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Time Warp
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How to Tell Itta Bena from Nitta Yuma
MISSISSIPPI
DELTA
Photos by Johnny Stucco
Captions by Luke Warm |
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It’s
been called “The South’s South” and “Mississippi’s Mississippi.” It
could also have the slogan: “The Delta: It’s Not What You Think.”
Please take a second to ask yourself what you think the Mississippi
Delta is.
It’s not that.
First of all, the name itself is a misnomer. It’s not a Delta at all,
but an alluvial plain. Sandwiched between the Mississippi River and
the more tranquil Yazoo, the topsoil here is measured in fathoms not
feet.
It has been said to begin in the lobby of Memphis’ Peabody Hotel (watch
out for the ducks) and end in Vicksburg. As flat as the Texas Panhandle,
the Delta is full of surprises (some of which have teeth). Perhaps
the biggest surprise of all is in the region’s history. Anyone making
the effort will be surprised at the strength, integrity and sensitivity
of the people who came from there. (The region has historically provided
a strong motivation to leave.)
The Delta is second only to New Orleans for being rich in names. Samples
will be found in the captions of the photos that follow. The Delta
is so lush that fence posts have been known to sprout. But that seldom
happens because the economy is fenceless. Cotton stays in its horizon-reaching
fields and catfish keep happily in their ponds.
Severely under-populated, the business districts of county seats are
the opposite of bustling. It’s easy to see the past here – especially
the 40’s and 50s. If you want bustle, you’ll need to go back to the
highway where the chain restaurants will roughly push you through
their doors and back into the present. The Mom and Pop that used to
run the café downtown are sitting at the table beside you.
Here the introduction ends and you are invited to drop in on the Delta
the way we visited – unannounced. |
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Refections of
Yazoo City, Mississippi
Inspirational Motivator Zig Ziglar was Motivated to Leave |
Pastel Yazoo
–
To say nothing of the beautiful turquoise "Smoke-free Smokehouse" |
Despite the court
records to the contrary,
Clarkesville did not kill Vaudeville. |
“Old times there
are not forgotten.”
Bullet Hole in Confederate Statue
Belzoni, Mississippi |
The Masonic Lodge
as Theater
Leland, Mississippi |
Airbrushed County
Map on Defunct Business
Waynesboro, Mississippi |
| Downtown Hot
Coffee, Mississippi |
The Old South
Preserved
Fayetteville, Mississippi |
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Timeless Tomatoes
"They taste as good as they look."
Crystal Springs, Mississippi
|
How Main Street
Can You Get?
Brookhaven, Mississippi |
Alligator’s Alligator
Mississippi |
Mississippi Sunroof
Greenville, Mississippi |
An Unpopular
Opinion
Lake Providence, Louisiana |
Trend-setting
Apostrophe
Leland, Mississippi |
Unknown Defunct
Gas Station
Amory, Mississippi |
Bankers Look
at Education and Are Not Pleased
Greenville, Mississippi |
“They had heard
it was there, but upon discovery they found themselves speechless.”
–
Vicksburg Mural of Teddy Roosevelt’s Bear Hunt |
The Southern
Grill as Tyrone’s Sports Bar
Leland, Mississippi |
Standing Over
Roebuck Lake – Itta Bena
Mississippi |
Railroad Bridge
over the Homochitto River
Mississippi |
Old Highway 61
looking Toward Chicago
Mississippi |
City Limit with
Insect Trap
Panther Burn, Mississippi |
“We’ll keep the
light on for you.”
Nitta Yuma, Mississippi |
B.B. King remembered
on his "favorite corner."
Indianola, Mississippi |
| Indianola, Mississippi
Ghost Sign |
Catfish Food
Storage
Mississippi Delta |
| Abandoned Store
in Roxie, Mississippi |
| Texas
Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing
Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history, stories,
landmarks and vintage or recent photos, please contact
us. |
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