Leland, Mississippi
| Leland, Mississippi | |
|---|---|
| City | |
 Location of Leland, Mississippi |
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 Leland, Mississippi
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| Coordinates: 33°24′18″N 90°53′50″W / 33.40500°N 90.89722°WCoordinates: 33°24′18″N 90°53′50″W / 33.40500°N 90.89722°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Mississippi |
| County | Washington |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2.1 sq mi (5.4 km2) |
| • Land | 2.1 sq mi (5.3 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.1 km2) |
| Elevation | 125 ft (38 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| • Total | 5,502 |
| • Density | 2,670.2/sq mi (1,031.0/km2) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP code | 38756 |
| Area code(s) | 662 |
| FIPS code | 28-40280 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0672400 |
Leland is a city in Washington County, Mississippi, in the Mississippi Delta. The population was 4,790 at the 2008 census. It was long a center of cotton culture, which is still an important commodity crop in the rural area.
The town is located in the heart of the Mississippi Delta on the banks of Deer Creek, which is decorated each Christmas season with floats that attract visitors from afar to view the colorful displays. Farming is the basis of the local economy, as it was since before the Civil War. Mississippi State University and the federal government maintain an agriculture research station at Stoneville on Leland's outskirts. Cotton, soybeans, rice and corn are the leading commodity crops.
Leland is in the heart of blues country and has produced a number of national and regionally famous blues musicians. There are five Mississippi Blues Trail markers in Leland commemorating the small town's significant contribution to blues history. Highway 61, mentioned in numerous blues recordings, runs through the town and gives its name to the community's blues museum. Leland is the burial place of the folk artist and blues musician James "Son" Thomas, who lived for many years near the railroad tracks. Thomas is buried beneath a gravestone donated by musician John Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival.
Blues musician Johnny Winter spent part of his childhood in Leland. Winter’s grandfather and father, a former mayor of Leland, operated J.D. Winter & Sons, a cotton business. One of the Blues Trail markers in Leland is dedicated to Winter.
The community is the childhood home of puppeteer Jim Henson, who was born in nearby Greenville, but raised in Leland. Here he created the character of Kermit the Frog, a Muppet. The city has a museum along the banks of Deer Creek celebrating Henson's accomplishments.
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Wikipedia