Delta Magazine September/October 2020

Delta

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020

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Outdoor & Hunting Guide

Wilson, Arkansas

Bows, Boats and Custom Calls Revival of a Southern Town

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Recipes to try this FALL

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Delta magazine 2020

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MISKELLY FURNITURE

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JACKSON , MADISON , AND HATTIESBURG

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1. HERNANDO WESLEY MEADOWS Independent Living and Assisted Living Phone: 662-429-2070 2. CLARKSDALE FLOWERS MANOR Cottage & Independent Living and Personal Care Phone: 662-627-2222

...to serve older adults in the spirit of Christian love.

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3. TUPELO TRACEWAY Cottage & Independent Living, Assisted Living, Supportive Living Green House速 Homes, and Short-Term Rehab Phone: 662-844-1441

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4.WEST POINT DUGAN Supportive Living and Short-Term Rehab Phone: 662-494-3640

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5. WEST POINT THE HENRY CLAY Independent Living Phone: 662-494-1079 6. COLUMBUS TRINITY PLACE Independent Living, Personal Care, Supportive Living and Short-Term Rehab Phone: 662-327-6716 7. YAZOO CITY MARTHA COKER Supportive Living Green House速 Homes and Short-Term Rehab Phone: 662-746-4621 8. RAYMOND RIGGS MANOR Garden Homes & Independent Living, Assisted Living, and Memory Support Green House速 Homes Phone: 601-857-5011

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www.mss.org 9. MERIDIAN ALDERSGATE Cottage & Independent Living and Assisted Living Phone: 601-482-5561 10. HATTIESBURG WESLEY MANOR Independent Living Phone: 601-264-8847 11. LEAKESVILLE TURNER-DUVALL Independent Living Phone: 601-394-2621

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12. GULFPORT SEASHORE HIGHLANDS Independent Living, Assisted Living, Memory Support Apartments & Memory Support Green House速 Home Phone: 228-831-7000

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Publisher: J. scott coopwood Editor: cindy coopwood Managing Editor: pam parker Contributing Editors: Hank burdine, maude schuyler clay, noel Workman, roger stolle Digital Editor: phil schank Consultant: samir Husni, ph.D. Graphic Designers: sandra goff, maggi mosco Contributing Writers: Jack criss, Karen pulfer Focht, erica eason Hall, sherry lucas, susan marquez, al povall, aimee robinette, angela rogalski, mark stowers, Wade Wineman Photography: austin britt, greg campbell, rory Doyle, Karen pulfer Focht, timothy ivy, Johnny Jennings, edward Wall Account Executives: Joy bateman, Janice Fullen, cristen Hemmins, Kristy Kitchings, Wendy mize, ann nestler, cadey true Circulation: Holly tharp Accounting Manager: emma Jean thompson POSTMASTER: send all address changes to Delta Magazine, po box 117, cleveland, ms 38732

ADVERTISING: For advertising information, please call (662) 843-2700 or email Delta Magazine accepts no responsibility for unsolicited materials or photos and in general does not return them to sender. photography obtained for editorial usage is owned by Delta Magazine and may not be released for commercial use such as in advertisements and may not be purchased from the magazine for any reason. all editorial and advertising information is taken from sources considered to be authoritative, but the publication cannot guarantee their accuracy. neither that information nor any opinion expressed on the pages of Delta Magazine in any way constitutes a solicitation for the sale or purchase of securities mentioned. no material in Delta Magazine may be reproduced in any form without the written consent of the publication. Delta Magazine is published bimonthly by coopwood magazines, inc., 125 south court st., cleveland, ms 38732-2626. periodicals postage paid at cleveland, ms and additional mailing office. POSTMASTER: send address changes to Delta Magazine, po box 117, cleveland, ms 38732-0117. Delta Magazine (Usps#022-954)

Delta Magazine is published six times a year by Coopwood Magazines, Inc. EDITORIAL & BUSINESS OFFICE ADDRESSES: Mailing Address: po box 117, cleveland, ms 38732 Shipping Address: 125 south court street, cleveland, ms 38732 E-mail: publisher@deltamagazine.com editor@deltamagazine.com

deltamagazine.com Subscriptions: $28 per year Š2020 coopwood magazines, inc.

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from the publisher

Hunters and Collectors

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RORY DOYLE

hile the Mississippi Delta has much to offer in almost every regard, the great outdoors continues to be one of our most valuable calling cards. last winter, i stood in the lobby of the mid-Delta regional airport in greenville waiting for two friends who were flying in from Dallas, Jim sears, whom i met in college, and craig campany, who grew up with me in shelby. they were long-overdue for a Delta weekend of reminiscing, good food and of course—hunting. as i waited, i overheard two men nearby speaking with british accents.

“Where are you all from?” i asked. “london, but our company has just moved us to memphis,” one said. “so, are ya’ll down here to see our blues sights?” i asked this question because most of the international travelers i come across in the Delta, particularly from europe, are drawn here to soak up the sights and sounds of the blues. “oh no, we don’t care a’tall about blues music,” one said. “We’re going duck hunting and are meeting some friends who are flying in to hunt with us.” and, so it goes. those of us who spend time in woods, in the field, and fishing know how abundant these opportunities are. Hunting is a way of life here in the mississippi Delta. it’s a tradition that has been passed down ever since this land was cleared in the late 1800s. and increasingly, it My favorite deer stand of forty years. is a draw to outdoorsmen worldwide. this issue features several articles celebrating these traditions. on page 87, you’ll find our annual outdoors section. of special interest to me is the story on the late trustin Hicks from my hometown of shelby, page 98. mr. Hicks was a friend and mentor throughout my childhood and as a young adult. He was one of, if not the first, professional taxidermist in the mississippi Delta. and, while he has been gone a long time now, to this day his lifelike mounts still hang on the walls of homes all over the Delta and the south. mr. Hicks was also an amateur, but avid archeologist and biologist, with collections of arrowheads, pottery and other ancient finds, as well as fossilized bones, shells and specimens Between hunts, sometimes office work carries over into the of all kinds. in fact, mr. Hicks introduced me to my life-long interest in the Delta’s first inhabitants. the hours i have spent and miles i’ve walked through the cabin. That is the state of Arkansas across the river. fields of bolivar county with my children and friends looking for arrowheads cannot be counted.

You’ll also read about hunters who have returned to recurved bows on page 88, of which i’m one. in recent years i’ve taken my old forty-five pound (Fred) bear recurve bow out of the closet and to the woods. and, Josh raggio’s nationally acclaimed custom duck calls will inspire you to upgrade your duck-hunting game. i hope this issue finds you well and that during these uncertain days you have time to enjoy the treasures in our rich landscape. DM

Scott Coopwood The Bear Recurve Bow I received on Christmas morning when I was thirteen-years-old, and am still hunting with today.

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Publisher @scottcoopwood1 publisher@deltamagazine.com

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from the editor

The Joy of Cooking hank goodness there are some things that COVID-19 can’t take from us. the love of cooking is one for me. but looking deeper, it’s also feeding family and friends that brings me great joy. there is almost nothing i have enjoyed more than cooking for my children and their friends—it’s right up there with thanksgiving and christmas dinner.

Yes, we ordered lots of pizza along the way, but when possible, i loved planning for the weekends my sons brought friends home from college. it may have only been burgers with all the sides, or a huge pot of goulash, but there were always extras—appetizers and dips, brownies, or a cake—i’m not talking about anything fancy, just lots of good food for hungry guys. i’ve thought about this quite a bit lately as the season is beginning to change and lots of cooking/feeding opportunities present themselves. a new and important development is that we just moved our daughter, travis, into her dorm at ole miss. so now it’s her turn. in fact, shortly before she left, she turned to me and said, “You know what i can’t wait for?” i couldn’t possibly answer this, so i just responded, “Hmmm?” “i can’t wait for the first time I come home with friends for all the great food you’re going make.” The pressure is on. and then we discussed her favorites—grilled eggplant, bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin, and chicken breasts stuffed with sun-dried tomatoes and feta cheese. and brownies. this made my heart sing for many reasons, but mainly because i’m so happy she wants to bring friends home. Keep in mind this is from the girl who’s been telling us not to expect her home very much. so we shall see. in this issue we’ve gathered some of our reader-favorite recipes from the past several years (we love getting your feedback) and hope they will inspire your fall menus, page 130. there are great appetizers you will keep on repeat, a few make-ahead main dishes, tailgate food and more. You’ll want to keep this one handy. there’s so much more packed in our Fall issue. the long-awaited Delta Dog photo contest winners are on page 122. our home feature by erica Hall, is a recently renovated spread outside of clarksdale that is full of ideas for opening up your space, page 72. plus, erica’s simple tips for fall arrangements will have you out in the yard, clippers in hand, in no time. For you road-trippers who haven’t yet made it to Wilson, arkansas—you’ll be ready to plan your next excursion after reading travel writer and photographer Karen Focht’s feature on this resurrected town in the arkansas Delta. every issue of Delta Magazine takes a tremendous amount of teamwork to produce, but particularly the Fall issue. many thanks to our staff and all the writers, photographers, and designers who help make it happen. We hope you enjoy every page. DM

RORY DOYLE

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Cindy Coopwood Editor @cindycoopwood | cindy@deltamagazine.com

Behind the scenes! As we prep for our photo shoot, Erica Hall sets out beautiful but simple fall arrangements made from yard clippings and local blooms.

Scott and I got one last selfie with our daughter, Travis, before we made the trek over to Ole Miss to move her into her dorm.

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MISTLETOE MARKETPLACE ·

NOVEMBER 4-7, 2020

PRESENTED BY THE JUNIOR LEAGUE OF JACKSON MISSISSIPPI TRADE MART | JACKSON, MS WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4 FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6 ENCHANTED WINTER WONDERLAND MASQUERADE BALL PREVIEW GALA | 7:00 - 11:00 p.m.

Presented by The Junior League of Jackson Musical Entertainment by the Party Jammers

7:00 p.m. | Legacy of Wonder Cheers to 40 years of Mistletoe Marketplace

7:00 - 9:00 p.m. | Walk the Red Carpet Presented by C Spire

MIMOSAS & MISTLETEAUX MARKETPLACE JAZZ BRUNCH | 8:00 - 11:00 a.m.

Presented by Regions Musical Entertainment by David Keary

LET IT SNOW, LET IT GLOW, LET IT SNOW TWEEN FASHION SHOW | 4:30 - 6:00 p.m.

Presented by University of Mississippi Medical Center

7:00 - 11:00 p.m. | Shopping Hours 7:00 - 10:00 p.m. | Silent & Premier Auctions 9:00 p.m. | Live Auction 7:00 - 10:00 p.m. | Unwrap the Wonder

FEELIN’ FROSTY FRIDAY NIGHT EVENT | 8:00 - 11:00 p.m.

Mistletoe Marketplace 2020 Present Pick with gifts from Lee Michaels Fine Jewelry

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5 YULETIDE TRADITIONS MISTLETOE MORNING | 8:00 - 11:00 a.m.

Presented by Trustmark Musical Entertainment by Kerry Thomas & the Raphael Semmes Trio

BELIEVE IN THE WONDER BAPTIST LUNCHEON & STYLE SHOW 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Featuring Tim Tebow Presented by Mississippi Baptist Medical Center Fashions by Renaissance at Colony Park

FLUTES & FLURRIES GIRLS’ NIGHT OUT | 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.

Presented by Visit Mississippi Tickets on sale September 1, 2020.

For more information on our special event offerings, virtual offerings, shopping hours, COVID-19 protocols, or to order tickets, please visit mistletoemarketplace.com or call 1.888.324.0027.

Presented by Southern Beverage Co., Inc. Musical Entertainment by Bag of Donuts

SNOW MUCH FUN! CHILDREN’S EVENT | 9:30 - 11:00 a.m.

Presented by Ergon

SNOW FLURRIES & SMILES SANTA SNAPS 11:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

SPIRITS OF THE SEASONS MISTLETOE SPIRITS BAR Thursday, November 5 | 11:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Friday, November 6 | 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Saturday, November 7 | 11:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

GENERAL SHOPPING HOURS THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5 | 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

3:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. | 6:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6 | 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

3:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. | 6:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7 | 8:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

11:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. | 3:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.

in-person or virtual option

contents september/october 38

RORY DOYLE

Volume 18 No. 2

departments GREG CAMPBELL

32 Reviews BOOKS of new releases and

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34 Stay SHOPPING Stylish & Shop Small what Deltans are reading

38 Metal ART artist Lee Washington:

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44 J.MUSIC H. Sitton: A little bit folksy

Observing, teaching and creating

72 HOME A Goode Home: A lived-in and

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well-loved home is now renovated and ready for fall A Rebellious Renaissance: The return of wallpaper, page 84

130 FOOD Recipe Roundup: 12 Reader

favorite recipes to try right now

138 Wrath HISTORY of the River:

BILL POWELL

GREG CAMPBELL

AUSTIN BRITT

and a little bit rock and roll

1881 map reveals the history of downtown Greenville

features

AN ENGLISHMAN IN THE ATTIC

KAREN PULFER FOCHT

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WILSON, ARKANSAS

British author Richard Grant takes on Natchez

FROM A REBEL TO A YANKEE The revival of an historic Southern town

2020 OUTDOOR & HUNTING GUIDE

16 Letters 20 On the Road Where we’ve been, where we’re going next

24 Off the Beaten Path

All-American Quarterback Jake Gibbs

Back to Basics with Recurve bows, page 88 Legendary Taxidermist Trustin Hicks, page 98 Josh Raggio’s Custom Duck Calls, page 106 The Presswood Ugly Duck Boat, page 114 Delta Dog Photo Contest Winners, page 122

in every issue

Roaming the Real and Rustic Delta

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28 Hot Topics 146 Events 148 Delta Seen Snapshots from area social events and reader send-ins

152 The Final Word

by Roger Stolle ON THE COVER: Photo of the newly renovated kitchen in the Goode home outside Clarksdale. Photo by Greg Campbell.

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LETTERS

I read the article about Kathryn’s at Moon Lake in the July/August edition of DM and it triggered a memory rush. i worked in and around clarksdale briefly during the nineties when John mohead ran the cotton exchange blues club. although i wasn’t a regular customer, when i was in town, i frequented his club and enjoyed the clientele, the music, and the cuisine of the cotton exchange. looks like John found his niche in the restaurant business with Kathryn’s. the rich history of that building and area will warrant a visit the next time i’m down that way. i enjoyed the stories of trial and error on the sauces and recipes which are vital to the signature of a place like Kathryn’s. also, kudos to Dm on the layout of the entire July/august magazine. this one shined.

Trent Delonte Charlotte, North Carolina

Even though I grew up in Como on the edge of the Delta, worked two summers at the Clarksdale Press Register and have read much about “sense of place,” i did not truly understand the term until reading Doc gary’s essay in the July/august issue. the comment from his co-worker, who had been shuffled around military bases as a youth— “It must be nice to be from somewhere”— after hearing Doc’s stories of growing up in the Delta, struck a chord with me as well and made me cherish my small-town mississippi roots even more. thank you to Doc and Delta Magazine for helping others better understand and appreciate our sense of place—and the richness of our small-town roots. Keep up the great work! now with roots solidly planted in the Fondren neighborhood of Jackson, mississippi…

We’re “buzzed” about our exclusive linen hand towels, $22 each

I’m writing to thank you for your wonderful magazine. i always knew of the Delta since i can remember, while growing up in louisiana, and now we spend a lot of time in the Delta, especially during hunting season. our long time friend and neighbor was from sumner. Joy was so happy when my husband and i moved to mississippi many years ago. then, she was thrilled when we became a part of hunting camp in the Delta and i began exploring it. Your magazine has been a great help, educator, and travel guide for us!! Y’all also do a tremendous job of great articles, beautiful photos, exposure to Delta culture and events and oh, those delicious recipes too. i’ve recently given subscriptions to my sons and their wives. Your magazine has added enrichment to our time in the Delta and our appreciation for it. We appreciate all that contribute to this wonderful magazine.

Lisa Vickers Hattiesburg, Mississippi

Peggy Hampton Jackson, Mississippi

For the Home

Find nostalgia in every item of the

Delta Magazine Gift Collection Call or come by our office to shop our gift collection at 125 South Court Street, Cleveland, 662.843.2700.

Like our official Delta Magazine Page Twitter @Delta_Mag

Instagram @deltamagazine

To subscribe, call (662) 843-2700 or visit deltamagazine.com 16 | september/october 2020

Y’all Said SOCIAL MEDIA COMMENTS @deltamagazine

We Asked...

What’s your favorite way to eat end-ofsummer tomatoes? In a classic BLT? tomato pie?

All the above!! – @elizabethheiskellofficial Tomato Gratin – @debra1 Tomato pie. Having one tomorrow night!

– @bowmandeltafarm On white bread with mayonnaise – @thomascoopwood I love to roast them on chicken with asparagus!

– @emma.m.bond Blue Plate mayo, salt, and pepper.

– @southernsanders Mater sammich! – @evelynp1952 Tomatoes sliced with a slice of mozzarella cheese, basil and dripped with a little balsamic. Yum! – Chris Bittle Rustic tomato tart! – Julianna Bailey

READER RESPONSE July-August Issue deltamagazine.com

Haute Couture in the Delta by Hank Burdine ~ Beautiful article Hank. You captured the essence of everything perfectly. And, I might add, the photographs are phenomenal. All of this makes us realize that the Delta “ain’t that bad at all.” In fact, I am quite proud to be a product of its majestic beauty, magic and serenity. Proud to be a Delta Girl! – Gloria Traylor Awesome writing and pictures!! But, Hank can always spin a good yarn. – Petesy

SEND COMMENTS AND LETTERS TO: editor@deltamagazine.com or Delta Magazine, PO Box 117, Cleveland, MS 38732 Delta magazine 2020

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Shifting Seasons

PHOTO BY TOM BECK

Fall in the Mississippi Delta is an exciting time for farmers as they reap the rewards of the long and stressful growing season. It’s a signature part of life for all who live here, comforting somehow, as it signals the shift of seasons—the Delta’s gold and green hues soon turning to browns and grays. Although grains have taken over much of our acreage, the land where cotton was once king is still known for its “white gold” as fields are dotted with colorful bales along our highways. Either way, perhaps artist Bonnie Mohr said it best, “Farming requires a strong mind, big heart, and profound patience to weather long hours, harsh conditions, and unpredictable prices. There is a spiritual presence on the farm and in the land. Here, faith, commitment, and integrity provide strength for the unwavering labor that is the foundation of life itself.” DM

ON THE ROAD

where we’ve been, where to go next

HUSHPUCKENA LEXINGTON

This historic bridge north of Shelby was once made famous when the late Booga Bottom Harris flew his crop duster underneath it. – DELTA MAGAZINE

PANTHER BURN

This is the place for all your additional hair needs. – SCOTT BARETTA

PHOTO OPS & Baptismal trough along Highway 61 in Panther Burn. – MARTY KITTRELL

GUNNISON

GREENWOOD

The Blanchard-Harris cemetery where many early Deltans rest, including the well-known artist, Emma Lytle. – DELTA MAGAZINE A visit to Greenwood is not complete without a stop at Lusco’s.

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TUNICA

Downtown Tunica, a great destination or stop-over on the way to Memphis. – DELTA MAGAZINE

YAZOO CITY SOUTH DELTA Just in time for Halloween, a trip to the witch’s grave in Yazoo City will add to the spookiness. – DELTA MAGAZINE

FUNKY STOPS Roaming the real and rustic Delta COAHOMA COUNTY A little good news in downtown Hollandale. – DELTA MAGAZINE

GREENVILLE

Recently found treasures from the Delta’s first inhabitants and of those who arrived later. – DELTA MAGAZINE

A Delta landmark on Nelson Street in the river city.

Instagram users, follow @deltamagazine and see #DMphotoops

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IT’S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR: OUR HERNANDO DICKENS OF A CHRISTMAS AND CHRISTMAS OPEN HOUSE!

Visit and shop over 20 participating Hernando businesses to get an early start on your Christmas shopping!

OPEN HOUSE: NOV. 14 & 15 | 9 AM - 5 PM

NOV. 14 1-5 PM

on the Hernando Town Square

Sponsored by:

Daniel S. Benne , Agent

Enjoy cra ers and vendors with Christmas wares, wassailing in the historic downtown, historic carriage rides, children’s ornament decorating, sel es with Santa and more.

Call 662.429.9092 to get updates on the event, due to COVID-19. www.hernandoms.org Delta magazine 2020

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OFF THE BEATEN PATH roaming the real and rustic Delta

CHARLESTON SNACK BAR and LA MICHOACANA ICE CREAM SHOP Delicious burgers on the edge of the Delta and cool treats with Mexican flair in Cleveland

BY ANGELA ROGALSKI

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HARLESTON, MISSISSIPPI IS HOME TO A GREAT RESTAURANT that has been around

for over fifty years. “We purchased the restaurant in January 2019,” says Kareem Vance who along with moneik Vance own charleston snack bar. “We serve a variety of different things, but i like to say we have the best burgers in the state of mississippi. our burgers bring in people from everywhere. one of the things that makes them so special, besides having our own recipe for the seasoning, is we use hundred percent ground beef and hand press our patties. We pat our own burgers out, which preserves the quality of the burger’s taste. and along with our own special ingredients which we add to the meat, the burgers at charleston snack bar are the best anywhere.”

120 West Main, Charleston, 662.647.5494 facebook.com/charlestonsnackbar

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A MICHOACANA, AN ICE CREAM SHOP

located at 1104 W. sunflower road in cleveland, opened its doors in June. but, the business is much more than an ice cream shop. “We have mexican flavors of ice cream, but also the traditional favorites such as chocolate, vanilla, and cookies & cream,” says maria morales who co-owns the shop with marisela martinez. “some of the flavors are based on mexican candies and desserts, so it’s a bit different from the original ice cream shop. and, everything is homemade, including the ice cream and yogurt. the popsicles are made with fresh fruit and our strawberries and cream uses our traditional secret recipe for the cream part of the delicious dessert.” morales and martinez came to cleveland from mexico about nine years ago. “offering a taste of home and tradition to Hispanic people in the area was another point of interest,” morales says. “but sharing those traditions with americans is very important to us as well.”

1104 West Sunflower Road, Cleveland 662.402.3497 facebook.com/La-Michoacana-Cleveland-MS 24 | september/october 2020

Some of the tasty servings at the Charleston Snack Bar. Below, much more than an ice cream shop, La Michoacana is a one-of-a-kind special addition to Cleveland’s many food offerings.

COLLECTIVE SEED & SUPPLY COMPANY An Independent, Employee-Owned Business and Much More

BY ANGELA ROGALSKI

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OLLECTIVE SEED & SUPPLY CO. IS A GENERAL STORE AND GARDEN CENTER

Collective Seed & Supply Company, a unique business in Clarksdale, offers everything from outdoor plants and garden seeds to craft beer and local art.

in clarksdale, mississippi. michael stanley is the overseer, and says the store, which is part of coahoma collective, is a unique opportunity for him as a sculpture professor at Delta state and for his wife who owns big river bagels in clarksdale. “chuck rutledge and ann Williams started this location at 145 Delta avenue,” says stanley. “chuck is originally from clarksdale, but is now an architect in new orleans and he and ann started coahoma collective, which is a non-profit. it is a really cool, alternative lifestyle. First, you apply to become a member and all the

members are part owners of the collective. if you get accepted to be a member, you have the opportunity to live rent-free above the store. there is an apartment above our store that my wife and i live in. You spend 24 hours per week working for the store or the traveler’s Hotel, which the collective also owns, and you get paid an hourly wage for your work, but that’s all the time you have to commit to working for the collective. it’s a great opportunity for creatives who want to pursue their own interests.” stanley adds that collective seed & company is a great source for outdoor plants, garden seed and gardening accessories, a go-to for specialty foods, craft beer, local art, home goods, stationery, and much more.

1294 Main Street, Louise, 662.836.5131 facebook.com/collectiveseedandsupplyco Delta magazine 2020

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YOU CAN ALWAYS COUNT ON THE

Communit Communi Commun Commu Comm Com Community Co E Expe Exp Experience Exper Experi Experie Experien Experienc x

We’ll walk you through the home buying process.

We’ll be a friendly face to assist with your banking needs.

We’re here to help you start the business you’ve always dreamed of.

We’re here to answer all your financial questions and help you plan for the future.

26 | september/october 2020

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HOT TOPICS WHEN A LOVE OF ART AND FASHION COLLIDE Cleveland artist Mary Beth Smith designs shoe for national company mary beth smith has always had a creative streak and a love of fashion. as an artist and art teacher she has had an outlet to express her creativity. and, several years ago smith delved into the retail world curating and selling lines of shoes at Kutworks, and mod + proper, womens’ clothing stores in cleveland. it is where that her two passions converged. Yet she never imagined her design ideas would be picked up by a well-known shoe line. about ten years ago while at market, smith met with a new start-up company called matisse. “the people were so personal and down to earth. We just clicked and have stayed friends over the years,” she says. they were intrigued by smith’s southern accent and charm and eventually booked her to sell for them on the Home shopping network and at the atlanta markets.

During their market trips there was much discussion about their lines and ideas for future designs. “i always threw in my two cents, saying ‘oh do this in nude or add this shoe in red snake with a buckle’. so, this last visit to market in February i was really prepared. i brought them sketches of designs for a few shoes, one casual daily bootie and two heeled booties,” she says. and now smith is thrilled to see that a bootie based on one of her designs will be coming out this fall—a low suede bootie with a buckle and fur interior. it’s appropriately named the smith and will be available at mod +proper and Kutworks in november. “i’m so excited they picked it up!” smith says. “it’s a casual bootie anyone can wear. perfect with jeans and sweaters for those winter months, when you need to be warm, but still want to look cute.” and, smith hopes this is the first of many as more design ideas are flowing pen to paper. (Dm staff)

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166 North Sharpe Avenue, Cleveland, @modandproper 118 East Sunflower Road, Suite A, Cleveland, @kutworksboutique

BAD APPLE BLUES CLUB Clarksdale hot spot promises authenticity and good times blues musician sean apple may not have been born in the mississippi Delta, but he’s lived here long enough that it has certainly become his real home. apple’s lifelong love of blues music is what brought him to the Delta from pennsylvania, and he recently opened clarksdale’s newest blues “joint” the aptly named bad apple blues club. a true labor of love, the new owner promises an authentic blues experience at the club for fans of the genre. “i have always been a fan of the blues,” says apple. “and, i consider myself a blues musician. so, the transition to blues club owner is basically a natural progression. i’ve personally played in so many clubs over the years and the best places have been po’ monkeys in merigold, for instance, and some juke joints in marshall county, the old subway lounge in Jackson and red’s lounge in clarksdale—those places influenced me and served as a model for bad apple. those places are real blues clubs.”

Having lived, as a young man, with an 88 year-old blues musician

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in bentonia named Jack owns for a time, apple says he even came to appreciate and understand the day-to-day lives of authentic players of the music that was born in the Delta. and, why open bad apple blues club now? “i had always wanted to own a club here in clarksdale and when this building, which used to be club 2000 became available, i jumped at the chance. i’m located right down the street from the crossroads where robert Johnson sold his soul to the devil,” apple explains. “clarksdale is the blues in so many ways. people from all over the globe come here to experience ‘it’—not just tourists and blues fans, but wellknown rock musicians, too. this is the mecca of the blues—where else would i rather have the club?” the club was open on Friday and saturday from 4:00 p.m. to midnight, but is now currently open only by appointment. “as we build up the business and the coViD restrictions are lifted, i’ll also start opening on Wednesday and thursday nights. that’s the plan right now. and my plan is also to feature primarily mississippi-based blues musicians as much as possible,” says apple. (Jack criss) 349 Issaquena Avenue, Clarksdale, badapplebluesclub.com

NEW TUNES CD raises money for Duff Dorrough scholarship the revelators new double cD, Memphis to Monticello, is compiled of tunes recorded by the mississippi based gospel group consisting of the late Duff Dorrough of the tangents, bobby Harris, carl massengale, Jim ellis, burt French, and former tangents’ bassist, David parker. the cD was recorded in memphis back in 2001 and in monticello, mississippi in 2002. there is also a live performance from a thacker mountain radio show. the revelators first appeared at the american Folklife Festival in Washington D.c. in 1997 after they were heard earlier that year singing at the graveside service of fellow musician, charlie Jacobs. the band evolved into an eclectic gospel/blues/folk/ group that focused on southern gospel harmonies. executive producer tadd britt says Delta state University is handling the distribution. “it’s not a portion of the proceeds that’s going to Duff’s scholarship fund; it’s one-hundred percent,” says britt. “every penny goes to the music scholarship in Duff’s name at Dmi.” the revelators put their unique stamp on their compositions as well as traditional favorites. (Dm staff)

THACKER MOUNTAIN RADIO HOUR

3

The CD can be purchased at deltastategiving.org/revelators

SUMMERS IN YAZOO CITY Colorful storytelling at its best Dale beasley is a sixth-generation retired army lieutenant colonel and an iraqi war veteran who works as a trauma emergency registered nurse. the gluckstadt, mississippi, resident can now add novelist to his list of accomplishments. beasley grew up in a military family and lived in germany where his father, the late brigadier general glenn D. beasley, United states army, was stationed.

Determined for his son to know that his roots were planted deep in the soil of the mississippi Delta, general beasley sent young Dale to spend summers with family in Yazoo city. What I Learned at the ‘Zoo is beasley’s fictionalized account of his fourteenth summer in Yazoo city—a summer that features an eccentric family, a plot to smuggle cold War secrets from mississippi to spies in east germany, and the forging of a lasting bond between the boy and his great uncle Dallas crabtree. “i did research on my family, interviewing them and listening to their stories,” beasley says. “i went to Yazoo city to retrace the younger years of my life. it was both enriching and, in some aspects, it brought closure.” beasley’s novel is a young adult read that has themes of acceptance and redemption. “it’s a feel good book, which people need right now. i hope folks can identify members of their own families and realize that family doesn’t always fit a certain mode. i hope all who read it will enjoy What I Learned at the ‘Zoo.” (susan marquez)

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whatilearnedatthezoo.com and dalebeasley.com Delta magazine 2020

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Touching lives.

Powering the future.

At Entergy Mississippi, the communities we serve are the communities we call home. That’s why we stay active and involved – because we know our responsibility reaches beyond the power grid.

So, we invest in education and industry, while developing new solutions to power tomorrow.

As a community, our successes fuel each other.

We’re all on a circuit. And together, we power life. entergybrightfuture.com

A message from Entergy Mississippi, LLC ©2018 Entergy Services, LLC All Rights Reserved.

30 | september/october 2020

For latest events and happenings, go to visitoxfordms.com We care about your health! For travel information on visiting Oxford safely, go to VisitOxfordMS.com. For more information about traveling to Mississippi, go to visitmississippi.org/covid-19-travel-alert.

Mississippi Coronavirus Hotline: 877.978.6453

1013 Jackson Ave. East | Oxford, MS | 800.758.9177 | visitoxfordms.com

BOOKS

Buzzworthy Comments

Near Dark by Brad Thor (Simon & Schuster) the world’s largest bounty has just been placed upon america’s top spy. His only hope for survival is to outwit, outrun, and outlast his enemies long enough to get to the truth. but, for scot Harvath to accomplish his most dangerous mission ever—one that has already claimed the lives of the people closest to him, including his new wife—he’s going to need help—a lot of it. not knowing whom he can trust, Harvath finds an unlikely ally in norwegian intelligence operative sølvi Kolstad. Just as smart, just as deadly, and just as determined, she not only has the skills, but also the broken, troubled past to match Harvath’s own. (special/Dm staff ) Brad Thor

The Order by Daniel Silva (Harper Collins) gabriel allon has slipped quietly into Venice for a much-needed holiday with his wife and two young children. but, when pope paul Vii dies suddenly, gabriel is summoned to rome by the Holy Father’s loyal private secretary, archbishop luigi Donati. a billion catholic faithful have been told that the pope died of a heart attack.

Donati, however, has two good reasons to suspect his master was murdered. swiftly paced and elegantly rendered, The Order will hold readers spellbound, from its opening passages to its breathtaking final twist of plot. it is a novel of friendship and faith in a perilous and uncertain world. and it is still more proof that Daniel silva is his generation’s finest writer of suspense and international intrigue. (special/Dm staff )

We asked Facebook friends and Delta Magazine Fan Page Group members to share with us their favorite book about hunting or fishing. o Thomas Coopwood, Construction Supervisor Oxford, Mississippi

The Old Turkey Hunter by gene nunnery. it’s by far my favorite because it’s a good read regardless of whether or not you are an avid turkey hunter. and, it is based in mississippi so it hits close to home. most importantly, it’s the story of an older man teaching a boy how to turkey hunt which reminds me of my grandfather teaching me how to hunt growing up.

Daniel Silva

o Jon Paul Smith, Material Handler Franklin, Indiana

28 Summers by Elin Hilderbrand (Little, Brown and Company) When mallory blessing’s son, link, receives deathbed instructions from his mother to call a number on a slip of paper in her desk drawer, he’s not sure what to expect. but, he certainly does not expect Jake mccloud to answer. it’s the late spring of 2020 and Jake’s wife, Ursula Degournsey, is the frontrunner in the upcoming presidential election. there must be a mistake, link thinks. How do mallory and Jake know each other?

Flash back to the sweet summer of 1993: mallory has just inherited a beachfront cottage on nantucket from her aunt, and she agrees to host her brother’s bachelor party. cooper’s friend from college, Jake mccloud, attends, and Jake and mallory form a bond that will persevere—through marriage, children, and Ursula’s stratospheric political rise—until mallory learns she’s dying. (special/Dm staff )

Tales of Swordfish and Tuna by zane grey. it is great story about the adventures of fishing for these types of fish, which i may never have the opportunity to do, but i do like reading about it. o Whitney Kelly-Jones, Teacher Yorktown, Virginia

Elin Hilderbrand

For the Record Books Delta Magazine fans are currently reading

o Gayle McKnight

A Rented World

by Merle Temple

o Dot Campbell

An Altar in the World

by Barbara Brown Taylor

o Steve Hall

The Kill Artist

by Daniel Silva

o Amy Walker

Mere Christianity

by C.S. Lewis 32 | september/october 2020

o Susu Ratliff Therrell 28 Summers

by Elin Hildebrand

o Chris Bittle

Dick Waterman: A life in Blues

by Tammy L. Turner

o Caren Huffstickler Brewer Where the Crawdads Sing

by Delia Owens

o Cody Lynn Berry The Vapors

by David Hill

A River Runs Through it by norman maclean. i love the sheer excellence of his writing, how he savors the beauty of life’s moments and describes his observations so eloquently. “it is not fly fishing if you are not looking for answers to questions.” i just love that line.

o Kathy Bishop Smiley Outlander

by Diana Gabaldon

o Ann Martin Vetrano Can’t Quit you Baby

by Ellen Douglas

o Tami Hawes

Before She Knew Him

by Peter Swanson

o Lois Russell

What I Learned at the Zoo

by Dale Beasley

Table Lands by Margery Kerstine (University Press) Food is a signifier of power for both adults and children, a sign of both inclusion and exclusion and of conformity and resistance. many academic disciplines—from sociology to literary studies— have studied food and its function as a complex social discourse, and the wide variety of approaches to the topic provides multidisciplinary frames for understanding the construction and uses of food in all types of media, including children’s literature.

Table Lands: Food in Children’s Literature is a survey of food’s function in children’s texts, showing how the sociocultural contexts of food reveal children’s agency. authors Kara K. Keeling and scott t. pollard examine texts that vary from historical to contemporary, noncanonical to classics, and anglo-american to multicultural traditions, including a variety of genres, formats, and audiences: realism, fantasy, cookbooks, picture books, chapter books, Ya novels, and film.

Table Lands offers a unified approach to studying food in a wide variety of texts for children. (special/Dm staff ) Conversations with Joanna Scott edited by Michael Lackey (University Press)

conversations with Joanna scott presents eighteen interviews that span two decades and are as much about the process of reading as they are about writing. Witty, probing, wide-ranging, and insightful, scott’s off-the-cuff observations about literature and life are as thought-provoking as some of the most memorable lines and scenes in her fiction. not only shedding new light on scott’s fiction, conversations with Joanna scott also illuminates enduring areas of inquiry, like the challenge of trying to make art out of sentences; the effort to recover and imagine lost stories from the past; the changing status of the literary imagination; fictional portraiture and the productive possibilities that come from blending biography and fiction; and concerns about literacy.

Joanna scott has made her name through brilliant, awardwinning novels, but this volume clarifies why she is also one of america’s leading public intellectuals and an astute critic of literature and culture. (special/Dm staff ) The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett (Riverhead Books) the Vignes twin sisters will always be identical. but, after growing up together in a small, southern black community and running away at age sixteen, it’s not just the shape of their daily lives that is different as adults, it’s everything: their families, their communities, their racial identities. many years later, one sister lives with her black daughter in the same southern town she once tried to escape. the other secretly passes for white, and her white husband knows nothing of her past. still, even separated by so many miles and just as many lies, the fates of the twins remain intertwined. What will happen to the next generation, when their own daughters’ storylines intersect? (special/Dm staff) DM Delta magazine 2020

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SHOPPING The snakeskin booties you need in your closet now! @modandproper

Snake skin game st il l str ong in 2020!

For work or play, you’ll wear this snake-print blazer on repeat. @hsquaredboutique

Stay Stylish

&Shop Small

Social obligations may be limited these days, but we can still look great, in fact making that effort is more important than ever. So, if you're at home more this fall, have a few friends over for an at-home tailgate or dinner party or drinks on the porch and get dressed! Here local shop-owners have shared some of their favorite picks for the season!

Stay cool with new Oliver Peoples sunnies. @fineeyeswear

Prenelove neoprene backpack in classic black— perfect for school or the gym! @lavenderlaneindianola

These go-with-everything mules are a must for fall! @hsquaredboutique

Unexpected in cream leather, this BB Dakota jacket will elevate your fall wardrobe. @lavenderlaneindianola 34 | september/october 2020

Delta magazine 2020

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A great transition piece, this sweater begs for cute booties and cooler temps. @shopsaintboutique

Love this messenger bag with interchangeable straps in such fun patterns. @thewishingwellofcleveland

Western with an edge—and snake detail.

For when you need to kick up your heels! @libbystoryridgeland

A varsity-stripe neoprene tote—perfect for all your essentials. @kutworksboutique

Neutral, classic, functional and gorgeous—you’d never guess this is a diaper bag! @punkinpatchcleveland

Cheetah print pointed mules are the best for that low-key but still pulled-together style. @kutworksboutique

The sneaker trend continues!

Step into fall in these Vintage Havana sneaks with a touch of leopard. @thecountrygent Mark Dingman for him belts are the perfect accessory whether it’s business casual or jeans. @hintonandhinton 36 | september/october 2020

Delta magazine 2020

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ART

Observing, teaching and creating Metal artist Lee Washington’s creations imitate life as he sees it, and have helped teach a few lessons along the way

BY SUSAN MARQUEZ • PHOTOGRAPHY BY RORY DOYLE

38 | september/october 2020

Delta magazine 2020

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Washington hard at work on a new creation in his shop.

ee Washington never considered himself an artist. He retired from teaching in 2017. “I taught agriculture and power machinery to high school students in Rolling Fork,” he says. Washington always thought of himself as an educator. But, he also did something special that gave him an identity he has grown into.

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Washington grew up in Hollandale, and from 1974 to 1994, he served in the United states army. When he returned to the Delta, he attended alcorn state University before graduating from mississippi state University, where he also earned his teaching certificate.

He taught agricultural power and machinery at the south Delta career and technical center. His classes included topics such as welding, safety, tool and machine identification, and tractor operation and maintenance. over the years, Washington collected

40 | september/october 2020

materials once used on cotton pickers, including spindles and other bits of materials left over from teaching a class at the career and technical center. He studied them and got ideas of how he could use the castoffs to create figures by heating, cutting and welding. “one day i was studying them and i saw a man appear.”

Washington made his first stick man in 2001. but, before long, he was creating more elaborate pieces. “i enjoyed taking old discarded farm equipment and making something out of it.” it took a while for

Washington to realize the value of his creations. He gave them away at first, however soon people wanted to buy them.

Washington was inspired by everyday life and the people he saw around him. His figures included a cowboy with a spiraled lasso, a man on a tractor, a golfer, a school teacher, a weight lifter, a fisherman, a basketball player, musicians and more. “people began to see themselves in the figures, or they reminded them of someone they knew. they started buying them as gifts.”

He shared his talent with his students, often teaching them life lessons as he taught them how to cut and weld metal. it wasn’t something that was in the curriculum, so he only taught it to students who wanted to learn. “it’s funny how you think a kid isn’t

hearing you, or that they don’t care about you. but now many years later, i’ll be sitting on my front porch and a former student will stop by and tell me they now realize what i was trying to convey to them about life. that feels real good.” as his creations became more popular, Washington began selling them at craft fairs and festivals. He opened a gallery, lee’s cotton picker art, at 149 Walnut street in rolling Fork, conveniently located next to muddy Waters’ blues trail marker. He was surprised when visitors from around the world came into his gallery. “i’ve had people from all over europe, australia, brazil, and in cities from around the United states wander into my gallery. and, it’s not unusual for folks to drive over from madison and Jackson.”

Washington says his gallery is also a regular stopping place for motorcycle tours from chicago to new orleans. Visitors to the tin-roofed gallery are greeted with bottle trees, birdhouses and other Delta porch art, which immediately makes folks want to stay and sit for a spell. lee’s friendly manner puts everyone he meets at ease as he welcomes visitors into the gallery.

His art has been his ticket to many exciting places, including blues festivals around the region. in 2008, he was one of six mississippi artists invited to travel with the mississippi Development authority’s Visit mississippi division, to the chicago Delta magazine 2020

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blues Festival. in chicago he was able to display and sell his work to an international audience. more and more, people told Washington he was an artist. “i didn’t believe them at first. this was just something i like to do. but, the more i heard it, the more i learned to believe it.”

He became a member of the mississippi craftsman’s guild in 2003, which requires a strict adjudication. He has been to every chimneyville craft Festival except one since he was accepted into the guild. “i guess i’ve always been an observer of life. i try to imitate what i see, and how people see themselves. it’s fun to watch folks look at all the different figures and hear them talk about who each one reminds them of.”

Washington names each piece he creates.

He sometimes adds embellishments, such as fabric for the tutu of a ballerina. He also incorporates old horseshoes into a collection of whimsical cowboys, complete with hats, lassos and rifles. each section of his gallery showcases a different aspect of life in the Delta: religion, music, agriculture, sports, nature, and animals. there is no limit to his imagination. in addition to figures of people, 42 | september/october 2020

Travelers from around the world have made their way to Washington’s shop in Hollandale.

he also creates flowers, stylized birds and even a pink pig made using a propane tank for the body.

Washington has five children and six grandchildren. “i’ve tried to get my son involved in doing this. He has some interest in welding and such, and he comes over to my shop from his home in clinton from time to time. He likes mechanics, so i’m hoping he will pick this up as a sideline at some point.”

While Washington has retired from teaching, he is still going strong making his metal art. “i have two 55-gallon drums full of metal pieces i can use, plus more boxes of scraps that i’ve collected over the years. i’ve got more than i think i will ever use. i haven’t gotten any new bits or parts in over seven or eight years.” and, because it’s now what he does day in and day out, and people keep finding their way back to him to buy more, Washington is finally comfortable calling himself an artist, which is a title welldeserved. DM Delta magazine 2020

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MUSIC

44 | september/october 2020

A little bit folksy, a little bit rock ‘n roll Clarksdale musician J.H. Sitton melds musical influences into his original works

BY SUSAN MARQUEZ

Growing up on a ranch in Choctaw, Oklahoma, Sitton probably never dreamed of being a rock star.

because of the shack Up inn in clarksdale. “i really had no place else to go. they gave me a job and a place to stay, so i settled in. to me, the shack Up inn is a magical place.” sitton was in charge of general maintenance and he also worked as a sound engineer there. and, while sitton was working, he fell in love with clarksdale.

“When i arrived, it instantly felt like home to me. everybody in town is so friendly, and at the time, there was live music somewhere in town every night.” sitton also fell in love with the woman who

AUSTIN BRITT

“i grew up listening to country music and the music i heard in church. i didn’t know there was any other kind of music until i was a teenager and bought a beatles album.” sitton started playing guitar when he was fifteen years old, and by the time he was seventeen, he started writing songs. “i tried to sound like nirvana on my first couple of songs, but it came out as rock and roll with a little country twang. i’ve had people refer to my songs as ‘gothic country,’ maybe a little dark, a little moody, and a little folk rock. i guess i like all kinds of music, so it shows up in my work.” because his mother was from calhoun county, mississippi, sitton was familiar with the magnolia state.

“We would come to mississippi in the summers and for holidays,” he says. but, ten years ago he finally moved to mississippi

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Torey, Doug Bales, and J.H. rehearing new songs for their latest CD at Honey Hill on the Sunflower River in Clarksdale.

46 | september/october 2020

Being based in Clarksdale, many would assume Sitton is a blues musician. But not so. His music is an electic blend of several genres that is unique and extremely moving. Above, performing at the Shack Up Inn.

would become his wife. “i met torey todora on stage during a jam session. she was playing bass with a blues band and i jumped on stage with my guitar and joined in. We hit it off and became friends. over time we fell in love.” torey, who moved to clarksdale from baton rouge, plays bass in sitton’s band, along with drummer Doug bales, who hails from chattanooga, tennessee. like most young guitarists, sitton started his career playing in different bands in his hometown. “it was mainly rock ‘n roll and grungier bands,” he says. “but, then everyone started going away to college and getting jobs, so i didn’t have anyone to play music with.” about that time, he began writing more folksy acoustic songs. in 2009, sitton recorded a few of his original songs at a small recording studio in california. after sharing his songs with torey, she encouraged him to keep exploring his music. “she liked what she heard and wanted me to continue writing and recording.” so, he began writing. sometimes it’s a tune that he is working on, then he writes lyrics to fit

it. other times he writes the lyrics, maybe even a poem, and puts that to music. last year sitton traveled to california again to record a new collection of songs. “i also made a couple of videos that are up on Youtube.” sitton is still waiting for the album to get picked up by a record label.

“I grew up listening to country music and the music I heard in church. I didn’t know there was any other kind of music until I was a teenager and bought a Beatles album.” like so many other musical artists during the coViD-19 pandemic, sitton has also had to get creative. “We can’t perform right now, because the clubs are closed and social distancing makes it difficult.”

However, his band has played a few gigs that have been livestreamed on the internet. “sometimes we’ll have ten people watching, other times there will be hundreds

of viewers. it varies, for whatever reason. i know a lot of musicians are doing livestream concerts these days.” the group has played at Hambone in clarksdale and they played a livestream concert from the lamplighter lounge in memphis. “We’ve also done a few shows from our home,” he says.

Home is Honey Hill, a sprawling Victorian home on the sunflower river in clarksdale that sitton and his wife run as an airbnb. “since we haven’t had many guests during the pandemic, we are using the house to rehearse, record and to do livestream concerts.” the exciting news is that despite last year’s album having yet to find a record label, the band has begun recording another album. “it will feature all new songs. We can’t wait for the right person to hear it. that’s all it will take for us to get a record deal.”

While the current band is gaining popularity as a folk/rock/gothic country/ blues/american band, it may one day become a family band. sitton and his wife have an eight-year-old son, Jared, who is learning to play the guitar, piano and drums.

“Who knows,” sitton says, “we’d love to have a family band some day.” DM Delta magazine 2020

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Jessica brings with her the experience, expertise, and depth of the Rice Divorce Team.

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48 | september/october 2020

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Delta magazine 2020

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An

Englishman in the

ATTIC Following his time spent in the Delta while writing Dispatches from Pluto, British author Richard Grant takes on Natchez

BY HANK BURDINE

hile doing research for his new book, The Deepest South of All: True Stories from Natchez, Mississippi (Simon and Schuster, 2020) Richard Grant often stayed in an upstairs room at Twin Oaks, the Natchez home of Doug and Regina Charboneau.

SIMON AND SCHUSTER

W

50 | september/october 2020

RICHARD GRANT COLLECTION

Author Richard Grant’s new book, The Deepest South of All, focuses on Natchez delivering humor and insight, and depicting an eccentric town with a list of unforgettable characters. Perhaps the Delta’s own Julia Reed says it best, “Grant deftly weaves in the city’s painful and violent history so that the end result is a page-turner that’s nothing short of a masterpiece. Think Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil with a conscience.”

It was home base as he produced his vivid and wildly astonishing writings about historical and present-day Natchez.

Regina often commented to friends, “I keep an Englishman in my attic.” She recalls his stay in Natchez, “Richard was a wonderful houseguest and so easy. He just needed an espresso in the morning and a night cap at the end of his day.

That fit my schedule perfectly. I loved hearing the summary of his day and was

amazed at how he more than scratched at the surface of Natchez. He was charming and managed to access the entire community. Natchez is a special place, not always uncomplicated, but I think Richard will capture how kind the people are and how we have progressed in many ways.”

In a recent article in the Natchez Democrat regarding the release of Grant’s much touted new book, he explained that

Delta magazine 2020

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JORDI RABINOWITZ

The Gum Grove House on Pluto Plantation. The house where Richard and Mariah Grant were married and where Dispatches from Pluto was written. It is now known as “The House on Pluto” and is a go-to place for weddings and gatherings.

bestseller and winner of the pat conroy southern book prize for non-fiction, Dispatches from Pluto: Lost and Found in the Mississippi Delta (simon and schuster, 2015) i can assure you—this book is one wild read! the story of how he landed in the Delta and fell in love with mississippi takes you around the world, literally. the son of a british businessman, richard grew up in malaysia and Kuwait and finally settled in london, england where he graduated college with a degree in history. throughout his life, wanderlust tugged at his heart and soul. and, as Jack london and robert service did years before, richard listened to its callings. He traveled from london to

JORDI RABINOWITZ

“it touches on a wide range of historical subjects, including the town’s two garden clubs and their accompanying feuds, the annual spring pilgrimage and the infamous goat castle murder among other things.” interviewing between forty to fifty people, and attending numerous social functions, grant has delved into the superlative eccentricities of present-day natchez while weaving in sordid tales and dark stories of natchez’ past. “it is an outsider’s impressions of a place and its culture and it includes my firstperson experiences. i like to be a fool in a place where you have to learn a lot to understand it,” he told the Democrat.

Following the success of his New York Times

Pier overlooking Bee Lake in Holmes County, north of Yazoo City. Bee Lake is an oxbow of the adjacent Yazoo River and is surrounded by fertile Delta land.

52 | september/october 2020

new York to philadelphia and los angeles, finally settling in tucson, arizona. His travels gave him fodder for three books, American Nomads: Travels with Lost Conquistadors, Mountain Men, Cowboys, Indians, Hoboes, Truckers and Bullriders (grove press, 2003), Crazy River: Exploration and Folly in East Africa (Free press, 2011) and God’s Middle Finger, Into the Lawless Heart of the Sierra Madre (Free press, 2008). He also penned stories for publications such as Smithsonian Magazine, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, the Telegraph UK, and was rarely seen without a notepad.

With a little change in his pocket from a bbc documentary, American Nomads, richard and his girlfriend mariah moved to new York into a shoebox sized manhattan apartment with a single sidewalk level window. soon, they both became choked in the concrete jungle of the big apple. While visiting friends in oxford, mississippi, richard was introduced to executive chef and famed cookbook author martha Foose who invited him to come with her for a tour of the Delta and a possible visit to her family’s farm, pluto plantation. While there, grant recalled, “i just laid under a shade tree, ate fried chicken and drank wine and listened to the birds. it just felt happy. i felt relaxed. i fell in love with the place.” they were driving around the farm when richard noticed a low-slung, galleried house set off against the low-lying Yazoo river levee. almost hidden in a bamboo thicket, off to one side was a small one room cottage that he envisioned as a quiet little nook where a person could be alone to think—and, write. “that is a really nice place,” richard commented. turns out the family homestead was owned by martha’s father, Dr. Foose, and it was for sale. richard brought mariah to pluto on his next trip down. it wasn’t long before a deal was worked out with the owners and gum grove, with its almost ten acres of good Delta dirt, bordered by the Yazoo river and endless cotton and corn fields belonged to them. gum grove was a far cry from a 400 square foot claustrophobic hole in the ground in manhattan. For someone who had lived in nineteen different locations in twenty-five years, the old house was a place to breathe and walk barefoot down a dusty dirt turn road in the evening with a cold one in his hand. they were welcomed, fed, furnished, and toasted with champagne by neighbors who also kept them supplied

with firewood for the winter. it was home. neighbor and acclaimed Delta agribusinesswoman lisa barker remembers, “i was looking forward to having an author move in down the road, especially since it was august, and we all know how the long hot summers can be in the Delta. but, i don’t think any of us on bee lake knew the love that richard and mariah would bring—and, i don’t think they were expecting as much love as they got in return either. it was a great time for us all.” the neighboring thompson family all but adopted richard and mariah and it wasn’t long before a great Delta Wedding at gum grove was planned and people from all over the world descended on pluto plantation for the nuptial festivities. i met richard when my sister Jane rule burdine called one morning needing a picture of a harvested deer with richard standing over it for a photo spread she was shooting on richard’s first hunt for an english magazine article. thirty minutes later i took down a nice fat doe, so they rushed over and we posed the photograph as if richard had harvested it. (oh the magic of publishing!) We have been good friends ever since and i have spent many memorable times at gum grove. one sunday morning, at the end of a glorious and spirit filled house party weekend, i was preparing mimosas on the front porch of gum grove, and looked up to see a brand-new mercedes benz Fedex truck winding down the long dusty gravel drive. the driver got out, clicked his heels and presented an overnight special delivery package addressed to mr. r. grant. it was a huge box of lox and bagels straight from manhattan sent by a couple that could not attend the festivities! photographer micaela cianci from london was there with her son who had spent the previous day on the back side of the levee learning to shoot pistols while cavorting about with some of the cute Delta girls. “of all my old friends, richard is the one who is always doing something interesting and doing it with interesting people. i have visited him every place he went and some of my most colorful memories are from those visits. there was always a new cast of characters to meet and for me to photograph and a culture to dip into. Without my friendship with richard, i would not have experienced the life, the conviviality and the fascinating lore of the Delta.” needless to say, richard’s experiences at

Twin Oaks is the home of Regina and Doug Charboneau in Natchez. Richard stayed in an upstairs room while doing research, going to parties, attending high society balls and parades.

pluto in the heart of the mississippi Delta led him to write Dispatches from Pluto: Lost and Found in the Mississippi Delta. regarding the Delta, richard has said, “the Delta is an extraordinary place that sort of defies explanation. it causes people to try to explain it through writing, through music. i think it has one of the deepest, richest, most contradictory cultures in america.” eventually the grants moved away from gum grove, selling it back into the family that has always owned it. the pluto Farmhouse, is now a destination for visitors who want to come and stay the weekend, have a wedding in the yard, or just sit on the porch, toast the sunset and tell stories.

With their baby girl in tow, richard and mariah moved to Jackson where they settled in nicely while richard worked on his new book about natchez. much like the Delta, the antebellum town and its inhabitants and their wild, vivid stories had piqued his interest. He dug in and the stories that came out were like a pandora’s box of eccentricity, sincerity, culture and history. Just the kind of place richard loves. ironically, richard returned to the Delta to finish up the final pages of the book, spending several weeks of quiet time in my guest house. one night, we got into some pretty good single malt scotch from the back and forgotten corner of my bar. i asked him what the folks from natchez thought about us Deltans and he couldn’t readily respond to that as i don’t think it was ever brought up. but, i was curious about this, so i called a dear Delta friend of mine who has spent quite a bit of time down there and asked him what they think. “Well,” he

explained, “natchezians think that us folks from the Delta are just a bunch of canebrake hicks with one boot still stuck in the mud. they feel they have been at it a lot longer than we have!!” (Well, i don’t know about the boot in the mud, but history proves they were down there long before the Delta was ever cleared!)

Kerry Dicks rose, being from a long lineage of natchezians is a treasure trove of natchez lore and was one of richard’s main travel hostesses and correspondents as he delved into the town’s history. When asked about his presence and time spent in natchez, rose says, “i first met richard when he joined a tour i was giving of a friend’s historic home, and i was suspicious of him the second i saw him. He was, by far, the tallest, youngest and hairiest of the twenty-odd old ladies to crowd around me and the antiques. He did win me over shortly after, though, with a somewhat unsavory story about a bull and we’ve been friends ever since.” rose continued, “He and i share an unfeigned love of stories told at dinner parties, ones that are too absurd for anyone around the table to believe, yet, too real for any need to make them up. natchez has these in droves. it’s one of the reasons i call it home. it’s one of the reasons, i think, he wanted to write about it. and, it’s one of the main reasons i’m really excited to read his take on the town. i imagine it will be like one big dinner party where i get to sit back, sip wine and watch him try to convince those seated that, ‘Yes, it really is true.’” DM Delta magazine 2020

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Q & A with

Richard Grant Yes. i had very slim hopes for that book. i was exhausted when i finished writing it and the book seemed pointless. Why would anyone care what some misfit englishman had to say about the mississippi Delta? i also thought there was a strong possibility that people in mississippi would hate the book. they generally don’t like outsiders coming into the state and writing about it.

When the book was received with so much enthusiasm, support, even love, i was gobsmacked, as the english say when they’re really surprised. also delighted.

What was the take-away from writing Dispatches from Pluto?

in researching and writing the book, i was trying to be as honest, clear-eyed, accurate and empathetic as possible, and i think people appreciated that. i didn’t want to sugar-coat or romanticize anything. i didn’t want to take any cheap shots. i wasn’t trying to advance any political agenda or show off my own talents. i was an ignorant fool when i arrived in the Delta and i was lucky enough to fall in with good people who explained this gently. the take-away?

Don’t arrive in a new place with preconceived notions. acknowledge your ignorance. When you start judging people, you stop learning about them. open your heart and your mind will follow. i would often ask myself: who would i be if i had grown up here?

After Pluto, did you have an idea of what your next book was going to be?

Yes! i really wanted to write a sequel about starting a family in mississippi— our daughter isobel was born in 2015. it was going to be the story of moving to Jackson, getting to know the city and the rest of the state, while maintaining our strong ties to the people in pluto. i wanted to write about my experiences of alligator hunting, the neshoba county state Fair, hunting ducks and wild hogs with mr. Hank burdine of Delta Magazine, traveling to ‘battles of the bands’ with the sonic boom of the south, 54 | september/october 2020

the marching band from JsU, tracking down descendants of newt Knight in Jones county, and whatever else seemed interesting in mississippi. Unfortunately, my publishers weren’t interested. “sequels don’t sell,” they told me.

RICHARD GRANT COLLECTION

Dispatches from Pluto was well received by readers and critics. Were you surprised by the outpouring of support and enthusiasm?

How did you decide to write about Natchez?

at the Hot tamale festival in greenville, i met a chef and food writer called regina charboneau and her husband Doug who distills charboneau rum in natchez. i knew absolutely nothing about natchez when i started talking to them. they invited me to stay in their antebellum home, tour the distillery, give a reading at regina’s restaurant King’s tavern, one of the oldest buildings in mississippi circa 1790. that was an impossible invitation to refuse and the book flowed from that initial visit. i saw the site of the second largest slave market in the south on the way into town, and went to a grand ball in a gigantic antebellum mansion. i met some great people and outrageous characters, and found out the mayor at the time was a gay black man who had won ninety-one percent of the vote.

What is this place, i wanted to know, and how did it get this way?

What was your research for The Deepest South of All: True Stories from Natchez, Mississippi?

i did formal interviews with some people, but mostly i practiced a kind of participatory journalism. i went to parties and balls and parades. i let things unfold around me while taking notes. i formed some wonderful friendships and listened, listened, listened. i also read a lot of books about natchez and about slavery. the town, which once boasted more millionaires per capita than anywhere in the country, was the epicenter of the cotton-slavery boom in the lower mississippi Valley. in the course of reading i came across a book called Prince of Slaves by terry alford, about a West african prince who was enslaved in natchez. When i started meeting the prince’s descendants, i decided to tell his story as a historical thread running through my book.

Photo taken of Grant while he was a Delta resident at the Gum Grove house on Pluto Plantation.

How long did it take you to write the new book?

three and a half years, which is far longer than my other books. it was slow going because i had a new baby and my father was dying slowly in london, necessitating many trips to england. then, grief and the long nightmare of dealing with his estate. it was also slow because of editors. the editor who bought the book proposal didn’t like the book i turned in. He wanted a complete restructuring and rewrite. that took a year of unpaid labor. a week after i submitted the rewrite, the editor quit his job and another one took over the book. He thought the first editor was wrong and that i needed to go more back towards my original vision for the book. so, i rewrote it again.

What did you learn about Natchez, the South, and America while writing the book?

beware of simplistic explanations. natchez is a place where prominent white families dress up in hoopskirts and confederate generals’ uniforms, and an openly gay black man was elected mayor by a landslide. Don’t scapegoat mississippi or the south when it comes to racism because it is a national disease. at first natchez seemed so weird and eccentric, and deeply southern. the better i got to know it, the more it seemed like a microcosm, or a barrel-strength distillation, of much larger unresolved issues around race in america.

The cover is extraordinary, tell us how this came together? What does it depict?

the cover depicts two characters in the book—one black, one white—who both dress up in antique costumes to impersonate the dead. the woman is bettye Jenkins, a senior figure in the pilgrimage garden club, and she wears a hoopskirt to receive visitors in her antebellum home. she is the epitome of southern graciousness, yet also runs a tugboat company on the mississippi river. the man is ser seshsh ab Heter-cm boxley, the leading african american activist in natchez. He fought to get the old slave market recognized as an important historical site, and battled to get black history included in the natchez tourism experience. He dresses up in the civil War uniforms of the United states colored troops and organizes historical reenactments. it was a book jacket designer at simon and schuster who came up with the brilliant idea of putting these two characters together on the cover.

What is next for Richard Grant?

i want to write a short history of american bragging, from the frontier to hip-hop and Donald trump. i’ve been researching it for years. bragging is a universal human tendency, but only in america has it been raised to the level of an artform. among the greatest braggarts in american history are Davy crockett (“i can walk like an ox, run like a fox, swim like an eel, yell like an indian, make love like a mad bull…”), mike Fink and the mississippi riverboat men, 1860s trail cowboys, african-american bad men like stagger lee, blues boasters like bo Diddley (“i walk 47 miles of barbed wire/Wear a cobra snake for a necktie...”), muhammed ali (“i’m so bad i make medicine sick”). i want to follow the tradition all the way up to Kanye West and trump, the most boastful president in american history (“i know words, i have the best words—i’m the king of banking— i know more about courts than any human on earth...nobody knows more about the system than me, which is why i alone can fix it.”) DM

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A Modern Day

Resurrection sometHing special is Happening in a tinY arKansas toWn WitH “big ambition.”

They believe if they build it, you will come.

STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY KAREN PULFER FOCHT

56 | september/october 2020

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White’s Mercantile offers everything from dog treats to home decor.

R

ising out of the Mississippi River plain along Highway 61 in the Arkansas Delta, Wilson is a most unlikely oasis.

It’s a field of dreams where people enjoy the simple things in life, in a sophisticated way.

everyone is talking about Wilson. Why Wilson? the once-dying Delta town is now being resurrected. Wilson, official population 900, is carefully being transformed into an arts, cultural, and educational hub, a resort town and an agri-tourism destination in the american south. slide on over to the great river road and mosey on up into mississippi county and see for yourself. let your mind wander as you pass the sunflower fields, shabby shacks and gates to forgotten places from once upon a time. in this cinderella story, dreams are coming alive through the vision of businessman gaylon lawrence Jr., an agriculture magnate who bought thousands of acres from lee Wilson & co. in 2010 to enhance his agri-based empire. the history of the town captivated lawrence.

Wilson was founded by robert e. lee Wilson as a company town in 1886 as part of his logging operation. When the timber was gone, the town prospered after he cleared the fertile land to grow cotton. Wilson became the head of a cotton empire. the company had its own currency, doctors, car repair shop, and housing, even a dry cleaners for residents. lawrence and his wife lisa fell in love with Wilson and they want you to as well. they are creating something extraordinary out of something very ordinary, located out in the middle of nowhere.

His roots run deep in the region. as a young boy, a bit further up the road, lawrence farmed along side his father, the late gaylon lawrence sr., near the bootheel of missouri. now, lawrence comes back to town often, keeping a close relationship with it and the folks that have been entrusted to him.

He frequently flies into Wilson on his private plane from his home in nashville, his napa vineyard, or his orchard in Florida. “Wilson is a Delta town with a storied past and exciting future. there is a tremendous amount of enthusiasm and energy in the town as we look to make Wilson a destination for travelers as well as a place that people want to relocate to and live a healthy, 58 | september/october 2020

Chef Roberto Barth brings his exceptional culinary skills to the Wilson Cafe.

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community-oriented lifestyle they cannot get anywhere else,” said lawrence.

Just in time for lunch, lawrence pulls up a chair with friends at the Wilson Café. He enjoys the steak. His meal is prepared by award-winning chef roberto barth, formerly lawrence’s private chef. lawrence liked his food so much that now barth has become head chef at the café. it is open seven days a week and recently extended the hours to include a lateevening happy hour. norbert mede, a wine aficionado and hospitality industry veteran was recruited by lawrence. He coaxed mede off his Weekly tastings and sailboat in mendocino, in northern other wine-related events california wine country, to come and with Norbert Mede, will be part of the Wilson craft the Wilson experience. as mede concentrates on the aesthetics experience this fall. and town planning for the residents, he will also develop a sustainable luxury visitor experience.

“We want to increase the population and have people live where they work,” says mede. “if we do it right, Wilson will thrive long into the future” mede says. “lawrence has invested a considerable amount to make this vision come true. there is more than just money behind what he is trying to accomplish. there is leadership, direction, and persistence.”

He and his wife lisa are both hands on. “they are a great team.” they want to catch your eye, pique your interest and then show you some southern hospitality. they want you to come on into their town and to stay a while. if this modest little tudor-style boutique town didn’t stand out so much, there’s a good chance you might just miss it while driving through the cotton fields on U.s. 61.

Just forty-five minutes away from memphis, Wilson has the café, a grocery, pharmacy, bank, museum, library, private school and a couple of upscale shops. the town of Wilson is just a few miles from the mississippi river. eastern arkansas is known for its world-class duck hunting because it’s on the mississippi Flyway, which is a major migration corridor for waterfowl. local guided hunts are being planned for this year’s hunting season.

Tom Beckbe, an exclusive men’s sporting apparel store on the town square, opened its first and only retail store here. they carry beautiful fine leather goods and classic american hunting items and apparel.

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a walk through the park and across the great river road is White’s Mercantile, a fun general store with a southern flavor and a little something for everyone. singer-songwriter Holly Williams, daughter of country legend Hank Williams Jr. and granddaughter of Hank Williams sr. wanted to create a nostalgic shopping experience when she came up with the idea for the store. a lovely local flower farmer, Jill Forrester, rules the roost at the Wilson Farmers Market in the grange. the Grange is an Flower farmer Jill Forrester agricultural-based meeting hall on offers flower-arranging classes the other side of the bnsF railroad at the Grange Farmer’s Market. track that cuts through town. Jill can frequently be found farming in a skirt, her hair braided underneath a worn straw hat, cutting the perfect seasonal flower bouquets for the farmers market, which is open each Wednesday.

Jill has had a life-long love affair with flowers. she is currently offering flower-arranging classes. before class she invites the guests to first meander through the hundreds of blossoms dotting the field outside of the grange. she is planning future “you pick” flower events. into the fall there will be a pumpkin patch and a turkey trot run on thanksgiving. Jill will offer a christmas wreath-making class. there will also be a brunch with santa before the holiday. chickens can be found scratching around behind the fields of flowers. the fresh eggs, food and flowers grown at the grange will be used in a six-course dinner with thematic décor, to be held once a month through the end of the year. a romantic farm to table dinner, serving as many as fifty people, will be served under the october 2nd Harvest moon; a “be thankful” dinner will be served in november and “christmas in europe” will be the theme of a progressive dinner during the holidays. each week, mede will be showing off his skills with wine tastings 62 | september/october 2020

Native American artifacts at the Hampson Archeological Museum.

and various pop-up wine-related events, occasionally featuring wines from Heitz Wine cellars, one of napa Valley’s top wineries, owned by lawrence.

For those who want to spend the night, a boutique hotel is being constructed with plans to open in spring of 2021. For now, a few airbnbs are listed on the Wilson website. if you are looking to relax and be nurtured, a spa is also in the works. Until then, you can find an aesthetician ready to pamper your skin upstairs in the grange. as it expands, the town will build a botanical garden, host more weddings, cooking classes and lectures. the pandemic has made planning music events difficult. post coViD-19, the idea is to have a continuous music series with several major concerts a year. an old local theater on the square is being restored to host smaller concerts and movies. it will also become a venue for other entertainment and events. this area is home to a significant native american archeological site. the Hampson Archeological Museum is in Downtown Wilson. many artifacts found in the area are on display.

For those who want to explore the countryside the childhood home of Johnny cash is just fourteen miles from here in Dyess and is open for tours.

Just south of town is a concrete gate, the only vestige of a german poW (prisoner of war) camp, where prisoners were paid eighty cents an hour as farm laborers during World War ii. the Wilson agricultural story was revolutionary; “boss lee” had a unique vision for this land, as does lawrence.

“When we look at where Wilson is going, we need to look a bit to the past and what made Wilson the place to be back then. Wilson is innovative, authentic and vibrant. We are looking to make Wilson an example of how you can revive and enhance a small Delta town, to be cutting edge and grow when so many small towns are in decline. Wilson’s future is about sustained commitment and a quality of life” said lawrence.

Future plans are unfolding daily for this budding boondocks. a haven is emerging. people from all walks of life have come together to imagine the endless possibilities: to give a small rural arkansas community hope—to create a retreat out of what was once swampland. they all have one thing in common—they all share the dream. DM Delta magazine 2020

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64 | september/october 2020

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From a

REBEL to a YANKEE

All-American Quarterback Jake Gibbs went on to be a standout in Major Leagues— along the way he became known as one of Mississippi’s greatest athletes

PHOTOS COURTESY OF AL POVALL

BY AL POVALL

66 | september/october 2020

m

ississippi is a small state with fewer than three million people, yet it has produced—and continues to produce—a legion of legendary athletes, among them Bruiser Kinard, Charlie Conerly, Walter Payton, Jerry Rice, Lance Alworth, Archie Manning, Brett Favre, Steve McNair, and Boo Ferris. Indeed, on a per capita basis, Mississippi ranks fifth in the number of NFL players it has produced. but, its greatest athlete did not play in the nFl, although he could have. He instead chose to play major league baseball and he played it for seven golden years with the new York Yankees, the Yankees of, among others, mickey mantle, Yogi berra, Whitey Ford, and roger maris. before that he was an all-american quarterback at ole miss in 1960 and an all-american third baseman for the rebels in 1960 and 1961. He was number three in voting for the Heisman trophy in 1960 and is rated the eighth best college quarterback of all time. He is a member of both the college Football Hall of Fame and the mississippi sports Hall of Fame. When he retired from major league baseball to return home as the ole miss baseball coach, the Yankees held a special day in his honor, an event reserved for only the greatest members of the Yankees pantheon of baseball greats. He is Jake gibbs, and he is mississippi’s greatest athlete. this is his story. “i was born on november 7, 1938, in elliott, mississippi, a few miles south of grenada. When i was three and the war started, the government took our property to be a part of camp mccain, and we moved out on Highway 8, a few miles east of grenada, into a house that my father built. my mother was a morgan, and elliott was overrun with morgans, so i spent large parts of my summers with my grandmother and my morgan cousins at elliott. grandmother Hattie dipped snuff, and when i would go to see her, i would first go

Jake and Patricia Monteith, Homecoming, Grenada, 1956. Jake and Patricia were married over fifty years. He lost her in 2012.

to Worsham’s store and buy her a can of snuff. i would also buy a bag of old north state tobacco, which contained its own packet of cigarette papers. i couldn’t afford prince albert in that red can, so i would take the snuff and the tobacco and go down to elliott and sit on my grandmother’s front porch, and while she dipped, i would roll my own cigarettes and smoke. i was only six years old, but i could roll ‘em so good they looked like they had come ready-rolled. it didn’t take me but one lick to get the ends of the paper to stick together. no one ever told my parents about my smoking. i think all those morgans thought it was cute.” in the second grade, a boy named charlie Ferrill moved to grenada, and the first day at recess he saw “a little bitty blackheaded boy” running up and down the playground laughing and running with a football. “Who’s that?” he asked a boy standing next to him. “Why that’s Jake gibbs” the boy said. “can’t nobody catch Jake gibbs.”

Highway 8 was the center of Jake’s boyhood universe, and it was there, with his mostly older friends—the “Highway 8 boys”—that he learned to play baseball. He learned not just how to play, but to love and respect the game, two traits that he would carry with him as guiding principles for life. “i started on the high school baseball team at second base when i was in the seventh grade, but i didn’t start playing any form of organized football until i was in the ninth grade. i actually wasn’t that much of a

football fan when i was younger, but in 1951, i went down to ray Freeman’s house, and we were pitching the ball out in the yard when his mother came out and said, ‘Y’all come on in. ole miss and state are about to kick off.’ she was a diehard ole miss fan. so we went in there and the first thing i knew somebody from ole miss named showboat boykin scored. then, he scored again. and again. seven times he scored. all on the same play. i would later learn that it was fortyeight trap, right up the middle. that’s what first got my attention about ole miss. then, the next year ole miss upset number one ranked maryland in oxford, and i really began to be interested in ole miss football.”

Jake didn’t play much football as a grenada freshman, but his sophomore year brought more playing time and an injury that almost ended his football career. “i broke my nose and had double vision for six weeks. it cut my nose wide open, and i had two black eyes and i left the field throwing up blood. i was sick as a dog, and they operated on it about twenty-five minutes and then Daddy said, ‘i’ll pay you $50 if you never play football again. You just play baseball.’ my english teacher had put me on the front row and so after busting my nose, the only way i could see her was to tuck my head and look up over my nose at her, and it worried the fire out of her. so, she said, ‘Jake, you need to go to the back of the class.’ i guess she didn’t want to have to look at me.”

Jake started at quarterback his junior and Delta magazine 2020

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senior years, and by then he had begun to attract attention from colleges for both baseball and football. tennessee called and wanted to make him into a triple-threat tailback, but when they told him they were in Knoxville, about four hundred miles from grenada, Jake said that was too far away and not to call anymore. paul gregory, the mississippi state baseball coach, offered him a full baseball scholarship, but Jake had already decided that he wanted to play football, and if he was going to play college football, he was going to play for coach John Vaught at ole miss. buster poole, who recruited the grenada area for ole miss, offered him a full scholarship for football and agreed that the school would honor it even if Jake got hurt and couldn’t play football but could still play baseball.

Jake was five feet, ten inches tall and weighed about 160 pounds when he arrived at ole miss. When the freshmen first scrimmaged against the varsity, Jake was a defensive back, and he looked up to see “mama” Hurst—so named by coach Wobble Davidson because of the size of his breasts—the first team fullback, roaring like the city of new orleans through a hole in the defensive line. “i looked up and saw mama—all 235 pounds of him—running hard and low to the ground and coming straight at me. and i thought, where’s my line, where’re my linebackers? Let him trip. Let him fall. Hell, just let anything happen so I don’t have to tackle him. but none of that

Gibbs was named All-American Quarterback in 1960.

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Photo of Jake while passing against Louisiana State University.

happened, and in that flicker of a moment, i just put everything out of my mind and did as i had been trained to do and put my head down and hit him with my shoulder around the waist. When all was said and done, i was down around his ankles, but i had made the tackle, and i had gotten him on the ground. and that got the nervousness out, and after that it was just football.”

Jake would go on to play three years of varsity ball at ole miss. His junior year he was the second team quarterback behind bobby ray “Waxy” Franklin from clarksdale. Franklin, however, got hurt in the second game, and although coach Vaught would continue to start Franklin, a senior, Jake got most of the snaps and as a second team quarterback would lead the sec in total offense and be named secondteam all sec behind Fran tarkenton of georgia. the 1959 ole miss team—the sec “team of the Decade” and the number three best team in history according to the sagarin ratings—was named national champion in multiple polls. the next year, 1960, ole miss went undefeated, won the sec, and was again named national champion in a number of polls. Jake was a consensus all-sec and all-american at quarterback that year. one memory stands out from the 1959 season, and it is a memory that still haunts not only Jake but the entire 1959 team, and it still haunts a large portion of the ole miss alumni base: the “it” is cannon’s run game.

Jake explains, “coach Vaught had put in a drop-back pass for that game, and charlie Flowers—an all-american fullback—was supposed to block the lsU end out, and it

would create a gap for me to run through.

Well, charlie wasn’t blocking him, and i said, ‘charlie, dammit, you gotta block that end.’ He said, ‘i’m doing everything i can, but that sob is wearing my ass out. Don’t call that play anymore.’ so then a series later, i called another pocket pass, and i said, ‘guys, i’ve gotta have some more time.’ and richard price, our left guard, looks up at me and says, ‘Jake, i got my hands full. it’s every man for himself.’ and that’s the god’s truth.”

Well, after that everyone knows the story. Jake punted for the “coffin corner,” but the ball didn’t have the right angle, and it bounced up into cannon’s hands. “lsU had a rule that they didn’t field a punt inside the fifteen-yard line, but the ball bounced crazy, and cannon caught it. the lsU coach, paul Dietzel, later said that he was hollering “Don’t catch it! Don’t catch it.” then cannon took off and Dietzel was hollering, “run! run!” and he did, right into college football lore and legend. lsU won seven to three. but, it was baseball that Jake truly loved, and he played it at ole miss well enough to earn all-american honors in both his junior and his senior years. He hit .404 his sophomore year and .424 his junior year, and in the summer of 1960, John mcHale, general manager of the milwaukee braves, came to grenada to meet with Jake and his parents. mcHale offered Jake $100,000 to sign with the braves, but gibbs told him that he had made a commitment to ole miss to play football and to his mother to get a college degree and that he was going to honor both commitments. “that was a helluva lot of money, i gotta tell you,” he

Gibbs with Mickey Mantle and Ralph Houk.

says, “but i felt like going back for my senior year was the right thing to do.” that fall of 1960, playing against tulane in the old sugar bowl stadium in new orleans, Jake rolled out right. His right tackle “did one of those ‘lookout’ blocks”— he said “look out” to Jake—and tulane’s left tackle roared in and hit Jake and drove his right shoulder into the ground. “i said, ‘good godamighty; he’s torn my shoulder up.’ Hell, i couldn’t even move my arm, and as i went to the sideline, i looked up and i could see those dollar bills flying out of the stadium, and i could hear John mcHale saying, ‘i tried to give it to you, but you wouldn’t take it.’ then, i got Doc Knight to rub some of that atomic balm on it and massage it some, and some of the feeling came back so i went up to coach Vaught and said i’m ready, and he put me back in.

Well, the first play i called was a rollout right, and i rolled out and threw it about twelve yards to Johnny brewer, and my arm was fine. i didn’t see those dollar bills fly back into the stadium, but i guess they did because the Yankees signed me for $100,000 the next spring.” the 1961 new York Yankees team was, like the 1959 ole miss football team, one of the greatest teams of all time, perhaps the greatest of all time. these were the Yankees of mickey mantle, roger maris, Yogi berra, moose skowron, bobby richardson, tony Kubek, clete boyer, Whitey Ford, John blanchard, elston Howard, and ralph terry. they were the Yankee team that hit 240 home runs and won 109 games and won the World series over cincinnati four games to one. “i have a lot of wonderful memories of my time with the Yankees,” Jake says, “but nothing matches that first day. i had signed with the Yankees in

Jake and Ralph Houk arguing with umpire Larry Napp.

grenada, and the next day the Yankees general manager, roy Hamey, and i flew up to new York and then drove out to Yankee stadium. i walked into that Yankee locker room and here comes mickey over to meet me and there’s Yogi and moose and clete boyer. they were all wearing pin stripes, and there were reporters there waiting to interview me, so they took a picture of me and mickey and the manager, ralph Houk.”

Jake’s pinstriped uniform was awaiting him in a locker. He looked at it and said, “Holy mackerel. i’ve got a Yankee uniform.”

“

I have a lot of wonderful memories of time with the Yankees, but nothing matches that first day.” and, then he dressed and walked out of the locker room into the dugout and looked out at the stadium and the field and said, “godamighty, is this true?” a few days after his arrival in new York, the Yankees boarded a train for their next series, which was in boston. Jake was wearing argyle socks that he had bought at carl coer’s on campus, and mantle took one look at those socks and said, “Hey Jake, you got a lot of rattlesnakes in mississippi?”

Jake told him that mississippi did indeed have rattlesnakes. “Well, we don’t have ‘em up here, so you can take those damn socks

off.” a little later, Jake and John blanchard went to the club car for lunch. after they finished the meal, the waitress asked if they wanted dessert. blanchard said he would have the apple pie a la mode, and the waitress asked Jake what he wanted. He answered, “i’ll have the apple pie a la mode and put a little ice cream on it.” Jake said that blanchard jumped up and took off and ran back to the Yankees’ train car to tell them what Jake had said.

Jake joined the Yankees’ richmond, Virginia, triple a club in the summer of 1961, and he would play there four years, bouncing back and forth several times between richmond and the Yankees. in 1963, the Yankees moved Jake to catcher, and in 1965, after several years of frustration in the minors battling catcher-related injuries and the difficult grind that is minor league baseball, Jake finally made it back to new York, where he would play seven years until his retirement on september 21, 1971.

“When i got up there, mickey was still going strong. He had bad knees, and they hurt him all the time. He was still switchhitting, but once the legs go, your body goes, so he retired after the ‘68 season.”

Jake says of Yogi berra, “Yogi was a great guy. He was funny but not because he tried.

He kind of mumbled a little bit, but he was a lot smarter than everyone thought. He signed up with Yoo Hoo chocolate drink and made a ton of money. When i signed in ‘61, he wasn’t catching that much. they had him playing left field, and the pitchers didn’t want him out there. He was a catcher—he had been one of the best ever—not an outfielder.”

With the Yankees Jake caught some of the greats. “Whitey Ford and mel stottlemeyer were two of the best. Whitey Delta magazine 2020

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Photo with Yogi Berra.

Photo of Gibbs being honored by the Yankees at Jake Gibbs Day.

could put it wherever you wanted it. because he had such good control, the umps would give him a strike when the pitch was an inch or two off the plate. With mel, it was all sinkerballs. that’s the way he made his living. i’d tell the ump before mel started: ‘We don’t want the high strike tonight. We want the low one.’ and he’d usually give it to us.” in a memorable incident, Harmon Killebrew, the great minnesota twin homerun hitter, tried to score from third, and Jake tagged him out. the umpire, larry napp, called Killebrew safe. Jake exploded, as did the Yankees’ manager ralph Houk. after the game, as the Yankees were boarding their bus to the hotel, Houk saw Killebrew and went up to him. “Harmon,” Houk said, “Were you really safe at home?”

Killebrew grinned, “Hell, ralph, i ain’t touched home plate yet.”

Jake’s second great memory with the Yankees was when he retired, and they gave him a “Jake gibbs Day” at Yankee stadium, a high honor reserved for only the stars like mantle and berra going back to the first one who had his “day,” lou gehrig. Jake says, “it was september 22, 1971. no one knows why they would give a lifetime .231 hitter a day. i wasn’t even a regular catcher. i was a backup. i don’t know how they chose me, but it was one of the highest honors of my life, right up there with the day they gave me in grenada back in ‘61 when i finished at ole miss. i had to make a talk. there were so many who had great careers there who didn’t get a day. moose skowron never got one. He had over a thousand rbis and didn’t get a day.”

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Years later, Jake was in new York with Warner alford, and the two shared a cab.

Warner asked the cab driver, “You remember a Yankee catcher named Jake gibbs?” the driver answered, “Yeah, i remember gibbs. He was a good catcher but he couldn’t hit worth a damn.” Warner said, “Well, he’s sitting right next to you,” and Warner howled. then, Jake and his family came home. billy Kinard had succeeded John Vaught as the ole miss football coach, and he wanted Jake to take tom swayze’s place as the chief football recruiter, but Jake told the athletic director, bruiser Kinard, “i can’t get out of the game. i’m not going to leave the game. if i can’t have the baseball job too, you can call somebody else. i just can’t leave the game. i love it too much.” that was the same love that led him to bargain with buster poole for the ability to continue to play baseball in the event that an injury prevented him from playing football at ole miss. it was the same love that led him to choose pro baseball over pro football when he graduated from ole miss and was drafted by both Houston of the aFl and cleveland of the nFl. it was the same love that would guide him as the ole miss baseball coach, and it was the same love that he would instill in his players and later in those men who would attend his fantasy camps. that love was, in short, Jake’s guiding star.

Jake met with his team before the 1972 season and told them, “i’m going to treat you like a man and i expect you to conduct yourself as a man. if you want to be treated like a boy, i can do that. but, i expect you to be a man because you are up here at ole miss and you are a young man. and, i expect that of you on and off the field. now, if you can’t do that, we are going to have a problem.” and, then he came the core of his message: “i want you to come out here and love the game, respect the game, have a

Jake with Mickey Mantle and Whitey Ford.

good time playing the game. there is no pressure. Just have fun like you did in little league. that’s the way the game is played.” that first year he took the team to the college World series in omaha. “i didn’t check a room that whole year,” he says. “no bed checks. We didn’t have it, and we didn’t have any problems.” later, in 1977, one of Jake’s players was bart boykin from Hollandale, a walk-on freshman. Jake says, “early in the season, i was working with the infielders on footwork and blue—that’s what we called bart—said, ‘coach, i can catch, too.’ i said, “Well, get your little ass back there and put on the catcher’s equipment and let me take a look at you. so he ended up catching for us, and the day we beat Florida to win the sec, bart was our catcher. in 1980 he made all sec. bart was a gamer. Unfortunately, bart was killed in a robbery in December of 2018 in Hollandale. i spoke at his funeral, one of the toughest things i’ve ever had to do.”

Jake stepped down as the ole miss baseball coach in 1990 after nineteen years of coaching the rebels. subsequently, he coached a Yankees minor league team in Florida—baseball Hall of Fame members Derek Jeter and mariano rivera were two of his players—and in 1993 he coached the Yankees catchers in new York. since then he has participated in many Yankees fantasy camps with former players like moose skowron, Whitey Ford, Don “perfect game” larson, and Yogi berra.

His fantasy camp “players” love him because he loves them and because, most of all, he loves the game. that love is the polar star that has guided him since his boyhood back on Highway 8, and it is what made him a two-time all-american at ole miss and a new York Yankee who got his own “day” at Yankee stadium. For in the end, after all else is said and done, what higher compliment is there for a baseball player than to say that he loved and respected the game? DM

HOMES

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When the Goodes opened up the space between the kitchen and original dining room, stained rustic beams were brought in to provide the necessary support and add architectural detail.

Goode A

HOME

Lived-in, well-loved, and now updated this home is ready for fall, family and friends

BY ERICA EASON HALL • PHOTOGRAPHY BY GREG CAMPBELL

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The large front porch of the Goode home begs you to sit, rock and stay awhile.

IN THE SPRING OF 2018, Gary and Kathy Goode were ready for a change. The couple had lived in their home since 1997 and decided that it was time to make a major transformation to the home where they had raised their three children, Trey, Martha Katharine and Anna Douglas. The Goodes had enjoyed the house as it was for twenty one years, but they were ready to give it a fresh open feel for entertaining friends and their adult children when they came home to visit.

Kathy was in love with the property since the very beginning. in fact, she first noticed the property when she was just a young girl traveling from her home town of tunica to marks, to visit her grandmother. set in the middle of a sprawling pecan orchard outside of clarksdale on Highway 6 with a long tree-lined driveway, the white house was idyllic. the family who built and occupied the house at the time had their name painted on the mailbox, “ritcH”. she laughs now, remembering that as a young

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child, peering out the window of the car at the mailbox, she thought to herself “rich people must live there.” so it seemed like fate when it became available in 1997 and Kathy could make it a home for her very own family. the home’s history began with Horace and nancy ritch who built it in 1956. the ritch’s had texas architect James butler mcgee Jr. (a relative of nancy’s) draw the plans.

Horace was a scotsman and nancy was american. Horace ritch was a cousin to Horace allen with whom he planted

Above, the family’s Westies Lyla and Molly nap on the plush slipcovered sofa. At left, the sliding pantry doors were sourced on an antique buying trip to Louisiana. Right, the front door opens to a grand hall that extends to the back of the home.

cotton for a number of years in the area. the original design of the first floor included a great hall that stretched from front door to back terrace (which remains to this day), with a formal dining room, butler’s pantry, kitchen and library all to the right of the hall. each of these spaces were originally separated by walls. gary and Kathy called on local interior designer rachel cirilli who is known for her spacial planning and kitchen and bath renovations. cirilli gave the goodes three options for opening up the rooms ranging from the minimal yet effective use of large cased

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The kitchen trim and cabinetry is painted in Sherwin Williams’ Alabaster.

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openings to a dramatically different open floor plan. they went with the most impactful option of a wide-open floor plan. this plan meant taking down three major walls and adding large milky stained beams for stability and structure. this large-scale renovation project took six months to complete.

“We set the master bedroom up like an apartment during the renovation, and lived out of a dorm refrigerator, coffee maker, and microwave, but hey, we made it work!” cirilli chose a singular paint color and trim to go throughout giving the space a cohesive feel. the creamy white wall and trim color would be warmly contrasted by stained coffee nook,

The table is set with china and glassware available at Magpie Gift & Art in Clarksdale. Below, homeowner Gary’s more masculine corner of the bar area is complete with a levee donkey, exposed brick and bourbon.

expansive butcher block island, antique brick backsplash, hardwood and brick floors. there were plans to give the library wood-paneled walls a more updated wood finish. but the painters primed them (white) by accident. to correct the mistake, cirilli asked them to sand them back to the original wood. she watched as they began working, and then she asked them to stop. they were unintentionally creating a textured look that would become the final finish. the goodes agreed that it was a perfect mix with the warm wood tones peeking through the white wash, proving that in life and many times in design, mistakes can be wonderful opportunities!

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Jogging Path by Sherwin Williams was used as the unifying wall color throughout the open space.

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one of cirilli’s favorite changes of the project was changing the windows from the traditional nine over nine panes, to double hung single pane glasses. this design detail worked for both form and function because the family beagle, ace, had developed a “taste� for the woodwork on the original lower panes. the new single pane windows stretch to the floor creating a seamless view to the front and back yards. the pecan trees that surround the house on all sides were originally planted in stages by the ritch family as functional landscaping for the large rural property, starting with the front orchard, then back orchard and finally the side orchard. the goodes continue to maintain and harvest the pecans to date with randy Hardin of arkansas overseeing the endeavor. the same year the goodes began their renovation, Kathy made another big decision. With children grown and gone, Kathy decided

Works by local artist are hung throught the house. Left to right, top row, Hayden Richard Hall, Hayden G. Hall, bottom row, Harris Fyfe, and Hayden G. Hall.

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WONDERFUL MIMOSAS a signature staple at the goode home— especially for fall weekends when friends and family are home. amaretto gives these a wonderful seasonal flair. ½ gallon pineapple-orange juice concentrate ½ cup sugar 2 cups Amaretto 2 bottles champagne, chilled blend concentrate with water, according to directions. (Kathy mixes concentrate in blender for a better consistency.) in a large container, combine all ingredients except champagne. Freeze mixture. it will freeze to a relatively firm consistency, but still able to be scooped. to serve, spoon mixture into individual flutes or glasses and top with chilled champagne.

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design details

ACHIEVE THE LOOK

❖ Locally grown flowers and greenery were used in all the floral arrangements throughout the house. ❖ The stunning arrangement on the bar is simply made of magnolia, limelight hydrangeas and sunflower pods, set off by a fresh white container. sunflower petals are losing their quality, pluck T IP: When them off and use the pod head in arrangements. ❖ Lining the dining table are casual arrangements of Sedum, coneflower, Black-eyed Susans, celosia, Queen Anne’s Lace and Rex Begonia leaves in low glass containers.

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Furnished with antiques, the home’s spacious hall divides the public private living spaces.

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to purchase the magpie gift & art shop in downtown clarksdale, which specializes in tabletop and home decor items. Her newly renovated home serves as a perfect testing ground for items that she can now personally recommend to her clientele.

Her dining table is set with gold rimmed acrylic chargers, Juliska fall plates, gilt salad bowls, and rust colored napkins held by glass cube napkin rings—all of which can be found at magpie. she mixes vintage amber wine glasses with gold honeycomb water glasses. the centerpiece consists of three small cut flower arrangements mixed with antlers and lime green reindeer moss spread down the length of the table. the beautiful custom window drapery goode hung throughout the new space was ordered through magpie, as well as the versatile white linen slip covered sofa and swivel chairs. she explains these slip covered pieces are perfect for families with children and pets and that you can simply unzip and remove all the pieces, throw them in

the washer and dryer and add them back. many of the home decor accessories such as lamps, mirrors and side tables seen in the goode’s home may also be purchased through magpie. avid supporters of local artists, many stunning pieces adorn their interiors of the home including works by Harris Fyfe, taylor Knight and both Hayden sr. and Hayden g. Hall. renovations are hard to live through, but when the final result so clearly reaches all the original goals, the hard work is worth it. this is certainly true for the goodes. although they enjoyed sharing their home with others for over twenty years, the newly open and comfortable space makes entertaining even more comfortable and enjoyable. in fact last year, the family began what they hope will become an annual tradition, hosting a dove hunt the second week in september for their family and closest friends—a perfect way to celebrate fall. Here’s to another twenty years! DM

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ARebellious Renaissance THE RETURN OF WALLPAPER

A

fter years of the ubiquitous grays, whites, and neutrals that have safely blanketed our walls—wallpaper is roaring back into fashion. Don’t get me wrong—i just painted my own kitchen white and love how crisp and fresh it feels. but i’m dying to paper a wall in my neutral entryway. i want something that will really make an impact. something fun. i’m ready to embrace this trend that offers an easy way to add a pop of color, pattern and polish, at least in doses. a quick glance at social media will confirm wallpaper’s newfound popularity—and local interior designers agree. Here mississippi designers share their thoughts about the resurging trend and examples of some of their favorite installs. – CC

“

To me, wallpaper is like putting on a pair of fabulous earrings to complete your look. It can literally make a space!” ~ ALLYSON DUCKWORTH, Owner of Pearly Peacock Design, Oxford Betsey Mosby, Betsey Mosby Interior Design — @betseymosbyinteriors

Living Room

Allyson Duckworth, Pearly Peacock Design — @pearlypeacockdesign

Wet Bar

Mary Claire Cumbaa, Cumbaa Design Co. — @cumbaadesignco

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Powder Room

“

Wallpaper is the comeback story of 2020. A new generation that has no previous assumptions about wallpaper sees it as a way to ultimately customize a space, whether it’s a large or small area. I’m seeing more and more clients who are willing to change and update more frequently; and wallpaper provides an easy way to do this.” ~ MARY CLAIRE CUMBAA, Cumbaa Design Co.

This bold cheetah print paper packs a punch in a small powder room from a favorite Delta Magazine feature.

Mary Claire Cumbaa, Cumbaa Design Co. — @cumbaadesignco

“

Teen Bedr oom

Nurser y

We love using wallpaper to create jewel box little spaces that pop! It’s fun to use bright and colorful papers in small spaces to make an impact and add character to your home.”

Dawn Thomas, After Five Designs — @afterfivedesigns

~ BETSEY MOSBY, Betsey Mosby Interior Design, Jackson Betsey Mosby, Betsey Mosby Interior Design — @betseymosbyinteriors

“

My job is to take my client’s ideas and inspiration and turn it into reality. I find that wallpaper helps make that happen because it sets the tone in your space and is the backdrop for all the other details.” ~ DAWN THOMAS, After Five Designs, Brandon

Conference Room

Guest Bathroom Allyson Duckworth, Pearly Peacock Design — @pearlypeacockdesign

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★ ★ ★

Delta Magazine’s

★ ★ ★

2020

OUTDOOR

and

HUNTING GUIDE

INSIDE

Back to Basics with Recurve bows, page 88 Legendary Taxidermist Trustin Hicks, page 98 Josh Raggio’s Custom Duck Calls, page 106 The Presswood Ugly Duck Boat, page 114 Delta Dog Photo Contest Winners, page 122

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TIMOTHY IVY

Joey Buchanan, along with many other Mississippi Delta hunters, has returned to using old-school recurve bows.

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Back to Basics TRADITIONAL BOWS Keep Hunters Tuned In

BY MARK STOWERS

echnology has invaded every business, sport and hobby with the intention of making something better, stronger and faster and easier to use.

But, sometimes that technology takes the participant out of the mix when it comes to repairs and improvement. When compound bows became the rage decades ago, hunters jumped in with both feet. Joey Buchanan was one of those, but when it came time for some simple repairs, he found the technology was a bite in the wallet to keep up with. That’s when he decided that he’d learn how to make his own bow and that sparked a deeper passion for bow hunting.

“I started making my own bows and started networking,” says Buchanan. “I saw more folks coming into the sport who were tired of the advancement of the technology.

They felt like it wasn’t hunting anymore.”

The traditional bow hunting “fever” and back to basics format also caught the fancy of Delta hunters Richard Powell and John Agostinelli.

Traditional bow hunting can include one of three different bows—a recurve, a longbow (think Robin Hood) and a primitive bow. Buchanan noted that in the late 1980s, Mississippi had a strong bowhunting organization, but has since waned. In the late 1970s, Indianola was in the running for the relocation of bowhunting legend Fred Bear’s, Bear Archery Manufacturing. Buchanan, who

T

grew up in Indianola remembers wearing his Boy Scout uniform in a parade in Bear’s honor to bring his company there. The company decided to move to Gainesville, Florida where it still remains.

The appeal of traditional equipment includes cost, actually being able to watch the arrow (the speed is half that of a modern day compound bow) and hunters can work on their own equipment.

“It’s so easy to get into it,” says Buchanan. “Though it is challenging. The effective range is twenty yards and closer, so you have to change your whole style of hunting. Instead of a shot at thirty to forty yards, we have to be on the money.”

John Agostinelli in Clarksdale had been a “compound man” for years, but when his compound bow needed a repair six years ago, the shop had to order the hundred dollar part and said it would take two weeks for it to arrive. He picked up a recurve bow while there for $130, and threw in some arrows to get him through the season.

“I never picked my compound bow back up again,” he says. “I killed a deer with the recurve and kept getting pulled more into traditional bows.”

He bought a longbow and continued his traditional bow hunting journey and even brought down trophy deer. But, he wasn’t satisfied and he decided to try and build his own.

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AUSTIN BRITT

John Agostinelli has honed his craft, producing his own recurve bows.

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“two years ago, i barely got one made before deer season and i had the best time of my life. there were a lot of hogs around the levee and there’s no telling how many i shot,” he says. “i managed to kill three deer that year. then, last year i thought i knew what i was doing and made a couple of bows and i had the worst year ever.” agostinelli has created more than thirty bows over the years and wishes he had made the switch earlier in his hunting career. He does note that traditional bow hunters spend a lot of time practicing and honing their shot.

“You have to shoot it all the time to have any hopes of hitting something,” he says.

Different woods can be used to create a traditional bow such as pecan, maple, osage, persimmon, Hickory and several others. “i made a lot out of them out of elm, but now i like Hickory,” says agostinelli. “it takes a long time because you have to dry out the wood.” buchanan spends about sixty hours to create a bow from scratch. His first one was a one-piece recurve crafted from locust wood. “i got the plans from a company called

arrows combined with higher quality steel broadheads give the hunter more power to bring down larger animals such as a cape buffalo and large feral hogs. “cedar is a popular wood shaft and now we have carbon which is a superior material to make arrows out of,” says buchanan. and, we have forged, stainless steel broadheads. our equipment is so much stronger. it’s the same poundage on the bow just different, heavier arrows. the average speed of an arrow is 175 feet per second while a compound arrow is 300 feet per second. that’s why we use a heavier arrow, so it’s based on momentum.” richard powell spends a lot of time on the road with his job and with kids at home hasn’t had time to create a traditional bow, but he enjoys using them. “i’ve bought mine from guys who build them across the country,” says powell. “i’ve made some arrows.” powell started out with a compound bow in the 1970s and then caught the traditional bow fever after seeing Fred bear AUSTIN BRITT

“a basic recurve range is probably 48inches as the shortest and 66-inches as the longest,” buchanan explained. “it’s based on your draw length. You can shoot anything in the spectrum, but a guy with a longer draw length needs a longer bow.”

He noted a 60-inch recurve “fits about

anybody and the longer the recurve, the more accurate it is.” the technology that traditional bow hunters are enjoying is with arrows and with the broadhead attached. carbon fiber

TIMOTHY IVY

bingham projects in Utah. their catch was ‘build Your own bow’. so, i called them,” he says. “now, i cut my own wood and i make them out of persimmon. i mill it, i dry it, i shape it and glue it up in my workshop and finish it all there. it takes me about sixty hours to make a bow.” buchanan also makes his own arrows using cane but he noted that mississippi used to have one of the last wooden arrow manufacturers in ripley. the arrows were made from magnolia wood. “i won the World championship and three southeastern traditional tournaments with those arrows,” he says. “in 1992, i couldn’t hit the side of a car, but two years later i won a championship. We enjoy practicing and tinkering with our equipment. it’s string and two pieces of wood. it’s challenging, but it makes you a better hunter.”

He’s also made longbows and “self bows”—bows made from a single piece of wood. traditional bows come in many sizes and are based on an archer’s “draw.”

Several recurve bows that Buchanan has built and collected over the years.

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AUSTIN BRITT

Richard Powell

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films and watching him on the American Sportsman tV show. “i saw those films and dreamed about those bows. in 1993, i killed the last deer with a compound bow,” he says.

He made the switch to traditional bows and hasn’t looked back. the financial planner does fletch (add the feather) his own arrows from shafts that he purchases. “i’ve got a 63-inch schafer silver tip recurve bow i bought third hand off the internet and it’s been the best bow i’ve ever owned,” says powell. “it’s 62 pounds at 28inch draw length. it shoots where you look and i feel confident with it.”

He also has a 60-pound black Widow bow and a morrison cheyenne. powell noted that “we use a lot of big heads and get a lot of pass through shots with the heavier arrows. With that mass of the arrow, i’ve gotten a lot of pass through shots with deer with my recurve.” it’s back to the basics with traditional bows that brings the hunter more in tune and in focus with bow hunting for Delta hunters. DM

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Tools of the Trade

PHOTO BY TIMOTHY IVY

On the field or in the woods, there are several essentials hunters must have to make their outings comfortable and successful. A weapon of choice is of course mandatory. But, by far, in the Mississippi Delta the second most important item is mosquito repellant. A small transistor radio to pick up the local football game comes in handy—and a couple of good cigars and a nice toddy are the perfect way to cap off the day. DM

THe ArT OF

Preserving WILDLIFE Trustin Hicks, one of the Delta’s first taxidermists

BY MARK STOWERS

here wasn’t a dead animal on earth the late Trustin Hicks couldn’t “bring back to life.”

The Shelby resident was a selftaught taxidermist whose work can still be seen in homes and businesses across the South.

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t.c. Hicks, trustin’s son, put in many hours assisting his father with his work when he began helping his father around 1950. “i started working for him back in high school,” says t.c. who is now a nurse at the hospital in clarksdale. “He was about the only taxidermist in the tri-state area of mississippi, arkansas and i’m not sure if it was tennessee or louisiana—but there weren’t very many. and, he started it as a part-time business.” a welder by trade working in the shipyards on the mississippi gulf coast during wartime, trustin needed an income until he found the next welding job. so, he came to the Delta where his wife’s parents lived in shelby and became a welder on high-pressure steam lines at the old mississippi power & light steam plant north of cleveland. However, that job soon came to an end as well.

While dabbling in taxidermy most of his life, trustin visited museums to study the mounted animals in order to pursue his interest.

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“He enjoyed going to the chicago museum of natural History, just hanging out there and learning all that he could,” t.c. explained. trustin’s part-time work soon got the attention of Delta hunters as well as others from all over and that allowed trustin to put down his welding torch. animals were shipped to his small taxidermy shop from all over the United states. business was good. However, in 1963, everything almost came to an end when the natureloving taxidermist came close to death when one of his “pets” bit him.

“He was bitten by his pet rattlesnake,” says t.c. “He was bitten in one of his veins as he was putting the snake up for hibernation. He was interlocking the flaps on the top of the box, but it popped open and scared the snake and he struck. at the time he was only the third person to ever live from a bite in the vein.”

With his father recovering, the then 13-year-old t.c. picked up the slack at the taxidermy shop. “at the beginning of the season we had taken in 40 deer heads, but by the end of the season we had taken in 140,” he explained. “so at thirteen years old i had to get in there and skin a hundred deer. that’s how i was introduced into the business.” t.c. continued his “apprenticeship”

Above, the late taxidermist Trustin Hicks in his Shelby shop. Right, holding one of his prized mounts; with son, T.C.

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during the summers and attended school the rest of the year. Working for his father also allowed him to pursue his musical passion as the drummer in several bands. (one of the bands t.c. played in for many years was the popular Delta band, the Krackerjacks). t.c. helped his father between gigs and school and in 1980 he joined him full-time in the taxidermy shop.

“He loved nature,” says t.c. “rocks, minerals, birds, snakes, insects. i can’t think of a time when someone asked him a question he didn’t have the answer. He was up on anything having to do with natural history.” the taxidermy shop in downtown shelby also functioned as a semi-museum as hundreds of arrowheads, rocks, assorted bird eggs, endangered birds (mounted before they were endangered), minerals, fossils and many more items were displayed that trustin had collected during his life. some people would even say the shop served as a back-woods counseling office for troubled teens.

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“my father had a chair that came from the old train depot in shelby where my grandfather had worked,” says t.c. “it was across from his work table and i wish i had fifty cents for every young kid that sat in it and watched my father work. it didn’t matter if they were hoodlums or who they were. He would talk to everyone about everything. a number of young guys would come in and spill their guts and he’d sit there and listen.” and, though trustin mounted everything from deer, to leopards, bears, big horn sheep and much more, his favorite was bringing waterfowl to life.

“He was famous for his duck mounts,” says t.c. “He was one of the few who would even mount ducks. most taxidermists don’t want to fool with them. but, he would do multiple bird mounts on a piece of driftwood.” and, the strangest mount? a bullfrog according to t.c. being in business for such a long time, trustin had animals and birds mounted in his shop that had become federally protected. the shop was a regular stop for boy scouts and civic groups who wanted to tour and learn more about natural history. trustin passed away in 2001. However, he will always be remembered for mounting animals and saving young lives as he worked miracles from both sides of the workbench in his taxidermy shop. DM

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Have Jeep, Will Hunt

PHOTO BY TIMOTHY IVY

Jeeps have helped change the world from being used in World Wars, to conquering much of the globe’s wilderness terrain. Long ago old Jeeps like this one were found in great numbers throughout the Delta. And they still come in pretty handy during hunting season. This restored beauty on the edge of a dove field is a welcome sight. DM

Raggio

CUSTOM CALLS Turning wood and building stories one call at a time

BY SHERRY LUCAS • PHOTOGRAPHY BY EDWARD WALL

OSH RAGGIO REACHES BACK FOR THAT EARLIEST MEMORY, where a skinny, wide-eyed ten-year-old discovers duck hunting with his dad at Delta National Forest. With no child-sized waders, the smallest adult pair had to do, rolled down and held up by his father’s braided leather belt at the waist. “He’d just cinch it up as tight as he could,” Raggio says, flashing a grin.

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“it’s amazing i still duck hunt. amazing,” he laughs. “because i froze to death. Had clothes that didn’t fit. i’d have eight pairs of socks on—cotton socks, not wool. like, you know, baseball socks with the old-style stripes? i’d have eight pairs of those on, to try to make my boots fit and stay warm. “but, i loved it.” and he still does, to the point where the singular focus of his one-man operation, raggio custom calls, is that moment in the wild, that connection between hunter and hunted. raggio’s best tool in that pursuit is a duck call fashioned by his own hands, of a quality that will endure for generations, tailored for just the way he likes it to sound.

He’s crafted about 1,500 calls, each one unique, since his 2013 start, and holds a stack of orders that will take him clear through next year. inquiries come in daily.

Fulfilling a dream raggio, 39, grew up in raymond and earned a

business degree from belhaven University.

He played baseball through college (“probably the only reason i went to college,” he quips), then started his own landscaping and small construction business after graduation. that was in the midst of the housing boom. two years later, with the 2007-08 financial crisis, “everything just ceased.” more than a decade at puckett machinery, in product support and then heavy machinery sales, followed. Valuable insights he gained on the job—“it was all relationships,” he says—serve him well in his own businesses. a personal goal served as its start, back in 2013. “i wanted to make myself a call to go hunt with. never planned on selling a duck call. never planned on making them,” aside from a few for his father and close friends. interacting with wildlife, using an instrument made with his own hands— that’d be the ultimate accomplishment. “i taught myself pretty much everything.” His first lathe? He didn’t even know how to turn it on. “i had zero woodworking background.”

He did have a background in duck calling, though, thanks to his father, ronnie, a competition duck caller. Josh learned how to blow a call early on (he’s also a competition caller), and inherited, too, a passion for its role. “my dad loves that interaction, just like i do,” with wildlife, in the wild. His mother, antoinette, gets credit for his creative streak.

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raggio lived just down the road at the time. He didn’t have a workshop, but he did have a carport, “so, it was super hot in summer and super cold in the winter. i was either swatting mosquitoes or had a heater blasting on me.”

He would work all day at his real job, then come home to master wood-turning. research and development on his tone board was a particular challenge. “it’d be midnight, and i’d be in my carport, filing and sanding on this piece of wood. File and sand, blow it. File and sand, blow it. but, i’d have to go get in my truck to blow it, because my newborn baby was inside. my wife was also inside, asleep. so, you can imagine me out in the garage, filing and sanding and sweating. oK, go get in the truck, close the door, blow it, well, dadgummit, i’ve got to do a little bit more. back and forth, back and forth.

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“it’s funny now. it was fun, then. i had such a passion to get it right—to produce this quality of sound and tone that my ear wanted to hear—that i was just hell-bent on getting it figured out.”

He developed his own tone board from scratch, and based off of it had a jig made.

He made his first duck call January 2014.

He immediately wanted to make another. then he started selling a few.

another score: his collaboration with leading outfitter Filson. since 2018, raggio has made duck calls for Filson, in cocobolo wood with a call bag made of tin cloth (supplied by Filson, and sewn by his mother). “our brands fit really well together— they stand for quality, handmade, just heirloom-type products,” raggio says.

Filson, along with Garden & Gun’s Fieldshop and Upperduck, are his only wholesale customers; everything else is direct through his shop/studio, within a stone’s throw of the home he shares with wife ann, daughter mcree, 8, and son Jett, 3.

Heirloom is a key word in raggio’s vocabulary, from the way he talks about the nuances of duck call craftsmanship to the way he proudly shows off his father’s hunting journals. “i shoot with a gun that my granddaddy would have hunted with,” he says of his .410 over/under shotgun, a special collaboration piece made with fellow craftsmen. “i hunt with handmade decoys.”

He pulls out a mallard decoy made by a friend in illinois. “it’s just all what you value and appreciate,” he says. the latest and newest?

He prefers the durable and the proven. raggio’s approach: Hang onto it. take care of it. build stories with it, and then pass it down to your kids, who will then build stories with it. “that’s the idea with my duck calls— creating heirlooms.”

Taking flight that first year, a guy using one of raggio’s calls placed in the top five in the World live Duck calling contest in easton, maryland. then, raggio custom calls was a runner-up in Garden & Gun magazine’s made in the south awards. “all of a sudden, i’m in business.” it hasn’t stopped since. He’s been at it fulltime for two years now.

An art to it raggio, a member of the prestigious craftsmen’s guild of mississippi for a time, views his calls as functional art. each one is made for hunting, and also embodies a unique, handcrafted appeal. Duck calls are musical instruments; a reed vibrates when air is presented, producing the distinctive sounds of a duck in the wild.

“He clearly has a gift on the artistry side,

Raggio displays several calls that highlight the grain of each type of wood and other custom details he incorporates, making each one unique.

and that definitely comes out in his work,” says stewart robinson of cleveland. He and cameron Dinkins operate esperanza outdoors at linden plantation, a premier duck hunting experience south of greenville. “We’re hunters before we’re collectors, and Josh is too—he just also happens to be a really cool artist.” robinson owns a couple of raggio calls, and breaks them out for special hunts. He’s also watched dozens of the custom calls come through their doors in recent years, as part of the package with corporate sponsors.

“With Josh, i feel like there’s always a story behind every call i’ve seen him make.” those prompt great conversations in the blind, and become part of the heritage that’s passed down. a $20 duck call from a big box store is made by machine, injection molded or a computer-programmed process. “i turn

everything by hand,” raggio says.

While other facilities might crank out 100,000 calls a year. raggio produces 400 to 500 in his one-man shop. His start at $400. He’s sold some for $5,000, he says, the price tag determined by the rarity of the wood used, band options, details such as a captive ring, and more. the custom part involves other preferences, too. Kind of volume? back pressure? Woods or fields? cocobolo is a favorite, because it’s very dense (good for sound quality and resonance, much like a clarinet), and very traditional. african blackwood is another frequent choice. the wood blanks, stacked on shelves and scattered across his desktop, are a rich variety of hues and patterns. raggio reaches for a blank of horse chestnut burl, captivated by its whirls as he imagines the call within. social media serves as his portfolio. an

instagram photo might spur an order of the same. but, half the time, customers opt for “maker’s choice,” he says, with the only instruction, “Just make me something cool.” With a certain budget in mind, raggio determines which wood to use, and lets artistic freedom take the reins. “if i turned the same wood every day, all day, i could not do this.” He has no clue what that horse chestnut burl will look like when he shapes it, what will come off and what will surface. “i’ve been staring at this one for a while,” he grins. next “maker’s choice” order, that’s what he’ll grab, “that really gets my wheels going. i can’t wait to see what that’s gonna look like.”

Shop talk a welcome sign greets visitors at raggio custom calls studio, at the end of his drive.

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the door opens to a gallery of waterfowl memorabilia, including his duck call collection and first prize competition plaques. the first duck call raggio made, from the extremely tough bodock wood, nestles in a cabinet alongside calls from other mississippi makers. one shelf holds the autographed handles of baseball bats that once felt the grip of professional players—the bats’ barrels turned into their custom duck calls. “it’s been really amazing where a duck call has taken me,” he says, from the World series to Dallas cowboys owner Jerry Jones’ ranch. calls have gone to major league baseball players, country singers and more. several guitars hang around raggio’s shop, within easy reach when he takes a 110 | september/october 2020

break from turning. Dozens of visitors’ signatures scrawl across a pallet wood wall, with a dangling sharpie handy for more. inspiration struck on raggio’s tour of a gibson guitar Factory; guitars lined the hallway, with musicians’ signatures on the wall. “How cool would it be, when you got your instrument made here—your duck call—to leave your mark on the wall?” one of the best things about what he does, raggio says, is the relationships he’s forged and the friends he’s made. those signatures are part of the record.

His mobile duck call shop is parked out front—a trailer that holds another lathe, blanks and tools. Hooked up to his truck, it travels to private camps that hire him and trade shows where he’s a featured draw.

that way, raggio can make duck calls on the spot, and just like in raymond, customers can watch. generator-powered with air-conditioning and heat, lined in cedar, it’s a comfy, masculine cocoon on the go.

“Work With Your Hands,” a wool felt sign on raggio’s shop wall says—a command, a reminder, a philosophy. artist Jane mullins, raggio’s fourth grade gifted teacher and now his friend, made that for him. “she’s awesome,” he says, pointing to the picture of a duck call with stained glass pieces she helped with. “that was one of the coolest calls i’ve ever made.” mullins cut the little stained glass pieces, but he had to inlay them, she reminds him when he pops in for a visit that afternoon. “You have to do your own work on your own project,” she teases. “i made him do that when he was a fourthgrader, too.” raggio had creativity and knowledge even then. “He’s a problemsolver.” and each of his calls, she says, “is its own sculpture.” DM

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THE UGLY

DUCK BOAT A Delta Invention of Convenience

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he Mississippi Flyway is possibly the most prominent flyway on the North American continent for migrating waterfowl. Sprawled across the breeding grounds of the Canadian plains and funneling right down the Mississippi River, forty percent of all ducks and geese spend some or all of their lives in this flyway.

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As the Missouri and Ohio Rivers join the Mississippi, its banks spread out covering millions of acres of grass flats, timbered hardwood bottomlands covered with tons of acorns and pecans, and sandbars loaded with moist soil plants and succulent tubers. And, right in the heart of the Mississippi and Arkansas Deltas, the Arkansas River spills out into the Mississippi creating some of the most abundant and prolific waterfowl habitat in America. This area is a virtual smorgasbord for overwintering and migrating waterfowl. Millions of ducks and geese come through our backdoor each year. Some don’t make it back up to the breeding grounds of Canada, but go into the gumbo pot, ovens or grills of seasoned and experienced duck and goose hunters. There is an art to collecting this bounty—and bred out

PETE FULGHAM

BY HANK BURDINE

of necessity—one of the most effective and unique ways of waterfowl hunting was born. The Jimmy Presswood Ugly Duck Boat.

Historically, duck hunting in this part of the Mississippi River Flyway had been confined to flooded hardwood bottomlands, sloughs and slashes in area oxbow lakes. The great clubs of Wapanocca, Beaver Dam and Swan Lake are legendary in the annals of waterfowl hunting. Nash Buckingham has penned some of the most renowned recollections of being poled along in a small wooden boat by guide emeritus Horace Miller to the Handwerker Blind or Round Pond or the grass flats of the immortal Beaver Dam Lake. Situated within a duck’s eyesight of the Mississippi River, for thousands of years, hundreds of

thousands of ducks have made a beeline from Canada straight for the abundant waters of Beaver Dam and surrounding areas.

The Mississippi River was, and continues to be, a waterfowl mecca.

As Levees were built and cut-offs constructed for flood control on the Mississippi River, the annual flooding in a great part of the river’s basin was curtailed. Several oxbow lakes were created by the cut-offs, one being Lake Whittington, formed when Caulk Neck was cut off to help straighten the river and speed its floodwaters to the Gulf. The wide bend in the river was now a slack water lake that rose and fell with the river. Grass and willow flats emerged in the calm water and the ducks dropped in by the thousands to feed and rest. The fishing became well-known and Delta magazine 2020

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From the original small, flat-bottomed, steel-hulled Ugly Duck Boat (far right upper pictures, opposite page) to the modern day, large, modified V-hull aluminum boats built in specialty welding shops, Jimmy Presswood designed boats are capable, safe and lethal for waterfowl hunting on the Mississippi River and adjoining lakes. .

soon the benoit outing club was formed with a paved boat ramp built to access the lake. some of my first duck hunting memories were on lake Whittington, stationed aboard the grand old boat mr. charlie. owned by the Delta Democrat Times newspaper and captained by managing partner mr. John gibson, the mr. charlie was home base for a weekend of duck hunting. We would bring the boat up the mississippi river from greenville and anchor in the deep lake while hunting in the willow flats and grass fields in the mornings. leaning against willow trees or trying to cover up with burlap bags in a jon boat was about as good a camouflage as we had back in those days. but, that was about to change.

During the 1970s, there were floating blinds built that could be towed out into the willow flats that would float up and down as the river rose and fell, but the blind was not always where the ducks wanted to be on any particular day. a stationary blind built in the trees would be six feet out of water one day and the next weekend totally flooded. there had to be a better way to hunt ducks on the lakes and rivers around the Delta. avid local duck hunter and master welder and fabricator Jimmy presswood came up with a concept that to this day has not been duplicated. a highly maneuverable duck boat blind that could be easily concealed, yet safe in the river in any kind of weather, was envisioned and Jimmy started cutting steel and welding a boat, a boat unlike any ever before seen. the evolution of the Ugly Duck boat began with the firstgeneration design with Jimmy sitting in the back of the boat with his hand outside operating the outboard motor. this original design quickly morphed into the conceptual imprint that is custom built today in fabrication shops. Jimmy loved to duck hunt, but he could not stand being cold. so, he came up with the idea of a low slung boat with full flotation, a top that would lift up for easy access in 116 | september/october 2020

and out, a walk board as part of the hull surrounding the top and a side shooting area with portholes to look out of that with the flip of a lever would flop down so you could shoot unhindered. He laid out a flat-bottomed hull on the floor of his welding shop and went to work. after several weeks of welding and testing, he took his creation to the lake and someone stated, “Why, that’s the ugliest duck boat i’ve ever seen.” the name stuck; the Ugly Duck boat was born. soon, some of Jimmy’s duck hunting friends noticed the boat and asked him to build them one too. of course, it would have to be after duck season was over to start welding. Friends Jerry brocato, Drs. Fred bordelon, bobby suares, and Joe pulliam, lawyer ernie lane and towboat magnates lea and Howard brent all lined up for one of these ugly but very effective boats. built out of steel, these boats had flat bottoms, were very maneuverable, comfortable and safe. sixteen feet from stem to stern with a jacked up outboard motor mount, the boat was set very low to the water and was six feet wide with positive flotation in all available areas. the cabin with hinged top was eight feet long and three and a half feet wide allowing room for three hunters and a dog. the port side was slanted with three portholes cut in and fitted with sliding plexiglass. gas tanks were fitted aft and outside of the cabin with a propane tank strapped on the side. a propane burner was nestled inside the boat for cooking and for heat. Jimmy designed a flop-down dog ladder for the bow that would allow your retriever to climb back on the bow of the boat without your having to go out and drag him up! the Ugly Duck boat was small, easily camouflaged and concealed, seaworthy and comfortable, yet, deadly for the ducks. it soon became evident there was a problem with the hull design when the boats were taken out into the currents and waves of the mississippi river. the flat bottom, even though ideal for lake

PHOTOS DR. BOBBY SUARES

BIZARRE FOODS CHANNEL

fields are frozen over and the ducks go to the river to feed on the grass flats being submerged by the rising water. the river doesn’t freeze, but you could get in trouble out there quickly—unless you were in the comfort of an Ugly Duck boat and knew your way around. but, if you are going to kill ducks, well, you have to be where ducks want to be! the problem of where the ducks were feeding was soon solved inside the cockpit of a J-3 cub airplane.

Dr. Joe pulliam would take off in the mid-to-late afternoon and fly the mississippi and arkansas rivers looking for ducks. once found, the location was noted and marked on a corps of engineers mississippi river map. With access points up and down the river, the closest ramp was chosen to get to the ducks. With bright spotlights on top of the cabins and river signs and buoys illuminated by reflective markings, a savvy boat captain/duck hunter could safely navigate the river before daylight and get set up in time for the early morning flight. the Ugly Duck boats were expertly camouflaged to

BIZARRE FOODS CHANNEL

hunting—which Jimmy preferred—would beat the fillings out of your teeth in the often turbulent waters of the river. presswood Welding shop wasn’t set up to build a modified V-hull, so, for the next generation boats, the hulls only, were built in monticello, arkansas at monark boat company and F&F custom Fabrication shop. and, they were built with aluminum which made the boats lighter. these hulls were then brought back to presswood for the tops to be built and installed. the third generation of Ugly Duck boats evolved as the original designed steel boats were quickly gobbled up by ogling duck hunters wanting to get in on the action.

Waterfowl hunting in the Delta is a most unique, challenging and changing endeavor. Your success depends a lot on weather, river elevation, food supply and of course the abundance of ducks. a land bound hunter is somewhat limited as to where his blinds are located and what the duck’s patterns are during the season. the mississippi river has always held ducks, especially when flooded bean and rice

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HANK BURDINE COLLECTION PETE FULGHAM DR. BOBBY SUARES

BIZARRE FOODS CHANNEL

Duck hunter and local sportsman, Pete Fulgham, designed and had specially built, a state-of-the-art boat based on the original Presswood design and concept. The boat was highlighted in a Food Channel Bizarre Foods episode featuring food guru Andrew Zimmern and author Hank Burdine. When asked what a boat like that would cost, Pete replied, “You don’t even want to know!”

Dr. Bobby Suares proudly shows off a banded hen mallard in the early ‘80s taken while hunting out of an original Ugly Duck Boat on the Mississippi River. With him on that hunt was his son Neal Suares and friend Cliff Hough.

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blend into the willow trees and muddy brown water. camo covers were placed over the motor as decoys with long-lined river weights thrown out and the boat snugged up into the willows with bungee cords. ready, set, action. the Ugly Duck boat fleet easily proved its effectiveness in harvesting ducks. according to ernie lane, “Fred bordelon and i had one of the second-generation original boats. it revolutionized river hunting for us. We felt comfortable going anywhere on the river. Joe would locate the ducks from the air, and we could go to the arkansas river, the mississippi river, the lakes or any area that was holding ducks. oftentimes we would meet up with Howard brent and cook breakfast in the boats and enjoy adult beverages. the heaters made it comfortable and the dog ramps worked perfectly. Jimmy was a man far ahead of his time and he really changed big water duck hunting for those of us lucky enough to have one of his boats.”

Jimmy presswood recently recalled, “We had a lot of fun back in those days and we killed a lot of ducks. You could hunt long and effectively anywhere the ducks were and stay warm the whole time. that was forty years ago.” expert boat mechanic mark tate of greenville, who has seen just about every conceivable form of duck boat there is says, “these new generation presswood type boats are big and ideal for foul and fowl weather. they really excel when the conditions are at the worst, yet is outstanding for the ducks. When ice coats the camouflage from the spray and from the dogs coming back onboard the deck that turns it into an ice-skating rink and it’s sleeting and snowing, well, that is when you will truly understand and appreciate a presswood boat. the duck hunter wannabes have to stay at home. these new generation boats have a range of fifty to a hundred miles that allow you to locate and set up on migrating ducks. the boats are safe and lethal” television’s American Sportsman icon grits gresham produced and narrated a nationally acclaimed documentary titled Grits Gresham on Duck Hunting in the early 1980’s. the Ugly Duck boat was featured as one of the best ways of hunting wild ducks in america. in the film, while set up in the middle of the mississippi river duck hunting, grits and Jimmy talked about the origins and effectiveness of the Ugly Duck boat. During the conversation grits asked Jimmy how often does he hunt?... “i hunt every day of the season no matter what the weather is.” grits was amazed with the boat, the hunting technique and the aura of big water hunting on the mississippi river, however, he did make one comment that did not rattle Jimmy in the least, “Jimmy, i have to say, this boat looks like a coffin.” Jimmy presswood quickly responded, “grits… it is to the ducks.” DM

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2020

DELTA DOG CONTEST OVERALL WINNERS

2020 Delta

Dog

1st Place

WINNER

1st Place: Ziva, Labrador Retriever, submitted by Taylor Potter of Hickory

2nd Place: Baylor, Labrador Retriever, submitted by Cameron Moss of Leland 122 | september/october 2020

SPORTING DOGS

1st Place: Baylor and Rose, Labrador Retrievers, submitted by Cameron Moss of Leland

2nd Place: Huck, German Shorthaired Pointer, submitted by Zack Smith of Clarksdale

3rd Place: Gauge, Chocolate Lab, submitted by Susann Jamison of Marks Delta magazine 2020

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DOGS AT PLAY

1st Place: Winston, Pug, submitted by Abbey Bennett Fratesi of Oxford

2nd Place: Toby, Corgi, submitted by Beth Garner of Batesville

3rd Place: Finley, Golden Retriever, submitted by Ann Granville Heaton of Clarksdale

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PUPPIES

1st Place: Asher, Goldendoodle, submitted by Madison Farish of Bossier City, Louisiana

2nd Place: Piper, American Cocker Spaniel, submitted by Cass Cole of Jackson

3rd Place: June, Labrador Retriever, submitted by Alison Cowart of Indianola Delta magazine 2020

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ADOPTED OR RESCUED

1st Place: Billie Holiday and Willie Mae, Mixed Breeds, submitted by Brooke Atwood of Clarksdale

2nd Place: Remy, Golden Retriever, submitted by Allyn Bailey of Clarksdale 126 | september/october 2020

3rd Place: Bandit, Mixed Breed, submitted by Sidney McLeod of Natchez

Edgar Degas (1834-1917), Little Dancer Aged Fourteen, model executed ca. 1880 (cast in 1922). bronze, cloth skirt with tutu and satin hair ribbon, 38.5 x 14.5 x 14.25 in. Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, State Operating Fund and the Art Lovers’ Society, 45.22.1. Image © Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.

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FOOD

RECIPE ROUNDUP

12 Crowd-Pleasing Recipes to try this Fall

W

hether it’s a virtual tailgate in front of the TV—(it kills our

souls to think of it), a casual get-together, or your college student is bringing home a handful of hungry friends—you’ve got people to feed.

Here we’ve gathered some of our readers’ favorite recipes we think you’ll love. From easy appetizers to shrimp creole to pumpkin bars, these recipes will help you usher in the season!

MEXICAN CROCKPOT SHREDDED CHICKEN TACOS one of the most useful recipes we’ve seen in a long time. Use it for mexican lasagna, enchiladas, or in tortilla soup—or as we did for the best chicken tacos ever.

3 to 4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts 4 jars salsa 1 can salsa verde ½ box chicken broth 4 taco seasoning packets 1 head garlic, smashed and chopped 1 tablespoon sea salt 1 cup chopped cilantro (add in last 30 minutes)

BILL POWELL

Dump all ingredients in a crockpot and cook on low for 7 hours or high for 4 to 5 hours. When done, remove chicken from pot and shred. there will be a good amount of liquid left that can be stirred back in to chicken as desired.

FOR TACOS: We browned corn tortillas in a skillet and filled them with chicken, chopped tomatoes, roasted corn, cheese, and cilantro. serve with refried beans, spanish rice and condiments of your choice.

BREAKFAST SAUSAGE ENGLISH MUFFINS a couple of batches of these in the freezer will save you—whether for busy school mornings or to pull out for Dove hunt weekends. pounds breakfast sausage packages of English Muffins jars of Old English Cheese cups shredded cheddar cheese

brown and crumble sausage in a large skillet. add the jars of cheese mixing and cooking until warm and melted. spread 2 to 3 tablespoons of the sausage-cheese onto each english muffin half. top with cheese and bake 15 minutes at 375 degrees. if making ahead, place the assembled muffins on a cookie sheet and quick freeze 10 to 20 minutes. once semi-frozen, place muffins in a large ziplock bag and freeze for later use. When ready to serve, remove from freezer, allow to thaw for a few minutes, sprinkle with shredded cheese and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until heated through.

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BILL POWELL

2 2 2 2 to 3

WILL JACKS

SHRIMP CREOLE if you like creole dishes, you will love this recipe. the best part is that it can be made and frozen ahead of time, adding the fresh shrimp once thawed and heated. You will not regret having this in your freezer ready for busy weekends!

1 1 2 1 ½ 2 3 1 2 3 ¼ ½ 2 2

cup flour cup Mazola oil cups chopped onion cup chopped celery cup bell pepper cloves chopped garlic pounds raw deveined shrimp large can tomatoes small cans tomato paste teaspoons salt teaspoon red pepper teaspoon black pepper tablespoons chopped parsley tablespoons chopped onion tops

to make roux, whisk flour and oil together in a heavy bottomed pan whisking constantly over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes or until roux is brown. add onions, celery, bell pepper and garlic to roux and cook until soft. add tomatoes, tomato paste, and seasonings. mix well and cook about 5 minutes then add six cups of water. let simmer about 1 hour. add 3 pounds of raw deveined shrimp, cook for 15 minutes. add parsley and onion tops 5 minutes before serving. to freeze, prepare creole completely omitting shrimp. When ready to use, simply thaw, heat, add shrimp and cook about 15 minutes or until pink. serve over rice.

BILL POWELL

Serve with your favorite tossed salad and buttery garlic bread to complete this menu!

CHICKEN, BACON & RANCH SANDWICHES assemble these ahead of time for a quick weeknight supper, or for a hearty game-day treat. simply cover and keep chilled till ready to bake.

1 8 12 ⅓ ½ 1 ½ 2

pound thin sliced roasted deli chicken slices bacon cooked and crumbled slices colby jack cheese cup prepared ranch salad dressing cup butter teaspoon garlic salt teaspoon onion powder tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Using a serrated knife slice horizontally through the middle of the rolls, placing the bottoms side by side on a sheet pan. set the tops aside. in a small saucepan over medium heat, melt together the butter, garlic salt and onion powder. brush the cut sides (both tops and bottoms) of the sliced rolls with about one-third of the seasoned butter. place half of the cheese slices over the bottoms, tearing slices if needed, to fit. next, layer the chicken and bacon crumbles over the cheese. spoon ranch dressing over bacon and top with an additional layer of cheese. place the buttered tops on the cheese. brush remaining butter on top and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. to prevent over browning, cover loosely with foil. bake covered for about 15 minutes then uncover and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until the tops are lightly golden. separate and serve while warm with additional ranch dressing, if desired.

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TOM BECK

BILL POWELL

Also delish wit h Frit os scoops!

HOT BACON AND SWISS DIP Keep cream cheese and salsa on hand for an instant appetizer!

DECONSTRUCTED WHITE BEAN AND AVOCADO DIP no pureeing or mashing needed. these simple flavors with the added tanginess of feta cheese are an update to your standard guacamole.

1 3 ¼ 2 2 2 2 2

1 ½ 1 2 8 ½

can white beans, drained and rinsed ounces crumbled feta cheese red onion, diced ripe avocados, rough chopped tablespoons fresh lime juice tablespoons olive oil tablespoons wine vinegar tablespoons chopped cilantro, or to taste salt and pepper

8 ounce package of cream cheese, softened cup mayonnaise cup grated Swiss cheese tablespoons chopped green onions slices bacon, cooked and crumbled cup Ritz crackers

mix cream cheese, mayonnaise, swiss cheese and onions. place in baking dish. top with bacon and ritz crackers. bake at 350 degrees 15 to 20 minutes or until bubbly.

combine all ingredients in a large bowl. transfer to serving platter or bowl and garnish with fresh cilantro. serve immediately with tortilla or pita chips.

SPICY BOURBON CANDIED PECANS Delicious to munch on their own, these pecans are also perfect sprinkled in a salad or over warm brie as an appetizer.

BILL POWELL

1 1 3 ½ ½ ⅛ to ¼

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egg white tablespoon bourbon cups pecan halves cup granulated sugar teaspoon salt teaspoon cayenne pepper

preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a large baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.

Whisk egg white with bourbon until frothy in a medium bowl. stir in pecans, mixing until coated. in a separate small bowl, mix together sugar, salt, and cayenne. sprinkle over the pecans stirring to combine and spread onto pan. bake for 20 to 30 minutes stirring every ten minutes. they will burn quickly, so watch carefully.

Blanched asparagus tips Pimiento cheese and tomato Boiled shrimp and fresh dill Bacon and avocado Pickled okra Sliced olives Dill pickles with fresh dill Capers and red onion

uke’s We lovoetD may he best

BASIC DEVILED EGG RECIPE 6 ¼ 1 2

boiled eggs, peeled cup mayonnaise teaspoon grated onion teaspoons dijon mustard salt and pepper to taste

slice eggs in half lengthwise, and carefully remove yolks. set whites on a platter. mash yolks with mayonnaise, onion, mustard and seasonings. spoon yolk mixture evenly into whites and garnish with toppings of your choice.

WILL JACKS

TOMATO-FETA DIP if you’ve used the last of your summer tomatoes, roma tomatoes are a flavorful choice year-round when fresh tomatoes are needed.

3 to 4 4 to 5 8 ½ 2 to 3

Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced green onions, sliced thinly ounces feta cheese cup olive oil teaspoons Cavender’s Greek seasoning Pita chips

in a large bowl, gently combine the tomatoes, green onions, feta and olive oil. season with cavender’s to taste. gently combine the ingredients. serve with pita chips.

BILL POWELL

SCOTT SPEAKES

topping ideas

CREAMY SALSA DIP a no-brainer. Keep cream cheese and salsa on hand and you’ll have an instant appetizer.

1 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened 1 cup salsa

simply blend ingredients together and serve with tortilla chips.

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PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE BARS Graham Cracker Crust 16 ¼ 2 8

whole graham crackers cup white sugar tablespoons brown sugar tablespoons butter, melted

preheat oven to 350 degrees. crumble the graham crackers by using a food processor or by placing all the crackers in a ziploc bag and crush with a rolling pin until broken into fine crumbs. this should make about 2 cups total of crumbs. in a bowl, mix crumbs with melted butter and sugars until evenly blended. pour mixture into a 13x9-inch baking dish and press evenly along bottom and sides.

GREG CAMPBELL

3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature 1 cup white sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla 3 large eggs 1 cup canned pumpkin 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Cinnamon and pumpkin bring out the flavors of the season.

LOWERY’S FUDGE CAKE Hailing from the famed lowery’s motel, a greenville icon from years past, this delicious sturdy cake evokes memories of days gone by. always sold wrapped in wax-paper, it is a perfect addition to any outdoor event.

¾ ¾ ½ ½ 1

cup brown sugar, packed cup flour cup quick cooking oats cup butter, softened teaspoon vanilla

combine cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. beat at a medium speed until blended and smooth. add eggs one at a time, beating after each. remove and spread approximately 2 cups of this mixture over the crust. to the remaining cream cheese mixture add the pumpkin and cinnamon, stirring until combined. carefully pour and spread the pumpkin over the cream cheese layer, being certain not to blend layers.

For topping stir the brown sugar, flour and oats together. add in softened butter and vanilla, mixing well. sprinkle topping over the pumpkin layer. bake 1 hour or till cheesecake is set. remove from oven and allow to cool. chill before serving.

sticks butter squares semisweet chocolate cups sugar eggs cup flour, sifted teaspoon vanilla cup chopped pecans pinch of salt

preheat oven to 300 degrees. melt the butter and chocolate together. add the sugar. cool slightly. With a wooden spoon, mix in the eggs, one at a time.

Fold in flour and salt. add vanilla and chopped pecans. pour the mixture into a buttered 9x11-inch pan. bake for about 40 minutes. start testing at 30 or 35 minutes. makes 18 squares

134 | september/october 2020

Tip

WILL JACKS

2 4 1¾ 4 1 1 1

Topping

Baking the cake in a pan lined with foil which has been sprayed or buttered allows the entire cake to be lifted out before cutting into squares.

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6109 Ridgewood Rd., Ste. A | Jackson, MS 7694 Poplar Ave. | Germantown, TN 136 | september/october 2020

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HISTORY

WRATH

of the River Historical 1881 map depicts Greenville as it existed before the Mississippi’s relentless consumption altered the town forever

BY WADE S. WINEMAN, JR.

Grand Opera House in Greenville.

138 | september/october 2020

Old downtown Greenville in 1864

he mid-Delta city of Greenville— “Port City of the Delta”—has from its embryonic days been a community dependent on, yet fearful of, the brown stream swirling past its doorstep. The original settlement of Greenville met its demise in 1863 when it was attacked by Union forces, who destroyed almost every building and residence in the village.

T

This is the only building shown on the 1881 map that is still standing today in downtown Greenville.

Following the conclusion of the civil War when caving river banks had also beset the town, a new settlement was founded about two miles north of its original site. a portion of the new town was donated by Harriet eobald and her sons, orville and William. e donated land had originally been part of their blantonia plantation, reputed to be the highest tract of land between Vicksburg and memphis. e new community sprang up quickly and by 1870 had grown to a population of almost nine hundred. after local railroad construction began, in 1878, the combination of mississippi river and rail transport made the prospect of commercial activity in greenville promising, and by 1880, the town had grown to more than 2,500 people. interestingly, despite the new town’s burgeoning prosperity, its entire annual budget in 1882 was only $32,921.03, and the mayor’s annual salary was only $300.

From its inception, greenville experienced the wrath of the river abutting it, as the roiling stream that had originally laid the very earth beneath the town mercilessly continued gnawing away great chunks of the town’s waterfront. included herein is a photo of a map, drawn in november 1881 by the Fire Underwriters map association of cincinnati, ohio. e map depicts greenville as it existed before the mississippi’s seemingly interminable consumption of the town had been checked. near the end of the nineteenth century, the map hung in the office of bergman, Finlay, and starling insurance company in downtown greenville. today, it is proudly displayed in the local office of southgroup insurance services, also located in downtown near the site of its predecessor-firm. e river’s approximate location in 1881 can be seen along the western edge of the map. of the ten blocks, or portions of blocks, shown on the map, none remain today, except a narrow sliver fronting the west side of Walnut street. all of the town west of this sliver eventually succumbed to the river’s

voracious appetite for soil, either directly or indirectly. before 1881, a significant portion of the young town had already been lost to the river, including all of Front street and First street and all but the south end of second street. street right-of-way widths shown on the map are 100 feet on the two major streets, Washington and main, and 66 feet on secondary streets. ese street dimensions closely approximate those of the modern era. ironically, the only building on the map remaining today is one that would later become the home of levee engineers, who would forever battle the enemy threatening to undermine the town. e building is located at the southwest corner of main and Walnut streets and is depicted on the map simply as, “bank.” is building originally housed the bank of negus, ireys & co., a private bank that later became merchant’s bank and, after relocating, First national bank. e original bank building would eventually be incorporated into the adjacent headquarters of the mississippi levee board, which was founded in 1865 and now occupies new facilities on Highway 82 West. a short distance west of the negus and ireys bank is a second building described on the map as, “bank.” is bank was the bank of greenville, a private bank organized in 1869 by W. a. pollock. pollock’s bank has been recognized as the first bank in the entire Delta. e episcopal church can be seen located on the map between the two banks. e methodist church is located on the opposite side of main street. although not labeled on the map, the eobald/blanton private cemetery was located between the methodist church and locust street. in approximately 1883—just after the date of the Fire Underwriters association map— occupants of this cemetery were relocated to the greenville cemetery, almost two miles to the south, on main street. e new greenville cemetery was established when the original public cemetery—located Delta magazine 2020

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PHOTOS FROM A PICTORIAL HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, VOL 1, 1998

Riverboats landing in Greenville in the late 1800s.

Old downtown Greenville in 1864.

Greenville riverfront, 1865-1870.

downtown, but north of the limits of our map—was quickly filled following the yellow fever epidemic of 1878. slightly northeast of the methodist church, in the block described above, was located a building shown as, “school.” is school, one of the first in greenville to meet in a public building rather than in a home, was known as the “Free girls school.” although it doesn’t appear on the map, the building housing the masonic Hall stood to the west of the bank buildings, at the southeast corner of main and locust, with schilds tin shop occupying the first floor.

Just east of where the masonic Hall stood is 140 | september/october 2020

a building shown as, “printing,” which was the site of the first newspaper business in town—the Greenville Times. according to the W.p.a. History of Washington County, the Times was also the first newspaper published in the Delta. it began weekly publication in 1868, and through the 1880s consisted of only four pages, with an annual subscription rate of two dollars. an 1878 advertisement stated the paper was “especially devoted to the interests of greenville and the counties of Washington, bolivar, issaquena, sunflower, and sharkey.” by the early 1900s, however, the paper was being published primarily for the local area.

e Times later merged with greenville’s other major paper, the Daily Democrat, which had begun publication in 1896, creating a new entity known as the Daily Democrat-Times. e business again merged in 1938, this time with the Delta Star, to become the Delta Democrat-Times. e Star had only a brief run, from 1936 to 1938. 2 e map identifies many other commercial buildings, some having intriguing or amusing names, such as “cheap John,” “Fancy store,” “eating House,” and “tinner.” at the northwest corner of locust and main is a building described as, “shoe shop.” is site was the

RORY DOYLE

A summary of the many different categories of businesses depicted on the map

◼ Two churches, three barber shops, three tailors, a dressmaker, a cabinet maker, a saddlery shop, a laundry, and three shops labeled as “Sewing Machines.” ◼ Four hotels, two “lodges,” three boarding houses—one described as, “Chinese Board’g”—and one establishment described as, “Sleeping rooms.” Interestingly, the Chinese boarding house was located next door to the laundry. ◼ Three “eating houses” and three

restaurants, not including those located inside hotels. ◼ Ten saloons—one described as “Negro Saloon”—two liquor stores, and one “wholesale liquor” store. ◼ Butcher shop/meat markets, grocery stores, bakeries, a fruit stand, and two ice houses—one shown as, “Ice Factory.” ◼ Drug stores, hardware stores, furniture stores, a photo gallery, a millinery store, a shoe shop, and fifteen businesses designated as, “General Merchandise.” ◼ Two gunsmiths; two blacksmiths; a

machine shop; a cotton gin; and two tin shops, one described as, “Tinner.” ◼ An auction house, a bathhouse, a courtroom, and numerous warehouses. ◼ Four livery stables—one sharing space with two seemingly incompatible businesses—a hand-printing business and a sewing-machine business. ◼ Numerous small stables can also be seen on the map, denoted by the symbol, “X,” including those adjacent to Isenberg’s ice business. Isenberg may have maintained livestock to deliver ice by wagon.

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The Elk’s Parade in 1911.

The Cowan Hotel with Mississippi Power & Light Company in the small building to the right.

location of caffall shoe and boot shop.

Heading west along the wood-plank sidewalks of the era, one would come across Yager’s bakery and confectionery, also known as greenville bakery, which also sold ice cream. a well and oven behind the business are shown. it was common at the time for ovens and kitchens to be located separately from their parent buildings, for fire prevention. several examples of this can be seen on the map, where small outbuildings denoted as, “K” or “Kitchen” are located just behind businesses or dwellings (dwellings are typically designated as “DWg” or “DW”). e map reveals examples of another common occurrence at the time: an owner’s dwelling occupying the same building as his business. south of the bakery and across main were scrugg’s coal Yard; skinner’s Drugs; and george archer’s book, stationery, and tobacco shop, located at the southeast corner of main and mulberry. e archer business shared space with the post office.1 a second building described as a post office and book shop was located near the northeast corner of Washington and mulberry. e 142 | september/october 2020

presence of this building cannot be explained because no other source from the era confirms the existence of two post office buildings, while numerous sources mention greenville’s post office as located at the main and mulberry site. e drug store was owned by n.c. skinner, a physician. His store advertised patent medicines, perfumery, and medicines such as the “assassin of malaria;” the “little David, which in the sling of science will never fail to kill;” and “skinner’s pill, which, although not a patent medicine, has acquired such celebrity that it has been familiarly styled.” on the northwest corner of mulberry and main was the building many considered to be the hub of greenville, the commercial Hotel, the largest lodging facility in town, advertising, “Fine saloon attached,” and describing itself as, “not excelled by any Hotel in the south.” e hotel stood on the same site as that occupied by greenville’s first hotel—the courtney House—which had burned. e courtney was replaced by the grand central Hotel, which later became the commercial Hotel. e commercial,

owned by i.a. newman, was the gathering place of traveling salesmen and planters who came from distant plantations to mingle while awaiting the arrival of the next riverboat. perhaps the busiest section of town was the block of mulberrystreet between Washington and main, where various commercial establishments were located, including saloons, meat markets, hardware stores, grocery stores, clothing stores, generalmerchandise stores, liquor stores, “eating houses,” and a furniture store. e hardware store shown on the east side of mulberry street is believed to be the original H. e.

Wetherbee Hardware store, which would later be relocated to Walnut street and would by the mid-1900s be considered the oldest hardware store in the state. although many business names have been lost or forgotten over time, the names of several are known to have been located in this block of mulberry, including billy baer’s eat shop, Henning Furniture company, and solomon brill’s Haberdashery and clothing.1 once, while at market in new York city, brill advertised in the Times, “if you have good clothes now, wait and get better. if you have no clothes at all, but feel naked as a frog, slip on a fig leaf or two and wait till brill’s stock comes.”3 e greenville Hotel, owned by isaac isenberg, was located in this block, on the west side of mulberry just north of the commercial Hotel. e greenville Hotel was also known as the refuge club, which advertised itself as, “convenient to steamboat landing and railroad depot.” greenville’s steamboat landing at the time was located slightly southwest of the hotel and off the map. isenberg’s business included a saloon, wholesale liquor store, and what was described as a “club room.” isenberg also owned the ice house located directly behind his hotel. His ice house was believed to be the largest in mississippi at the time. in addition to the saloons inside the commercial Hotel and greenville Hotel, four other saloons were located in this block of mulberry, including planters restaurant, saloon, and lodging House; Hexter’s saloon (advertising, “oysters”); the palace saloon, featuring a “Fine ten pin alley;” and the senate saloon, advertising, “all under the supervision of ‘Handsome abe,’ the blueribbon barkeeper of the south.” e planters business may have occupied the building on the east side of mulberry, identified on the map as, “saloon and lodge.” most of these

x

Greenville waterfront in 1912.

Looking down Washington Avenue in 1913. The “x” marks the site of the present day levee.

saloons boasted about their billiard tables in newspaper advertisements of the day. e refuge saloon in isenberg’s hotel proudly advertised that it had “monarch billiard tables, new and in perfect condition.”

Hexter’s advertised having, “e smoothest and best billiard tables in the city;” and the senate advertised, “new and elegant billiard tables.” in the block of mulberry just south of main another saloon building can be seen, at the southwest corner of mulberry and main. is saloon is believed to have been the business of a man named Kennedy. other establishments in the bustling block of mulberry between main and Washington were: misses martin Fine millinery goods, owned by amelia martin; eodore pohl’s wholesale and retail liquors; e store of Henry g. salziger, “practical boot and shoe maker;” J. skaller’s red Hot store, primarily a ladies clothing store; and the Hog and Hominy store, located at the northeast corner of main and mulberry. immediately adjacent to the Hog and Hominy was the great Famous store, owned by s. Friedman. Friedman’s store was identified with the letters, “Dg,” an abbreviation for “dry goods.” near the southwest corner of mulberry and Washington is a building described as, “saddlery.” is building housed a saddle and harness-making shop owned by a mr.

Kinsella. across mulberry on the southeast corner of mulberry and Washington was the Finlay Drug store. several other businesses were located in the Finlay building, including s. pepperman Jeweler, Watchmaker, and engraver; r. a. Flanagan Watchmaker, Jeweler, and optician; and Dr. J. Young, Dentist. Flanagan advertised, “i Keep Wendell’s perfect Fitting spectacles.”

Finlay Drugs was later relocated—along

with the brill store—to the southeast corner of Washington and Walnut (just off the map), as the river continued its unrelenting encroachment. ese two relocated establishments occupied a portion of the site where the original stein mart building would later be located. e Wetherbee hardware store would later be relocated to the east side of Walnut, just south of the sites of the Finlay and brill stores. catty-corner across from Finlay Drug store was rosenfeld’s bakery, and farther west was a.a. bedgood’s blacksmith shop. even farther west, on the north side of Washington, was “shanty town,” located just south of what was known as “china town” (off the map). e portion of town most frequented by the ladies of greenville at the time was considered to be the block of Washington avenue between mulberry and locust. shops on this block provided such items as muslin, alpaca wool, and groceries. ladies preferred to shop in this block because it had fewer saloons and tended to be less raucous than the mulberry block.1 other businesses located in the block of Washington between mulberry and locust included: Weiss and goldstein Dry goods; goldsmith brothers groceries and provisions; c. W. lewis Dry goods, clothing, and groceries; moyes & co. meat shop; . mayor’s ladies shop; charles moskowitz groceries, which used the slogan, “e best is the cheapest;” and F.W. polle’s gunsmith shop, whose owner described its location as, “under Justice nelson’s office” (shown on the map as “gunsmith and court room”). polle also advertised furniture repair, upholstering, and sewing machine repair. more buildings can be seen east of locust on Washington avenue, including two

hotels, the Kossuth House Hotel, owned by John Habicht, and a hotel at the northwest corner of Washington and Walnut. e latter hotel was owned by a man named Hanway but its name is unknown. other buildings in this block included a building designated simply as, ‘office,” believed to have been the office of W.a. Haycraft; and a business labeled, “photo gall’y,” which may have been a business owned by robert a. given, who produced oil paintings from photographs. sadly, by early 1886, many of the businesses seen on the map had moved farther east in the downtown area or were in the process of moving. Due to the river’s rapid advance, the commercial focus of the town was by then considered to be between locust and Walnut streets. e river had consumed all of the land west of mulberry street, and many of the buildings in the block between mulberry and locust were vacant or had been converted to cotton warehouses. by the 1890s, the river had moved even farther east, devouring half of the block between mulberry and locust, and a new levee had been constructed near the west side of locust street. Following the great Flood of 1927, a newer levee and a wharf were built near the west side of Walnut street and the river had consigned locust street to oblivion.

DM Special thanks to Princella Nowell, Clinton Bagley, and Eugene Ham for their consultations with the author, and to John Hinkle, of Southgroup Insurance Services, who graciously allowed photographic reproduction of the fire-insurance map that is the centerpiece of this article.

1. Stockwell, Eunice J. “The River Has Not Always Been Kind to the City.” Delta Democrat-Times. n.d.

2. Mississippi Department of Archives and History.

3. The Greenville Times, 21 February 1880.

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EVENTS

BRITTANY BARNETT a conversation about her book

A Knock at Midnight September 9, 5 pm (Virtual event on Zoom) Square Books, RSVP required rsvp@squarebooks.com M.O. WALSH and KATY SIMPSON SMITH

The Big Door Prize September 9, 12 pm (Virtual event on Facebook) Lemuria Bookstore BOBBIE ANN MASON in conversation with Lisa Howarth

Dear Ann September 10, 5 pm (Virtual event on Zoom) Square Books, RSVP required rsvp@squarebooks.com SUSAN MINOT in conversation with Mary Miller

Why I Don’t Write September 10, 12 pm (Virtual event on Facebook) Lemuria Bookstore

FESTIVALS, MUSIC & FUN THINGS TO DO September 3-24

Hernando

“Sunset on the Square” Summer Concert Series

deakharp.com

Clarksdale

Mag Fest returns to Clarksdale

Southaven

Fireworks on the Farm Cedar Hill Farm visitdesotocounty.com

Clarksdale

Cat Head Mini Blues Fest (Post-Biscuit)

Southaven

Boots & BBQ 2020

Memphis

Bentonia

Clarksdale

Broadcast live from The Blue Front Café

Southaven

Dave Matthews Band Bankplus Amphitheater at Snowden Grove Park visitdesotocounty.com

Clarksdale

2nd Yazoo Avenue Jazz Festival 200 block of Yazoo, downtown msbluestrail.org 146 | september/october 2020

September 24, 5 pm (Virtual event on Instagram Live) Square Books Jr., @squarebooksjr

October 14, 5 pm (Virtual event on Zoom) Square Books, RSVP required rsvp@squarebooks.com CONNOR TOWNE O’NEILL

Down Along With That Devil’s Bones Southaven

164th Annual Mid-South Fair Landers Center visitdesotocounty.com

The Blue Front Café’s 72nd Anniversary Party

The Silvered Serpents

Shelter in Place

Mississippi Delta Tennessee Williams Festival October 22- Nov 1

September 18, 7-9 pm (Virtual event on Facebook)

ROSHANI CHOKSHI in conversation with S.A. Chakraborty

DAVID LEAVITT

The Orpheum orpheum-memphis.com

deltawilliamsfestival.com

Landers Center visitdesotocounty.com

In Faulkner’s Shadow

The Mersey Beatles: The #1 Hits Show

October 15-17

September 17

September 14, 5 pm (Virtual event on Zoom) Square Books, RSVP required rsvp@squarebooks.com

September 18, 5 pm (Virtual event on Zoom) Square Books, RSVP required rsvp@squarebooks.com

kingbiscuitfestival.com

October 11

In the Valley

LARRY WELLS in conversation with Bill Dunlap

Helena

King Biscuit Blues Festival and Symposium

October 14

September 6

September 26

October 7-10

cathead.biz

Details TBA msbluestrail.org

September 22

Clarksdale

Deak’s Harmonica Block Party

Desoto County Courthouse “Each Thursday in September, enjoy Hernando’s free ‘Sunset on the Square’ Summer Concert Series, presented by Hernando Main Street Chamber of Commerce and First Horizon Bank.” visitdesotocounty.com

September 5

October 3

RON RASH in conversation with John Grisham

LITERARY EVENTS Aimee Nezhukumatathil in conversation with Kiese Laymon

World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments September 1, 5:30 pm (Virtual event on Zoom) Square Books, RSVP required rsvp@squarebooks.com

October 15, 5 pm (Virtual event on Instagram Live) Square Books, @squarebooks AIMEE NEZHUKUMATAHIL in conversation with Katherine Pierce

World of Wonders October 15, 12 pm (Virtual event on Facebook) Lemuria Bookstore ASHLEY POSTON in conversation with Kaitlyn Sage Patterson

Among the Beast and Briars October 27, 5 pm (Virtual event on Zoom) Square Books, RSVP required rsvp@squarebooks.com

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Carrollton, Mississippi Is Having A Porch Party!

You are invited to sit on the porches of some of Carrollton’s historic homes and visit with the owners during the annual Pilgrimage and Pioneer Day Festival October 2-3, 2020. In response to Covid-19 concerns, in-home tours will be limited but ticketed guests can visit on the porches of eight homes and learn the history and architecture of the homes. Some of these homes have not been on tour before. Visitors will see the inside of the homes through pictures and exhibits on the porches.

Formed in 1834, Carrollton was incorporated as the county seat in 1836. It became known as a center for education and legal expertise. Homes that began as log cabins, a basic design in the area, were adapted to create a symmetrical central hall house resembling the formal Georgian structures found back east and in England. By the 1850s, the Georgian style homes were being updated in the Greek Revival style, followed by Queen Anne, Italianate, and Craftsman styles. All of these styles are found in Carrollton today.

A hand-drawn map recently discovered during a remodel of a business interior shows many of the businesses and homes found during the 1850s. There were seven general stores, four hotels, four doctors/drug shops, three schools (including a female college), three law offices, three boot or shoe shops, two confectionary shops, a dentist, and shops for buying jewelry, harnesses, tin products, and carriages. Other locations are marked as blacksmith, stable, bank, saloon, and undertaker.

19th century town, with its courthouse square surrounded by homes and businesses. The perfect setting for a William Faulkner book.

Recognizing Covid-19 guidelines, visitors purchasing tickets for tours will be asked to complete a short questionnaire and will be provided with face masks and hand sanitizer. Visitors to the Pioneer Day Festival are requested to bring their own masks to use as they shop with craftsmen and enjoy the music provided by local artists.

It is hard to believe that The Help was filmed 10 years ago! This year, the 2020 Pilgrimage & Pioneer Day Festival is offering a special package. Sit on Skeeter's front porch with the owners. Tour the Foote Plantation - better known as Cotesworth. Laugh with movie food stylist Lee Ann Flemming as she recounts some of the funny things that happened to her on and off the sets. Take home a handcrafted paper bag cookbook which has many of Lee Ann's recipes, including the famous chocolate pie. This special package priced at $50.00 per person. Seating for your visit with Lee Ann is limited due to Covid-19 concerns so make your reservations soon. As a bonus, watch the movie at the open-air tabernacle in North Carrollton. Admission is free.

For more information about either event, call 662-392-4810 or check out our website VisitCarrolltonMS.com or our Facebook page.

Today Carrollton has been described as a quintessential

Delta magazine 2020

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DELTA SEEN

Bikes Blues & Bayous in Greenwood on August 1 Photos by Johnny Jennings

Tonya and Brian Waldrup Jamie Seaborn, Tammy Hayes, Ronda Qualls and Daya Shipman all of Jonesboro, Arkansas

John Inck and Kenny Gober

Wes Moore, Denise Webb, Kyle Finney, Michael Carroll and Phillip Jones

Gerry Ann Houston and Paul Moak 148 | september/october 2020

Lewis Bacon, Dan Devane, Robert Brandon, Bill Nix, D.I. Smith, Richard Gerhardt, Gregory Smith, David Guin, Bill Miller. Members of the Prison Road Bike Club Birmingham

DELTA SEEN

A selection of photos by Delta Magazine readers

Elizabeth Coleman, Meriwether Stovall and Marge Self taking a ride on the Mississippi River

Front row: Hayden G. Hall, Erica Hall, Dan Cirilli; Back row: Rachel Cirilli, Matthew Ware, Rachel Ware, Jones Luster, and Anna Claire Luster

Davis and Garrett Carver in Orange Beach, Alabama

Kimme Hargrove and Chef Vishwesh Bhatt of Snackbar in Oxford, with Elizabeth and Murray Moss

Front Row: Niki Davis, Brantley Snipes, Jennifer Cougle, Laura Merrill McCaleb, Jessica Jones Back: Anna Holder, Elise Grenley, Pipes Ejlali and Julia Burnett

Clark, Winn and Will House with Nat, Rhett and Reid McKnight Delta magazine 2020

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DELTA SEEN

Dolly Marscalco and Jan Gray Walton

Donna and Randall Lauderdale on their Honeymoon in Rosemary Beach, Florida

A selection of photos by Delta Magazine readers

Jan Brock, Katrena Eley, Amber Myers, Audrey Saia and Lori Morris

Anna Ryan Ragland, Ben Angel, Sam and Donna Angel, with Jordan and Scott Coopwood at Lakeport Plantation in Lake Village, Arkansas

Meredith Friloux, Ana Parker Davis, Landyn Blakely, Blake Boggs and Mari Micci Bramuchi 150 | september/october 2020

Ruby Lee Vincent and Jenn Mohead at the Blue & White in Tunica

Denton Desper, Laurie and Patrick McManus

Andrew LoCicero and Ann Elizabeth Walker fishing on the Yellowstone River in Montana

DELTA SEEN

A selection of photos by Delta Magazine readers

Rance, Rylan, Hope and Ridge Richard at Badlands National Park

Kerri and Maggi Mosco, Shelby and Meg Tuttle, with Ferris Love and Lucy Capocaccia at a Tea Party Bridal shower for Shelby

Jeff Vogt, Wheeler and Jim Sears hiking Pikes Peak Presentation of framed Delta Magazine article of the Blue Front Café in Bentonia to Jimmy “Duck” Holmes by Hank Burdine

Bill, Francine and Oliver Luckett with Scott Guinn in Bentonville, Arkansas

Mary Claire and Noel Cumbaa on the Tuckasegee River in North Carolina

Kate Bowen, Carson Childers, Tom Janoush, Desira Coleman Warrington, Mary Grace Summers, Coleman Warrington, Jacob Thomas, Angelique DuBois and Buddy Taylor in Seaside, Florida Delta magazine 2020

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Thefinalword

Delta blues—an Antidote for Hard Times

BY ROGER STOLLE

T

Roger Stolle owns and operates Clarksdale’s Cat Head Delta Blues & Folk Art and is a co-founder of Juke Joint Festival, the Clarksdale Film & Music Festival, and Clarksdale Caravan Music Fest. He has also co-produced several blues documentaries and authored two books on the subject. A Delta Magazine contributing editor, Stolle also sits on the Visit Clarksdale Tourism Commission board and maintains the Delta’s most reliable online blues music calendar at cathead.biz

152 | september/october 2020

he late-great Delta bluesman James “T-Model” Ford once sang, i’ve been

shot, and i’ve been cut, but nobody gets me down.”

His song declared that he was a survivor. ese days, in the mississippi blues world, we’ve all taken a hit—every musician, every club owner, every fan. We’re all in pandemic survival mode. most folks who know me know i wasn’t born in the mississippi Delta, but i do believe i was born to end up here. as i noted in my book, Hidden History of Mississippi Blues, “i moved to clarksdale to circle the wagons, to mount a defense, to help the last generation of cotton-farming, mule-driving, jukejoint playing bluesmen deeply inhale the final breath of this amazing tradition we call Delta blues. my idea was to help other like-minded individuals and entities organize and promote this uniquely american art form from within—and by all means necessary.”

When i moved here in 2002, those “means” didn’t include social media. Facebook was still two years away from existence, and google only executed sixteen percent of internet searches. e virtual lands had been drained and cleared, but the seeds were only beginning to germinate. today, while i am the first to debate the overall positivity of our modern smartphone/social media culture, i must say that thanks to such technology, we have the tools to save music and, indeed, the blues. step back to 2002, and there was only one music museum in the Delta. live blues music could only be heard on the weekends, and not always reliably. ere were maybe three major, annual blues festivals in the region.

Fast forward to 2019, and across the Delta there were at least five music museums. and clarksdale offered live blues music 365 nights a year plus over a dozen annual festivals. (clarksdale has worked for almost two decades to jumpstart, grow and solidify the live music scene—viewing blues as the “first puzzle piece” necessary for downtown revitalization.)

now, in 2020, as the pandemic hit in march, blues clubs closed. music festivals cancelled. e lights seemed to go out. but only for two days—thanks to a little something called Facebook live and the efforts of individuals like recent clarksdale-transplant colleen buyers, founder of liveFromclarksdale.org.

Working with a handful of younger Delta musicians and helping a larger group of less techsavvy blues veterans, buyers’ website helped us keep the music going daily—online. since launching this daily live-streaming initiative in late march with the support of Visit clarksdale, the clarksdale chamber of commerce and Visit mississippi, thousands of blues fans from around the world have enjoyed Facebook live performances by dozens of musicians—from James “super chikan” Johnson to terry “big t” Williams. anks to liveFromclarksdale.org, we were also able to live-stream a stripped-down version of Juke Joint Festival in april which distilled our original lineup of 107 acts to twenty-seven that streamed for nine hours straight. according to Facebook analytics, 10,000 people watched overall. 1,000 people “shared” the event, so that in total, it “reached” over 150,000 people around the globe. as with the daily live-streams, most of the musician revenue was brought in via paypal and Venmo tips. obviously, every day isn’t as wide-reaching as our online festival was, but it makes the point.

Until Delta venues can reopen safely en masse, musicians can publicize their art and earn tips online. ey can stay connected to existing fans and gain new ones.

What does the Delta get out of it? When we finally file our masks away, i believe we’ll find even more tourists visiting us in search of blues music and history. and i believe we will find that as tmodel Ford prophesied, nobody—and no thing—got us down. DM