Mims is a census-designated place (CDP) holding the single zip code 32754 located within Brevard County, Florida, United States. The population was 7,336 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Palm Bay—Melbourne—Titusville Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of , of which is land and , or 23.71%, is water.
This marks the eastern end of State Road 46 as here it intersects with I-95 (exit 223) , US1 at mile marker 373.457 where SR 46 stops and where west main street becomes east main street. This is also the first major junction east of Seminole County
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Mims had a population of 7,336. The median age was 51.4 years. 18.2% of residents were under the age of 18 and 26.6% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 102.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 100.4 males age 18 and over.
62.6% of residents lived in urban areas, while 37.4% lived in rural areas.
There were 3,098 households in Mims, of which 21.6% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 49.0% were married-couple households, 21.0% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 22.9% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 28.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
History
Mims, Florida received its name after its earliest settlers; Britton J. Mims, Robert Mims, and Casper Neil Mims. The three brothers were reputedly distant relatives to Jesse James. Casper later established the first Mims general store circa 1876.
Henry Flagler's Florida East Coast Railway construction starting 1885 expanded the community. By 1893, with railroad in place, both Mims and neighboring city Titusville began shipping citrus and lumber to northern cities. By the end of the 19th century citrus farms began to dominate the local economy. Citrus remain central to Mims economy until the closure of Nevins fruit company in the 1980s.
The settlement was organized as a city in the early 1900s; continuing slow growth until the start of the great depression. During the first years of the great depression large numbers of residents reportedly left looking for work. Mims, unable to sustain a municipal government, subsequently reverted to an unincorporated township within Brevard County, Florida.
Murders of Harry and Harriette Moore
African-American civil rights leader Harry T. Moore and his family resided in Mims from at least the 1920s. Known as a national civil rights leader, teacher and founder of the Brevard County NAACP, he and his wife Harriette were targeted for assassination Christmas Eve, 1951; they received fatal injuries when a bomb exploded from under their home. Moore died in the blast; his wife survived until January 3, 1952 [https://nbbd.com/godo/moore/investigation/0608MooreExecSum.pdf]. Both of their daughters survived the attack. The murders were racially motivated and believed to have been committed by members of the Ku Klux Klan.
The FBI investigated the case in 1951–1952, and the county and state in the 1970s and 1990s. The state reinvestigated in 2005, after suspected perpetrators had died. No prosecutions or charges were ever brought against the perpetrator(s). Multiple sites in Mims and Brevard County are dedicated to the Moores including the Moore Memorial Park and Cultural Center in Mims.
Education
There are three schools, one adult education center, and one childcare center located in Mims; two public and three private.
- ACE or Academic Community Enrichment (Private, Adult Education)
- Christ Aid Academy (Private, K-12)
- Devereux Center at Normandy School (Private, Childcare)
- Mims Elementary School (Public, K-6)
- Pinewood Elementary School (Public, K-6)
Notable People
Living
- Ego Ferguson (1991- ) - NFL professional football player
- Melanie L. Campbell – President and CEO of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation
Deceased
- Dick Yelvington (1928–2013) – NFL professional football player
- Jesse Parish Jr. (1912-1989) - President of Nevins Fruit Company. Leader within the Florida Citrus Industry.
- Harriette Moore (1902–1952) – educator and civil rights worker
- Harry T. Moore (1905–1951) – pioneer leader of the civil rights movement