Vicksburg in Warren County, Mississippi — The American South (East South Central)

"Gold in the Hills"

Photographed by Mark Hilton, May 25, 2017

1. "Gold in the Hills" Marker

Inscription. The longest continually-running melodrama in the world began with modest roots on March 28, 1936 by Julia Arnold on a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers barge that had been redesigned to resemble a riverboat and renamed the Dixie Belle. "Gold in the Hills," an 1890's-era melodrama, was written in 1930 by J. Frank Davis. The play was set in the New York Bowery and featured a classic "good" versus "evil" plot. Over the years, hundreds of volunteers have comprised a cast of singers, dancers, actors and actresses portraying Nell Stanley (heroine farm girl) and her family, John Dalton (hero farm boy), Richard Murgatroyd (villain) and Sam Slade (his accomplice). In 1948, "Gold" moved to the Sprague, the largest and most powerful sternwheel towboat ever launched, which had been purchased by the City of Vicksburg to serve as a floating theater and river-related museum. When the Sprague burned in 1974, the play was performed in a number of places until a new theater was built in 1977. No matter what obstacles arise, "Gold in the Hills" delights audiences every year who come to cheer for the hero and heroine, boo the villain

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(often throwing peanuts at him), and sing along with the cast.

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Friends of "Gold in the Hills"

Erected 2008 by the City of Vicksburg Riverfront Mural Committee.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical date for this entry is March 28, 1936.

Location. 32° 21.125′ N, 90° 53.004′ W. Marker is in Vicksburg, Mississippi, in Warren County. It is on Levee Street south of Grove Street, on the left when traveling south. 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.

Regionally, this marker is in Natchez Trace Corridor

and in Greater Jackson.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Deep South,

in the Mississippi Delta,

and in the Great River Road Region.

Globally, it is in North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain,

the territory

"Gold in the Hills" Mural image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mark Hilton, May 25, 2017

2. "Gold in the Hills" Mural

of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: "The 1953 Vicksburg Tornado" (here, next to this marker); "Two Bridges at Sunset" (here, next to this marker); The Vicksburg Garden Clubs and Planters Hall (a few steps from this marker); Rosa A. Temple High School (a few steps from this marker); "The Founding of Vicksburg and Methodism" (a few steps from this marker); Koestler Bakery's Christmas Tree Lane (a few steps from this marker); "Logging on the River" (within shouting distance of this marker); Miss Mississippi (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Vicksburg.

Also see . . . The Vicksburg Riverfront Mural website. (Submitted on June 4, 2017, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.)

Vicksburg, Mississippi waterfront levee wall murals. image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mark Hilton, May 25, 2017

3. Vicksburg, Mississippi waterfront levee wall murals.

Credits. This page was last revised on January 24, 2022. It was originally submitted on June 4, 2017, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 990 times since then and 80 times this year. Last updated on January 22, 2022, by Carl Gordon Moore Jr. of North East, Maryland. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on June 4, 2017, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.