Small Towns in Mississippi: Utica (B&W film)

Gasoline station, White Oak Street, Utica (Kodak BW400CN film, Leica IIIC camera, Canon 50mm ƒ/1.4 lens)

Utica is a small town southwest of Jackson, Mississippi. Many people bypass it while driving on Highway 27 as they go from Vicksburg to Interstate 55 near Crystal Spring. Utica has fallen on hard times. My friends, who grew up there, told me that a clothing factory formerly sewed Izod sports clothing, but when the factory closed, the town's economy largely collapsed.

I passed through Utica a few weeks ago and stopped to take some pictures with a new (to me) 1960s 50mm ƒ/1.4 Canon lens.

Bible Barn, West Oak Drive, Utica

I am not sure what Bible Barn once sold, but it looked closed.

Main Street was once lined with turn of the (previous) century shops and commercial buildings. Some of these featured cast iron fronts that supported the weight of the upper facades and roofs while allowing large plate glass windows to display merchandise inside. Top grade construction over 100 years ago, in contrast to the crappy built-it-cheap structures that go up now.

Gas station, Hwy 27 and Ernie Martin Road, Utica

I came across another closed filling station at the corner of Highway MS 27 and Ernie Martin Road. Truck traffic regularly passes here, so I am surprised they were not profitable. A few miles west on Hwy 27, I photographed the Betigheimer Store many years ago. It has been gone for over 20 years.

Jack Road, Utica, Leica M2 camera
(Leica M2 camera, 50mm f/2.0 Summicron-DR lens)

In 2018, I drove on Jack Road, which is really out of the way. I saw this interesting old house or possibly country store.

There may be more to explore in Utica. The old high school is still abandoned. I am not sure of the status of the unused Hinds County School.

The 2018 and 2019 photographs are from Kodak BW400CN film. This year, I was testing my new 1960s-vintage Canon 50mm ƒ/1.4 ltm (Leica Thread Mount) lens. So far, it is fantastic. What beautiful Japanese optical and mechanical craftsmanship.