-bass drumming technique that would soon be copied by countless other drummers, especially those in thrash metal bands in the 1980s. Throughout his career Tommy has been regarded as a double bass drumming pioneer. Alrdidge has amassed impressive drumming credits, having played drums for many famous artists. He spent 1978 to 1981 signed with Canadian blues-rock guitarist Pat Travers, and recorded five albums with him. His other most noteworthy credits include having played with Ozzy Osbourne on the Diary of a Madman tour and on the albums Speak of the Devil (1982), Bark at the Moon (1983) and on Tribute (1987), Whitesnake on the Whitesnake self-titled album tour and on the albums Slip of the Tongue (1989) and Live: In the Shadow of the Blues (2006), Thin Lizzy on the album One Night Only (2000), Motörhead on the album March ör Die (1992) and Ted Nugent on the album Full Bluntal Nugity (2001). He plays Yamaha drums, a company he has been with for more than 20 years. He currently resides in Santa Barbara, California.

George Berry, Sr. - artist

George Kersh - athlete - In 1987, George Kersh dominated the high school 800m. On June 13, 1987, the senior from Pearl High School broke the national high school record twice, ultimately lowering it to a then-best of 1 minute 46.58 seconds. Kersh still owns four of the top 10 all-time high school 800m times, his slowest being 1:47.84). From 1987 to 1994, Kersh earned seven U.S. top 10 800m rankings; his highest ranking being second in 1990 and 1991. His best of 1:44.00, set on June 24, 1992 in New Orleans at the Olympic Trials, ranks him 11th on the American all-time list. In that race, Kersh finished a heartbreaking fourth place behind Johnny Gray (1:42.80), Mark Everett (1:43.67), and Jose Parilla (1:43.97) to just miss a trip to the Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain.

LeAnn Rimes - singer

Ty Tabor - singer, guitarist for King's X^[4]

[edit] Newsworthy

On October 1, 1997, 16-year old Luke Woodham stabbed his mother to death. He then took a rifle to his school, Pearl High School. He shot and killed his ex-girlfriend and another student while maiming another seven. Six other boys were later arrested for allegedly conspiring with Luke in the school shooting, although all save one were cleared of all charges. The assistant principal of Pearl High, Joel Myrick, pulled a gun from his truck, intercepted Woodham and held him until police arrived.

Mississippi Braves logo

The Mississippi Braves or M-Braves, a Class AA minor league baseball affiliate of the Atlanta Braves moved from Greenville, South Carolina to Pearl before the 2005 season. The M-Braves play in the Southern League. The team had their first game in the brand new Trustmark Park on April 18, 2005, losing to the Montgomery Biscuits.

Trustmark Park in Pearl

[edit] References

^ ^a ^b American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
^ US Board on Geographic Names. United States Geological Survey (2007-10-25). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
^ US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990. United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
^ MusicianGuide.com King's X Lyrics and Biography

[edit] External links

v • d • e Municipalities and communities of Rankin County, Mississippi

County seat: Brandon

Cities	Brandon \| Flowood \| Jackson‡ \| Pearl \| Richland

Towns	Florence \| Pelahatchie

Village	Puckett

Communities	Fannin \| Johns \| Leesburg \| Piney Woods \| Sandhill \| Star \| Whitfield

Footnotes	‡This city also has portions in adjacent county or counties