Near Louisville in Winston County, Mississippi — The American South (East South Central)

“Big Iron” and Camp Palila

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, March 12, 2024

1. “Big Iron” and Camp Palila Marker

Inscription. Opened in 1937, Legion State Park was the fourth CCC-built state park in Mississippi. From 1954 to 1979 the park served the Boy Scouts of America as Camp Palila. Paul D. Thompson (1937-2016) was the last camp ranger and lived here from 1967 to 1979 with his wife and daughters. Nicknamed “Big Iron” after a popular Marty Robbins song, Thompson was a Mississippi highway patrolman and scoutmaster of Boy Scout Troop 5 in Louisville from 1963 to 2008. Thompson influenced the lives of thousands of young men at Camp Palila.

Erected 2023 by Mississippi Department of Archives and History.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Charity & Public Work • Fraternal or Sororal Organizations • Parks & Recreational Areas. In addition, it is included in the Mississippi State Historical Marker Program series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1937.

Location. 33° 9.168′ N, 89° 2.676′ W. Marker is near Louisville, Mississippi, in Winston County. It is on Legion State Park Drive 0.6 miles north of North Columbus Avenue, on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 695 Legion State Park Dr, Louisville MS 39339, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Central Mississippi. It is also in the American South

and specifically in the Deep South.

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 the territory 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 8 miles of this marker, measured

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as the crow flies: Legion Lodge (approx. ¼ mile away); Winston County Soldiers Monument (approx. 2.1 miles away); Winston County War Memorial (approx. 2.1 miles away); Carl Jackson (approx. 2.1 miles away); First Presbyterian Church (approx. 2.1 miles away); Grierson's Raid (approx. 2.2 miles away); Community House (approx. 2.2 miles away); Hamill Spring (approx. 7.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Louisville.

Also see . . . Paul Thompson 1937-2016. Obituary for the Mississippi Highway Patrol veteran of 27 years and scoutmaster for 45 years. (The Clarion-Ledger via Legacy.com) (Submitted on April 7, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, March 12, 2024

2. “Big Iron” and Camp Palila Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on April 7, 2024. It was originally submitted on April 7, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 464 times since then and 35 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 7, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.