Meridian News, Weather, Safety, Sports | NewsBreak Meridian, MS (2024)

FAQs

What happened to Meridian, MS? ›

Although much of the city was burned down in the Battle of Meridian during the American Civil War, the city was rebuilt and entered a "Golden Age." Between about 1890 and 1930, the city was the largest in Mississippi and a leading center for manufacturing in the Southern United States.

Jimmie Rodgers, the "Father of Country Music", was born in Meridian. Highland Park houses a museum which displays memorabilia of his life and career, as well as railroad equipment from the steam-engine era. The park is also home to the Highland Park Dentzel Carousel, a National Historic Landmark.

In 2022, there were 2.18 times more Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents (22.7k people) in Meridian, MS than any other race or ethnicity. There were 10.4k White (Non-Hispanic) and 568 Two+ (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

History of the Queen City

As a native Mississippian, I've always known Meridian as the “Queen City” and never offered a second thought into why the city boasts such designation. One popular notion is that the city is nicknamed for its buried Queen of the Gypsies, Kelley Mitchell, who was laid to rest in 1915.

Meridian is a great place to reside in if you are starting a family and want a small place to live. Overall it has a nice community.

The Greenwich meridian is a prime meridian, a geographical reference line that passes through the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, in London, England. From 1884 to 1974, the Greenwich meridian was the international standard prime meridian, used worldwide for timekeeping and navigation.

The Meridian campaign or Meridian expedition took place from February 3 – March 6, 1864, from Vicksburg, Mississippi to Meridian, Mississippi, by the Union Army of the Tennessee, led by Maj. Gen. William Tec*mseh Sherman. Sherman captured Meridian, Mississippi, inflicting heavy damage to it.

With a crime rate of 36 per one thousand residents, Meridian has one of the highest crime rates in America compared to all communities of all sizes - from the smallest towns to the very largest cities. One's chance of becoming a victim of either violent or property crime here is one in 28.

Meridian is a great place to reside in if you are starting a family and want a small place to live. Overall it has a nice community.

What Indian tribes lived in Meridian, Mississippi? ›

The history of Meridian, Mississippi (population 39,968), began in 1831, one year after the Choctaw Indians vacated their territories in Mississippi. Richard McLemore of Virginia settled in the area and offered free land to draw more people into the region.