Browsing: History

Mississippi has never been short on ghost stories. From haunted theaters to mysterious backroads, the Magnolia State has plenty of tales that can make the hair on the back of your neck stand up. But one of its most famous legends involves a witch, a curse, and a devastating fire that nearly destroyed an entire town.

From a town abandoned by a river to a little girl’s unusual grave, Mississippi has some history that can send…

For nearly 50 years, the La Font Inn was an institution on Highway 90 in Pascagoula where people were married, held wedding receptions, bridal parties, anniversary dinners and where prom kings and queens were crowned. It was the first job for many young men and women and was a venue where campaigns were put in motion and celebrated.

A new historical pathway at Lighthouse Park is taking visitors through nine eras of Pascagoula’s history as the city works to preserve its past amid continued growth. 

For those of us old enough to remember September 11, 2001, the date needs little explanation.
We remember where we were. We remember watching televisions in classrooms, offices, and living rooms. We remember phone calls to family members and the terrible uncertainty of those first hours. We remember a country that seemed to stop all at once.

A former one-room schoolhouse that served African American children in Gautier from the 1920s through the 1940s is entering another phase of restoration, with plans for the building to eventually become a museum, meeting space and welcome center. 

Today, we know it as Southern Miss.

We know the black and gold, the Golden Eagles, the sprawling Hattiesburg campus and that familiar “Southern Miss to the Top!” But more than a century ago, there were no Golden Eagles walking across campus, no football Saturdays at the stadium generations of fans have known simply as The Rock, and certainly no one calling it USM.

For most of us, Labor Day arrives with all the familiar signs of a Southern September. Football is back, grills are fired up, and summer is beginning—at least according to the calendar—to loosen its grip.

The legacy of Mississippi State’s first African American student, Dr. Richard E. Holmes, now is marked permanently on the campus of the 148-year-old land-grant institution.

There are certain sounds that belong to fall in Mississippi: marching bands warming up, cowbells ringing, whistles blowing, and a stadium announcer carrying across a cool Friday night.

In Mississippi, food is more than a necessity—it’s culture, memory, and connection all rolled into one. Whether it’s a family gathered around the Sunday dinner table, neighbors sharing a plate of fried catfish, or college students swapping stories over a late-night po-boy, our meals carry meaning. Few restaurants capture that spirit better than Oby’s, a Mississippi-grown favorite with a story that stretches from Pearl Harbor to Starkville.

PASCAGOULA, MS — Mark your calendars for Oct 2, 2026 from 4-7.  The La Pointe-Krebs House and Museum is bringing its annual fundraiser directly to the historic waterfront grounds it supports. The upcoming event, “Cattails & Cocktails on Krebs Lake,” will pull double duty as a vital community fundraiser and a dual celebration marking America’s 250th and the La Pointe-Krebs House’s incredible 269th birthday.

A couple of weeks ago, I was driving down South Market Street in Pascagoula, and saw a very un-pretty sight. Bulldozers and other heavy equipment were demolishing the historic Pas-Point Little Theatre building. For me, it was definitely a “say it ain’t so, Joe” moment.

Walk into the historic Pineslab Shop in downtown Iuka, and you’ll find something you probably never expected to see: thousands of aprons hanging, folded, and carefully preserved inside the only museum of its kind in America.

The Magnolia Monarchs Alumni Association is expanding its efforts to preserve the history of Magnolia High School through a new website and an upcoming state historical marker recognizing the school’s legacy in Moss Point. 

Moss Point will soon commemorate its role in the civil rights movement through a memorial project led by the Mississippi Humanities Council.