Ridgeland in Madison County, Mississippi — The American South (East South Central)

Ridgeland

— Ridgeland History Trail —

Photographed by Mark Hilton, October 25, 2024

1. Ridgeland Marker

Inscription.
Ridgeland was chartered as a village in 1899 and incorporated as a town in 1947. The first town hall was a wooden structure located near the intersection of Jackson and Maple Streets. Ridgeland's first school was located in the town hall, and it was also used as a church and a place for entertainment. The current city hall was dedicated in 2021 and is the fourth city hall building. Ridgeland became a city in 1975.

When Ridgeland was chartered, all officials were appointed by Mississippi Governor Anselm McLaurin. Ridgeland's first mayor was P.L. Porter, who took office on January 1, 1900, and was reelected three times. Ridgeland's longest serving mayor, Gene McGee, was first elected in 1989.

Pardon L. Porter (1827-1908) was Ridgeland's first mayor. A native of Connecticut, he moved to Mississippi from the Chicago area. According to a newspaper account, Porter celebrated his 80th birthday by walking from Ridgeland to Jackson - a distance of nine miles - mostly on top of the top rail of the railroad track.

During Mayor Zimri Long's administration (1927-1929), Ridgeland took the first steps at

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modernization by contracting with the Mississippi Power and Light Company to bring electricity to the village.

Erected 2023 by the City of Ridgeland. (Marker Number 1.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical date for this entry is January 1, 1900.

Location. 32° 25.296′ N, 90° 8.054′ W. Marker is in Ridgeland, Mississippi, in Madison County. It is at the intersection of West School Street and U.S. 51, on the left when traveling east on West School Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 100 W School St, Ridgeland MS 39157, 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

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

Ridgeland Marker at Ridgeland City Hall. image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mark Hilton, October 25, 2024

2. Ridgeland Marker at Ridgeland City Hall.

are within walking distance of this marker: The Pecan – Our City Tree (approx. ¼ mile away); Highland Colony Company (approx. 0.4 miles away); Ridgeland and the Railroad (approx. half a mile away); Wesley Chapel Methodist Church (approx. half a mile away); Early Commerce and Trade (approx. half a mile away); a different marker also named Ridgeland (approx. half a mile away); Historic Churches (approx. half a mile away); Ridgeland’s Native American Heritage (approx. half a mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Ridgeland.

Also see . . . History of Ridgeland - Wikipedia article. (Submitted on October 27, 2024, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.)

Looking east from the Ridgeland Marker towards US-51 highway. image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mark Hilton, October 25, 2024

3. Looking east from the Ridgeland Marker towards US-51 highway.

Credits. This page was last revised on October 27, 2024. It was originally submitted on October 27, 2024, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 173 times since then and 22 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on October 27, 2024, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.