Browsing: History

Just above the banks of St. Catherine Creek in historic Natchez stands a house that has quietly watched Mississippi’s story unfold for over two centuries. Known as The House on Ellicott’s Hill, this unassuming home—built in 1798—it is the oldest surviving building Natchez. And like any old Mississippi home worth its salt, it has some stories to tell.

Just outside the serene town of Flora, Mississippi, lies one of the state’s most captivating natural wonders—the Mississippi Petrified Forest. This rare geological site, nestled among the undulating hills of Madison County, is more than just an unusual roadside attraction. It’s a living museum, a tangible link to Earth’s deep past, and a striking testament to the fact that Mississippi’s narrative began long before humans ever set foot on its soil.

When we talk about the founding of Mississippi, the conversation often drifts to riverboats, cotton empires, or Andrew Jackson’s infamous duels. But tucked quietly into the folds of early American history is a name that deserves far more recognition: David Holmes—a statesman, a gentleman, and the man often called “The Father of Mississippi.”

In April 1866, around a year after the Civil War had concluded, a group of Columbus women gathered in Friendship Cemetery to decorate the graves of Confederate soldiers who had fallen at Shiloh. As they completed their task, they recognized graves of Union soldiers nearby that were bare and hadn’t received visitors. So they chose to lay a few stems for those men, too. The groundbreaking act of unity, recognized not as a fallen Confederate or a fallen Union soldier, but as a fallen American, offered healing after the Civil War that inspired the creation of Memorial Day as a national observance. 

Children need a way to fall in love with nature and they need places for this to happen. Current writing on child development explains and reinforces this need. The book “Last Child in the Woods” (2008) by Richard Louv is a good place to start. When children reach adulthood with a solid tie to the natural world – plants, forests, mammals, birds, beaches, rivers, and yes…dinosaurs and fossils – it will remain with them and provide happiness, a built-in prescription for stress, and a way to unclutter a mind that is constantly stimulated by computer screens, tablets, and cell phones. 

Scientists with Mississippi State University are playing a key role in an exciting new fossil discovery that’s close to campus, a discovery that may represent the largest mosasaur ever found in the state.

It is often said that “those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Never are those words more applicable than when discussing the Holocaust. 

The 2nd Annual Casey Jones Blues Fest takes place Saturday, March 22, in downtown Water Valley, Mississippi. The festival celebrates the life of Water Valley resident John Luther “Casey” Jones, a legendary engineer with Illinois Central Railroad. 

Veterans of United States military operations are commemorated at a unique memorial sundial in Lucedale City Park thanks to the late Jim Corley.

Burnt Bridge Rd, located in Purvis, Mississippi appears to be like any other road you’d drive on in this state. At first glance, it’s homey. Familiar. Typical and nothing extraordinary. But we all know there’s always more than what meets the eye. Burnt Bridge Road holds no exceptions to this rule. 

During this month of all things spooky, our monthly feature on historical sites in Mississippi will take you on a ghostly tour of the state’s most haunted and eerie historic sites. The Magnolia State is steeped in legend and lore throughout its history and is blessed with a multitude of historical locations that hold significance in the history of our state, but Mississippi also has its fair share of historical sites that haunt with spooky and eerie apparitions and spirits.

This Friday, October 25th is Goula Palooza in downtown Pascagoula! Commemorating the 51st anniversary of the famous Pascagoula Alien Abduction, the event will take place from 5-8 pm. Guests are encouraged to wear their best alien gear, and enjoy live music from The Big Reveal. The annual Alien Bar Crawl, and more will also be taking place. 

A lock of Frederick Douglass’s hair and photographs taken during the funeral procession of Ulysses S. Grant are part of a collection that spans the Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library at Mississippi State University.

At one time spittin’ on the sidewalk wasn’t allowed in Wiggins, and folks living inside State Line’s city limits had better keep up with their goats and cows.

Looking for an interesting local history tour? Mark your calendar for Sat. Oct. 19 as the Griffin Cemetery’s 12th Annual Historic Tour will memorialize several local leaders and legends.

What is now Tupelo, MS, was once the Homeland of the Chickasaw people. The Chickasaw Nation, with a population of about 2000, lived on a small natural prairie near Tupelo, now called the Chickasaw Old Fields.