Big Level, Mississippi Explained

Official Name:Big Level, Mississippi
Pushpin Map:Mississippi#USA
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:United States
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Name1:Mississippi
Subdivision Type2:County
Subdivision Name2:Stone
Timezone:Central (CST)
Utc Offset:-6
Timezone Dst:CDT
Utc Offset Dst:-5
Elevation Ft:180
Coordinates:30.8117°N -89.0514°W
Postal Code Type:ZIP codes
Postal Code:39577, 39573
Area Code:Area code 601
Blank Name:GNIS feature ID
Blank Info:692605

Big Level is an unincorporated community in Stone County, Mississippi, United States.[1] The community is situated approximately 6 miles (9.6 kilometers) east-southeast of Wiggins. It is part of the Gulfport - Biloxi, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Early settlers in south Mississippi often named their communities for a person, place, or thing. The name Big Level was derived when a broad area of flat terrain was revealed during removal of the vast pine forests, beginning in the late 1800s.[2] The boundary of the Big Level community is generally recognized locally as being bordered by Perry County to the north, Bluff Creek to the east, Red Creek to the south, and Flint Creek to the west.[2]

The soil is fertile agricultural land that supported many small family farms and rural neighborhoods before World War II. In the latter half of the 20th century, residents began taking jobs in towns and cities near the Mississippi Gulf Coast and commuted to and from work.

Within the Big Level area, the communities of Wisdom and Mentorum had post offices in operation from the early 1890s until they closed around 1916; mail was then routed through Wiggins or Perkinston.[2]

Education

The Big Level community is served by the Stone County School District. In the first half of the 20th century, the Big Level community had its own public school building, but it closed during consolidation of Stone County schools.[3]

Transportation

Notes and References

  1. http://mississippi.hometownlocator.com/ms/stone/big-level.cfm Mississippi hometown locator.
  2. Eastes, LeRoy F. 2011. A History of Towns & Communities in Harrison & Stone Counties, Mississippi. Chapter 32. Published by LeRoy F. Eastes.
  3. Web site: Historical Markers in Stone County: H.O.M.E. Consolidated School. Mississippi Department of Archives and History. 2018. mississippimarkers.com. 2019-03-25.