Blues Trail Side Trip – Mississippi Blues Trail
BLUES TRAIL SIDE TRIP
Blues Trail side trip includes visits to Mr. D’s for world renown fried chicken,
a scenic detour off Hwy 61 to Windsor Ruins,
then cruising back to Hwy 61 to historic Port Gibson.
Blues Trail Side Trip: Firstly, Mr. D’s HEAVENLY FRIED CHICKEN!
Additionally, this place is like Mr. D’s personal museum
with artifacts and trinkets galore!
- In addition, take a short break from driving Highway 61.
- Leaving the Old Country Store driving north, turn onto Hwy 552 for a scenic back road excursion.
- Afterward, stop by Windsor Ruins.
Blues Trail Side Trip: WINDSOR RUINS
- While construction to build this Greek Revival style mansion started in 1859 it wasn’t completed until 1861 making it one of the largest homes in all of Mississippi.
- Furthermore, this 4-story home included 25 rooms, each having its own fireplace, and interior bathrooms supplied with water from a rainwater tank in the attic.
- In addition, an above-ground basement contained a schoolroom, dairy, supply rooms, commissary, a doctor’s office, and the kitchen.
- Notably, the exterior of the mansion featured 29 fluted columns and interestingly, the bricks for the 45-foot columns were formed and fired by slaves at a kiln on the Windsor grounds.
- Unfortunately, the home was destroyed by fire in 1890 leaving only 29 enormous columns standing.
- Today, Windsor Ruins is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has Mississippi Landmark status.
Sadly, the flora along this Highway 61 Side Trip drive
is smothered in Kudzu.
Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift filming the 1957 film,
“Raintree County” at Windsor.
What is KUDZU? Plant life found through out this Highway 61 Side Trip.
- Known as “mile-a-minute” and “the vine that ate the South,” this creeping, climbing perennial vine terrorizes native plants in MS.
- Additionally, Native to Japan and China, it was first introduced to the US in 1876 where it was touted as a great ornamental plant for its sweet-smelling blooms and sturdy vines.
- Furthermore, Kudzu grows out of control quickly, spreading through runners and by vines that root at the nodes to form new plants.
- Moreover, Kudzu grows at a rate of one foot per day with mature vines as long as 100 feet. Therefore, an invasive plant as fast-growing as kudzu outcompetes everything from native grasses to fully mature trees by shading them from the sunlight they need to photosynthesize.
- Consequently, this loss of native plants harms other plants, insects, and animals that adapted alongside them, leading to cascading effects throughout an ecosystem.
- Sadly, it’s quite beautiful but so detrimental to the environment!
Blues Trail Side Trip: PORT GIBSON
- Notably, this is Mississippi’s 3rd oldest European-American settlement developed in 1729 by French colonists.
- However, the civil war Battle of Port Gibson took place here on May 1, 1863 and is remembered as one of General Grant’s first conquests.
- Despite this, this was a drive through for us. We stopped and read the markers, took some pictures, reflected on what once was, and moved on.
PORT GIBSON BLUES MARKERS
- Additionally, the following is just a summary of info available on the Blues Markers.
- Furthermore, you’ll find many of the markers are placed on historical sites which adds to the intrigue.
- Moreover, most of the towns are small so it’s easy to find the markers.
Blues Trail Side Trip Blues Marker: LIL GREEN
- Born Lillie Mae Johnson (Lil Green) in or near Port Gibson in 1901, where as a child, she lived with her family in the College St. area.
- Lil Green’s distinctive, sultry voice nicknamed her the “Queen of the Blues”.
- Eventually, she moved to Chicago to pursue her music career where she was heard singing at a revival meeting and working as a singing waitress.
- Furthermore, her first recording session produced her biggest hit, “Romance in the Dark,” in 1940.
- In 1941, she was on her way to stardom touring the country as a featured artist. Additionally, her song “Why Don’t You Do Right?” became a hit for Peggy Lee.
- In 1943, Lil Green was a vocalist with the Benny Goodman band.
- Subsequently, now a top biller, she was booked to play shows at the Regal in Chicago, Howard in Washington, D.C., Royal in Baltimore, Paradise (in Detroit and Nashville), and Apollo in New York, the country’s top African American theaters.
- Lastly, she died of bronchopneumonia in Chicago in 1954 and is buried in Gary, Indiana.
In addition, she not only performed for African Americans,
but she performed for white audiences in venues
such as Café Society and the Blue Angel in New York,
as well as the Downtown Theater in Chicago.
Furthermore, she preformed in segregated venues in the South
where the whites had reserved seating.
Blues Trail Side Trip Blues Marker: RABBIT FOOT MINSTRELS
- The Rabbit Foot Minstrels AKA the “Foots” were headquartered in Port Gibson between 1918 and 1950.
- Performing as one of the most popular minstrel groups entertaining in tent shows, they played a major role in spreading the genre of blues music throughout the South. Interestingly, minstrel shows performed a variety of comedy routines, skits, and song-and-dance numbers, and always featured a marching band.
- The Rabbit Foot Minstrels started with a repertoire of classical, ragtime, and pop music and later added blues music.
- Notable members included Gertrude “Ma” Rainey, Ida Cox, Louis Jordan a blues pioneer, and Rufus Thomas a comedian.
Minstrel shows had started in the 1830s & 1840s
with white performers in blackface.
- After the Civil War African Americans took part in minstrel shows managed by whites and performing for both black and white audiences.
- African Americans began to form their own companies in the early 20th century.
- With the expansion of the railroad the performers were able to travel performing in rural areas usually under canvas tents.
Blues Trail Side Trip Blues Marker: PATRICK HENRY CHAPPELLE
- An African American, produced a musical comedy called “A Rabbit’s Foot,” in the year 1900.
- In 1902 the show became popular and began touring as a tent show eventually being billed as “too good for a tent.”
- In 1911Chappelle died and the company was taken over by a white entrepreneur, Fred Swift Wolcott .
- In 1918 Wolcott moved the company’s headquarters to Port Gibson.
Big Joe Williams, Sid Hemphill, Willie Nix, Maxwell Street Jimmy,
Jim Jackson, Bogus Ben Covington,
Dwight “Gatemouth” Moore, Johnny “Daddy Stovepipe” Watson, and
trombonist Leon “Pee Wee” Whittaker were all performers with the “Foots”.
Blues Trail Side Trip:
Other Points of Interest in Port Gibson
Blues Trail Side Trip: FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
- Second oldest Presbyterian Church in the Old Southwest, originated April, 1807 then moved to Port Gibson in 1827.
- Zabulon Butler was the first resident pastor, 1827-60.
- Additionally, wishing to find a suitable memorial for their beloved preacher, the members of the congregation decided to place a hand pointing toward heaven on top of the steeple to mimic his oft-seen gesture in the pulpit.
Blues Trail Side Trip: Gemiluth Chessed Synagogue
- The finest and most purely articulated Moorish Revival building in Mississippi.
- The cornerstone for Gemiluth Chessed was laid on January 3, 1892.
- The synagogue served Port Gibson’s Jewish community until 1986, when the congregation dwindled down to 2 individuals and closed.
For more detailed information for Port Gibson BLUES MARKERS.
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HAPPY TRAILS!
This blog contains a lot of information for those that wish to explore above and beyond!
The Table of Contents below lists all posts.
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
MISSISSIPPI BLUES TRAIL
Clarksdale Blues Markers
Clarksdale Points of Interest
Greenwood Blues Markers
Greenwood Points of Interest
Indianola Blues Markers & Points of Interest
Leland Blues Markers & City Info
Natchez Blues Markers
Natchez City Legacy
Natchez Points of Interest
Old Country Store – Windsor Ruins – Port Gibson Blues Markers
Po Monkey’s – Cleveland – Greenville Blues Markers
Rolling Fork Blues Marker & Mont Helena Indian Mound
Stovall Plantation – Friar’s Point – Tunica Blues Markers
Tutwiler Blues Markers & Emmett Till Story
Vicksburg Blues Markers
Vicksburg City
Vicksburg Civil War Museum & Coca-Cola Museum
Vicksburg McRaven House
Vicksburg National Military Park
Woodville Blues Markers & City
Mississippi Delta History & Jewish History
Mississippi Indian Mounds
Mississippi Sky Lake Preserve
Mississippi Itineraries
