Greenwood, MS

Greenwood is the county seat of Leflore County, Mississippi, United States, located at the eastern edge of the Mississippi Delta approximately 96 miles north of Jackson, Mississippi and 130 miles south of Memphis, Tennessee. The population was 18,425 at the 2000 census. It is the principal city within the Greenwood Micropolitan Statistical Area. The Tallahatchie River and the Yalobusha River meet at Greenwood to form the Yazoo River.

History

The flood plain of the Mississippi River has long been an area rich in vegetation and wildlife, feeding off the Mississippi and its numerous tributaries. Long before Europeans migrated to America, the Choctaw and Chickasaw Indian nations settled in the Delta's marsh and swampland. In 1830 the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek was signed by Choctaw Chief Greenwood Leflore, opening the swampland to European settlers.



The first settlement on the banks of the Yazoo River was a trading post founded by John Williams in 1830 and known as Williams Landing. The settlement quickly blossomed, and in 1844 was incorporated as "Greenwood," named after Chief Greenwood Leflore. Growing into a strong cotton market, the key to the city's success was based on its strategic location in the heart of the Delta; on the easternmost point of the alluvial plain and astride the Tallahatchie River and the Yazoo River. The city served as a shipping point to New Orleans, Louisiana, Vicksburg, Mississippi, Memphis, Tennessee and St. Louis, Missouri. Greenwood continued to prosper until the latter part of the American Civil War.



During that war, Greenwood played an important, if little-known, role in the famous Siege of Vicksburg. In early 1863, it was clear that the Union intended to attack the strategic port of Vicksburg on the Mississippi River. After failed attempts at a frontal assault of the city, General Ulysses S. Grant hatched a new plan to attack from the rear by way of the Tallahatchie and Yazoo Rivers. A hastily constructed Confederate fort was placed between the two rivers at Fort Pemberton. Here the Confederates met the oncoming Union flotilla with fierce resistance and the sinking of the paddle wheeler "Star of the West" in the channel of the Tallahatchie River, successfully stopping their advance. As a result, Grant abandoned the Yazoo Expedition and retreated north to the Mississippi River to assault Vicksburg by another route.



The end of the Civil War in the mid-1860's and the following year of Reconstruction severely diminished the cotton industry and crippled the city's previously thriving economy. Greenwood saw very little growth during these years of hardship.



The arrival of railroads in the 1880's saved the city – with two lines running to downtown Greenwood, close to the Yazoo River. Once again, Greenwood emerged as a prime shipping point for cotton. Downtown's Front Street bordering the Yazoo bustled with cotton factors and other related businesses, earning that section the name Cotton Row. The city continued to prosper in this way well into the 1940's.



From 1962 through 1964 Greenwood was a center of protests and voter registration strugges during the Civil Rights Movement. SNCC, COFO, and the MFDP were all active in Greenwood. During this period hundreds were arrested on nonviolent protests, civil rights activists were subjected to repeated violence, blacks were denied the right to vote, and economic retaliation was used against African-Americans who attempted to register to vote.



In the twenty-first century Greenwood is experiencing a cultural renaissance. Its historic downtown boasts dozens of completed renovations with several others in progress. There are upscale shops, unique dining experiences, a boutique hotel, galleries and museums. All the while, Greenwood has retained its small-town beauty, Delta personality and deep-South hospitality. (from the Greenwood Convention and Visitor's Bureau)



Tourism

The establishment of Greenwood as a tourist destination came with the revitalization of Howard Street in historic Downtown Greenwood.



Notable businesses that make their home on Howard Street include The Alluvian Hotel, The Alluvian Spa, The Viking Cooking School, The Mississippi Gift Company, Blue Parrot Restaurant and Veronica's Bakery, Olde World Antiques, Russell's Antiques, Turnrow Books, Matties, Sweet Pea, Fincher's Gifts, Traditions, Ashley's Rug World, The Cat Walk and several bank headquarters.

African-American heritage



The African-American contribution to the Greenwood region is invaluable. In fact, the Delta has exported as much music as cotton, sprouted from the spirit of the people. That spirit rose from historic neighborhoods such as Browning Community in Greenwood, the oldest African-American community in Mississippi, and home to the important Browning Artesian Well. The spirit was fed by the town and country churches, including the areas oldest African-American church, Wesley United Methodist in downtown Greenwood, organized in 1870. The spirit was shaped by centers of learning such as Mississippi Valley State University, which has borne generation of historic figures, from sports stars and Olympians to Civil Rights leader and present-day civic leaders.


Brooks Chapel M.B. Church, 

 
WPA Day Nursery for Negro Children

Leflore County has produced extraordinary music stars, from the early bluesmen such as Mississippi John Hurt from nearby Teoc, Mississippi and Walter "Furry" Lewis to the talent of today including B.B. King, Hubert Sumlin and Denise LaSalle. Another famous blues musician, Robert Johnson, has three memorial gravestones in the Greenwood area. In the area of sports, Greenwood native Willye White followed the advice of her father and found her future far outside the cotton fields as a five-time Olympian and a medalist.



Not all great African-Americans left the Delta. Others stayed and forged freedom a day at a time, through their own efforts. Noted Civil Rights leaders such as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King held a rally in the summer of 1966, along with Stokely Carmichael of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and Floyd McKissick of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE). Sites such as East Percy Street Christian Church and the home of Dewey Greene were Civil Rights-era meeting places.



The Mississippi Delta is rich in the accomplishments of African-Americans who struggled, transcended, created, inspired and motivated. (from the Greenwood Convention and Visitor's Bureau)



Mississippi Blues Trail markers



Radio station WGRM on Howard Street was the location of B.B. King's first live broadcast in 1940. On a Sunday night King performed live gospel music. In dedication to this event, the Mississippi Blues Trail has placed its third historic marker in this town at the site of the former radio station. Another Mississippi Blues trail marker is placed near the grave of blues singer Robert Johnson. There is also a Blues Trail marker at the Elks Lodge.



Greenwood Culture



The small, yet rapidly growing, city of Greenwood, MS hosts many annual events. The numerous festivals, productions, parades, celebrations, and concerts all bring dazzling, spectacular, family fun that draws people from all over the world. From large religious organization events to the classy formal school homecoming coronations and parades, Greenwood prides itself on making these events bigger and better each year, often drawing international accolades. The list is extensive, but a few of the notable events are:



First Presbyterian Church Singing Christmas Tree - December

Roy Martin Delta Band Festival - December

Holiday Open House - November

Upstairs Downtown Loft Tour - November

Art Alfresco - October

Stars and Stripes in the Park - July

River to the Rails Arts Festival - April

Famous Greenwoodians:

Valerie Brisco-Hooks, Olympian

Fred Carl, Jr., founder and CEO of Viking Range Corp.

William V. Chambers, personality psychologist,

Byron De La Beckwith, white supremacist, assassinated Civil Rights leader Medgar Evers,

Betty Everett, R&B vocalist and pianist,

Alphonso Ford, professional basketball player,

Webb Franklin, United States Congressman,

Morgan Freeman, Oscar-winning actor,

Jim Gallagher, Jr., professional golfer,

Bobbie Gentry, vocalist,

Gerald Glass, professional basketball player,

Guitar Slim, blues musician,

Kent Hull, professional football player,

Tom Hunley, real-life "Hambone" who was the origin of J.P. Alley's syndicated cartoon feature, Hambone's Meditations,

Mississippi John Hurt, songster and blues musician,

Robert Johnson (musician), blues musician (presumed buried in Greenwood),

Stephen LaVere, Grammy Award-winning record producer and music historian,

Walter "Furry" Lewis, songster and blues musician,

Bernie Machen, President of University of Florida,

Matt Miller, baseball pitcher,

Carrie Nye, actress,

Avanti Sharma, founder and CEO of The Anokhi Foundation,

Mary Ann Pearce, first wife of novelist Mickey Spillane (who lived in Greenwood in 1945),

John A. Pittman, Congressional Medal of Honor recipient,

Fenton Robinson, blues singer and guitarist,

Hubert Sumlin, blues guitarist,

Donna Tartt, novelist of The Little Friend (set in Mississippi), was born in Greenwood,

Willye White, Olympian,

Danton J. Thompson, Actor, Producer, Writer, Musician,

William Madison Whittington, United States Congressman (1925-1951),

Cleo Lemon, Miami Dolphins Quarterback,

Greenwood Trivia

Greenwood is one of the few places in the world where you can stand between two rivers flowing in the opposite direction: the Yazoo River and the Tallahatchie River.

Legend has it that the Leflore County Courthouse in Greenwood stands on Choctaw land once used for rituals and sacraments.

The City of Greenwood is named after Choctaw Indian Chief Greenwood Leflore, who negotiated the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek with the U.S. Government.

Cottonlandia Museum in Greenwood houses furniture from Chief Greenwood Leflore's mansion Malmaison, which was destroyed by fire in 1942.

Greenwood known as the Cotton Capital of the World and boasts the second largest cotton exchange in the nation located on Cotton Row.

The Tallahatchie River in Greenwood contains relics of the Union side-wheel steamship, Star of the West, sunk to prevent passage of the Union flotilla to Vicksburg.

Walter "Furry" Lewis was born in Greenwood in March 1899 and became the first bluesman to record the bottleneck method of playing guitar.

Keesler Bridge in Greenwood is a swing bridge of the Howe Truss design and a dedicated Mississippi landmark.

Helen Keller gave a speech about happiness in Greenwood on March 29, 1916 Unfortunately she was unable to hear the applause.

John Phillip Sousa conducted a concert in Greenwood in 1930.

Robert Johnson died and was buried just north of Greenwood in August 1938 and now has three memorial gravestones set across the county in his memory.

B.B. King, King of the Blues, was born near Itta Bena at Berclair in Leflore County in 1925 and initiated his career in the mid-1940's on a broadcast over Greenwood's WGRM [then located at 222 Howard Street - upstairs (now home of the Greenwood Blues Heritage Museum & Gallery)] as guitarist for the St. John's Gospel Singers quartet from nearby Indianola.

In 1944, Time covered the Greenwood Mule Race, attended by over 5,000 people.

Academy Award-winning actor Morgan Freeman graduated from high school in Greenwood in 1955.

Young Emmett Till's abduction from the home of relatives at Money, Mississippi (just north of Greenwood) and subsequent murder in August 1955 sparked the civil rights movement.

Little Richard sang a song titled, Greenwood, Mississippi and William Eggleston captured his photograph Greenwood, Mississippi, 1973 there.

The movies Home from the Hill (1960), The Streets of Greenwood (1962), Ode to Billie Joe, The Reivers, Mississippi Masala, and The Gun in Betty Lou's Handbag were filmed on location in Greenwood.

Greenwood sites used in the filming of John Grisham's "The Chamber" include Webster's Restaurant where you can sit and eat steak and seafood on the same barstool as Chris O'Donnell.

The largest Bible-binding plant in the nation is Norris Bookbinding located in Greenwood.

Employers

The largest employers in Leflore County are:

Viking Range,

Greenwood Leflore Hospital,

Greenwood Public Schools,

Mississippi Valley State University,

Heartland Catfish,

America's Catch Catfish,

John-Richard,

Milwaukee Electric Tool Corp.,

J.J. Ferguson Sand and Gravel,

Staplcotn,

Lawrence Printing Co., Inc.,

Raybestos,

Museums and History:

Greenwood Blues Heritage Museum and Gallery,

Cottonlandia Museum,

Fort Pemberton and Star of the West,

Historic Downtown:

The Mississippi Gift Company,

Three Deuces Building - 222 Howard Street,

Greenwood Blues Heritage Museum & Gallery,

Veronica's Custom Bakery,

Viking Range Corporate Headquarters,

The Viking Cooking School,

The Viking Culinary Arts Center,

The Alluvian Hotel,

The Alluvian Spa,

Mockingbird Bakery,

Staplcotn Corporate Headquarters,

Cotton Row,

TurnRow Book Co.

Tupelo, MS

Elvis sculptures in Tupelo

Tupelo (IPA: [tu:pəlo]) is the largest city in and the county seat of Lee County, Mississippi, United States. It is the eighth largest city in the state of Mississippi, smaller than Meridian, and larger than Olive Branch. The Tupelo area — specifically the nearby village of Blue Springs — was selected during the spring of 2007 as the site for Toyota's eleventh U.S. automobile manufacturing plant. As of the 2000 United States Census, the city's population was 34,211. By 2007, the population was 36,058, with a micropolitan area population of 132,245, encompassing Lee, Pontotoc and Itawamba counties. The city is perhaps best known as the birthplace of Elvis Presley Situated in northeast Mississippi, the city lies between Memphis, Tennessee, and Birmingham, Alabama, along U.S. Highway 78 — slated to become Interstate 22 within a few years.

History


This photo, from a collection in the Lee County Library, shows Spring Street, looking north, as it appeared in 1928.

The town was originally named Gum Pond prior to the American Civil War, supposedly due to the high number of tupelo trees, locally known as blackgum, that grow in the area. The city still hosts the Gumtree Arts Festival [2] each year. In the post-Civil War era, Tupelo became the northern Mississippi site for the crossing of a railroad, which brought industry to the town, establishing it as the center of commerce in the northern part of the state. Once the town began to grow, Gum Pond took on the name Tupelo, naming the town after the small Civil War battle that took place on the site. That site is now designated as Tupelo National Battlefield. That Battle of Tupelo was in turn named for the tupelo trees of the area. Tupelo was incorporated in 1870 with a population of 618.

Chili Fest

Tupelo made national history in 1934 as the first city in the United States to provide its citizens with electric power through the Tennessee Valley Authority. In 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt visited this First TVA City.

Cultural and attractions:


June 5th, 6th, & 7th 2009

Tupelo is the headquarters of the historic Natchez Trace Parkway, connecting Natchez, Mississippi to Nashville, Tennessee, while following the route of the original Natchez Trace trail.



The Civil War battlefields include: Tupelo National Battlefield and Brices Cross Roads National Battlefield.

One of the largest automobile museums in North America, the Tupelo Automobile Museum opened on December 7, 2002, Pearl Harbor Day, and was designated the official State of Mississippi automobile museum in the spring of 2003. The museum is home to more than 150 rare automobiles, all of which were the personal collection of WTVA founder Frank K. Spain.

Tupelo Community Theatre was founded in 1969 and has produced over 200 productions. In 2001 and 2004 it was the winner of the Mississippi Theatre Association Community Theatre festival and was a winner at the Southeastern Theatre Conference in 2004 with its production of Bel Canto. TCT's home is the historic Lyric Theatre, built in 1912.

The Tupelo Symphony Orchestra's season runs from September-April with concerts held at the Tupelo Civic Auditorium. Special conductors and soloists appear regularly and the symphony also holds a free annual July 4 outdoor concert at Tupelo's Ballard Park that draws thousands of fans.

The Tupelo Buffalo Park and Zoo home to hundreds of animals and a large buffalo herd.

Tupelo's coliseum, the BancorpSouth Arena, opened in 1993 and has hosted concerts by entertainers such as The Eagles, Rod Stewart, Bob Dylan, Widespread Panic, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Aerosmith, Kiss, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Elton John and Creed.
In 2005, under the leadership of the Tupelo Rotary Club, the city unveiled a statue of Chief Piomingo, a leader of the Chickasaw people, in front of the new city hall.
Tupelo's Oren Dunn City Museum displays relics from the American Civil War Battle of Tupelo as well as Indian artifacts and NASA exhibits.

Farmers Market

April 2006 marked the 70th anniversary of the 1936 Tupelo Tornado, the fourth deadliest tornado in United States history and part of the Tupelo-Gainesville tornado outbreak of tornadoes on April 5-6, 1936. Historian Martis D. Ramage, Jr.'s book, "Tupelo, Mississippi, Tornado of 1936," chronicles the devastation of the tornado, with many rare photographs.

June 2006 was the 50th anniversary of the 1956 Elvis Presley Homecoming in Tupelo, the highlight of which was the famous 1956 concert at the Mississippi-Alabama State Fair & Dairy Show. The event was recreated at the eighth Elvis Presley Festival in Tupelo on June 3, 2006. The original site of the concert, the fairgrounds, is now part of Tupelo's Fairpark District. Documentary filmmakers Roy Turner and Jim Palmer premiered their new Presley documentary, "The Homecoming: Tupelo Welcomes Elvis Home", at the 2006 festival.

Authors who have spoken at the Lee County Library's annual Helen Foster Lecture series since its inception in 1974 have included Shelby Foote, Alex Haley, John Grisham, Rick Bragg, Pat Conroy, Ernest Gaines, Willie Morris, Beverly Sills and Alice Walker.

Built in 1937, Tupelo's beautiful Church Street Elementary School was hailed as one of the most outstanding designs of its time. A scale model of this Art Moderne structure was displayed at the 1939 New York World's Fair as "the ideal elementary school."

Industry

Tupelo is the headquarters of the North Mississippi Medical Center, the largest non-metropolitan hospital in the United States. It serves people in North Mississippi, northwest Alabama and portions of Tennessee. The medical center was a winner of the prestigious Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award in 2006.

Tupelo is the headquarters of two banking institutions - BancorpSouth, with approximately $11.8 billion in assets (2006), and Renasant, with assets of approximately $2.4 billion (2006).

The city is a three-time "All-America City Award" winner and boasts one of the largest furniture manufacturing industries nationwide. As journalist Dennis Seid of The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal noted in the February, 2006 edition of The Northeast Mississippi Business Journal, furniture manufacturing is crucial to the economy of Northeast Mississippi, "providing some 22,000 jobs, or almost 13% of the region's employment... with a $732 million annual payroll... producing $2.25 billion worth of goods."

Tupelo had the first Comcast cable system. Comcast is now the largest cable company in the world.

Tecumseh,

Furniture Brands International,

Hancock Fabrics Inc.,

Toyota Motor Manufacturing of Mississippi,

H.M. Richards,

JESCO Construction,

MTD Products,

Savings Oil Company (Dodge's Stores),

And Cooper Tire & Rubber Company all operate or are headquartered in Tupelo & Lee County.

Famous People

Elvis Presley was born in east Tupelo in 1935. There is a life-sized bronze statue of "Elvis at 13" by sculptor Michiel Van der Sommen close by the little wooden house where Elvis was born (which is open to the public). The annual Elvis Presley Festival held in early June attracts music lovers from all over the world. Nearby is Johnnie's Drive-in, a local eatery that was frequented by the singer, and has several menu items he was said to favor. Tupelo has received a Mississippi Blues Trail marker commemorating it as a site on the Mississippi Blues Trail for being the birthplace of Elvis Presley.

John Michael McCarthy's Teenage Tupelo is a film about the sex life of the filmmaker's mother, who believes he was fathered by Presley.

John Lee Hooker released a song called "Tupelo", about a flood in Tupelo in the 1930s. Inspired by John Lee Hooker's song, Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds recorded a song titled "Tupelo", mixing imagery of the flood and birth of Elvis Presley.

Rockabilly singer-songwriter Jumpin' Gene Simmons, who had a hit in 1964 with the song "Haunted House" was born and died in Tupelo. He also co-wrote the Tim McGraw hit "Indian Outlaw" with Tommy Barnes and John Loudermilk.

Newspaper publisher George McLean bought Tupelo's Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal in June, 1934 and remained publisher until his death in 1983. Using his newspaper to promote the cultural development of the area, he was one of the foremost community development figures in the United States, being named "Man of the Year" in 1937 by Nation Magazine at age 34.

Tupelo native Glenn L. McCullough Jr., a sixth-generation Mississippian, was named chairman of the Tennessee Valley Authority Board of Directors by President George W. Bush on July 19, 2001. In December, 2004, Congress passed Public Law No. 108-447, which stripped the TVA Board of its full-time status and required management experience for future members of the Board. Serving until 2005, he was the first TVA chairman from Mississippi since the John F. Kennedy era. McCullough began serving on the TVA board in 1999 following his appointment by President Bill Clinton. In 1992, he had been appointed director of the Mississippi office of the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) by Governor Kirk Fordice. In June, 1997, McCullough had been elected Tupelo's 23 mayor, with 61 percent of the vote. During his administration, the genesis of the future downtown Fairpark District began as well as the rebirth and redevelopment of the Historic Downtown Tupelo Neighborhood and the city was also awarded "All-American City" status for the third time in its history.

Allie Grant (actress) - The Suite Life of Zack and Cody.

Controversial U.S. Congressman John E. Rankin of Tupelo served his district for sixteen terms (1921-53), co-authoring the bill to create the Tennessee Valley Authority as well as being a member of the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC).

Singer Guy Hovis was born in Tupelo in 1941. In 1970, he joined his wife on the Lawrence Welk Show as one half of "Guy & Ralna," one of the show's most popular acts.

Actor John Dye (China Beach, Touched By An Angel) graduated from Tupelo High School in 1981.

Notorious outlaws Bonnie and Clyde spent a few days with a family in East Tupelo, across the tracks (the part of town where Elvis was born), while they attempted to elude federal and local authorities.

Tupelo was a "knock down spot", or place for hiding and relaxing for infamous State Line Mob and Dixie Mafia members like Carl Douglas "Towhead" White, Jack Hathcock, W.O. Hathcock, Kirksey Nix, and Louise Hathcock.

Singer/songwriter Paul Thorn hails from Tupelo and always introduces himself at shows as being from the birthplace of Elvis Presley.

Famous prohibition-era gangster Machine Gun Kelly's last known bank robbery occurred on November 30, 1932 at the Citizen’s State Bank in Tupelo netting his gang $38,000. After the robbery the bank’s chief teller would say of Kelly, “He was the kind of guy that, if you looked at him, you would never thought he was a bank robber.”[6]

In 2001, Amy Wesson was featured in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.

1987 Playboy Bunny of the year, Madi Martin, was born in Tupelo.

Krusty the Clown from TV's The Simpsons is credited with starting his career as a street mime in Tupelo.

Lee Williams & The Spiritual QC's Gospel Entertainers.

Conflict and courage. They have formed the backbone of Tupelo's colorful history from the earliest days of Spanish explorers through the bloody battles of the Civil War.

Visitors to Tupelo, Mississippi can walk the same countryside that Hernando De Soto explored in 1540, when he and his traveling party stumbled upon a tribe of Chickasaw Indians among the hills of the wooded countryside. Defending the land of their ancestors, the fierce-fighting Chickasaws pushed the Spanish explorer to the west and onward to the Mississippi River, the discovery that made De Soto's name immortal.

Two centuries later, more bloodshed led to British control of the region. Chickasaw warriors, armed by England, drove back French invaders and their Indian allies, the Choctaws. It is known as the Battle of Ackia - a victory that helped Great Britain establish a foothold in North America that would last until the Revolution.

But war is not the only thread that runs through Tupelo's history.

The Natchez Trace, now a scenic parkway, weaves itself through Tupelo's past and into its future. Built to facilitate trade with the Natchez Indians to the South, the now-famous route has endured, serving British travelers in the 1700's and an ensuing flood of settlers who built peaceful civilizations up and down its great length.

Downtown Tupelo

But peace was again interrupted when more than 20,000 Union and Confederate troopers clashed in July 1864 at the Battle of Tupelo. Led by Major General Nathan Bedford Forrest, Confederate cavalry assaulted Union soldiers assigned to protect the supply lines of General William T. Sherman in his famous march to Atlanta. The Union forces ultimately retreated to Memphis, leaving casualties from both sides at nearly 2,000.

Within five years, Tupelo officially became a city, taking its name from the native Tupelo Gum Tree. By 1887, the town's modern roots were being planted at the crossroads of several converging railroads: the Mobile & Ohio, Kansas City and the Memphis & Birmingham. Tupelo's emergence as a railway and manufacturing power helped ensure its status as the first U.S. city to switch on a cheap and reliable source of electricity, through the Tennessee Valley Authority.

Tupelo Courthouse

The evolution of Tupelo continues as this city throbs with economic vitality and a wealth of historical attractions guaranteed to intrigue and educate visitors and residents alike.



Welcome to the Tupelo Automobile Museum!

A Tucker

Featuring 120,000 square feet of automobile displays and open viewing restoration bays. Over 100 antique, classic and collectible automobiles, chronologically displayed, illustrate the progress of over 100 years of automobile design and engineering. Your self-guided tour begins with an 1886 Benz, representing the birth of the automobile, and culminates with a never-driven 1994 Dodge Viper. The collection, valued at over $6 million, includes a rare Tucker, a Lincoln previously owned by Elvis Presley, other movie and celebrity vehicles, Hispano Suizas, a Duesenberg and many more rare brands and American favorites. Automobiles currently under restoration will be added to the display area as they are completed.

Directions:
Located ½ block off Hwy. 45, Main Street Exit
Adjacent to BancorpSouth Arena on Otis Blvd., Tupelo, Mississippi
Telephone: 662-842-4242

Hours

Tuesday - Saturday (Mar - Oct), 10am - 6pm
Tuesday - Saturday (Nov - Feb), 10am - 5pm
Sunday (Year Round, 12pm - 5pm)
Closed Mondays, Christmas, New Year's Day, Thanksgiving, Easter

Admission Fees:

$10.00 Adult • $5 Children ages 5-12
Children 4 and under Free
$8.00 for AAA members and Seniors
$7.50 Group discount for 10 or more people

The History

Establishing the Tupelo Automobile Museum was a 28 year process. It began when founder Frank Spain acquired his first antique car in 1974. Spain and his good friend, museum curator, Max Berryhill, spent the next many years researching, finding and acquiring the 150 rare automobiles in the collection. Cars were gathered from all over North America and Europe.

Until the late 1990’s the vehicles were stored at various locations throughout the United States. Spain and Berryhill desired to develop a museum so the public could enjoy and learn from the collection. Spain’s hometown of Tupelo, Mississippi rallied support for the museum. With the help of the Tupelo Convention and Visitors Bureau and Tupelo Mayor Larry Otis, placing the museum in Tupelo became a reality.

The Tupelo Automobile Museum opened on December 7, 2002 and was designated the official State of Mississippi automobile museum in the spring of 2003.

Elvis delivering his present to Captain Jerry Kennedy of the Devner Police. Denver, 1976.

The king of rock n' roll was generous; he gifted many close friends with automobiles. The Tupelo Automobile Museum has a 1976 Lincoln Mark IV that was given as a gift by Elvis Presley.

Elvis often played shows in Denver, Colorado where he formed a close relationship with Jerry Kennedy, captain of the Denver Police Vice and Drug Control Bureau. Captain Kennedy was in charge of security for Elvis when he appeared in Denver.



On January 14, 1976 Elvis visited the Kumpf Lincoln Mercury Dealership at 9th Avenue and Broadway in Denver. There he purchased a 1976 Lincoln Mark IV for $13,386.69. The check to the the dealership, by Elvis himself, can be seen in the museum.
Elvis gave the brand new car to Captain Jerry Kennedy as a gift. The event was photographed.

The Tupelo Automobile Museum also owns a 1939 Plymouth, the same model driven by Elvis' family when they moved from Tupelo to Memphis. This car is on permanent loan to the Elvis Presley Birthplace and Museum in Tupelo, MS.

Glimpse of the Past

Tupelo and Lee County have come a long way from the early settlement days. Here's a look at that trip.
The majority of this timeline originally appeared in the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, and is reprinted here with permission. Introduction and additional research by Jason Collum, Publisher.

Hundreds of years ago, native Chickasaw Indians called the area home. Later, when a railroad line was built just east of the village of Harrisburg, land and town developers gave the community a new name: Tupelo.

From its founding as a wide spot along a rail line from Mobile, Tupelo has grown into the region's hub city. The story of how the city and Lee County got to be where they are today is one that makes for interesting reading.

As part of its 125th Anniversary celebration in 1996, the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal produced a special keepsake edition chronicling the history of Tupelo and the region. A feature of that edition was a timeline, guiding readers through Tupelo's development since 1870.

Now, with permission, the Apartment Finder & Newcomers Guide presents this timeline, along with several entries culled from additional research, to give you a glimpse of the city's and county's past.

1540: Spanish explorer Hernando De Soto passes through this area and encounters an established Chickasaw Indian civilization nestled in the wooded hills and valleys. The Chickasaws, fierce fighters, drive De Soto westward to his discovery of the Mississippi River.

1736: At the height of the French and Indian War, a bloody battle erupts near what will become Tupelo between the British-armed Chickasaws and the combined invading forces of the French and the Choctaw Indians. Known as the Battle of Ackia, the engagement leaves the area in firm British control and contributes to the Crown’s eventual domination of North America.

1864: The Battle of Tupelo takes place, pitting Union troops against Confederate cavalry intent on controlling railroad traffic supplying the Union campaign against Atlanta.

July 20, 1870: Tupelo is incorporated, four years after Lee County was carved out of Itawamba and Pontotoc counties. The town's population is 618. Henry Clay Medford is the first mayor.

1870: Lee County Journal is established. George Herndon is the first owner-editor. The present-day Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal is a direct descendant of this newspaper.

Sept. 1, 1871: Tupelo Male Academy opens its doors for both public and private school students.

Sept. 11, 1871: Tupelo Female Seminary is founded.

1872: S.J. High is born. High will become one of Tupelo’s most influential civic and business leaders.

Feb. 6, 1873: Lee County Courthouse burns down.

1874: New Lee County Courthouse is erected.

1885: Private John Allen is first elected to Congress.

Oct. 7, 1886: Private John Allen drives the last spike in the Kansas City, Memphis and Birmingham Railroad near Guin, Ala. The railroad becomes the second to serve Tupelo.

1887: The 900-seat Tupelo Opera House opens. It lasts 25 years.

1887: First train on the Kansas City, Memphis and Birmingham Railroad passes through Tupelo. Banks and other business begin to relocate to Tupelo from nearby communities

Sept. 1891: Tupelo's first public school, Tupelo Graded School, opens on property previously known as Freeman's Grove on Jefferson and Gloster streets

December 1892: Board of Trade, Tupelo's first economic development group, is formed.

1902: The Lee County Courthouse burns. It is replaced in 1904 by the structure still in use today.

1914: Lee County builds the first concrete road south of the Mason-Dixon Line. The road still exists and is travelled upon.

1920: Tupelo's population is listed at 5,055; Lee County's at 29,618.

1925: The Library Association establishes a small library on the second floor at Tupelo City Hall. The library is launched with 300 donated books.

1933: Tupelo signs the contract for electricity to become the first TVA City.

1934: George McLean buys the bankrupt Tupelo Journal.

January 8, 1935: Elvis Presley is born in a small house in East Tupelo.


The devastating tornado of 1936 wiped much of then Tupelo off the map. This view of the destruction is looking southeast from the corner of Church and Walnut streets.
April 5, 1936: A massive tornado rips through Tupelo, killing more than 200 people and injuring thousands. Much of Tupelo's landscape is destroyed.

1937: Construction officially begins on the Natchez Trace Parkway.

1948: The Community Development Foundation is incorporated in Tupelo.

July 6, 1948: Tupelo is divided into six wards.

1949: Tupelo purchases the former home of Pvt. John Allen at corner of Madison and Jefferson streets and converts it to use as the county's first freestanding library.

1950: At the North Mississippi Community Hospital, a three-story wing that increases the bed capacity to 95 is constructed and joined to the south side of the original building.

June 21, 1951: The first commercial passenger plane, a Southern Airways flight, lands in Tupelo.

1954: Tupelo native Elvis Presley cuts his first record for Sam Phillips of Sun Records Studio in Memphis. "That's All Right (Mama)" was on the A-side of the single and "Blue Moon of Kentucky" was on the flip side.


Elvis Presley performs at the 1956 Mississipp-Alabama Fair and Livestock Show at the Tupelo Fairgrounds in 1956.
1956: New rock 'n' roll sensation Elvis Presley agrees to perform at the Mississippi Alabama Fair and Livestock Show on the Tupelo fairgrounds.

1957: Elvis Presley, legendary status in music history confirmed, returns to the fair and donates his $10,000 in earnings to the city for the founding of a public park in East Tupelo.

1961: A new Tupelo High School is built and dedicated on Varsity Drive.

1961: Natchez Trace Visitors Center is built in Tupelo.

1964: Itawamba Junior College offers classes in Tupelo for the first time. Warehouse space is used for classrooms until a campus is established on Eason Boulevard in 1966

1965: Tupelo Public Schools are peacefully integrated for the first time under the "freedom of choice" plan. Two black students from Carver High School volunteer to attend Tupelo High School for their senior year. Black teachers from Carver also "switch" places with white educators.

1966: A joint venture between the schools and the city results in the construction of the Tupelo Civic Auditorium on the site of the new Tupelo High School.

1967: North Mississippi Community Hospital's name is changed to North Mississippi Medical Center.

April 5, 1968: Official announcement is made that Tupelo has been named an All America City, one of 10 in the nation.

1969: Tupelo Community Theater is organized.

1970: Tupelo Mall on South Gloster and Downtown Mall on East Main Street open.

1971: Elvis Presley's Birthplace in East Tupelo is opened to the public.

1971: The present Lee County Library is constructed and opened at the corner of Madison and Jefferson streets.

1971: Tupelo Symphony Orchestra premieres in concert at Civic Auditorium.

1974: CREATE (Christian Research Education Action Technical Enterprises, Inc.) is founded.

1975: University of Mississippi branch opens on the Itawamba Junior College Tupelo campus.

1976: North Mississippi Medical Center increases its capacity to 550 beds and the hospital's medical staff grows to 76 physicians.

Aug. 16, 1977: Elvis Presley is found dead in his Memphis mansion, Graceland.

1978: The Elvis Presley Birthplace is designated as a Mississippi Historical site by the state Department of Archives and History.


Members of the Ku Klux Klan arrive at the Tupelo Police Department in 1978, a less than sparkling moment in the city's history.

1978: Following the conviction of two Tupelo police officers on federal police brutality charges, the city becomes marching ground for United League of Mississippi boycotters and Ku Klux Klan recruiters. The controversy and the marches last for several weeks.

Aug. 17, 1979: Elvis Presley Memorial Chapel is opened to the public.

1980: NMMC grows to 600 beds and earns the distinction of being the largest hospital in the state, both in facilities and services.

1980: Tupelo's population is listed at 23,905.

February 1984: The first commercial jet, a Southern Airways DC9, lands in Tupelo.

1985: Tupelo Art Gallery opens.

1987: The 1987 AHEAD Highway Construction program overrides a gubernatorial veto, paving the way for the quicker completion of U.S. Highway 78 and U.S. Highway 45.

1987: The first Tupelo Furniture Market is held in 30,000 square feet of rented space and draws 77 exhibitors.

1988: Tupelo voters, with 96 percent approval, pass a $21 million bond issue to finance construction of a system to pump water from the Tombigbee River, treat it, and move it 18 miles to the city. This ends the city's reliance upon a rapidly depleting groundwater supply.

May 16, 1989: Tupelo is named an All America City for the second time.

1990: The Mall at Barnes Crossing opens. The $65 million, 700,000-square-foot building houses some 80 stores.

1990: Tupelo purchases the Downtown Mall property for $2.9 million for the purpose of constructing a 9,000-seat coliseum and convention center.

1991: Phase I of the Tupelo Major Thoroughfare Program is approved by city voters. This first phase calls for improvements to various intersections in town, and the widening of Gloster Street to five lanes.

Aug. 8, 1992: The Elvis Presley Museum is opened on the park site.

1992: The new Tupelo High School campus off Cliff Gookin Boulevard is completed and opened for classes.

1992: Last Mississippi/Alabama Fair and Livestock Show is held on the Tupelo fairgrounds. Tupelo officially re-acquires the property.

1994: Major ice storm hits Tupelo and Northeast Mississippi. Power to more than 180,000 people in the state is knocked out for days.

August 1994: A four-lane U.S. Highway 78 is completed and opened from the Alabama state line to the Tennessee state line.

1994: The Lee County Agri-Center fairgrounds in Verona is completed and plays host to the first Lee County-sponsored regional fair.

1995: NMMC, the largest rural hospital in the nation, is now licensed for 647 beds. About 200 physicians representing more than 40 medical specialties are on staff.

1999: Bond sales begin for the redevelopment of the old fairgrounds.

June 1999: Tupelo is named an All America City for the third time.

November 1999: Tupelo Mayor Glenn McCullough Jr. is appointed to the TVA board of directors.

2000: First Baptist Church, Tupelo's oldest church, celebrates its 150th anniversary.

2000: Tupelo Mayor Glenn McCullough Jr. is named the director of the Tennessee Valley Authority.

August 2001: Lee County Sheriff Harold Ray Presley is killed in the line of duty.


The new City Hall building in Fairpark District in Tupelo opened in 2002. It heralded a new era of development and life for the Downtown Tupelo area.
February 2002: City leaders celebrate the opening of the new City Hall building in the old fairgrounds.

June 2002: The Tupelo Fairgrounds redevelopment area is officially renamed Fairpark District.

July 2002: The Apartment Finder & Newcomers Guide celebrates the publication of its 10th edition and completion of its fifth year of business in Tupelo.

December 2002: The Tupelo Automobile Museum opens. It houses more than 120 antique and collectors cars owned by Tupelo broadcasting businessman Frank Spain.

March 2003: Delta International, one of the first major industries lured by the Community Development Foundation, announces it plans to close its facility on South Gloster Street and move production to its Jackson, Tenn., plant.

November 2004: Officials break ground on a new facility in the Tupelo-Lee Industrial Park South for San Diego-based General Atomics. The company will build Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System, or EMALS, for the Navy's next generation of aircraft carriers at the Tupelo location.

May 2005: Area leaders attend an auto industry show in Barcelona, Spain, to tout the newly developed Wellspring Project near Blue Springs, about 10 miles west of Tupelo. Leaders hope the 1,000-acre megasite will become home in the future to an automobile manufacturer.

Church Restoration Adds New Dimension to Elvis Birthplace
Published Aug 14, 2008



Elvis impersonator Bill J. Brooks of Mantachie, Miss., poses for a portrait in front of a sign welcoming visitors to Tupelo. Brooks has been an impersonator since 1978.
Ask anyone in Tupelo, and they’ll tell you the most fascinating site in the city is the Elvis Presley Birthplace.

“It’s our most famous attraction – people come from all over the world to see where Elvis came from,” says Linda Elliff, director of sales for the Tupelo Convention & Visitors Bureau. “It’s a one-of-a-kind place, and we’re very proud of it. The Elvis Presley Birthplace, museum, park and all the sites from his life in Tupelo mean a lot to the tourism industry here.”

More than 80,000 Presley fans trek to Tupelo each year to walk through the modest, two-room house where the King of Rock ’n’ Roll was born on Jan. 8, 1935, and to visit the adjacent museum, gift shop, park and chapel. In August 2008, Presley’s home church will become part of the attraction.

“We have purchased the church Elvis attended in the late 1930s and early 1940s, and we moved it to our property in January,” says Dick Guyton, executive director of the Elvis Presley Memorial Foundation.

Previously located on Berry Street in East Tupelo, the First Assembly of God Church played an integral role in Presley’s early life. It was where he sang regularly and learned to play chords on the guitar.

“From stories we have heard and interviews with his fellow church members, we know the church had quite an impact on his life and vastly influenced his musical career,” Guyton says.

The church, which has been a private home for the past 42 years, is being stripped down to reveal original fixtures from Presley’s time and restored to its 1930s condition.

“While it was still a church, the building had partially burned, and that part had never been repaired when it was made into a dwelling place,” Guyton says. “We had to demolish the inside to restore it. There’s about 50 percent of the original flooring left, a third of the inside paneling and about 50 percent of the outside walls.”

The restoration is being done at an estimated cost of $750,000 and is being funded by ticket sales, gift shop purchases and a donation from the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation.

The project was completed in time for the annual Elvis Presley Birthplace Fan Appreciation Day on Aug. 9, 2008, when visitors were able to walk out of the memorial chapel, where Presley’s gospel music is played, directly into the church, where he learned to sing gospel music.

“It was a great experience for the fans,” Guyton says. “We had multimedia presentations going in the church that showed how the congregation worshipped in the 1930s.”

The church restoration is one of several enhancements made to the Elvis Presley Birthplace in recent years. In 2002, a statue of 13-year-old Presley clutching a guitar was unveiled and dedicated to his fans worldwide. And in 2006, the Elvis Presley Museum was completely renovated to include a new exhibit containing Tupelo artifacts, large photomurals and graphics, and two audiovisual presentations that bring Presley’s childhood in Tupelo to life.

“The museum renovation they did completes the story because it shows people what it was like for Elvis growing up here,” Elliff says. “The church restoration will be an added bonus for visitors to see what it was like to go to church in a rural town in the ’30s and ’40s. It gives an inside look at how Elvis was influenced musically.”

Story by Jessica Mozo
Photo by Jeff Adkins

Dudie's Diner

Dudie Burger Festival Celebrates Old-Fashioned Meat Patty
Published Aug 14, 2008

When was the last time you ate a Dudie burger?

There is actually only one weekend each year when the public can have a Dudie Dough Burger, and that’s during the Dudie Burger Festival in May (where some 1,400 burgers are sold). The famous burgers are a mix of meat, flour and water and were first made during World War II, when many items were being rationed.

In 1947, resident Truman “Dudie” Christian converted an old Memphis streetcar into his Dudies Diner joint at the corner of South Gloster and Carnation streets. The retired streetcar is now parked at the Oren Dunn City Museum, which sponsors the annual Dudie Burger Festival.

The Battle of Tupelo Was Among the Bloodiest Battles of the Civil War
Published Jul 08, 2008

It was among the bloodiest Civil War battles staged in Mississippi‚ and it took place over two scorching days – July 13-14‚ 1864.

The Battle of Tupelo was waged for control of a railroad supply line that was coveted by Union Gen. William Sherman‚ who wanted to lead his troops through Tupelo and eventually toward Atlanta.

The battle pitted Confederate Maj. Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest against Union Maj. Gen. Andrew Smith‚ with the Federals victorious. More than 14‚000 soldiers were killed or wounded in the fighting.

Today‚ the one-acre Tupelo National Battlefield memorial site has a cannon‚ a marker with text and maps outlining the engagement. It is open daily and maintained by the National Park Service.

Vanelli’s Restaurant Offers Food and Music Under One Roof
Published Aug 14, 2008


Diners enjoy eating outdoors at Vanelli’s Greek & Italian Restaurant, a mainstay in Tupelo since 1975. The restaurant, located at 1302 N. Gloster St., also offers a wide variety of nightly entertainment at Papa’s Place lounge.
Vaz Vanelli unveiled what he pro­claims “the eighth wonder of Tupelo” just outside his Vanelli’s Greek & Italian Restaurant in north Tupelo.

“It’s actually ‘Papa’s Pavilion,’ ” he says of the cedar-roofed dining and party area that was added to the res­taurant’s patio in 2008. “It comes to a point, so when you go underneath and look up, it’s like a Swiss chalet,” Vanelli says of the new structure.

The restaurant was founded in 1975 by Demetrios Kapenekas, aka “Papa,” a native of Athens, Greece. The late Kapenekas grew up around food. His father owned a restaurant and hotel in Athens during the 1920s and ’30s.

Now son Vaz Vanelli is in charge of the restaurant and entertainment venue located at 1302 N. Gloster St.

In addition to the patio and pavilion, the restaurant has 10,000 square feet under roof, made up of three dining rooms and Papa’s Place lounge.

Offerings such as toasted ravioli, fried calamari, pizzas and Athenian lasagna are just a few examples from “a menu that is an Americanized blend of Greek and Italian cuisine,” Vanelli says.

In addition, there are appetizers, sand­wiches, salads, chicken wings and a large selection of classic Italian favorites.

Vanelli’s also offers live enter­tain­ment, from concerts to comedy, and the eatery showcases all of the big sports games on direct television.

The new pavilion allows Vanelli to expand his varied entertainment offerings.

What are Tupelo’s wonders one through seven?
“Well, start at Elvis’ birthplace and work your way down,” Vanelli says with a laugh.

Vanelli’s is open daily for lunch and dinner.

For more information, visit www.vanellis.com.

Story by Tim Ghianni
Photo by Jeff Adkins

Tupelo Hardware Co. Sold Elvis His First Guitar
Published Jul 08, 2008

It was a 10-year-old Elvis Presley who in 1945 entered the Tupelo Hardware Co.‚ wanting to buy a .22 bolt-action hunting rifle.

Owner George H. Booth told Elvis he would never sell a gun to a child‚ causing the future singing legend to cry. Booth then promised young Elvis a present of his choice‚ since the Presleys had little money.

A few days later‚ Elvis and his mother‚ Gladys‚ returned to the hardware store‚ and she suggested that her son pick out a guitar instead. Elvis cried again but eventually accepted Booth’s kind gift and took the instrument home.

The price of Elvis Presley’s first guitar: $7.75.

Corinth, MS

Corinth is a city in Alcorn County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 14,054 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Alcorn County. Its ZIP codes are 38834 and 38835.

Corinth Lore

The Marriage Capital

During the early 1930’s through 1950’s, Corinth was known as a marriage capital. Hundreds of couples came to Corinth to purchase a license and to locate a minister or a Justice of the Peace who would marry them within minutes without the standard 3-day "waiting period."



Stateline Mob

During the 1940’s and continuing through the 1960’s, Corinth gained a reputation for being the hide-away for several Chicago mob affiliates and home to a notorious group from Alabama that became known as the "State Line Mob." Quickly being renamed "Little Chicago," Corinth’s nightlife became one filled with many "questionable" activities. In 1964, Bufford Pusser pinned on the badge of McNairy County Tennessee Sheriff and immediately pursued avenues to rid the Mississippi - Tennessee State Line Area of criminal activities. Now this tranquil stretch of by-passed highway holds only memories of Corinth’s colorful, yet checkered, past.

History

Corinth was founded in 1853 as Cross City, so-called because it served as a junction for the Mobile & Ohio and Memphis & Charleston railroads. It was the town's early newspaper editor, W.E. Gibson, who suggested the name of Corinth, named for the city in Greece that also served as a crossroads.

Corinth's location at the junction of two railroads made it strategically important to the Confederacy during the American Civil War. Confederate General P.G.T. Beauregard retreated to Corinth after the Battle of Shiloh, pursued by Union Major General Henry W. Halleck. General Beauregard abandoned the town when General Halleck approached, letting it fall into the Union's hands. Since Halleck approached so cautiously, digging entrenchments at every stop for over a month, this action has been known as the Siege of Corinth.



The Union sent Maj. Gen. William Rosecrans to Corinth as well and concentrated their forces in the city. The Second Battle of Corinth took place on October 3–4, 1862, when Confederate Maj. Gen. Earl Van Dorn attempted to retake the city. The Confederate troops won back the city but were quickly forced out again when the Union troops were reinforced.

Corinth 1861 - 1865
By: Margaret Green Rogers

Corinth, at the junction of the Memphis and Charleston and the Mobile and Ohio Railroads, was recognized by both Confederate and Federal Commanders as being of such strategic importance that the village was occupied by one or the other of the forces from 1861 - 1865.

The resident population of the little town was 1,200; yet it boasted 5 churches, Corona College, 3 large hotels, numerous businesses and a number of fine homes.

During 1861, Corinth was a mobilization center for Confederate troops moving to Mobile, AL, Pensacola, FL, Virginia and Bowling Green, KY. After the fall of Fort Donelson, General Albert Sidney Johnston, Commander of Confederate Armies in the West, recognized Corinth's strategic value and made the Memphis and Charleston his line of defense. He charged General P.G.T. Beauregard with the responsibility of assembling troops at Corinth. As a result, New Orleans was abandoned; the coastal defenses at Pensacola, Mobile, and Charleston were striped; and northern Arkansas was abandoned.

Federal General W.H. Halleck also recognized Corinth's value. He telegraphed Secretary of War Stanton, "Richmond and Corinth are now the great strategical points of war, and our success at these points should be insured at all hazards."
As the Confederate armies assembled in Corinth, Union forces were concentrating at Pittsburg Landing, Corinth's nearest river port on the Tennessee, in preparation for an attack on the small northeastern Mississippi village.



Although the Trans-Mississippi armies had not reached Corinth, General Johnston decided to strike the Federal forces, under General U.S. Grant, before Grant was reinforced by General Don Carlos Buell: Consequently the CSA forces left Corinth April 3, 1862, and by April 6, were in position to attack Union forces, who were so positive the Confederates would not attack, they had not bothered to entrench. The two-day battle, named for Shiloh Church, ensued. On the second day, the Confederates were forced to withdraw to Corinth.

Following Shiloh, Corinth became a vast Confederate hospital center. Hotels, churches, residences, warehouses, and the college were filled with wounded; but, more troops died of sickness and diseases than wounds.



Prior to the march on Shiloh, extensive breastworks, called the Beauregard Line, had been begun on the eastern and northern side of Corinth. Work on these breastworks and on an inner line consisting of 5 crescent shaped rifle pits was vigorously renewed. Beauregard commanded a force of 112,100 after the Trans-Mississippi forces under Generals Price and Van Dorn arrived; but, due to sickness and desertion, his effective strength was under 60,000.



After Shiloh, Halleck superceded Grant and called for reinforcements. Late in April, the Union Armies of the Ohio, the Tennessee and the Mississippi, numbering 128,315 effectives, began inching and entrenching their way toward Corinth, taking a month to cover 20 miles. Finally, by May 28, Halleck had his army positioned outside the newly constructed CSA Beauregard Line. The Union Army of the Tennessee straddled the Mobile and Ohio Railroad on the north; the Army of Ohio was in the center to the northeast; and the Federal Army of Mississippi continued the eastern line to the south of the Memphis and Charleston Railroad. In terms of aggregate numbers of troops involved, the Siege of Corinth was the greatest in the history of the Western Hemisphere.



Meanwhile in Corinth, Beauregard, without siege guns, vastly outnumbered and facing shortages of food and water, had called a conference of his generals. Their decision was to fall back southward down the Mobile and Ohio Railroad to Tupelo.

The evacuation was conducted with utmost secrecy. Troops with 3 days' cooked rations were ordered to the front and told they were about to attack. A few timorous ones went over to the Federals with the news.

The sick and wounded along with the military supplies and stores were removed by rail. On May 29, of necessity, the front line officers were told of the planned deception and added innovative touches of their own. Quaker guns manned with dummy cannoneers were placed along the lines, and wood was gathered for camp fires. No smallest detail was neglected in the plan to fool the Federals. During the night, as empty cars (trains) returned to the station, soldiers cheered as if being reinforced. Cavalry men kept camp fires burning and buglers moved along the deserted works playing retreat, tattoo and taps. By daybreak of May 30, all was quiet. Beauregard's forces, except for cavalry, had withdrawn from Corinth. The Confederates has successfully completed the greatest hoax of the war.



Halleck's Union forces were completely fooled. Next morning, May 30, they cautiously entered Corinth only to find the village deserted. The Chicago Tribune reported, "General Halleck has achieved one of the most barren triumphs of the war - in fact, tantamount to defeat." The Cincinnati Commercial stated, "Beauregard achieved another triumph."

After the Federal occupation of Corinth, Halleck began dispersing his huge army. He ordered a series of batteries, A through F, erected to continue the CSA Beauregard Line on the south and west. Called to Washington in July to be Commander-In-Chief, he left Grant in command of the western forces. During the summer, an inner line of 5batteries, known as the College Hill Line, was constructed.

In July, CSA General Bragg, who had replaced Beauregard as CSA Commander, moved to Chattanooga leaving Van Dorn and Price in Mississippi. Van Dorn moved southward; Price remained in the northern section to keep and eye on Grant.

Following the Battle of Iuka in September, Grant moved to Jackson, Tennessee, leaving General Rosecrans with 4 divisions in Corinth. Immediately, Rosecrans ordered the batteries in the College Hill Line connected by breastworks and covered with abatis. Work continued at Battery Powell, the only inner battery on the north.



Late in September, Van Dorn and Price met at Ripley and decided that the CSA Army of the West should attack Corinth despite its impregnable defenses. Van Dorn felt the attack in Corinth was a military necessity requiring prompt and vigorous action... Corinth, so hurtful to us while in the possession of the enemy, so advantageous to us in our own. Price believed Corinth warranted more than the usual hazard of battle.

Van Dorn believed that if the Confederates could surprise Rosecrans and storm the fortifications, they could take Corinth. His division, under Lovell, led the way northward from Ripley. It was followed by Price's two divisions under Maury and Hebert. Near Pocahontas, the 22,000 Confederates turned east, repaired the Hatchie River and Tuscumbia River bridges, skirmished with Union cavalry - thereby losing the element of surprise, and continued to Chewalla where they camped for the night of October 2.

Meanwhile, Rosecrans, aware that the Confederates were moving, had called his out-lying troops nearer to Corinth. On the morning of October 3, he sent three divisions to the old Beauregard Line. The fourth division was placed mid-way on the Halleck Line.



Lovell's CSA Division south of the Memphis and Charleston Railroad advanced against a hill honey-combed with rifle pits and crowned with artillery supported by infantry. The division took the hill; the Union forces retreated to Battery F. Two brigades from Maury's division crossed the railroad and took the battery. Price's two divisions advanced upon the entrenched Federals and forced them back. When darkness fell, the Confederates were within half-a-mile of the inner College Hill Line.

During the night, both commanders made preparations for the morrow's conflict. Van Dorn's plan for the Confederates was perform a pioneer-movement. Maury was to open with fire from his batteries in the center. Hebert on the CSA left would move forward, followed by Lovell on the right and Maury in the center.

The fighting on October 4 gave the Battle of Corinth its reputation of being one of the most vicious of the Civil War. Opening with an artillery duel, which ceased shortly before daylight, the first attack was launched on the extreme left by the CSA forces in the vicinity of Corinth High School. The Confederates were repulsed and retired from this part of the field. Meanwhile brigades from Hebert's and Maury's divisions broke through Federal lines near the Mobile and Ohio Railroad. Their assault carried them down Polk, Jackson and Fillmore Streets to the railroad intersection. There they were met by Union reserves. Hand-to-hand fighting ensued. Battery Williams turned cannon fire into the melee, and the Confederates began withdrawing.



In front of Robinett, Maury's brigades advanced through the abatis and into withering fire from Robinett's cannon. Colonel William P. Rodgers of the 2nd Texas led their third advance. Just as he reached the parapet, he was killed; and the Confederates began to retreat.

South of the Memphis and Charleston Railroad, Lovell skirmished, but never advanced. Van Dorn ordered him to cover the Confederate retreat. By 2:00 p.m., the fatigued Confederates were retreating toward the Hatchie River.

On October 5, they battled with Union troops under Ord and Hurlbut before they finally crossed the Hatchie River at Crum's Mill and retreated to Ripley.

Rosecrans reported Federal losses 315 killed, 1,812 wounded, and 232 prisoners or missing; Confederate losses were 1,423 killed, 5,692 wounded, and 2,268 prisoners.

The Battle of Corinth was one of the fiercest and bloodiest of the war. Analysts consider it the beginning of the end of the War in the West.

In January 1864, the Federals partially destroyed and abandoned Corinth. During the ensuing year, CSA General Forrest repaired the Mobile and Ohio Railroad tracks to the point mules could pull the "cars" to Corinth. Then he repaired the M and C tracks to Florence, Alabama. Later in the year, CSA General Hood's army was in Corinth briefly. It was they who burned the Tishomingo Hotel.

A conservative estimate of troops stationed in or around Corinth during the war years numbered over 300,000. At least 200 top Confederate or Federal generals were stationed in Corinth; and over 100 skirmished and/or raids occurred in the area.

Jacinto Courthouse

Built in 1854, Jacinto Courthouse once served one of the largest counties in the State of Mississippi, Tishomingo. Tishomingo County, named for the leading chief of the Chickasaw tribe, comprised more that 923,000 acres until 1870 when it was divided into the present-day counties of Alcorn, Prentiss and Tishomingo. The courthouse was used as a school until 1908 and as a Methodist Church until 1960. Slated for demolition, the building was purchased in 1964 and restoration began.

Jacinto Courthouse is one of the South's most impressive examples of federal-style architecture. The hipped roof is topped with an octagonal cupola. The foundation is constructed of hand-cut stone. Each brick used in the building is hand-made and each board hand-hewn.

Each year Jacinto Courthouse becomes the site of an old fashioned 4th of July Festival.


A HISTORY OF THE CORINTH, MISSISSIPPI DEPOT

-Complied by Ernie W. Rice, Jr.-

The railroads determined the location of Corinth, Mississippi, originally known as Crossroads, because it was the site where the longest railroads in the nation in the 1860’s intersected and crossed. These railroads were the Memphis & Charleston Railway and the Mobile & Ohio Railroad. The intersection as it is today is within a few feet of this original Civil War site.

Corinth was officially settled in 1854 several years prior to the war because of these railroads and their intersection. The community expanded rapidly because of these railroads. By 1861, both railroads were in full operation. The population was 1200; 5 churches, Corona college, 3 large hotels, numerous businesses and a number of fine homes had been built in growing community.

Corinth witnessed more military action than any other in the Confederate West. In the mid 1800’s, the Tishomingo Hotel with an adjoining train station located at the rail crossing. In January of 1865, this station and hotel were burned by the Confederates as they withdrew from Corinth.

Later in the 1800’s another wooden train station was erected at the site of the crossing of the Memphis & Charleston Railway and the Mobil & Ohio Railroad. Around the turn of the century, this building was demolished and a Victorian styled train station was erected to serve the area’s rail needs.

This building was later replaced in 1919 by a newer, more functional train station. This structure still stands today and exists substantially as it was when first built. At its zenith in the 1930’s and 40’s approximately 30 passenger trains stopped at Corinth station.

After many years of service to the traveling public and then after the demise of passenger service, the Corinth depot fell into disrepair and neglect causing the then owning railroad to schedule the demolition of this historic structure. In late 1988, after learning of the plans for the destruction of this building, a group of some 35 civic, business and professional leaders were organized in an effort to try to "Save the Depot". After numerous meetings and discussions with the then owning railroad, Mid south Railroad Corporation, the management of the railroad was convinced to withhold the demolition of the building and plans were made to form a non-profit organization to attempt to acquire and preserve the depot.

Early in 1991 an agreement was reached with the Mid south Railroad Corporation that allowed the Corinth Depot, Inc., to receive ownership to one of Corinth’s most historic landmarks, which has become known as the symbol and logo of Corinth, Mississippi. Ownership was transferred to the Alcorn Co. Board of Supervisors.

Plans are presently underway for a $350,000 renovation. The building will house the Northeast Mississippi Museum in the near future.

Attractions in Historic Downtown Corinth, MS

The Coliseum

A Mississippi Landmark, the coliseum first opened its doors on July 4, 1924. It was the largest theater building in North Mississippi with seating for 999. Though a lavish motion picture palace, the movie screen disappeared into the over stage fly area during Vaudeville and other live performances. The building was designed to provide near-perfect acoustics.

Visitors are often surprised by the Coliseum’s elegant and elaborate interior. Ornate plaster molding and motifs on the walls accent marble wainscoting. A winding white marble stairway provides visitors access to the Coliseum’s two balconies. High above the main seating area, a massive stained glass fixture provides incandescent illumination.

The League of Historic American Theatres with their "Historic Theatre Preservation Award" recognized Corinth’s Coliseum in 1991.The Coliseum is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Borroum's Drug Store

Established in 1869 by Dr. A.J. Borroum, a Confederate Army surgeon, this is the oldest drug store in Mississippi operated continuously by the same family. A large Indian Artifacts collection is on display at Borroum’s. Visitors can enjoy a nostalgic taste of the past while sipping an old fashioned Coke, made from syrup, or one of many other fountain specialties. Corinth’s famous slug burger may also be enjoyed at Borroum’s

Waits Jewelry

Previously operating as saloon, Mr. James Waits, who had fought in the Civil War and was stationed in Corinth, returned to the town and opened a watch shop in the summer of 1865. Mr. Waits’s son, E.F. Waits continued to operate the store following his father’s death.

E.F. Waits was very gifted and invented and completed the first airplane ever built and flown south of the Ohio River and east of the Mississippi River. In addition, Mr. Waits would construct the third wireless telegraph station in the United States and would build an X-ray machine at the request of a local physician.

Even today, this unique jewelry store is operated by the second generation of the Waits family and is the oldest business in Corinth.

Significant Facts

The Corinth Siege was in the early stage of the Civil War and the remaining earth works and rare surviving examples of early Civil War field fortifications were part of a developing technology that was later applied extensively at Vicksburg (1863), Northern Virginia and Petersburg (1864) and Atlanta (1864). They were studied by foreign armies prior to World War I and this technology evolved into the trench warfare system of World War I.

In terms of aggregate numbers of troops involved, the Siege of Corinth was the greatest in the history of the Western Hemisphere.

Shiloh was the largest battle of the Corinth Campaign, as the Battle of Shiloh was fought over the railroads in Corinth.

The Battle of Corinth was one of the fiercest and bloodiest of the war. Analysts consider it the beginning of the end of the War in the West.

Corinth has the largest and best preserved collection of Civil War earthworks dating to early 1863 in the United States.

Two of the most important trunk railroads in the Confederacy passed through Corinth, Mississippi. The first of these – the Memphis & Charleston - was the only railroad in the South providing service from the Mississippi River at Memphis, by way of Chattanooga, to Richmond and Atlanta and beyond. The other was the north-south Mobile & Ohio, connecting Mobile with Columbus, Kentucky. The railroad crossover gave to Corinth a strategic significance that made it the most significant transportation hub in the Western Confederacy during March – May 1862. These two railroads were the two longest railroads in the Western Theater.

On September 22, 1862, Abraham Lincoln issued his Emancipation Proclamation. Slaves in the South began to leave plantations and seek refuge with the Union Army. Slaves from Mississippi, Tennessee, and Alabama made their way to Corinth seeking freedom. The arrival of the jubilant freedom overwhelmed the military authorities. On December 17, 1862, General Grant, the overall Union commander in the area, designated John Eaton "General Superintendent of Contrabands." The camp at Corinth was a model one. By March, 1863, the Contraband Camp housed 3657 former slaves. A regiment of black soldiers was raised to guard the camp. Since so many of the men at the camp had come from Alabama, the regiment was called the 1st Alabama Infantry of African Descent; later it became the 55th U.S. Colored Infantry.

Over 200 generals and 300,000 soldiers were in the Corinth area from 1861-1865.

Corona College, established in 1857 by the Rev. L.B. Gaston, was an elegant girls school. It was used as a hospital during 1862-1864 by Confederate and later Union Armies. In January 1864, it was burned when Federal forces left Corinth.

Did you know?

C & D Jarnagin Company of Corinth produces military uniforms and accoutrements for reenactments of the American Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Mexican War and the Civil War. Their goods are sold all over the world.

National Geographic Magazine is printed in Corinth by Quebecor Printing and is sent all over the world. In 1993, over two billion copies of National Geographic were produced in Corinth. National Geographic is the largest 2nd class state mailer in the world. By volume of mail in Mississippi, it is one of the largest post offices.
Cormac Sawmills, manufactured by Corinth Machinery Company, were sold throughout the world prior to World War II.

Before passenger trains were discontinued, Corinth was known for the hot chicken lunches and red-hot tamales sold by vendors at the train station.

Elvis Presley played in Corinth in 1954, but had to cancel a performance because of low ticket sales.

Lowes Home Improvement Warehouse is building its largest store in Mississippi in Corinth. It is to be over 163,000 square feet.

Alcorn County was named after the only Mississippian Scalawag Governor.

Because of no waiting period for marriage in Corinth, it was known as the "Marriage Mill."

December 7, 1874, the Jesse James gang robbed the Tishomingo Savings Bank in Corinth and escaped with $15,000.

When the three banks failed during the depression in 1930-31, Abe Rubel and Company’s firm carried on the banking business for the community.

The Mobile and Ohio railroad was completed to Corinth June 10, 1861.

Corona College was Corinth’s only female college.

On December 28, 1924 at 3:30 a.m. in 5 degree below zero weather, the oil stove in Jimmie Westbrook’s sandwich shop caught on fire leaving the entire city block in ashes. There were $1½ to $2 million dollars in damage and 50 businesses were destroyed.

January 31, 1951 and February 10, 1994 were the dates of the infamous ice storms which paralyzed Corinth for several weeks.

The first airplane flown by Roscoe Turner was built in the upstairs portion of the building now occupied by "JB Outdoors" on the corner of Fillmore and Cruise Streets.

Chickasaw and Choctaw Indian tribes originally inhabited North Mississippi.

The president’s wife, Mrs. William McKinley, visited Corinth on April 30, 1901
Tuscumbia was a Chickasaw Indian Chief and is buried just south of the Biggersville Community.

V.A. Grant was the pen name under which Gradey Peery wrote his articles

Located in Northeast Mississippi, Corinth is steeped in history with unforgettable people and places. Drive down Corinth’s tree-line streets or stroll the shaded sidewalks. Conjure up memories of a time when front porches were the heart of a community.

Discover our attractions and unique shops nestled throughout the Corinth Area. Step back to the days of vaudeville theatre, milkshakes, and nickel lunches. Experience civil war sites, museums, nostalgic downtown stores and colorful festivals.

Enjoy the rich food traditions of Corinth’s unique “Slug Burger” or the zesty tamales once peddled in the historic district. We invite you to stay the night at our hotels or bed & breakfasts. Explore, Discover, Remember…Corinth.

Corinth Coca-Cola Museum

Corinth's Coca Cola Bottling Works has been in operation in the city for over a century. To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Weaver-Williams family in the Coca Cola business, the family recently opened the Corinth Coca Cola Museum in downtown.



The old soda fountain just inside the entrance of the museum welcomes each visitor. Nina Doran, who has worked at Coca Cola for 45 years, will be the museum's host. As you travel through the museum, you will see the relationship between the busines and the people of Corinth over the years. Memorabilia and interactive displays, as well as replicas of various aspects of the plant, will educate and entertain visitors.



The museum is located at 305 Waldron Street. Until after the first of the year, the museum is open free of charge. Although the hours of operation have not been definitely set, the museum is expected to be open from 10-4 six days a week.

Shiloh National Military Park

Shiloh National Military Park preserves the site of the largest battle of the 1862 Civil War campaign.

Located 22 miles northeast of Corinth on MS Hwy 2 & TN Hwy 22. Shiloh is open daily (except Christmas). The park admission fee is $2 per person (children 16 and under admitted free), or $4 per family.



There is no charge for educational groups. Visitors should allow at least one hour to drive the 9.5 mile automobile self-guided tour. There is a picnic area and a movie, “Shiloh — Portrait of a Battle” shown every half hour
901-689-5696

Locales on the National Register of Historic Places:

Battery Williams (also known as Fort Williams),

Battle of Corinth, Confederate Assault Position,

The Siege of Corinth (also known as the First Battle of Corinth) was an American Civil War battle fought from April 29 to June 10, 1862, in Corinth, Mississippi.

Following the Union Army victory at the Battle of Shiloh, the Union armies under Maj. Gen. Henry W. Halleck advanced on the vital rail center of Corinth, Mississippi. Made cautious by the staggering losses at Shiloh, Halleck embarked on a tedious campaign of offensive entrenchment, fortifying after each advance. By May 25, 1862, after moving five miles in three weeks, Halleck was in position to lay siege to the town.

Confederate commander General P.G.T. Beauregard saved his army by a hoax. Some of the men were given three days' rations and ordered to prepare for an attack. As expected, one or two went over to the Union with that news. The preliminary bombardment began, and Union forces maneuvered for position. During the night of May 29, the Confederate army moved out. They used the Mobile and Ohio Railroad to carry the sick and wounded, the heavy artillery, and tons of supplies. When a train arrived, the troops cheered as though reinforcements were arriving. They set up dummy Quaker Guns along the defensive earthworks. Camp fires were kept burning, and buglers and drummers played. The rest of the men slipped away undetected, withdrawing to Tupelo, Mississippi. When Union patrols entered Corinth on the morning of May 30, they found the Confederates gone.

Coliseum Theatre - built in the early 20th century in the Colonial Revival style.

A Mississippi Landmark, the coliseum first opened its doors on July 4, 1924. It was the largest theater building in North Mississippi with seating for 999. Though a lavish motion picture palace, the movie screen disappeared into the over stage fly area during Vaudeville and other live performances. The building was designed to provide near-perfect acoustics.



Visitors are often surprised by the Coliseum’s elegant and elaborate interior. Ornate plaster molding and motifs on the walls accent marble wainscoting. A winding white marble stairway provides visitors access to the Coliseum’s two balconies. High above the main seating area, a massive stained glass fixture provides incandescent illumination.

The League of Historic American Theatres with their "Historic Theatre Preservation Award" recognized Corinth’s Coliseum in 1991.The Coliseum is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Corinth National Cemetery,

Corinth National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery in the city of Corinth, in Alcorn County, Mississippi. It encompasses 20 acres, and as of the end of 2005, had 7,137 interments. It is administered by the Little Rock National Cemetery.

Corinth National Cemetery was established in 1866 as a place to inter the Union casualties of the Second Battle of Corinth, and other battles in the region. By the late 1870s there were over 5,000 interments in the cemetery. Nearly 4,000 of which were unknown.

Corinth National Cemetery was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.

Along with other sites, it was included in Siege and Battle of Corinth Sites, a National Historic Landmark designated in 1991


Downtown Corinth Historic District,

Dr. Joseph M. Bynum House - a home in the Late Gothic Revival style built in the late 19th century,

Federal Siege Trench (also known as Harper Road Trench),

Fort Robinette (also known as Battery Robinette) - site of the Civil War Interpretive Center,

Jacinto Courthouse (also called the Old Tishomingo County Courthouse) - built in the mid-19th century in the Federal style,

L.C. Steele House,

Midtown Corinth Historic District,

Franklin Cruise

Downtown Corinth, 515 Cruise Street
662.287.8069

Web site: www.franklincruise.com
Payment: Cash, Traveler’s Checks, Corporate Check, V, MC
2 Suites - (2 bedroom, 2 bath or 1 bedroom, 1 bath). Franklin Cruise is a completely restored historic downtown building on the National Register of Historic Places. Guests enjoy their own personal suite in historic downtown Corinth, located across the street from the tourism office and within walking distance of major attractions and restaurants. The suites are filled with fine antique furniture and oriental rugs and include: Full kitchen, Washer/Dryer, top of the line mattresses and linens, Living area with a large TV and DVD player, high-speed Internet access (wired & wireless). Concierge service and personal shopping (groceries, supplies, etc) available. No smoking, no pets. (Suites are on the second floor of the building and are not handicapped accessible)









Moores Creek site - a prehistoric Native American site from 3000 to 3500 B.C.
Old U.S. Post Office,

Rienzi Commercial Historic District,

Thomas F. Dilworth House,

Union Battery F, Battle of Corinth,

Union Earthworks,Civil War Earthworks

Corinth has the largest number of intact Civil War Earthworks in the United States. Take an in-depth look at Corinth’s strategic importance during the Civil War.

Driving tour and walking tour maps are available at the Corinth Civil War Interpretive Center, 301 Childs Street.
662-287-9501

The Verandah House

http://www.verandahhouse.org



Veranda House (also known as the Curlee House) - built in 1857, it served as headquarters for Confederate generals during the Battle of Corinth,
Built in 1857, the Verandah House is one of Corinth’s 16 National Historic Landmarks, as well as a Mississippi landmark. The house served as headquarters for Confederate Generals Braxton Bragg, John Bell Hood, Earl Van Dorn and Union General Henry W. Halleck.

705 Jackson Street
662-287-9501

Brices Crossroads

The site where Confederate cavalry, under the command of General Nathan Bedford Forrest, defeated Union troops and forced their retreat to Memphis.

Battle Site: Located on MS Hwy 370, Off US Hwy 45; Open Daily.
Visitors Center: Located at 607 Grisham St., Baldwyn, MS, Open 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Tue - Sat; 12:30 p.m. - 5 p.m. Sun
662-365-3969
www.bricescrossroads.com
E-Mail: bcr@dixie-net.com
Admission: Adult $2.00, Children $1.00


Trivia

The lowest temperature ever recorded in Mississippi occurred here on January 30, 1966reaching -19 degrees Fahrenheit.

Corinth is the hometown of famed early American aviator Roscoe Turner,

Noted American screenwriter and novelist Thomas Hal Phillips,

Noted American poet and artist J. E. Pitts,

The rock band Saving Abel,

And De' Lamont Sorrell CEO&/President of D&O Promotions a company that promotes all type of entertainment from Comedy Shows to Jazz Bands.

M.W. Baggett



Roscoe Turner

Born Corinth, MS, Sept 1895. Died June 23, 1970. Applied for Air Service in World War I, but was rejected because of his lack of a college education, so enlisted as an ambulance driver in May 1917. Then, in October, he applied for transfer to the Air Service and was that time accepted for flight training in balloons and aircraft, being honorably discharged in 1919 as a 1st Lieutenant.

He bought a surplus Standard H-1 and joined the cadre of post-war barnstormers, developing his image of sartorial splendor by designing the special uniform that would become his trademark costume. His flashing smile and easy personality, the eye-catching uniforms, his penchant for self publicity, his sleek aircraft and major sponsors all went toward the creation of a popular image. However, in the Turner’s case, it was not all show and publicity; while with Nevada Airlines in 1929 he also became a Colonel in the Nevada National Guard…hence his adopted title; Turner began making a mark in the world of air racing that was never equaled by any other flyer in that colorful early era. Among his many accomplishments were numerous transcontinental records, both west-east and east-west, and local dashes. In 1933 he won the Shell Speed Races and the famous Bendix Trophy. He was also first to cross the finish line in the Closed-Course Thompson Trophy Race, but was technically disqualified for a pylon infraction. In 1934 he won the Thompson, was second in the Shell Race, and finished second in the Speed Division of the McRobertson International Air Race from London to Melbourne. In 1935 he came in only 23.5 seconds behind the winner in the Bendix Race, and led the Thompson until the last half lap when his engine overheated. In 1938 he placed second in the golden Gate Trophy Race, and won the Thompson Trophy for the second time.

At the close of the 1939 National Air Races, at which he had won the Thompson Trophy for a third time, he announced his retirement from active competition to find a flying school at Indianapolis, IN. During WW2 he was responsible for training 3,300 military pilots. As America’s premier speed flyer, Turner was multiple winner of the Harmon and Henderson Trophies, and received a special Distinguished Flying Cross from Congress in 1952 for his contributions to aviation.

The Corinth municipal airport was renamed in his honor in 1961. Beyond his valuable contributions to the sport or racing and advancement of aviation technology, Colonel Roscoe Turner was a legendary personification of a golden era in aviation history. He was inducted into the Aviation Hall of Fame in 1975.—

Slug Burgers

What are slug burgers? A frequent question for the first time visitor to Corinth. You’ll find many opinions and explanations when you ask a local about slug burgers.

For those who have not sampled this local delicacy, featured in many local diners, do not be alarmed. Slug burgers are not made from the terrestrial gastropod mollusk of the same name. Locally, slug burgers have been overtly, or covertly, eaten for as long as most living Corinthians can remember. A slug burger is a burger made of a mixture of pork and Soy meal extender which is then deep-fat fried to a golden brown instead of grilled as a common hamburger. In earlier days, cornmeal was commonly used as an extender in slug burgers and animal fat was used in the frying. The standard garnish for a slug burger is mustard, pickle and an ample dose of onion.

The origin of the name is subject to some local debate and would be worthy of a PhD candidate’s research and dissertation in etymology. For many years, slug burgers were commonly sold locally for 5 cents (or a nickel). A slang expression for a nickel was a slug and hence, the most common explanation for the origin of the name, slug burger. Another use of the term slug derives from coins which were substitutes and may have related to slug burgers which were substitutes for real hamburgers. Yet another meaning of the term slug, in the meat packing trade, is for a dressed forequarter of lamb or mutton which could have possibly been used at some point in time in a meat mixtures as an additional extender to the more expensive beef. If you are particularly sensitive to fried food, or if you over-indulge in slug burgers, you may feel as if someone slugged you in the stomach and some residents believe this is the origin of the term slug burger. Finally, slug burgers should be served hot and eaten immediately. If they are not hot, and particularly in the days when they were fried in lard, a cold slug burger could bear some visual resemblance to garden pest and hence the name.

Taken From: The Gourmand’s Guide To Dining In And Around Corinth ©1992, Milton Sandy, Jr