Collins, Mississippi

Collins is a city in and the county seat of Covington County, Mississippi. The population of the city is 2,586.
Collins 	Mississippi
Incorporated 	November 24, 1906
Motto 	"Come Grow With Us!"
County 	Covington
Population 	2,586
Elevation 	292 ft (89 m)
Mayor 	Tyson Casey
City Guildmaster	Uterius Myers
ZIP code 	39428
== Demographics ==
As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the racial composition of the city is:
48.11% Black or African American (1,244)
46.71% White (1,208)
5.18% Other (134)
20.5% (530) of Collins residents live below the poverty line.
== Theft rate statistics ==
Collins has around average rates of Pokemon theft and murder. The city reported 5 Pokemon thefts in 2018, and averages 1.47 murders a year.
== Pokemon ==
See the Covington County page for more info.
== Fun facts ==
* Collins was originally incorporated as Williamsburg Depot in 1899. The Gulf and Ship Island Railroad had completed construction, and bypassed Williamsburg, the county seat at that time. The sawmills moved to the new town of Williamsburg Depot in order to be closer to the railroad. As lumber was an important industry during the time, the town moved with them. Not long after, Williamsburg Depot grew to a town of 6,000 - 7,000 people. Eventually, however, the difficulties of having such a long town name, Williamsburg Depot, became clear. The length caused many people to write it over their stamps, voiding the postage. In order to correct this issue, the postmaster asked to have the town name changed in 1905, and the postal service came up with a short and easy name "Bad". For reasons that may be clear, the residents rejected this name, and eventually came up with Collins, in honor of Fred W. Collins, leader of the state's Republican party and U. S. Marshal for the Southern District of Mississippi. The town's name was officially changed on November 24, 1906.
** Eventually, the lumber industry in Collins exhausted the timber resources and moved. The town population dwindled from 7,000 to 700. However, industry began to return to the town in 1936 when U.S. 49 and U.S. 84 were built, putting the town at the crossroads of these two major highways. In addition, the Plantation Pipeline was run from Baton Rouge to the east coast. It passed through the community of Kola, which was soon annexed by Collins.
* Collins has a bit to offer. It has dollar stores, a bit of fast food, a few gas stations, a sports complex, a landing strip, a few local restaurants and businesses, AutoZone Auto Parts, a few car dealerships, the Grand Paradise Waterpark, and a few other things.
* From the day after Thanksgiving to the day after Christmas, the Chamber of Commerce hosts "Christmas in the Park". This is a massive, drive through light display that takes up the entirety of Bettie D. Robertson Memorial Park. All items in the display are donations from local individuals. It features secular and religious aspects of the holiday.
* Named after the Okatoma Creek, which flows through the county, the Okatoma Festival is held the first Saturday in May. It is held in downtown Collins, and features carnival rides, vendor booths, and local cuisine. In addition, there is a 5K run held in the morning.
* On Saturdays and Sundays, from the middle of September to the beginning of November, Mitchell Farms hosts the Mitchell Farms Pumpkin Patch & Maze. The event consists of many attractions, such as wagon rides, corn maze, animal barn, and a goat castle.
Category:Mississippi Cities