The Mississippi Delta 35: Belzoni

Belzoni is the county seat for Humphreys County, Mississippi. According to Wikipedia, the town was named for Giovanni Battista Belzoni, a 19th-century Italian archaeologist and explorer. How did he end up in the Mississippi Delta? In the 1970s, Belzoni was known as the Catfish Capital of the United States for having a greater percentage of acreage used for catfish production than any other county. I do not know if this is still true, but the city does play up the catfish heritage with statues of smiling catfish at various street corners.

Former catfish factory, Hwy US 49E, Belzoni (Kodak TMax 100 film, Pentax Spotmatic camera, 35mm ƒ/3.5 Super-Takumar lens)

Former catfish packing factory, US 49E (Fuji Acros film, Leica IIIC, 5 cm ƒ/2 Summitar lens, yellow filter)

Sadly, the big catfish packing plant has been closed for many years. Many jobs must have been lost when it shut.

Farmers' Grain Terminal (Panatomic-X film, Fuji GW690II camera, 90mm ƒ/3.5 lens, yellow filter)

Approaching Belzoni from the south on US 49E, the very impressive Farmers' Grain Terminal complex at 509 Silver City Road dominates the skyline. At some time, these circles were covered with a huge cloth tent and contained corn.

Silver City Rd., Belzoni (Fuji Acros film, Leica IIIC, 5cm ƒ/2 Summitar lens, yellow filter)

Silver City Rd., Belzoni (Panatomic-X film, Fuji GW690II camera, 90mm ƒ/3.5 lens, yellow filter)

Silver City Rd. (Tmax 100 film, Pentax Spotmatic, 35mm ƒ/3.5 Super-Takumar lens)

Unused gin, Silver City Road, Belzoni (Tmax 100 film, 35mm ƒ/3.5 Super-Takumar lens)

Tamale store (Fuji X-E1 digital file)

Head further into town on Silver City Road and you pass miscellaneous housing, old stores, a closed gin, and an unused silo complex.

W. Jackson St., Belzoni (Fuji Acros film, Leica IIIC, 5cm ƒ/2 Summitar lens, yellow filter)

Liquor store on W. Jackson St. (Fuji Acros film, Leica IIIC, 5cm ƒ/2 Summitar lens, yellow filter)

E. Jackson St., Belzoni (Fuji Acros film, Leica IIIC, 5cm ƒ/2 Summitar lens, yellow filter)

Jackson Street runs E-W through town and may be the traditional "main drag."

Western Auto, East Jackson Street (Moto G5 digital file)

I was pleased that many of the shops are open and conducting some sort of business. There is even a Western Auto still open. I have not seen a Western Auto in a least a decade. According to Wikipedia,

Western Auto Supply Company—known more widely as Western Auto—was a specialty retail chain of stores that supplied automobile parts and accessories. It operated approximately 1200 stores across the United States. It was started in 1909 in Kansas City, Missouri, by George Pepperdine and Don Abnor Davis. Pepperdine later founded Pepperdine University. Western Auto was bought by Beneficial Corporation in 1961; Western Auto's management led a leveraged buyout in 1985, leading three years later to a sale to Sears. Sears sold most of the company to Advance Auto Parts in 1998, and by 2003, the resulting merger had led to the end of the Western Auto brand and its product distribution network.

One of the founders also founded Pepperdine University? Impressive.

Renee's Beauty Supply, 120 E. Jackson St., Belzoni (Tmax 100 film, Pentax Spotmatic, 35mm ƒ/3.5 Super-Takumar lens)

The charming proprietor of Renee's Beauty Supply generously let me take a picture of the healthy beauties outside of her store. I was glad to see on my 2020 visit that Renee's is still open and operating, despite the slowdown from the virus.

Crescent Theater, Hayden Street, Belzoni

The Cresent Theatre on Hayden Street is closed and may be for sale. I was surprised to find a photograph in the Library of Congress archives taken in 1939 by Marion Post Wolcott of the very same side stairway on the Crescent. In the segregated era, it was common for African American patrons to be seated in the balcony. Notice the sign on the narrow door that states "White Men Only."

Segregated movie house, October 1939, by Marion Post Wolcott (Image from the United States Library of Congress Prints and photographs division, digital ID ppmsca.12888)

This has been our short tour of Belzoni, Mississippi. It is an interesting place and worth a visit if you are in the central Mississippi Delta. Thank you for coming along this short trip.

On the Dixie Overland Highway, Historic US 80 - Monroe to Ruston, Louisiana (LA-07)

Monroe is the Big City of north central Louisiana. I did not find it very inspiring architecturally, but it is busy, with plenty of commercial activity and lots of traffic. Much of the architecture where US 80 comes through town is strip America of the ugliest nature. I did not spend much time in Monroe and need to explore more in the future. I would like to visit the Chennault Aviation and Military Museum as well as the cypress swamps of Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge (north of the city). Antique Alley in West Monroe (west of the Ouachita River) would also be interesting.

Former car dealer, 2901 US80, Monroe, Louisiana (Kodak Tri-X film, Hasselblad 501CM camera, 80mm ƒ/2.8 Planar-CB lens)

Yes, it is strip America. Maybe I should do an article on the ugliest strips I can find.

West Prong Young's Bayou from Washington Street, Monroe (Tri-X film)

This bayou must be part of a drainage system for storm water and who knows what other effluent. I wonder if there are any alligators during high water?

Heading west, US 80 runs north of I-20 for a spell then crosses and runs south of I-20. Many of the neighborhoods west of West Monroe are converting into McMansion developments, often gated (American architecture at its finest). But remnants of older farm houses as well as plenty of trailers remain. 

I stopped at this old house in Claiborne. There are likely more like this in between the new developments.

Mount Zion Cemetery, US 80, Calhoun, Louisiana (Fuji X-E1 digital image)

The Mount Zion Cemetery in Calhoun, just north of where 80 crosses I-20, was peaceful and shaded by mighty trees. 

No more food here, Calhoun, Louisiana

The crossing at Interstate 20 consists of truck stops, a Dollar store, and a couple of dead restaurants. Not too inspiring.

US 80 view east, Calhoun, Louisiana

Calhoun is an unincorporated community in Ouachita Parish; a quiet little place. I continued driving west.

Fixer-upper house, US 80, Choudrant, Louisiana (Tri-X film, Fuji GW690II camera, 90mm ƒ/3.5 EBC Fujinon lens)

Masonic Hall, Elm Street, Choudrant, Louisiana (Tri-X film)

Choudrant is a village in Lincoln Parish. The village's web page advertises "Louisiana's Front Porch." Here I saw a surprising number of older homes in various states of repair. The former Masonic Hall on Elm Street was intact but am not sure who uses it.

In progress, 123 Allen Street, Choudrant (Tri-X film, Fuji GW690II camera)

Not being repaired, 147 Allen Street, Choudrant

Being dismantled? 153 Allen Street, Choudrant

Choudrant proved to be reasonably interesting. I did not see many people about. 

This was the end of my US 80 exploration on this outing. I continued west towards Ruston, which is a nice college town, hosting Louisiana Tech University and Louisiana Delta Community College. It will be worth a revisit some other day. Thank you for riding along on the Dixie Overland Highway. For background information on US 80 and the Dixie Overland Highway, the Federal Highway Administration has a detailed history. 

The photographs above are a mixture of Kodak Tri-X 400 film exposed with a Hasselblad 501 CM camera, Tri-X from a Fuji GW690II medium format camera, and digital images from a Fuji X-E1 digital camera.

Personal Note.  Dear readers, I hope you were all well and healthy this past year (2020), horrifying as it was regarding the virus, our national incompetence in taking medical precautions seriously, and our continued descent politically and socially. 2021 should be better in almost all respects. Stay strong, explore your world, comfort and support your relatives and loved ones, believe science and data, and stay optimistic. Happy New Year to y'awl!

On the Dixie Overland Highway, Historic US 80 - Waverly, Louisiana (LA-03)

Dear Readers, let us continue our trip west on US 80, formerly the Dixie Overland Highway. It still stretches across northern Louisiana and continues as far as Dallas, Texas. The Federal Highway Administration has an interesting web page describing how the Dixie was named and laid out in the early 20th century, when America was first motorizing. I have been slowly working my way westward, looking for old stores and interesting structures. For older articles about US 80, please type "Dixie" in the search box.

I wrote about the section from the Mississippi River to Tallulah in 2019. The previous article covered the town of Tallulah. I also wrote about Tallulah in 2013 and 2018 (please click the links).

We proceed west to Waverly, an unincorporated community in Madison Parish. From US 80, the big silo/elevator complex dominates the scene and offers a lot of interesting shapes and patterns for a photographer.

Waverly from US 80 (Tri-X film, Fuji GW690II camera, 90mm ƒ/3.5 lens, yellow filter, 1/125 ƒ/11.5 )

The Mount Sinai MBC Church sits in a field just off US 80 with rather uninspiring scenery.

Elevator/silo complex, Waverly (GAF Versapan film, 90mm ƒ/6.8 Angulon lens, orange filter, ⅒ ƒ/22)

Detail, silo complex, Waverly (GAF Versapan film, 135mm ƒ/5.6 Caltar-S II lens, yellow filter,  1/15 ƒ/22-32)

This impressive complex may be the Farmers Grain Terminal Inc - Waverly Grain Elevator. It is surprisingly hard to find the exact name, but I am not an agricultural scientist and may not know what to look for or how to phrase the search terms. Regardless, it makes for some interesting industrial photography.

Hwy 80 Bar & Grill, 3551 Hwy 80, Waverly (Tri-X, Fuji GW 690II camera, yellow filter, 1/125 ƒ/11.5)

This lonely little bar and grill caught my eye. It was south of the highway with woods all around. Otherwise, there is not too much to see in Waverly.

This is all the excitement in Waverly. Next stop: Delhi (Louisiana, not India, although I have been there, as well).

Update: for some superb large format film photography of wood grain elevators in Canada, please see the excellent work by Jan Normandale titled "Wooden Elevators."

Lost Architecture, Martin Luther King, Jr., Blvd., Vicksburg, Mississippi

Martin Luther King, Jr., Boulevard in Vicksburg was formerly known as Old Jackson Road. It ran along a ridge crest and was once lined with tens or maybe over a hundred cottages. Some of them had their front doors at street level but the backs were perched over the hillsides on stilts, often quite precarious-looking. This road has occupied this approximate right-of-way since the Civil War, and many of the cottages may have been from the late-1800s or early 20th century. In the last decade, many houses been lost to fire or neglect. I have photographed along here over the years. This quick survey is oriented from downtown heading east, so the house numbers will increase. (Click any photograph to see more detail.)

1404 MLK Jr. (Fuji X-E1 digital file converted to B&W)

This little cottage at 1404 was occupied when I photographed it in 2014, but it definitely looked precarious. As of 2020, the house is still standing but the center is curving downward even more.

1412 MLK Jr. (Fuji X-E1 digital file converted to B&W)

1412 MLK Jr. (Fuji X-E1 digital file converted to B&W)

1412 MLK Jr. interior (Fuji X-E1 digital file converted to B&W)

This old cottage at 1412 once had a fireplace for a stove insert, probably a coal stove. Being a railroad town, coal was readily available.

1416 MLK Jr. (Fuji X-E1 digital file converted to B&W)

This big cottage is probably late-1800s vintage. I think it was occupied when I took the picture in 2015, but the boarded windows were a bit perplexing. These were once floor-to-ceiling windows, very handsome. As of 2020, the house is standing and the windows have been uncovered.

1499 MLK Jr (Panasonic G-1 digital file converted to B&W, 5cm ƒ/2 Leitz Summitar lens)

1499 was a pink house almost across the street from the old Kuhn Charity Hospital. The house was demolished around 2013. The Kuhn hospital has also been totally demolished.

1618 MLK, Jr., Blvd. (Kodak Panatomic-X film, Hasselblad 501CM, 80mm ƒ/2.8 Planar-CB lens)

No. 1618 is one of a diminishing number of shotgun houses. Vicksburg, like other southern towns, probably had dozens or hundreds of these little houses in the early 20th century, but one by one, they have been torn down.

1705 MLK Jr. rear view (Fuji X-E1 digital file converted to B&W)

This is the back of a small house at 1705. The trash was tossed down the hillside.

1711 MLK Jr. (Fuji X-E1 digital file converted to B&W)

Interior room in 1711 MLK Jr. (Fuji X-E1 digital file)

Books in 1711 MLK Jr. (Fuji X-E1 digital file)

Kudzu mountain and 1711 MLK Jr. (Fuji X-E1 digital file)

Basement 1711 MLK Jr. (Fuji X-E1 digital file)

1711 was a handsome cottage up on one of Vicksburg's many loess ridges. The rear of the house was over the hill and supported by rather precarious-looking brick pillars. There was enough headroom in the crawl space for a sink and (maybe) a residence room? A student left his/her books behind. As of 2020, the kudzu has engulfed the entire lot where the house once stood.

1756 MLK Jr. (Fuji X-E1 digital file)

Side entrance, 1756 MLK Jr. (Fuji X-E1 digital file)

1756 was an example of a house whose front porch was at street ground level but whose rear was perched over the hill. On this house, concrete blocks had been added as a basement wall, but the original supports were likely wood piles. In Vicksburg, these houses can remain occupied as long as they are in maintained condition. But if the house is condemned, the land changes zoning status where no future house can be erected.

1826 MLK, Jr., Blvd., Vicksburg (Fomapan 100 Classic film, Fuji GW690II camera, 90mm ƒ/3.5 lens)

This house at 1826 looked reasonably sound, but the lack of an electric meter meant it was unoccupied (or at least had no electricity).

1832 MLK, Jr., Blvd., Vicksburg (Fomapan 100 Classic film, Fuji GW690II camera, 90mm ƒ/3.5 lens)

This house with concrete cladding (to resemble limestone blocks) is still standing but has the notation from the city inspector spray-pained on the front. .

1844 MLK., Jr., Blvd. (Tri-X 400 film, Fuji GW690II camera, 90mm ƒ/3.5 lens)

1900 MLK., Jr., Blvd (fire damage) (Fomapan 100 Classic film, Fuji GW 690II camera, 90mm ƒ/3.5 lens)

This fire-damaged house at 1900 sat unrepaired for a long time. Status: unknown.

1904 MLK, Jr., Blvd, Vicksburg 

1917 MLK, Jr., Blvd (Fuji X-E1 digital file)

1920 MLK, Jr. Blvd (Fuji X-E1 digital file)

2228 MLK Jr., Blvd., Vicksburg (Tri-X 400 film, Fuji GW690II camera, 90mm ƒ/3.5 lens)

2228 MLK Jr., Blvd., Vicksburg (Tri-X 400 film, Pentax Spotmatic camera, 35mm ƒ/3.5 Super-Takumar lens)

This duplex at 2228 is right next to historic Beulah Cemetery. This part of the road once had access into the Vicksburg National Military Park, but this entrance has been closed for decades. As of September 2020, the house was still standing and the pillars had cheerful turquoise paint.

Beulah Cemetery (Panatomic-X film, Hasselblad 501CM, 50mm ƒ/4 Distagon lens)

Beulah Cemetery was neglected for many years, but now the City maintains it. This was from a rare snow day in 2017.

Dear readers, this has been a short tour of historic MLK, Jr. Blvd (Openwood Road). I have more photographs among my color Kodachrome slides, but they will wait for a future effort at scanning. I will show more lost Vicksburg architecture in future articles.