# Bay Springs, Mississippi

Bay Springs is a city in and the western county seat of Jasper County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 1,670 at the 2020 census, down from 1,786 at the 2010 census. State highways 15 and 18 intersect at the city. It is part of the Laurel, Mississippi (in Jones County) micropolitan area.
The area was settled in the 1880s by Joe Blankenship, who built the sawmill for the yellow pine timber industry that comprised the town's industrial base. The city was incorporated about twenty years later after railroads were constructed through it. That access attracted other industry and business, and the city was designated as the second county seat. Its population has declined slightly since 2000.

## Geography

Bay Springs is located in western Jasper County at 31°58′36″N 89°16′46″W﻿ / ﻿31.97667°N 89.27944°W﻿ / 31.97667; -89.27944 (31.976761, -89.279574). Mississippi Highway 15 (Court Street) passes through the center of town, leading north 27 miles (43 km) to Newton and south 24 miles (39 km) to Laurel. Highway 18 (Fifth Avenue) crosses Highway 15 in the center of town and leads northeast 21 miles (34 km) to Rose Hill and west 15 miles (24 km) to Raleigh.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 15.0 square miles (38.9 km$^2$), of which 14.9 square miles (38.7 km$^2$) are land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km$^2$), or 0.42%, are water.

## Demographics

Bay Springs racial composition as of 2020 :
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 692 | 41.44% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 918 | 54.97% |
| Native American | 2 | 0.12% |
| Asian | 3 | 0.18% |
| Other/Mixed | 31 | 1.86% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 24 | 1.44% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,670 people, 776 households, and 712 families residing in the city.

## Economics

Bay Springs was the site of one of six Sunbeam plants in Mississippi. When Albert J. Dunlap downsized the company and closed the plant, 300 people lost their jobs. The last workers left the plant at the same time that Dunlap was negotiating a new contract for himself, worth over $46 million. The average annual salary at the Bay Springs plant had been less than $25,000.
More recently, the Hol-Mac Corporation has located light industrial/manufacturing facilities in and around the Bay Springs area. One of the county's largest employers, this developing corporation has partnered with nearby Jones County Junior College with regard to job training and continues to expand employment opportunities in the local community. Hol-Mac operates facilities in the town of Bay Springs and north of town in designated industrial areas between Bay Springs and the town of Louin. As of 2015, it has three main manufacturing facilities in the area, as well as additional office/HR support facilities.
Georgia-Pacific Corporation has long had facilities to handle lumber and timber processing in the Bay Springs area.
The city has a county courthouse, as it is the second county seat in Jasper County. Originally there were limited roads from east to west across the county, and the two seats served local people.

## Education

Bay Springs is served by the West Jasper School District. Its comprehensive high school is Bay Springs High School.
The city also has a private school, Sylva-Bay Academy.
The county is in the zone for Jones College.

## Notable people

* Jesse L. Brown, first African-American aviator in the U.S., attended Bay Springs High School in 1940
* Snoop Conner, National Football League player
* Carolyn Jones-Young, former professional basketball player
* Haskins Montgomery, member of the Mississippi Senate
* Cody Prewitt, former National Football League player
* Johnny Stringer, former member of the Mississippi House of Representatives
* Johnny Thomas, head football coach of Alcorn State University from 1998 to 2007
* Freddye Harper Williams. journalist and Oklahoma state legislator

## 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, Bay Springs has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.