Vicksburg in Warren County, Mississippi — The American South (East South Central)
LeTourneau
By Mark Hilton, May 25, 2017
1. LeTourneau Marker
In 1942. R.G. LeTourneau, the man largely responsible for the invention and development of earth-moving machines in wide use today, built his fourth manufacturing plant in Vicksburg. He brought with him a small group of talented men including Clyde Wilson and Eddie Florell.
LeTourneau's factories supplied bomb casings and 70% of all heavy earth-moving equipment used by Allied forces during WWII.
In 1955, he built his first mobile off-shore jack-up drilling rig at the Vicksburg plant for Zapata Drilling. During the 1970s, as many as 7 rigs were under construction by a workforce exceeding 2,000.
To house the increasing population of employees in Vicksburg, he built a village complete with grocery store, post office, beauty shop, credit union, swimming pool, tennis courts, ball fields, airstrip, and concrete houses with heated floors, which were fabricated with a machine of his design.
A devout Christian, "Mr. R.G." termed himself "in partnership with God." He tithed 90%, employed full-time chaplains, and offered weekly chapel services in his plants. He traveled the country in a converted A-26 glass-nosed bomber plane, giving his personal testimony as a Christian. His philanthropy extended around the world with missionary projects in Liberia and Peru. Sponsored by C.H. and Jo Wilson and Friends of LeTourneau
Erected 2009 by the City of Vicksburg Riverfront Mural Committee.
Topics.
By Mark Hilton, May 25, 2017
2. LeTourneau Mural
this page online
Location. 32° 21.141′ N, 90° 52.996′ W. Marker is in Vicksburg, Mississippi, in Warren County. Marker is on Levee Street north of Grove Street, on the left when traveling north. The Vicksburg Riverfront Murals are located on the Yazoo Diversion Canal levee wall. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: Levee Street, Vicksburg MS 39183, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Governor and Mrs. Kirk Fordice (here, next to this marker); Jitney Jungle (here, next to this marker); Vicksburg's Original Floodwall (here, next to this marker); Miss Mississippi (here, next to this marker); Koestler Bakery's Christmas Tree Lane (a few steps from this marker); Rosa A. Temple High School (a few steps from this marker); "Two Bridges at Sunset" (within shouting distance of this marker); "Gold in the Hills" (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Vicksburg.
Also see . . . Vicksburg Riverfront Mural website. (Submitted on June 4, 2017, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.)
By Mark Hilton, May 25, 2017
3. LeTourneau Marker on far right.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 5, 2017. It was originally submitted on June 4, 2017, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 279 times since then and 10 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on June 4, 2017, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.
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