On East Academy Street east of Belview Avenue, on the right when traveling east.
Built in 1834, two years before Canton was
incorporated, the Killis Walton House is among
the oldest residential structures in the area.
Originally sited on fourteen acres, the two-room
dogtrot house was remodeled in the Greek Revival
style . . . — — Map (db m312287) HM
On North Union Street north of West Peace Street (State Route 22), on the right when traveling north.
Annie Bell Robinson Devine (1911-2000) was born
in Mobile, Alabama, but lived most of her life in
Canton. She attended Tougaloo College, married,
had four children, and worked as an elementary
school teacher and life insurance agent. A . . . — — Map (db m314861) HM
On Natchez Trace Parkway (at milepost 128.4), 6.6 miles south of Mississippi Highway 16, on the left when traveling north.
(Left Panel)
Doaks Stand
About 1812 William Doak established his stand or tavern on the Natchez Trace which is five miles north of the Parkway at this point. The Treaty of Doaks Stand was signed there in 1820.
Because . . . — — Map (db m87493) HM
On Cross Street at South Union Street, on the left on Cross Street.
The Club Desire, which stood across the street from this site, was one of Mississippi's premier blues and rhythm & blues nightclubs from the late 1940s through the early 1960s. Owner Clarence Chinn presented the top national acts, including B. B. . . . — — Map (db m80035) HM
In Memoriam The Confederate Dead
The cause may perish, but the memory of noble deeds survives.
Erected by the Ladies Memorial Association of Canton, Miss, April 26, 1881. Mrs. Charles Handy, President — — Map (db m120907) WM
On West Peace Street (Mississippi Route 22) at North Liberty Street, on the right when traveling west on West Peace Street.
Flonzie Brown Wright became involved in the
civil rights movement after moving back to
Madison County in 1962. Focusing on voting rights.
she served as director for the local chapter of
the NAACP. In 1968, she ran for county . . . — — Map (db m312337) HM
On East Peace Street at Belview Avenue, on the left when traveling east on East Peace Street.
Earliest services held, 1840, by "Fighting" Bishop Leonidas Polk. Parish organized, 1848, with Edward Fontaine as rector. Building, dating from 1853, is Canton's oldest church structure. — — Map (db m105600) HM
Near East Semmes Street east of Lyon Street, on the left when traveling east.
Capt. Addison Harvey
Born June 1837,
Killed April 9, 1865.
Just as the country's flag was furled forever, death saved him the pain of defeat.
Long since has beat the last tattoo
Disbanded are the 'Gray' and 'Blue'
And peace reigns . . . — — Map (db m120908) WM
On North Hickory Street at West Center Street, on the right when traveling north on North Hickory Street.
Hickory Street, known locally as "The Hollow," was a hub of social life, commerce, and entertainment for the African American community of central Mississippi for several decades, up through the 1970s. Canton's most famous blues musician, Elmore . . . — — Map (db m97089) HM
On East Academy Street at Lyon Street, on the left when traveling east on East Academy Street.
A tribute to my faithful servant and friend, Willis Howcott, a colored boy of rare loyalty and faithfulness, whose memory I cherish with deep gratitude.
W.H. Howcutt
Loyal, faithful, true, were each and all of them.
Erected by W.H. . . . — — Map (db m120906) WM
On North Liberty Street (U.S. 51) at East Peace Street ( Highway 22), on the right when traveling south on North Liberty Street.
This Greek Revival courthouse has served as Madison County's seat of government since its construction, 1854–58. Canton, incorporated in 1836, is the fourth county seat of Madison Co., which was created in 1828. — — Map (db m755) HM
On North Liberty Street (U.S. 51) at West Peace Street (State Highway 22), on the left when traveling north on North Liberty Street.
CORE Activists David Dennis, Matheo Suarez, and George Raymond opened a Madison County office in 1963 to register black voters, the majority in white~controlled Canton. Co~directors Raymond and Suarez were joined by Annie Devine and C.O. Chinn . . . — — Map (db m105553) HM
On George Washington Sr Avenue at Johnson Street, on the right when traveling east on George Washington Sr Avenue.
In 1966, civil rights activist James Meredith began the
March Against Fear from Memphis to Jackson. On
June 6, Meredith was wounded in an assassination
attempt. Martin Luther King Jr., Stokely Carmichael,
and other activists continued the . . . — — Map (db m312290) HM
On State Highway 43 0.1 miles west of Natchez Trace Parkway, on the left when traveling west.
This monument marks the Natchez Trace over which our pioneer ancestors came to Mississippi. It is located on the site of Madisonville, an early county seat of Madison County.
Erected by the Mississippi Daughters of the American Revolution, . . . — — Map (db m87496) HM
On East Fulton Street at Shady Lane, on the right when traveling east on East Fulton Street.
Architecturally distinctive 19th century penal facility. Jailer's quarters in front; cell block in rear. Built 1870 by Valentine Warner and architect C.W. Oates. Jail closed in 1969. — — Map (db m121567) HM
On East Fulton Street at Belview Avenue, on the right when traveling east on East Fulton Street.
Built as the home of Dr. James Priestley, one of Canton's early physicians and first postmaster, the Priestley House is a 19th-century Greek Revival-style home constructed ca. 1852. The house remained in the Priestley family until the early 1990s. . . . — — Map (db m120888) HM
On Natchez Trace Parkway (at milepost 128.4), 6.6 miles south of Highway 16, on the left when traveling north.
Pine forests of the south played a major role in the growth of the Nation and have become a southern economic mainstay along with soybeans, cotton, and other agricultural products. Today, through reforestation and management as a crop, pines produce . . . — — Map (db m87492)
On Natchez Trace Parkway (at milepost 122), 7.1 miles north of Highway 43, on the right when traveling north.
Water tupelo and baldcypress trees can live in deep water for long periods. After taking root in summer when the swamp is nearly dry, the seedlings can stay alive in water deep enough to kill other plants.
This trail leads through an . . . — — Map (db m87490)
On Way Road near Gray Center Road North, on the left when traveling east.
As one of only two bridges across
the Big Black River, Way's Bluff
Bridge, a 200-foot long railroad
trestle, was the target of several
Union raids during the Civil War.
During the Vicksburg Campaign,
both Union Col. Amory Johnson and
Gen. . . . — — Map (db m179057) HM
Near Forest Park Road, on the right when traveling west.
Quarried from Limestone. Please note the fossil shells on the middle and right hand posts. The material itself dates from the Cretaceous period when it was deposited in a sea. Using this 70 million year old material settlers quarried it out by first . . . — — Map (db m159222) HM
On West County Line Road west of Tougaloo Boulevard, on the right when traveling west.
Founded in 1869 by the American Missionary
Association, which began as a New York-based
abolitionist society. Tougaloo University was
chartered as a teaching college in 1871 and
conferred its first baccalaureate degree in 1901.
The school was . . . — — Map (db m219755) HM
Near Natchez Trace Parkway (at milepost 106.9), 3.4 miles north of Old Canton Road, on the right when traveling north.
Archeologists tell us there was a house here sometime around 500 A.D. and that the pottery found in the mounds was made before 700 A.D. Likely, the population was continuous over centuries with customs being handed from generation to generation, . . . — — Map (db m87364) HM
On Madison Avenue west of U.S. 51, on the left when traveling west.
Located on what was then Dorroh Street, these
three Queen Anne style houses were built 1895-
1907. Listed in the National Register of Historic
Places, the houses comprise the Dorroh Street
historic district and reflect Madison's prosperity . . . — — Map (db m312280) HM
On Main Street (Mississippi Route 463) west of Depot Drive, on the right when traveling west.
Built in 1890 by the Hesdorffer brothers of
Canton, this building is the last 19th-century
structure in Madison's downtown commercial
district. Through much of the 20th century, It
was the center of Madison's social and civic life
and was used . . . — — Map (db m244430) HM
On Main Street (Mississippi Route 463) 0.1 miles west of Depot Drive, on the right when traveling west.
Built ca. 1840, this is the oldest surviving
structure in Madison, predating the arrival
of the railroad and the founding of the town
in 1856. John Curran, an Irish immigrant and
wagon maker, owned the property from 1839 to
1851. The house is . . . — — Map (db m244422) HM
On Main Street (Mississippi Route 463) at Madison Parkway, on the right when traveling east on Main Street.
The community of Madison was founded in
1856 following the arrival of the New Orleans,
Jackson and Great Northern Railroad. Originally
known as Madison Station, it was named for
President James Madison. In the late 1800s,
Madison was known as . . . — — Map (db m244442) HM
On Main Street (Mississippi Route 463) at Depot Drive, on the right when traveling east on Main Street.
Erected in 1946, this all-steel, 50,000 gallon water tank supplied running water to Madison's residents until 1979. Built by the Chicago Bridge & Iron Co. of Birmingham, the tank drew water from a deep well on land deeded to the city by the . . . — — Map (db m244428) HM
On Main Street (Mississippi Route 463) at Pecan Hill Drive, on the right when traveling east on Main Street.
Built in 1852, the Montgomery House began
as a simple dogtrot house. The property was
purchased later by Thomas Nicholson Jones
(1855-1920), who added an impressive facade,
doubling the size of the house. Jones became
the first president of the . . . — — Map (db m244419) HM
Near Locust Lane 0.2 miles north of Welch Farms Road when traveling north.
The Montgomery Memorial Cemetery was
established circa 1841 on property owned by
Lafayette F. Montgomery (1812-1907), a prominent
citizen and political figure. Also burled here are
Betty McArthur (1862-1945), an early Impressionist
and founding . . . — — Map (db m244443) HM
On Main Street (Mississippi Route 463) east of Montgomery Street, on the right when traveling east.
Completed in 1936 at a cost of $37.432, the
Madison-Ridgeland School gymnasium annex was
built with funding from the Public Works
Administration during the New Deal era. Designed
by the architectural firm of Overstreet & Town,
the gymnasium is . . . — — Map (db m244441) HM
On Poore's Pass 0.1 miles east of Crawford Farms Boulevard, in the median.
In the early 1920s, Rosa A. Scott
(1874-1938) helped raise funds to build
a school at this site. With matching funds
provided by the Rosenwald Foundation,
the school was completed in 1924. At
her request, Scott, who served as
principal, was . . . — — Map (db m312284) HM
On Old Canton Road north of Calumet Drive, on the right when traveling north.
Built ca. 1870, the “Strawberry Patch” House was the home of Dr. Haden E. McKay, who lived here until his death in 1898. Known locally as the “Strawberry King”, McKay, along with his brothers John and William T. McKay, grew strawberries and other . . . — — Map (db m205216) HM
Near Natchez Trace Parkway (at milepost 107.9), 4.4 miles north of Old Canton Road, on the right when traveling north.
At the end of the French and Indian War in 1763, Great Britain gained control of the territory between the Appalachians and the Mississippi River except for the New Orleans area. The northern boundary of West Florida was first established at 31° . . . — — Map (db m87366) HM
On Old Canton Road north of Nichols Drive, on the right when traveling north.
In 1940, the Mississippi Institute of Aeronautics built this airfield and hangars to train Army Air Corps cadets. First named Robins Field, it was renamed Augustine Field in the all of 1941. More than 3,000 pilots trained here on Boeing PT-17s and . . . — — Map (db m205215) HM
On Rice Road 0.2 miles east of Harbor Road, on the left when traveling east.
Brashears Stand, once located nearby, was named
for Robert Turner Brashears, who moved to this area
in the late 1700s. Like other stands located along
the Natchez Trace, Brashears offered travelers basic
accommodations and provisions. In . . . — — Map (db m259516) HM
Near Natchez Trace Parkway (at milepost 100.7), 0.5 miles west of Interstate 55, on the left when traveling east.
U.S. agents like Silas Dinsmoor lived among the Choctaw and represented their interests while implementing U.S. policy. His duties included surveying and preventing illegal settlement on Choctaw land. He also encouraged the Choctaw to be more . . . — — Map (db m87362) HM
On Old Canton Road at Rice Road, on the left when traveling north on Old Canton Road.
Although Ridgeland was founded well after the Civil War, several actions occurred
in Madison County during the war. In May 1863, Confederate General Joseph E.
Johnston retreated to this area following the battle of Jackson. For the next . . . — — Map (db m259512) HM
On Steed Road 0.2 miles west of South Lake Avenue, on the left when traveling west.
You are standing at the southeast corner of what was once the
1,440-acre Clifton Plantation.
In 1847, John Dobbins Murrell, a native of Virginia, purchased the
property from J.B. Robinson and his wife Lucy from Louisiana. At
that time, . . . — — Map (db m259727) HM
On North Wheatley Street at West Jackson Street, on the left when traveling south on North Wheatley Street.
The Village of Ridgeland, now known as Old Town, was clustered around
the Illinois Central Railroad. Before the village was chartered there was
a train depot and hotel. One of the first industries was the Ridgeland
Wagon Works, established in . . . — — Map (db m259546) HM
On Greenwood Crossing south of Old Agency Road, on the right when traveling south.
Greenwood Plantation, located off of Old Agency Road, was built in 1854
by Colonel William F. Battley, Sr. (1813-1871). Colonel Battley was a wealthy
planter who moved to Madison County from North Carolina to establish a cotton
plantation. . . . — — Map (db m259724) HM
On Old Town Crossing south of West Jackson Street, on the left when traveling south.
In 1896, two Chicago investors named Edward
M. Treakle and Gorton W. Nichols purchased
land from James B. Yellowley, who had moved to
Madison County in 1853 from North Carolina. In
1900, Nichols, R.H. Thompson and W.H. Shergold
formed the . . . — — Map (db m259561) HM
On Lake Harbour Drive at U.S. 51, on the right when traveling west on Lake Harbour Drive.
U.S. Highway 51, which runs through Ridgeland,
was one of the original roads in the numbered U.S.
highway system established in 1926. The highway
originally ran west of and adjacent to the railroad
tracks until it was relocated to its present . . . — — Map (db m259647) HM
On West Jackson Street at North Perkins Street, on the right when traveling west on West Jackson Street.
The oldest chartered church in Ridgeland, Simon Hill Missionary Baptist Church,
was a Black community church that was built in 1874. The church originated
from the Mt. Charity and New Hope Grove congregations and the original
location was at . . . — — Map (db m259629) HM
Near Jessamine Drive north of Crestwood Cove, on the right when traveling north.
Once part of the original Yellowley Plantation, this was the burial
ground for the Yellowley and Perkins families. The family graves face
west, toward the old homesite. Named for Jessamine "Jessie" Perkins
Yellowley, wife of James Brownlow . . . — — Map (db m259625) HM
On Rice Road 0.2 miles east of East Ramp Road, on the left when traveling east.
The Craftsmen's Guild of Mississippi was organized in
1973. Originally composed of some thirty-five craftsmen,
membership has grown to several hundred artists and
craftsmen from across the southeast. The Mississippi Craft
Center was . . . — — Map (db m259676) HM
On U.S. 51 at West Jackson Street, on the right when traveling south on U.S. 51.
The Natchez Trace Parkway, which commemorates the original Natchez Trace, stretches
444 miles from Natchez to Nashville. Construction of the parkway began in 1937 with
funding from the Emergency Relief Appropriation Act of 1935. With the . . . — — Map (db m259563) HM
Near South Wheatley Street at Ring Road, on the right when traveling north.
Built in 1984 on 100 acres of farm land,
and located on East County Line Road,
the 957,000 square foot Northpark Mall
was a joint project of Cadillac-Fairview
of White Plains, New York and McRae's,
Inc. The mall was built to compete . . . — — Map (db m259721) HM
On Old Agency Road east of North Livingston Road, on the left when traveling east.
Named for the Choctaw Indian Agency
once located in this area, Old Agency
Road is a portion of the original road
system that formed the old Natchez
Trace. Its sunken roadbed and high
earthen banks are evocative of the
narrow road that . . . — — Map (db m115374) HM
On Old Agency Road west of Highland Colony Parkway, on the right when traveling west.
Named for the Choctaw Indian Agency once located in this area, Old Agency Road is a portion of the original road system that formed the old Natchez Trace. Its sunken roadbed and high earthen banks are evocative of the narrow road that linked Natchez . . . — — Map (db m115375) HM
On Old Agency Road at Highland Colony Parkway, on the right when traveling west on Old Agency Road.
Named for the Choctaw Indian Agency once
located in this area, Old Agency Road is a
portion of the original road system that formed
the old Natchez Trace. Its sunken roadbed and
high earthen banks are evocative of the narrow
road that linked . . . — — Map (db m259564) HM
Near Natchez Trace Parkway (at milepost 104.5), 1 mile east of Old Canton Road.
Two portions of a nearly 200 year old wilderness road, the Old Natchez Trace, are preserved here. Nearly 500 miles long, it grew from Indian trails to a national road and communications link between the Old Southwest and the United States to the . . . — — Map (db m87363) HM
On West Jackson Street at NE Madison Drive, on the right when traveling west on West Jackson Street.
What is now the City of Ridgeland was
first settled in 1832 when William Austin
purchased land in this area near the
Natchez Trace. James Yellowley bought
the property in 1853. He sold it in 1896 to
Gorton Nichols and Edward Treakle, who . . . — — Map (db m115381) HM
On West School Street at U.S. 51, on the left when traveling east on West School Street.
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 . . . — — Map (db m259548) HM
On SE Madison Drive south of West Jackson Street, on the right when traveling south.
Like many communities, Ridgeland's
early growth was due in large part to
the presence of the railroad. Access to
an existing railroad greatly influenced
Edward Treakle and Gorton Nichols of the
Highland Colony Company to develop
the fertile . . . — — Map (db m259544) HM
On Lake Harbour Drive at South Wheatley Street, on the right when traveling west on Lake Harbour Drive.
For almost 12,000 years, Native Americans have
lived in what is now Madison County. Located
in the Jackson Prairie, the area's grasslands
supported a variety of plants and animals to
sustain pre-agricultural, nomadic populations.
Remains of . . . — — Map (db m259557) HM
On South Pear Orchard Road at Lake Harbour Drive, on the left when traveling south on South Pear Orchard Road.
While modern-day Ridgeland is home to numerous retail outlets, office complexes,
and industries, the early economy was based on agriculture. The area around
the Village of Ridgeland grew to be one of the most successful commercial
farming . . . — — Map (db m259552) HM
On Colony Park Boulevard at Sunnybrook Road, on the right when traveling east on Colony Park Boulevard.
In the early days of Ridgeland, school was held in the town hall
on West Jackson Street. There was one teacher for grades one
through eight. In 1910, a new school was built south of the present
site of the water tower in Old Town and was then . . . — — Map (db m259619) HM
On Highland Colony Parkway south of Old Agency Road, on the left when traveling south.
Archaeological investigations took place on this
site in 1988 and 1994 and was listed in the National
Register of Historic Places in 1995. The site includes
a 3.3-mile segment of the old Natchez Trace, as well
as structural remains where the . . . — — Map (db m259576) HM
Near West School Street at Commerce Park Drive, on the left when traveling west.
The Highland Colony area was settled for its agricultural promise, and it quickly
became one of Mississippi's principal areas for truck farming. It was known for
its adaptable soil, which was perfect for producing a wide variety of fruits . . . — — Map (db m259672) HM
Near Post Road east of Madison Landing Circle, on the right when traveling east.
Construction of the Ross Barnett Reservoir began in 1960
under the direction of the Pearl River Valley Water Supply
District. Although the Army Corps of Engineers had studied
flooding in the area since the 1930s, the main purpose of
the . . . — — Map (db m259645) HM
On West Jackson Street near North Maple Street, on the right when traveling west.
Built by a congregation of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South,
Wesley Chapel was the first Methodist church to serve south
Madison County in the late 19th Century. First built on a site near
the intersection of Old Canton Road and County . . . — — Map (db m259631) HM
Near Natchez Trace Parkway (at milepost 122), 1.1 miles south of Ratliff Ferry Road, on the left when traveling south.
In 1698 the French explorer, Pierre Le Moyne, Sieur d'Iberville, sailed into the mouth of this river and found pearls. He named it "River of Pearls."
The Natchez Trace, a hundred years later, avoided the marshy lowlands by following the ridge . . . — — Map (db m86031) HM
