Abbeville, Mississippi

Abbeville is a town in Lafayette County, Mississippi. As of the 2020 census, the population was 372.

History
Abbeville was originally settled by pioneers from Abbeville, South Carolina in the 1830s. They lived in apparent peace with the local Chickasaw Indians, whose Chief Toby owned and operated a ferry along the Memphis-Oxford trade route.

During the American Civil War, Abbeville was almost destroyed in the Vicksburg Campaign.

Abbeville post office was established on September 28, 1843, with John B. Davis as the first postmaster.

In 1950 Abbeville had a population of 275.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 3.5 sqmi, all land.

Highways

 * [[Image:Circle sign 7.svg|20px]] Mississippi Highway 7

Railroads

 * Mississippi Central Railroad

Demographics
As of the 2020 census, the population is 372 people and 170 housing units, which is down from 2010 with 419 people.

The racial and ethnic makeup of the town was 85.2% non-Hispanic White, 10.4% African American, 3.4% reporting from two or more races with 1.8% of the population Hispanic or Latino.

Education
The Town of Abbeville is served by the Lafayette County School District.

The University of Mississippi also owns and operates the University of Mississippi Field Station, which is located in Abbeville. It is a natural laboratory used to study, research and teach about sustainable freshwater ecosystems.

Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Abbeville has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Notable people

 * Carl Craig, state auditor of Mississippi from 1936 to 1940 and from 1948 to 1952 and Mississippi state tax collector from 1940 to 1948
 * Jennifer Gillom, former WNBA player
 * Peggie Gillom-Granderson, former player in the Women's Professional Basketball League
 * L. C. Gordon, first African-American basketball player for the Oklahoma State Cowboys
 * Stan Kesler, musician, songwriter, producer
 * Shelby McEwen, track and field athlete who competed in the high jump in the 2020 Summer Olympics
 * Alexander Preston Shaw, bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church and the Methodist Church
 * Gerald Vaughn, former Canadian Football League defensive back
 * Henry Woods, United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas from 1980 to 2002