Crystal Springs in Copiah County, Mississippi — The American South (East South Central)

Bus-Train Collision of 1942

Photographed by Jeff Lovorn, September 15, 2011

1. Bus-Train Collision of 1942 Marker

Inscription. On August 5, 1942, a southbound train collided with a westbound bus, killing fifteen bus passengers and injuring many more. The Greyhound bus, traveling from New Orleans to Jackson, stopped at the east side of the Marion Avenue railroad crossing to await the passing of a northbound freight train. As the last train car passed, the bus crossed the tracks and was struck in the rear by an unseen southbound troop train. Of the fifty-two bus passengers, twenty-six were U.S. Army Air Corps cadets.

Erected 2008 by Mississippi Department of Archives and History.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Railroads & Streetcars • Roads & Vehicles • War, World II. In addition, it is included in the Mississippi State Historical Marker Program series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1942.

Location. 31° 59.208′ N, 90° 21.53′ W. Marker is in Crystal Springs, Mississippi, in Copiah County. It is at the intersection of West Railroad Avenue and West Marion Avenue, on the right when traveling south on West Railroad Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Crystal Springs MS 39059, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Southwest Mississippi, 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 are within 9 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Tommy Johnson (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Crystal Springs

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(about 400 feet away); Chautauqua Buildings (approx. 0.9 miles away); P.T.A. Birthplace (approx. 0.9 miles away); Chautauqua Tabernacle (approx. 0.9 miles away); Spring House (approx. one mile away); Terry (approx. 8.4 miles away); Robert Johnson (approx. 8.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Crystal Springs.

Credits. This page was last revised on November 5, 2022. It was originally submitted on December 25, 2011, by Jeff Lovorn of Florence, Mississippi. This page has been viewed 1,212 times since then and 42 times this year. Photo 1. submitted on December 25, 2011, by Jeff Lovorn of Florence, Mississippi. • Craig Swain was the editor who published this page.

Editor’s want-list for this marker. A wide shot of the marker and its surroundings. • Can you help?