BYU Offers Free Genealogy Classes

Dick Eastman mentions BYU's free online genealogy classes. Some of the courses look useful for beginners; others look like they are for more experienced researchers.

Rodney Brasfield

Smithville native Rodney Brasfield is a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame. He was elected posthumously in 1987.

Monroe County Historical Society News

Monroe County Historical Society will meet Monday, January 31, 2005, at the National Bank of Commerce in Aberdeen. Patsy Pace will speak on the Chickasaw Indian Removal from the county. Rev. Preston Belle will talk about a project he has been working on--cataloging the black neighborhood known as "Methodistville" which was destroyed by urban renewal.

Byhalia

The Marshall County MSGenWeb Project site has a nice history of Byhalia.

1st African-American Hospital in Mississippi

An effort is underway to preserve the first African-American hospital to serve Mississippi.

Libraries Digitizing Collections

While this article does not necessarily pertain to Mississippi Digital Collections, we can only hope that Mississippi's repositories will follow a similar model.

Mississippi River Gamblers

Interesting article that talks about 19th century river gamblers along the Mississippi River. [Free registration required]

Rufus McKay

Rufus McKay, whose musical career included the Red Tops and the Fabulous Corvettes, recalls his career and sneaking into Vicksburg's Strand Theatre.

A Tale of Three Churches

A short article with brief histories of three Choctaw County Churches: Chapel Hill Methodist Church, Weir Chapel Missionary Baptist Church, and Ackerman Baptist Church.

French Camp Presbyterian Church

Brief history of this Choctaw County church.

Reform Chapel Missionary Baptist Church

A brief history of this Choctaw County church.

Pinnix Remembers Growing Up in Choctaw County

Choctaw County native Jimmie Pinnix has written two books reminiscing about growing up in Choctaw County. He's signing books January 25 at the Choctaw County Library.

Origins of Mardi Gras

Some folks think there might be a case that the first "American" Mardi Gras was celebrated along Mississippi's Gulf Coast rather than Mobile or New Orleans.

William Carey College

The Hattiesburg American has a feature story on the college's history.

Corinth to Celebrate 150th Anniversary

Corinth will be celebrating its sesquicentennial beginning in June with various activities.

Markers Stolen

Some DAR markers have been disappearing from Pascagoula cemeteries.

Hank Holmes - New MDAH Director

Long-time Mississippi Department of Archives & History employee Hank Holmes has been named its new director.

Old Mound Depot

The owners of the land on which the Old Mound Depot stands want the century-old buildings moved or razed.

Picayune and John Formby

John Formby, a 97-year-old Picayune resident, is just a few years younger than the city which was first incorporated as a town or village in September 1904. He recalls much of the history of the town.

Battle of Booneville

Learn more about this Prentiss County battle.

Boundaries Defined

McComb has set the boundaries for its historic district.

Sisters of St. Joseph of Medaille

150 years ago, three Catholic sisters from France came to Bay St. Louis to work with the parish which at that time went as far north as Natchez.

Historic Natchez Foundation Pays Tribute to Hilliard and MDAH

The Historic Natchez Foundation recognized the contributions of recently retired Mississippi Department of Archives and History director Elbert Hilliard and the Archives

Elvis the GI

In 1956, Tupelo native Elvis Presley was in the Army. [Free registration may be required.]

Long Beach Centennial

The town of Long Beach is celebrating its 100th this year - all year long.

Another Update: Philadelphia Civil Rights Case

The town of Philadelphia is divided over the case.

Choctaw County Church Histories

The Choctaw County Historical and Genealogical Society will begin publishing histories of the county's churches in the Choctaw Plaindealer. They will publish one history per week. They have documented the history of over 100 county churches.

Update: 1964 Civil Rights Case

Edgar Ray Killen pleads innocent.

1925 County Histories Online

The MSGenWeb Project has placed the histories of Mississippi's counties online.

1975 McComb Tornado

The tornado that struck McComb 30 years ago destroyed a school and many other buildings.

Mardi Gras - Ocean Springs Style

Mardi Gras exhibits at the Walter Anderson Museum of Art in Ocean Springs are open until February 20.

Mississippi Burning Case Before Grand Jury

The grand jury has the case of the 1964 civil rights killings of voter registration volunteers before it in Philadelphia, Mississippi. The case was portrayed in the movie Mississippi Burning.

Update: Indictments reported.

Wesson Cemetery Open to Traffic

The gates are open at the town cemetery in Wesson, and a lot of residents are not happy about it. The mayor commented:

A cemetery is for visiting relatives, not for traffic.

Heritage Creations Issues Customer Alert

If you have purchased things online from Heritage Creations, you may want to read this and check your credit card statements.

Antiquities of Newton County

The article by Capt. A. J. Brown is online. It originally appeared in Publications of the Mississippi Historical Society, vol. 6.

Vicksburg Garden District Homes

The real estate market has been active in Vicksburg lately with homes from the historic garden district for sale. Read about a new bed and breakfast and other homes on the market or that have recently been sold.

Warren County Pre-Civil War Cabins Relocated

Four cabins which were constructed prior to the civil war are being moved across Warren County.

Oakland Normal Institute

A two-year volunteer restoration project has been completed at Oakland Normal Institute in Itawamba County, Mississippi. The school's history dates back to 1887. It is located northwest of Tremont.

Historic Eyesore to Get Some Help

The E. E. Bass building in Greeneville is on the National Register of Historic Places. As such, it cannot be torn down although many people have wished it could be. Local arts groups with the help of Mississippi Arts Commission are going to slowly give it a new life.