Actually a system of five trails, with 35 markers, all beginning at the Yazoo & Mississippi Valley Railroad Depot on Levee Street, which examine the history of an area, its buildings or the people who lived there.
Springfield Neighborhood
You are in Vicksburg's oldest neighborhood where many structures are antebellum. An-te-bel-lum is derived from Latin meaning "before the war."
Duff Green Mansion
In 1856 a wealthy cotton . . . — — Map (db m115488) HM
"The Country"
Around 1860, Frederic Baum and his wife Ellen Chambers Baum had a home in the middle of a fabulous apple orchard located in this area. Frederic had several businesses, was an alderman for the City of Vicksburg, and served on . . . — — Map (db m115537) HM
Vicksburg Banks
The need for banks grew as local merchants flourished and
more people had paying jobs. In 1895 Vicksburg had five
banks. By 1906, because of the economic boom, there were
thirteen local banks. Two historically . . . — — Map (db m115430) HM
The Feld House
The Feld House is one of the most architecturally significant residences of early 20th Century in Mississippi. The home was constructed in 1913 by Hannah B. Fishell, widow of Alfred Fishell, a
prominent Vicksburg . . . — — Map (db m115544) HM
In the mid-1800's Vicksburg began to grow and prosper. An 1866 city directory listed 35 Jewish-owned stores and about 90 Jewish families living in Vicksburg. These three homes were owned by Jewish businessmen who prospered with Vicksburg's growing . . . — — Map (db m115530) HM
Not a clean place, Catfish Row was Vicksburg's commerce hub where horse-drawn wagons connected with steamboats and trains. Not particularly a clean place, it was busy with laborers, lined with saloons, and thriving with underground activities. If . . . — — Map (db m190975) HM
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, this part of Cherry Street was an affluent residential area lined with spectacular homes.
The Rose Home
In 1897 Adolph Rose, a prominent banker and wholesale merchant, built this grand home with a unique . . . — — Map (db m115415) HM
Vicksburg's Oldest Public Building
The cornerstone for Christ Episcopal was laid in 1839 but a fire and yellow fever epidemic delayed completion until 1843. The corner stone was laid by Bishop Leonidas Polk, who later served as a major . . . — — Map (db m115490) HM
Faith Arrives
Faith had an early foothold in Vicksburg. The
Catholic faith arrived early with the Spanish explorers
and settlers. Organized religion started around 1812
when Newit Vick, a Methodist minister, arrived. Early
settlers . . . — — Map (db m115418) HM
In 1831, Richard Featherston, a teacher,
built a single story structure here and
opened Vicksburg's first school. Dr. Alex
Magruder expanded the house to two stories
in 1850 and used the original as a clinic
where he treated victims of the . . . — — Map (db m191610) HM
Governor McNutt
In 1838, Alexander McNutt was elected the twelfth governor of Mississippi, serving until 1842. After two terms as governor, he moved back to Vicksburg to continue his law practice.
Governor McNutt House . . . — — Map (db m115480) HM
A Different Point of View
Vicksburg was pretty bare in the early days. The original townspeople cleared the land and used the trees to construct buildings and open space for farming. When Vicksburg was under siege by the Union Army, the . . . — — Map (db m115508) HM
Anchuca (An-choo-ka)
Built in 1830 and surviving the Civil War, Anchuca was named with a Choctaw Indian word meaning "happy home". In 1868 the house was occupied by Joseph Davis oldest brother to Jefferson Davis), a very successful . . . — — Map (db m115483) HM
If Vicksburgers found themselves in hard times, they probably ended up here. The jail, court house, funeral home and tombstone maker were all located at this intersection.
Photo captions
Top left: Warren County Court House, late . . . — — Map (db m115510) HM
Warren County Court House
The Reverend Newit Vick, Vicksburg's founder, originally planned to build his home on this site; however, after he and his wife both fell victim to yellow fever in August of 1819, this site was set aside to . . . — — Map (db m115506) HM
Lakemont
Lakemont was built in 1835 by Judge William Lake who served in the United States Congress (1855-1856) and in the Mississippi House of Representatives (1859-1861). In 1861, while campaigning for the Confederate Congress, Judge Lake . . . — — Map (db m115493) HM
This was a busy and lively area during early Vicksburg.
Everything you wanted or needed was nearby. Court Square, churches, retail stores, and the Mississippi River were just a few blocks away.
Early Transportation
River and rail . . . — — Map (db m115505) HM
Jewish Community
In 1841 Vicksburg became home to the first established
Jewish congregation in Mississippi, Anshe Chesed,
meaning "men of kindness" in Hebrew. Many of the early
Jewish immigrants came from what is now part of . . . — — Map (db m115441) HM
After the Civil War with slavery abolished, the giant plantations were struggling to find labor.
To help with the lack of labor, sharecropping became a common practice. Many of the former slaves became sharecroppers on the plantations . . . — — Map (db m115425) HM
City Hall
In 1903 Vicksburg was the largest city in Mississippi. James Riley Gordon, a famous architect, designed the booming town a new "City Hall" that was built for $50,000. Gordon also designed the Arizona State Capitol, at least 20 . . . — — Map (db m115423) HM
The Columns-Beaulieu (1899)
Built in 1899 by Samuel and Helen Ragan, this home was quite a "Show Piece". The Ragan's owned S.C. Ragan and Company, a large wholesale grocery and produce company.
Millionaires Row
After the Civil . . . — — Map (db m115546) HM
Railroad Depot
Built in 1907, the Illinois Central, Yazoo, and Mississippi Valley Railroad Depot was the busiest rail station in the state. Construction cost was $60,715 and 22 passenger and freight trains came and went every day. These . . . — — Map (db m115435) HM
Seargent Smith Prentiss (1808-1850)
Built before 1837 this was once the office of Seargent Smith Prentiss, a famous lawyer and politician. Prentiss was well known and loved as a remarkable orator. Daniel Webster, one of the foremost . . . — — Map (db m115444) HM
In 1887 the State of Louisiana placed the first Confederate monument, here, in the middle of Monroe Street. The monument preceded the establishment of the National Military Park by 12 years. Later the City of Vicksburg dedicated this garden area to . . . — — Map (db m115420) HM
Magruder-Morrissey House
Since Union prisoners were housed next door at the Warren County Jail, the house suffered only minor damage from Union bombing during the siege. Tom Morrissey, a creative entrepreneur, purchased this home in 1907. . . . — — Map (db m115533) HM
On the Edge
Just outside Vicksburg's city limits, Judge Warren Cowan built a mansion near the Vicksburg-Meridian Railroad in 1860. Following the Civil War the home was used by the Union Army as a Signal Corps Station. Fisher Funeral Home . . . — — Map (db m115549) HM
Love and Compassion
In 1878 the Sisters of Mercy took over the local hospital during a yellow fever epidemic. The hospital was named "Mercy Hospital" and the Catholic nuns served for over 100 years.
Cedar Hill . . . — — Map (db m109519) HM
This area was originally Sky Parlor Hill. During the Civil War, locals entrapped by the Siege (1863), would gather here to watch the battles between Confederate and Union forces. This is depicted in the painting "From Sky Parlor Hill" along with the . . . — — Map (db m115422) HM
Davis-Mitchell House (1872)
Dr. Charles Mitchell built the house in 1872 for his wife Lucy Bradford who was Jefferson Davis's niece. In 1884 this small house became the first office for the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers in Vicksburg. . . . — — Map (db m115421) HM
In 1881 Frederick Speed and Thomas Foster purchased the 210-acre Lonewood Plantation in this area. They divided the land into lots that sold for about $600 each. Both partners wanted to name the newly formed town after the other. The final decision . . . — — Map (db m115540) HM
Bethel AME Church
The Bethel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church was founded in 1864 when purchased from the First Presbyterian congregation. The original building, built in 1828, was replaced by the current Romanesque Revival . . . — — Map (db m115481) HM
The Luckett Compound
The larger original house was constructed in 1830 and Dr. Thomas Jefferson Harper added the others buildings in 1840. The main building had the parlor and dining areas on the second floor and a ground level basement . . . — — Map (db m115412) HM
Indoor Plumbing
Steele Cottage was constructed on this hillside with an indoor cistern in 1829. The brick cistern (still in place today) stored rain that fell on the roof that was used to supply running water for the house. During the . . . — — Map (db m115534) HM
Martha Vick House
Built in 1830 for the founder of Vicksburg's daughter, Martha Vick. This is the only home left in Vicksburg from the original Newit Vick Family. Martha, a spinster, did not need a large home. Her home was said to be a . . . — — Map (db m115532) HM
Planters Bank of Mississippi
Built in 1834 Planters Hall housed Vicksburg's first bank. During early banking in Mississippi, state law required the bank president and his family to live on the second story of the bank. When the bank . . . — — Map (db m115477) HM
Fannie Vick Willis Johnson
Fannie Johnson spent her life helping others and avoiding publicity. She funded two YMCAs during the days of racial segregation. The "Blacks Only" YMCA was located here with the "Whites Only" YMCA three blocks . . . — — Map (db m115473) HM