Itta Bena in Leflore County, Mississippi — The American South (East South Central)
The "Caboose"
Photographed By Mark Hilton, April 5, 2021
1. The "Caboose" Marker
During the Civil Rights Movement, mass
meetings were held at Hopewell Missionary
Baptist Church in Itta Bena to register voters,
distribute food and teach citizens how to read
and write. On June 18, 1963, more than
seventy men, women and children were
arrested and taken to the Itta Bena jail, known
locally as “the Caboose," while assembling
for a meeting. Charged with disturbing the
peace and disorderly conduct, forty-five
black citizens were arrested and sent to the
county farm for 58 days and fined.Erected 2021 by Mississippi Department of Archives and History.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Civil Rights • Law Enforcement. In addition, it is included in the Mississippi State Historical Marker Program series list. A significant historical date for this entry is June 18, 1963.
Location. 33° 29.652′ N, 90° 19.157′ W. Marker is in Itta Bena, Mississippi, in Leflore County. Marker is on Front Street east of Basket Street (State Route 7), on the right when traveling east.
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Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 7 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Itta Bena (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); "March Against Fear" (approx. 0.4 miles away); Hopewell Missionary Baptist Church (approx. 0.6 miles away); In Memory of the Brave Marines and Navy Corpsman (approx. 1.4 miles away); B.B. King Birthplace (approx. 4.9 miles away); Fort Pemberton Park (approx. 5˝ miles away); Guitar Slim (approx. 6˝ miles away); Hubert Sumlin (approx. 6.8 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Itta Bena.
Photographed By Mark Hilton, April 5, 2021
2. View inside of some of the jail bars.
Photographed By Mark Hilton, April 5, 2021
3. The "Caboose" Marker and former jail.
Credits. This page was last revised on April 5, 2021. It was originally submitted on April 5, 2021, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 253 times since then and 78 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on April 5, 2021, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.
