| Official Name: | Magnolia, Mississippi |
| Settlement Type: | City |
| Mapsize: | 250px |
| Pushpin Map: | USA |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in the United States |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | United States |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Name1: | Mississippi |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name2: | Pike |
| Leader Title: | Mayor |
| Leader Name: | Tammy Witherspoon (D) |
| Unit Pref: | Imperial |
| Area Footnotes: | [1] |
| Area Total Km2: | 16.03 |
| Area Land Km2: | 15.91 |
| Area Water Km2: | 0.12 |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 6.19 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 6.14 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 0.04 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Total: | 1883 |
| Population Density Km2: | 118.36 |
| Population Density Sq Mi: | 306.53 |
| Timezone: | Central (CST) |
| Utc Offset: | -6 |
| Timezone Dst: | CDT |
| Utc Offset Dst: | -5 |
| Elevation M: | 93 |
| Elevation Ft: | 305 |
| Coordinates: | 31.1492°N -90.4614°W |
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP code |
| Postal Code: | 39652 |
| Area Code: | 601 |
| Blank Name: | FIPS code |
| Blank Info: | 28-44680 |
| Blank1 Name: | GNIS feature ID |
| Blank1 Info: | 0673065 |
Magnolia is a city in Pike County, Mississippi and the county seat.[2] The population was 2,420 at the 2010 census. Magnolia is within the McComb, Mississippi Micropolitan Statistical Area.
Magnolia was founded in 1856 by Ansel H. Prewett, a local civic leader and cotton planter. Knowing that the approaching New Orleans, Jackson, and Great Northern Railroad (now the Illinois Central Railroad) would need a station for water and fuel, Prewett sold a right-of-way to the railroad company – for one dollar, according to legend – and divided a section of his plantation into town lots, which he sold to investors. Prewett, while serving as temporary sheriff of Pike County, was killed by outlaws in the early 1870s escorting a prisoner on the very railroad that made Magnolia a viable community.[3]
Magnolia grew rapidly in the 1860s, and in the late nineteenth century Magnolia served as a popular small-town resort for wealthy New Orleanians, who took trains north from New Orleans to enjoy Magnolia's fresh air and sparkling creeks. At one time early Magnolia boasted an opera house, skating rink, and several hotels that catered largely to these tourists.
In 1860 Magnolia's first newspaper, the Grand Trunk Magnolian, was established by John Waddill. It did not last the war and was succeeded by the establishment of the Magnolia Gazette by J.D. Burke in 1872. The Magnolia Herald was established by Luke W. Conerly in 1875 and he continued as its proprietor and editor until 1878.[4]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.3sqmi, of which 3.2sqmi is land and 0.1sqmi (1.52%) is water.
Within the city limits there is the confluence of the Minnehaha River and the Little Tangipahoa River.
| White | 508 | 26.98% | |
| Black or African American | 1,276 | 67.76% | |
| Native American | 2 | 0.11% | |
| Asian | 5 | 0.27% | |
| Other/Mixed | 68 | 3.61% | |
| Hispanic or Latino | 24 | 1.27% |
The City of Magnolia is served by the South Pike School District. The town has one public library.
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Magnolia has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.[7]