Rolling Fork, Mississippi

File:Illinois Central Depot, Rolling Fork, Mississippi.jpg depot in Rolling Fork]]

Thomas Y. Chaney settled here in 1828, and was the first European-American settler in the area. The Choctaw, longtime indigenous occupants, had been forced out by new settler pressure and government treaties to gain their land.

Deer Creek flows through the settlement. Chaney called the place "Rolling Fork" because of the swiftness of the water at a fork in the creek there.{{cite book | last = Rowland | first = Dunbar | title = Mississippi: Comprising Sketches of Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form | publisher = Southern Historical Publishing Association | year = 1907 | url = https://ia801201.us.archive.org/20/items/mississippicompr02rowl/mississippicompr02rowl.pdf | volume = 2 | page = 575}} A post office was established in 1848.

When Sharkey County was established in 1876, during the Reconstruction era, Rolling Fork was made the county seat. A newspaper, The Deer Creek Pilot, was established in 1884.

The Louisville, New Orleans and Texas Railway was built through Rolling Fork in 1883. It was later acquired by the Illinois Central Railroad. In 1908, the Bank of Rolling Fork was established.

Since 2002, the town has hosted an annual October festival called the Great Delta Bear Affair, originally commemorating President Theodore Roosevelt’s bear hunt in 1902 in Sharkey County. During each festival, an artist carves a new wooden statue of a bear which is then added to the town's streets.{{Cite news |last=Harrison |first=Heather |date=September 1, 2023 |title=Rolling Fork Residents Still Waiting on Temporary Housing Five Months After Tornado |work=Mississippi Free Press |url=https://www.mississippifreepress.org/35854/rolling-fork-residents-still-waiting-on-temporary-housing-five-months-after-tornado |url-status=live |access-date=September 14, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230914164205/https://www.mississippifreepress.org/35854/rolling-fork-residents-still-waiting-on-temporary-housing-five-months-after-tornado |archive-date=September 14, 2023}}{{Cite web |title=The Great Delta Bear Affair Festival in Rolling Fork, Mississippi |url=https://greatdeltabearaffair.org/ |access-date=September 14, 2023 |website=greatdeltabearaffair.org}}

{{Further|2023 Rolling Fork–Silver City tornado}}

File:EF4 damage to the Rolling Fork, Mississippi Water tower.jpg

On March 24, 2023, shortly after 8:00 p.m. CDT, Rolling Fork was struck by a destructive and deadly high–end EF4 tornado with winds of 195 mph. The tornado formed from a supercell thunderstorm in northern Issaquena County, whereupon it moved northeast towards and into Rolling Fork. The National Weather Service issued a tornado emergency for the community shortly before the storm entered the town and dealt catastrophic damage to many structures. The town's post office, city hall, and police department lost parts of or the entirety of their roofs. Multiple businesses—some of metal or brick construction—were completely destroyed, in addition to dozens of houses and mobile homes. One of the town's water towers was blown over, two grain trucks were thrown into each other, power lines were knocked down, and trees were uprooted, some even debarked. The tornado killed 17 people in Rolling Fork and nearby Midnight and Silver City, while injuring 165 more.{{cite web |author=Will McDuffie |author2=Peter Charalambous |author3=Kevin Shalvey |date=March 25, 2023 |title=19 dead as 'destructive' tornado, storms batter Mississippi, officials say |url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/7-dead-mississippi-tornado-official/story?id=98117564 |access-date=March 25, 2023 |website=ABC News}}{{Cite news |last=Charalambous |first=Peter |last2=Shalvey |first2=Kevin |last3=El-Bawab |first3=Nadine |date=March 25, 2023 |title='Leveled': Responders, residents describe horror of Mississippi tornado destruction |work=ABC News |url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/mississippi-tornado-aftermath-responders-residents-describe-horror-mississippi/story?id=98118945 |access-date=March 25, 2023}}{{cite report |url=https://mesonet.agron.iastate.edu/wx/afos/p.php?pil=PNSJAN&e=202303280208 |title=NWS Damage Survey for March 24 tornado event |author=National Weather Service in Jackson, Mississippi |date=March 27, 2023 |publisher=Iowa Environmental Mesonet |access-date=March 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230328020912/https://mesonet.agron.iastate.edu/wx/afos/p.php?pil=PNSJAN&e=202303280208 |archive-date=March 28, 2023 |url-status=live}} Following the tornado, Rolling Fork's existing tornado siren was repaired and a new siren was donated and installed on the opposite side of the town.{{Cite news |last=Nolan |first=Madeleine |date=May 10, 2023 |title=New tornado siren installed, old one repaired in Rolling Fork |work=WAPT |url=https://www.wapt.com/article/new-tornado-siren-installed-old-one-repaired-in-rolling-fork/43853819 |url-status=live |access-date=May 22, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230518234303/https://www.wapt.com/article/new-tornado-siren-installed-old-one-repaired-in-rolling-fork/43853819 |archive-date=May 18, 2023}}

{{Clear}}

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of {{convert|1.4|sqmi|km2}}, all land.

{{Weather box

| width = auto

| collapsed = yes

| single line = yes

| location = Rolling Fork, Mississippi (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1936–1937, 1969–2016)

| Jan record high F = 80

| Feb record high F = 88

| Mar record high F = 89

| Apr record high F = 95

| May record high F = 99

| Jun record high F = 103

| Jul record high F = 104

| Aug record high F = 106

| Sep record high F = 106

| Oct record high F = 98

| Nov record high F = 89

| Dec record high F = 83

| Jan high F = 55.2

| Feb high F = 59.5

| Mar high F = 68.3

| Apr high F = 76.6

| May high F = 84.2

| Jun high F = 90.7

| Jul high F = 93.0

| Aug high F = 93.2

| Sep high F = 88.7

| Oct high F = 78.8

| Nov high F = 67.0

| Dec high F = 57.9

| year high F = 76.1

| Jan mean F = 45.8

| Feb mean F = 49.8

| Mar mean F = 57.9

| Apr mean F = 65.7

| May mean F = 74.1

| Jun mean F = 81.0

| Jul mean F = 83.3

| Aug mean F = 82.8

| Sep mean F = 77.7

| Oct mean F = 66.9

| Nov mean F = 55.9

| Dec mean F = 48.6

| year mean F = 65.8

| Jan low F = 36.5

| Feb low F = 40.0

| Mar low F = 47.4

| Apr low F = 54.8

| May low F = 64.0

| Jun low F = 71.2

| Jul low F = 73.7

| Aug low F = 72.5

| Sep low F = 66.6

| Oct low F = 55.0

| Nov low F = 44.9

| Dec low F = 39.3

| year low F = 55.5

| Jan record low F = 4

| Feb record low F = 8

| Mar record low F = 12

| Apr record low F = 27

| May record low F = 38

| Jun record low F = 49

| Jul record low F = 58

| Aug record low F = 51

| Sep record low F = 40

| Oct record low F = 25

| Nov record low F = 11

| Dec record low F = -2

| precipitation colour = green

| Jan precipitation inch = 5.10

| Feb precipitation inch = 5.23

| Mar precipitation inch = 4.90

| Apr precipitation inch = 6.13

| May precipitation inch = 5.02

| Jun precipitation inch = 3.91

| Jul precipitation inch = 4.31

| Aug precipitation inch = 3.21

| Sep precipitation inch = 3.41

| Oct precipitation inch = 4.42

| Nov precipitation inch = 4.19

| Dec precipitation inch = 5.45

| year precipitation inch = 55.28

| Jan snow inch = 0.0

| Feb snow inch = 0.3

| Mar snow inch = 0.0

| Apr snow inch = 0.0

| May snow inch = 0.0

| Jun snow inch = 0.0

| Jul snow inch = 0.0

| Aug snow inch = 0.0

| Sep snow inch = 0.0

| Oct snow inch = 0.0

| Nov snow inch = 0.0

| Dec snow inch = 0.0

| year snow inch = 0.3

| unit precipitation days = 0.01 in

| Jan precipitation days = 10.4

| Feb precipitation days = 9.1

| Mar precipitation days = 9.6

| Apr precipitation days = 7.9

| May precipitation days = 8.5

| Jun precipitation days = 7.7

| Jul precipitation days = 8.0

| Aug precipitation days = 7.1

| Sep precipitation days = 5.5

| Oct precipitation days = 6.4

| Nov precipitation days = 7.9

| Dec precipitation days = 9.7

| year precipitation days = 97.8

| unit snow days = 0.1 in

| Jan snow days = 0.0

| Feb snow days = 0.2

| Mar snow days = 0.0

| Apr snow days = 0.0

| May snow days = 0.0

| Jun snow days = 0.0

| Jul snow days = 0.0

| Aug snow days = 0.0

| Sep snow days = 0.0

| Oct snow days = 0.0

| Nov snow days = 0.0

| Dec snow days = 0.0

| year snow days = 0.3

| source = NOAA{{cite web

|url = https://www.weather.gov/wrh/Climate?wfo=jan

|title = NOWData – NOAA Online Weather Data

|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

|access-date = October 18, 2023}}{{cite web

|url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&stations=USC00227560&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL

|title = Summary of Monthly Normals 1991–2020

|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

|access-date = October 18, 2023}}

}}

{{US Census population

|align=

|1880= 91

|1920= 703

|1930= 902

|1940= 1320

|1950= 1229

|1960= 1619

|1970= 2034

|1980= 2590

|1990= 2444

|2000= 2486

|2010= 2143

|2020= 1883

|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|accessdate=June 4, 2015}}

}}

File:Welcome to Rolling Fork.jpg

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,883 people, 857 households, and 498 families residing in the city.

As of the census{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=2008-01-31|title=U.S. Census website}} of 2000, there were 2,486 people, 820 households, and 620 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|1,774.2|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 875 housing units at an average density of {{convert|624.5|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the city was

• 69.19% African American,
• 29.69% White,
• 0.04% Native American,
• 0.32% Asian, and 0.76% from two or more races.
• Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.97% of the population.

There were 820 households, out of which 35.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.9% were married couples living together, 32.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.3% were non-families. Of all households, 22.2% were made up of individuals, and 9.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.90 and the average family size was 3.40.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 30.8% under the age of 18, 11.9% from 18 to 24, 23.8% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to 64, and 13.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 75.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $23,081, and the median income for a family was $24,911. Males had a median income of $25,729 versus $17,065 for females. The per capita income for the city was $11,481. About 30.6% of families and 37.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 50.0% of those under age 18 and 24.6% of those age 65 or over.

The city of Rolling Fork is served by the South Delta School District. The district has three schools with a total enrollment of approximately 1,300 students.

• Sharkey-Issaquena Academy

• Muddy Waters, blues musician{{Cite web |title=Muddy Waters - Lower Mississippi Delta Region (U.S. National Park Service) |url=https://www.nps.gov/locations/lowermsdeltaregion/muddy-waters.htm |access-date=2025-04-09 |website=National Park Service |language=en}}

• Robert Colby, songwriter and theater producer
• Tommy Davidson, actor and professional comedian
• Johnny Dyer, blues musician
• Jack Holmes, professional football player
• Larry Smith, professional basketball player
• Willie Mae Ford Smith, gospel singer
• Slick Watts, professional basketball player
• Fielding L. Wright, Governor of Mississippi and 1948 vice-presidential candidate

{{Reflist}}

{{Sharkey County, Mississippi}}

{{Mississippi county seats}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Cities in Mississippi

Category:Cities in Sharkey County, Mississippi

Category:County seats in Mississippi