Hotel Vicksburg

The Vicksburg
Sunday, Jan. 10, 2010

The Rocking Chairs of Port Gibson

Two rocking chairs on the porch of the Commander's Home at Chamberlain-Hunt Academy caught my eye on a trip to Port Gibson this past weekend. That got me thinking about other chairs and porches that might be around the city. There are some pretty porches in Port Gibson and most of them sport come might comfortable-looking rocking chairs. This is pure Southern charm at its best.

For any Port Gibson readers (if I have any), all these photos were taken on Church Street except for two. Can you figure out which two?

Random shots

Here are some random shots taken in the last few days. It includes a little church tucked away on a hill off Stouts Street in Vicksburg. I don't know the name of the church since there is no sign located anywhere identifying it. 

• The scarecrow was doing a fine job in a garden on Sea Island Drive at Eagle Lake. He even waved at me!

• The next two photos of are of the bridge flag taken from both the south and from the north. Thanks to Riverwalk Casino for the beautiful photo-taking site they made for me along the Mighty Mississippi. You can get right next to the river there. And the higher the water gets, the closer you can get!

• The bottom photo is the Buzzard Roost Motel located at Steele Bayou up near Eagle Lake. 

Sunset at the bridges

My wife, Karen, and I were lucky enough to be out and about in Vicksburg Friday afternoon and we took time to watch this spectacular sunset go down behind the bridges over the Mississippi River. What beauty! Again, this is another example of God's Glory. The one thing that you cannot see in these photos are the purple martins who filled the air swooping in and out and all about. Have you been to the overlook lately and viewed the majestic Mississippi River? Don't take it for granted. It will bless your heart to take it all in at least every once in a while!

Jackson signage

I can't explain why, but I just like old signs, especially old neon signs. I always look for unique signage in my travels and hit upon a motherlode in my recent treks to Jackson. The finest old neon sign I have seen in a long time is the Redwood Court sign on Terry Road. Right below the sign is the Jackson manhole cover which I thought would be pretty neat. It's sideways because my shadow would have been over the manhole if I had taken from in front. The pictured looked stupid when I rotated it, so I just left it as is.

The Crechales sign should bring back a lot of memories for folks for I think every couple in Mississippi has eaten there at one time or the other. I don't know how they can pack so many people in such a tiny space. But it is worth it. 

The First Baptist Church sign may not really be called a sign. It's etched across their original sanctuary that resides right across the street from the state Capitol. It's so ornate, it is nearly too hard to read!

And I have seen the Horace Slay corvette all my life. I don't know if that is the same car that has always been up there, but it sure catches your eye. Not much business on that end of State Street anymore, however.

The Bel Air shopping center sign is on Hwy. 80 between Ellis Avenue and Terry Road. The Sun-n-Sand in downtown Jackson was home to many a legislator for many a year. It's a rather bleak sight now with the chainlink fence up all the way around the hotel.

Anshe Chesed Cemetery

One of the most historic — and prettiest — cemeteries in Vicksburg is the Anshe Chesed Cemetery located right next to the Vicksburg National Military Park on Clay Street. Here is some information I grabbed from a National Park Service Web site:

From available records, it appears that the current Anshe Chesed Cemetery came into being in 1864, when on August 23, the parcel of land was deeded to the Board of Trustees of Anshe Chesed Congregation for the purpose of establishing a burying ground for the benefit of its members and their families. 

Shortly thereafter, bodies were removed from the old cemetery and re-interred. The first burial in the present cemetery most likely took place in May 1865, when a man named Mayer was buried in grave No. 1. This shows the cemetery's creation to be almost 40 years prior to the establishment of the Vicksburg National Military Park, which now surrounds the cemetery. 

I love walking through this cemetery. It contains my favorite tombstone, pictured at the top. It's a grave for Florence Nauer. She was a 21-year-old girl who died in 1901. She's been reading that book now for 108 years and there are four more to go under her right hand. Many of the tombstones are in Hebrew and one of the larger markers is made of metal. You have to tap on it to be sure, though. Please don't go into the cemetery on Saturday, however, for that is their Sabbath. I've always respected that. 

Dogwoods at the Old Court House Museum

Somebody asked me the other day if I had taken any photos of the dogwood trees at the Old Court House Museum. Yes, I did. Twice. Here's a sampling. I'll let the beauty of the dogwoods trees and the Old Court House Museum speak for themselves.

Sarepta Methodist Church

I went exploring in Claiborne County again this past weekend looking for another waterfall, this one on the Little Bayou Pierre. But first I detoured to the Sarepta Methodist Church, a beautiful little country church. This present building dates from about 1850 and is the last of five structures to house the church body. It was originally built for the Pisgah congregation, located near Hermanville, but was moved to the Sarepta site sometimes after WWI when Pisgash ceased to exist. In the 1800s, the building also served as a community school. 

Don't try to find the Sarepta community in Claiborne County on any present-day map. Because it no longer exists, just like Pisgah. You can google Sarepta and Claiborne County to find out a few more details about the church. All I know is that it was quiet and peaceful inside this little sanctuary.

I am beginning to see a trend here. Little country churches are simple structures, opening their doors to one and all who venture by. Their message is one of come on in and find God. Modern churches nowadays have too much invested in their fancy sound systems and lighting and computers to allow the doors to stay open 24/7. It's something to think about.

Come back each day this week. I will eventually make it to that waterfall and it is a wonderful place!

Rambling

Here are some shots I took this weekend while rambling through the Vicksburg National Military Park and along some railroad tracks that run along Washington Street.

I have to tell you this: I have taken some pretty photos in my time, but nothing can compare to the beauty God created in one little bluebird. I love the simplicity of these shots and the vividness of the feathers of the bird as he sat upon the wheel of a cannon in the park. I will take a bunch more photos in my time on this earth, but I will never come across something that is more beautiful than this little fellow. What a sight!

I love the photos of the banged-up buckets holding railroad spikes that I stumbled across. And the Illinois Memorial was beautiful in the morning light. The golden glow of the eagle atop the memorial really made the bottom photo, too.