The elevated frontier-style John Ford House and a bronze statue of Walter Payton are pictured on page 12. Pictured on page 13, from top to bottom, are the Gov. Huge White Mansion, the county courthouse, and Paynes Chapel Methodist Church.
Another point of interest, located ten miles northwest of this town, is red Bluff. Three miles of colorful canyon landscape, red Bluff was formed by the erosion of the west bank of the Pearl river. It is privately-owned but can be viewed from Highway 587. THIS TOWN TODAY Our mystery town today is home to Pioneer Aerospace, an industry that has designed and manufactured recovery systems for nASA. In 1999, Pioneer built the world’s largest para foil, at 7,500 square feet, for nASA’s X-38 Crew return Vehicle – and an emergency escape system for the internal Space Station. Our mystery town is home to many family-owned and/or longtime businesses, including Hill Hardware Company, The Back Door restaurant, the round Table restaurant, and Town and Country Feed Store. established in 1901, Hill Hardware Company sells a little of everything. Its motto is: “If we ain’t got it, you probably don’t need it.” The Back Door features old-timey Southern cuisine and is famous for its King Cake and its annual birthday party for the late Julia Child. This restaurant is located in the old Lampton Building, an historic building that dates back to 1888. Visit The Back Door’s Web site at www.backdoorrestaurant.com The round Table, which features a Lazy Susan table and Southern cuisine, has been praised as a “cultural experience in eating.” It is a popular place with local folk and tourists alike. Town and Country Feed Store is a farm store that sells feed, seed, fertilizer, livestock equipment and fencing supplies. When you’re in the area, stop by and say hello. You may also stop by and say hello to the staff of the Marion County Farm Bureau, located near the downtown area. Agriculture has always been an important part of the Marion County area. Today, it is home to dairy, poultry, hog and timber operations. Our mystery town is also located near Wilson Horse ranch in Sandy Hook, Wesley Bee Farm in Foxworth, and Strickland Deer ranch (european red Deer) in Foxworth. Our mystery town boasts a recreational railroad in honor of the important role the railroad played in its early development. The Marion County railroad Authority provides group rides for special events by appointment. This town is also home to a great water park adjacent to the Pearl river. near the water park, on Highway 35, are Griner Memorial Baseball Fields and an industrial park. name this town. A special thanks to Glenda Shivers, the mother of MFBF Safety Specialist Chris Shivers, for her help with this article.
CORRECT GUESSES Mail guesses to Solve the Mystery, Mississippi Farm Country, P. O. Box 1972, Jackson, MS 39215. You may also e-mail your guesses to FarmCountry@MSFB.com. Please remember to include your name and address on the entry. Visit our Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation Web site at www.msfb.com. When all correct guesses have been received, we will randomly draw 20 names. These 20 names will receive a prize and will be placed in the hat twice. At the end of the year, a winner will be drawn from all correct submissions. The winner will receive a Weekend Bed and Breakfast Trip, courtesy of the Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation. Families may submit only one entry. Federation staff members and their families are ineligible to participate in this contest. The deadline for submitting your entry is March 31. JANUARY/FEBRUARY The correct answer for the January/February Solve the Mystery is Olive Branch. MARCH/APRIL
M I S S I S S I P P I FA R M C O U N T RY
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