Mississippi John Hurt Home/Museum - Carrollton, Mississippi
Mississippi John Hurt Home/Museum - Carrollton, Mississippi
You will want to take the time to visit the Mississippi John Hurt Museum which is the actual home of the late Mississippi John Hurt built the 1800’s. Take the two hour tour which includes the museum, home, church, historical marker, gravesite and Old Community Store where MS John Hurt played.
This old house is the home of John Hurt, the well-known Blues Musician who grew up and lived in the area. He was known for his three finger pickin style of playing which would sound like there were two guitars playing at the same time, rather than just John.
He was born in 1893 and lived until 1966. He recorded his music in the 20’s but it never really became successful due to the lack of funding during the depression to press enough records. He returned home and continued to play for local enjoyment and occassionally would venture out to play.
His music was re-discovered in the 60’s and was a sensation at the 1963 Newport Fok Festival.
It is said that John Hurts’ "sound was shaped almost entirely by his humble personality and a self-taught guitar style unaffected by modern influences. John Hurt was deeply connected to the rural land and the people he came from, his songs often sounding like they came up out of the wide-open fields and swamps where he lived and worked most of his life. He was authentic, down to his bones." Jim Ohlschmidt 2005 article.
The museum is a three room house with numerous artifacts, a couple of guitars, photographs, some of MJH’s original furniture and a wall where guests are invited to write their names. It really is worth the visit, the feeling that overcomes you, if you are a blues fan, is just neat.
Location: Rt. 2, Box 47A-Road 109, Carrollton, MS 38917
Phone: 662.455.3958
Email: mfhurt_wright@yahoo.com
Hours: Open Year Round
Hours: Mon-Sat; 12 noon-5 p.m.
Admission $5 Adults, under 12 years free
Wister Gardens - Belzoni, Mississippi
Wister Gardens - Belzoni, Mississippi
Enter the fairyland of gardens when you come to the Wister Gardens and their 14 acres of flowers, trees and shrubs.
Designed by Frances Chiles Henry and Wister Henry in the era of 1937 the garden was developed for the beautification and enjoyment for all that stroll through the Garden.
There are hundreds of azaleas of many varieties lining the pathways, they cover wooded areas and drives and are stunning from around March 25 to April 25 each year.
Along with the azaleas are hundreds of roses throughout the Gardens. There are two designated rose gardens for you to enjoy (and envy their beauty). Daylilies, those fabulous smelling addition to any garden, abound in the Garden with the best viewing being during early June and July. Daylilies are such a lovely fragrant flower that the stroll through the Garden at this time will be most enjoyable.
There are Crape Myrtles providing glorious color through the months of July thru September.
Take a few minutes and sit in the six-sided gazebo while you admire the flowers and rest just a bit. There is also a large fountain from Italy installed over an artesian well to add even more character and beauty to the site.
Here you will get to see the highest award presented to gardeners by the Men’s Garden Club of America, it’s a Johnny Appleseed statue just across the lawn from the Garden House.
Do you want to be inside? Well, there is a year-round glassed in garden house, heated in the winter and air-conditioned in the summer, that can be rented for special occasions.
The Garden Club of Belzoni give you an opportunity to learn what some of the different varieities of trees and shrubs are by identification markers on 150 different species.
Come and enjoy the ducks, there are a variety of them occupying the 4 acre lake at the site.
Location: 1440 State Hwy 7, Belzoni, MS 39038
Phone: 662.247.3025
Email: WISTER@BELZONICABLE.COM
Hours: Open Year Round from Sunday - Saturday form 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed on all major holidays. It is handicap accessible.
Admission is FREE
The Ethel Wright Mohamed Stitchery Museum - Belzoni, Mississippi
The Ethel Wright Mohamed Stitchery Museum - Belzoni, Mississippi
Ethel Wright Mohamed was often referred to as Mississippi’s Grandma Moses of stitchery. She was born in 1906 and died in 1992 leaving behind a fabulous array of stitchery telling the stories of her family’s life.
She was a master at "painting with thread" and has provided a wonderful and colorful view into the history of the Mississippi Delta’s way of life. These "memory pictures" show her marriage, eight children and many scenes of their family and the events they all shared.
The museum is located in the former home of Ethel Wright Mohamed. The curator is a daughter, Carol Mohamed Ivy, who guides visitor through the exhibit. She can give a first hand glimpse into the story behind each piece.
At the museum you will tour through high-ceilinged rooms which are covered with the works which hang from the floor to the ceiling on almost every wall. The sketches have been fill with very intricate, fanciful and colorful designs created by the artist to capture her treasured moments of time.
Some of the work is displayed at the Smithsonian Institute. She also designed the cover for the Smithsonian-National Park Service Bicentennial Festival Program Book.
Location: 307 CENTRAL, BELZONI, MISSISSIPPI 39038
Phone: (662) 247-3633
fax (662) 247-1433
Email: hwilson493@aol.com
The Catfish Capitol - Belzoni, Mississippi
The Catfish Capitol - Belzoni, Mississippi
Have you ever thought about visiting a Catfish Capitol? You can in Belzoni. Here the newly renovated IB&B Depot has displays and exhibits as a testament to the history and culture of the land and the people of the area.
Outside the Capitol there are sculptures fashioned for things like hatchery tanks, spawning cans, and seining nets. The city claims the largest collection of outdoor sculpture per capita in the State.
The city even hosts a World Catfish Festival where you can join in the catfish eating contest, the 5 K Run or attend the entertainment offered by the city. They even select a Miss Catfish to reign over the events.
Although the festival started out in 1976 with approximately 3,000 people attending the festival now encompasses the whole downtown area, including four streets for the arts and craft show, and entertainment scattered around the area.
This tribute to the catfish industry is to show the appreciation the area has to the positive impact the farm raised catfish industry has had on the area.
In 1976 U.S. production totaled 55,000 acres, with Mississippi producing 27,000 of that amount and Humphreys County leading any other county in the U.S. with 6,000 acres. This led to Governor Cliff Finch proclaiming Humphreys County as the “Catfish Capital of the World,” a title that Humphreys County still holds. Today the county has over 30,000 acres under water, a growth without parallel.
Information: 1-800-408-4838
email: catfish@catfishcapitalonline.com
Location: All over Belzoni, Mississippi
Explore Mississippi History While on Vacation in Mississippi
Explore
Redding House - Biloxi, Mississippi
Soak in the History at the Redding House. Biloxi, Mississippi is a beautiful city with a unique atmosphere and history. Visitors to the area will find plenty of great things to do and see while on vacation. They can sample some of the fine food, go fishing, or visit some of the historic locations. One of the most important and more often visited historic locations in Biloxi is the Redding House. In it often named one of the top ten attractions in the entire state.
Natchez Trace Parkway - Tupelo, Mississippi
Many Things to See Along the Natchez Trace Parkway. The Natchez Trace Parkway is a 444-mile road that stretches from the southwestern corner of Mississippi diagonally across the state, through the northwest corner of Alabama, and into Tennessee in the north. This picturesque limited access two-lane road guides countless travelers through the state each year.
Longwood Plantation - Natchez, Mississippi
Take a Tour of the Longwood Plantation. The Longwood Plantation, also known as Nutt’s Folly, whose construction began in the 1860s, is certainly a unique looking plantation building. Rather than the usual Greek Revival style that was so popular in the South during that era, the builder chose to create a multistory, octagonal, Oriental Revival style. The house is six stories tall, encompasses 30,000 square feet, and has a large byzantine styled dome.
Vicksburg National Military Park - Vicksburg, Mississippi
Get a Dose of Civil War History at the Vicksburg National Military Park. The Vicksburg National Military Park, located in Vicksburg, Mississippi, was the site of a Civil War battle fought from May 18 to July 4, 1863. The park has reconstructed forts, trenches, and more that are like those used during that long siege. Congress established the park on February 21, 1899.
Jackson Zoo - Jackson, Mississippi
Visit all of the Animals at the Jackson Zoo. The Jackson Zoo is located in Jackson, Mississippi, and it has been educating and entertaining visitors from around the nation for nearly ninety years. Today, more than 200,000 people per year visit the zoo. The zoo, opened in 1919, is located on 110 acres of land in Livingston Park, with 52 acres already developed. It is the second largest zoo in the state.
