Skuna, Mississippi
Skuna, Mississippi | |
|---|---|
  Skuna Location within Mississippi  Skuna Location within the United States | |
| Coordinates: 33°57′29″N 89°27′19″W / 33.95806°N 89.45528°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Mississippi |
| County | Calhoun |
| Elevation | 239 ft (73 m) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Area code | 662 |
| GNIS feature ID | 692233[1] |
Skuna is an unincorporated community in Calhoun County, Mississippi, United States.[1]
The community takes its name from the Skuna River, a major watercourse in north-central Mississippi that flows through Calhoun County and forms part of the Yazoo River drainage basin.[2][3]
History
The community's name derives from the nearby Skuna River. Keith A. Baca's Native American Place Names in Mississippi identifies the name as deriving from the Choctaw language, although the precise English gloss has been given with some variation in local and historical sources.[2]
The Skuna River has long been an important geographical feature of north-central Mississippi. It flows generally southwestward through Pontotoc, Chickasaw and Calhoun counties before joining the Yalobusha River near Grenada, and its watershed forms part of the larger Yazoo River system.[3]
Historical maps and place-name records have preserved several variant spellings of the river's name, reflecting earlier attempts to transcribe its Native American name into English. The United States Board on Geographic Names officially settled on the name "Skuna River" in 1926.[4]
Geography
Skuna is located in north-central Mississippi, within Calhoun County. The surrounding area lies within the Yazoo River basin and is drained principally by the Skuna and Yalobusha rivers and their tributaries.[3]
The community is situated near the Skuna River, which drains much of the northern portion of Calhoun County. The river's channel has historically been modified in parts of its course, including sections known as the Skuna River Canal.[5]
The USGS maintains a stream-gaging station on the Skuna River at Bruce, Mississippi, in Calhoun County. The station records a drainage area of 254 square miles and places the river within the Yalobusha hydrologic subbasin.[6]
Name
The name Skuna is of Native American origin. Baca identifies it as deriving from Choctaw iskuna, with a meaning associated with "entrails" or "guts".[2]
The name has appeared in a number of historical forms, reflecting differences in transliteration and historical usage. These forms have included "Schoona", "Schooner", "Scoona" and other variants associated with the river and surrounding area.[7]
See also
- Skuna River
- Calhoun County, Mississippi
- Yalobusha River
- List of places in Mississippi
References
- 1 2 "Skuna". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- 1 2 3 Baca, Keith A. (2007). Native American Place Names in Mississippi. University Press of Mississippi. p. 97. ISBN 978-1-60473-483-6.
- 1 2 3 Calhoun County Geology (PDF) (Report). Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality. Retrieved August 21, 2026.
- ↑ "Skuna River". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved August 21, 2026.
- ↑ "Skuna River at Bruce, MS". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved August 21, 2026.
- ↑ "Skuna River at Bruce, MS". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved August 21, 2026.
- ↑ "Skuna River". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved August 21, 2026.
Municipalities and communities of Calhoun County, Mississippi, United States | ||
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| Towns |  | |
| Villages | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Ghost towns |
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