| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| State | Mississippi |
| County | DeSoto |
| Mayor | Kiedron Henderson[1] |
| Town | 2003 |
| Unit pref | Imperial |
| Area total | 11.96 sq mi |
| Area land | 11.84 sq mi |
| Area water | 0.13 sq mi |
| Area total | 30.98 km² |
| Area land | 30.66 km² |
| Area water | 0.33 km² |
| Population as of | 2020 |
| Population total | 1351 |
| Population density | 114.13 sq mi |
| Population density | 44.07 km² |
| Time zone | CST (UTC-6) |
| Time zone (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| Coordinates | 34°55′23″N 90°08′37″W |
| Elevation | 197 ft |
| FIPS code | 28-77400 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1675450[2] |
| Website | www.townofwalls.com |
Walls is a town located in northern DeSoto County, Mississippi, United States, near the Mississippi River, part of the larger region known as "The Delta", and known for its rich, dark soil. As it is in the upper northwest corner of Mississippi, it is in the Memphis, Tennessee metropolitan area. Its ZIP code is 38680.[3] As of the 2020 census, Walls had a population of 1,351.[4]
History
A relatively young community, Walls was originally named "Alpika," a Chickasaw word. The name was changed to Walls in 1906.
Walls was named after Captain June Walls, who served in the Civil War. Captain Walls was an early settler and merchant of the region in the 1880s.
A Mississippian culture village site near Walls, the Walls Site, gives its name to the Walls phase, the last prehistoric cultural expression before European contact.[5] The historic trail of Hernando de Soto leads through DeSoto County to near Walls.
Today, Walls is a community rich in agriculture. Cotton, soybeans, rice and corn are planted each spring. The railroad played a vital part in the growth of the area in the early to mid 1900s. The mechanical revolution of the 1950s and 1960s changed Walls, as well as many other Delta communities.
A significant part of the community is the Sacred Heart League, operator of the Sacred Heart School in Walls. The league raised funds through the sale of a famous statue of Jesus Christ. In the 1960s, the statue could be found on the dashboards of vehicles across America.
The town of Walls, which has been a community since the early 1900s, was connected to the tiny village of Memphis which was incorporated in the early 1970s and was located just south of the Walls community. In 2003/2004, the village of Memphis was annexed, thereby giving the town of Walls the official status of a municipality.
Geography
Average temperatures: January = 39.4 °F (4.1 °C) July = 81.1 °F (27.3 °C)
Subdivisions (in the city limits)
- Kaitlin Ridge
- Mallard Park
- Encore
Neighboring cities
- Memphis, Tennessee (north)
- Horn Lake (east)
- Tunica Resorts (southwest)
Demographics
2020 census
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White | 416 | 30.79% |
| Black or African American | 813 | 60.18% |
| Asian | 19 | 1.41% |
| Pacific Islander | 2 | 0.15% |
| Other/Mixed | 53 | 3.92% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 48 | 3.55% |
As of the 2020 United States Census, there were 1,351 people, 445 households, and 325 families residing in the town.
Transportation
Amtrak’s City of New Orleans, which operates between New Orleans and Chicago, passes through the town on CN tracks, but makes no stop. The nearest station is located in Memphis, 15 miles (24 km) to the north.
Education
Walls is served by the DeSoto County School District.
Secondary schools
Elementary schools
- Walls Elementary
- Lake Cormorant Elementary
Growth and expansion
Leatherman Development
The Leatherman family has begun to develop industrial, commercial and residential projects within the town limits of Walls. The first industrial tenant, Sigma Supply Co., has moved into a new 254,000-square foot (23,600-square metre) building off U.S. Highway 61 and Star Landing Road in the Leatherman 325-acre (1.32-square kilometre) industrial park. Sigma Supply is a distributor of industrial and packaging equipment and facilities supplies. The 1,900-acre (7.7-square kilometre) Leatherman Planned Unit Development in Walls touts a new elementary school with 900 students, which opened in August 2008, joining Lake Cormorant Middle School that currently has 700 students. Lake Cormorant High School opened in 2011.[7]
Notable people
- Gene Alday, member of the Mississippi House of Representatives from 2012 to 2016[8]
- Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, actor and WWE wrestler, briefly stayed in a trailer park in Walls when he was 15 years old.[9]
- J. B. Martin, president of the Negro American League, owner of Chicago American Giants, and Republican politician[10]
- Martaveous McKnight, professional basketball player[11]
- Leslie B. McLemore, civil rights activist and political scientist[12]
- Memphis Minnie, musician[13]
- Harvey Wippleman, former WWF professional wrestler
References
- ^ "First black mayor in DeSoto County leads Town of Walls". June 10, 2020.
- ^
- ^ "ZIP Code™ Lookup | USPS". tools.usps.com
- ^ "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved February 20, 2026.
- ^ Smith, Gerald P. (1990). "The Walls Phase and its Neighbors". Towns and Temples Along the Mississippi. David H. Dye & Sheryl Ann Cox (eds.). University of Alabama Press. p. 136. ISBN 0-8173-0455-X.
- ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
- ^ "Unique Mixed-Use Development Planned for DeSoto". Memphis Daily News
- ^ Maxey, Ron (October 10, 2016). "Former Mississippi Rep. Gene Alday dies". Clarion Ledger. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
- ^ Moon, Melissa (September 27, 2022). "The Rock visits Mississippi trailer park where he lived as a teen". WREG-TV. Retrieved May 22, 2026.
- ^ "Former City Political Leader Dies". The Commercial Appeal. May 2, 1973. p. 44. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
- ^ "Martaveous McKnight". Itawamba Community College Athletics. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
- ^ Deardorff, Michelle. "Leslie Burl McLemore". Mississippi Encyclopedia. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
- ^ "Lizzie "Kid" Douglas, "Memphis Minnie" - Memphis School". National Public Radio. Archived from the original on January 20, 2016. Retrieved August 19, 2018.