Return to Country Stores in Central Mississippi and Louisiana

Introduction

Years ago, rural residents depended on a country store that was close enough to reach on foot, wagon, or horse. These stores provided for most of their needs, such as groceries, seed, tools, sewing supplies, and hardware items. Today, most have closed and people drive to the supermarket or Walmart. We have lost part of our 19th and 20th century cultural background. Here are some country stores in central Mississippi and one in Louisiana. I have photographed some of them before but wanted to revisit them and see some new ones.  

Florence

Most of the scenery along Hwy 49 between Jackson and Hattiesburg is boring strip mall Americana, very uninspiring. But a few traditional stores linger in dilapidated strip malls like this one in Florence.  

D'Lo

D'Lo is a small town a short distance off Hwy 49 southeast of Jackson. It is mostly known for the water park, but there is an old commercial strip downtown. Most of the stores are closed.

Satartia

Satartia is a village off MS Route 3 between Vicksburg and Yazoo City. The last time I photographed the little store in Satartia, a fluorescent light was on inside, but I did not see any commercial activity. This is a 4×5" Tri-X frame taken with a 135mm Schneider Xenar lens.

Utica

This is the Harris Carmichael store on Hwy 27. The building is in good condition but I do not know when the business closed.

Edwards

This is the Morning Star Store on Old Port Gibson Road at the junction of Adams Station Road (GAF Versapan film). It has been closed for years.

This store is on Military Road near Edwards. Based on the size of the pine tree, I think there has not been any activity here for years. This a Panatomic-X photo taken with a Hasselblad and the 50mm ƒ/4 Distagon lens.

This is the Watley Store at 116 Bill Strong Road in near Edwards. 

Burk's Gro is on Cook Road west of Edwards. The day I took this picture, a guy came up to me and asked what I was doing. Duuh, taking a photograph. 

Midnight

Not much is left of this store on old US 49E in Midnight (name of the town). This is a Hasselblad exposure with the 80mm Planar lens.

Polkville

Vicksburg

This may not quite qualify as a country store. Let's call it a country liquor store. I seldom see cars parked outside and am not sure how much business it gets. 

Tallulah, Louisiana

This is the former Poboy Don's on Route 602 east of Tallulah, Louisiana. I recently biked by the store when some gents were repairing it to use as a hunting lodge. They said the building was post-World War II vintage. I photographed it years ago when it served po-boys (see Country Stores 15).  

Thank you all for riding along for this quick overview of country stores. There are many more in Mississippi and Louisiana, but I need to end this article. 

The Mississippi Delta 32b: Satartia (revisited spring 2020)

Satartia is a handsome little town next to the Yazoo River, partway between Redwood and Yazoo City, Mississippi. I visited in 2019 during the great flood that year. This year, the water came up again, and residents of the lower Delta were semi-inundated for months once again. I revisited Satartia one day in April when I needed a change of scene and opportunity to do some photography.

Satartia, Mississippi, at the edge of the loess hills (map from ESRI ArcGIS Online)

Levees line the Yazoo River and prevent flooding in low areas, such as the town of Satartia. This broad, flat agricultural region is the famous Mississippi Delta. However streams flow down from the loess hills to the east. If the Yazoo River is low (non-flood conditions), the streams drain into the river via culverts that run through the levee. But when the Yazoo rises above a certain level, flood gates across the culverts must be closed to prevent backflow. Then the local water has nowhere to go other than spread out into the fields, making them soggy. It is difficult for the farmers.

The little Satartia Grocery on Plum Street formerly served lunches, but it has been closed for at least a year. I saw an electric light burning inside.

Shed behind Satartia Grocery (Fuji X-E1 digital file, in-camera jpeg)

This little shed was on the side street. Did someone live in it at one time? Maybe it was a tiny home long before their time.

Former grist mill, Satartia (4×5" Tri-X Prof film, 135mm ƒ/4.5 Xenar lens, yellow-green filter)

Plum Street goes up and over the Yazoo River levee. A group of houses are on the river side of the levee. Most are up on stilts or on elevated mounds. A local gent told me that this little building was a former grist mill. As you can see, water was almost up to the base of the steps. Last year (2019), the water was just a bit higher higher and under the porch.

Shed (4×5" Tri-X Prof film, 135mm ƒ/4.5 Xenar lens, yellow-green filter)

This is a shed at the Satartia Gin. Rain was beginning to fall, and I had to photograph in a hurry and pack up. Using a 4×5 inch camera in the rain is difficult, but I like the soft non-directional light.

Fina on MS Rte 3 (4×5" Tri-X Prof film, 90mm ƒ6.8 Angulon lens)

The Fina station on Rte 3 has been closed for years. Status: unknown.

I will show more 2020 flood photos in future articles. Most of these photographs are from 4×5"Tri-X Professional (ISO 320) film taken with a Tachihara wood field camera. I scanned the negatives on an Epson 3200 Photo flat bed scanner using the Epson scan software.

The Mississippi Delta 32: Satartia

Lift bridge, Yazoo River, Satartia Road (photograph taken from levee)

Satartia is a charming little town (village) on the east bank of the Yazoo City in Yazoo County, about 32 miles north of Vicksburg. According to Wikipedia, "It is Mississippi's smallest incorporated municipality by population. Located on the east bank of the Yazoo River, Satartia was once a thriving river port, and is one of the oldest non-Native settlements in Yazoo County." Although the 2017 population was only about 54, the village has a number of well-preserved historical cottages and homes.

Satartia Grocery, 304 Plum St., Satartia (Ektar 25 film, 35mm Super-Takumar lens)

Satartia Grocery (35mm Super-Takumar lens). The Fordice sticker on the door refers to the former governor, whose administration was marked by racial discord, scandal, corruption, and drinking.

Satartia Grocery photographed through glass (Fuji X-E1 digital file)

Shed behind Satartia Grocery

Not too hot - yet (digital file)

The Satartia Grocery must have once provided supplies and food staples to the town's residents. I could not tell how long it has been closed. I assume residents now must drive to Yazoo City or Vicksburg to buy groceries.

Some of the houses in town are occupied; others are empty but not abandoned. This part of the town is east of the Yazoo River levee and is therefore out of the flood zone.

On Old Hickory Street, not far from the junction with Rte 3, I saw this old Sears Roebuck trailer.

Former grist mill (Ektar 25 film, 35mm ƒ/3.5 Super-Takumar lens)

West of the levee, the land drops and was pretty wet as of May 27, 2019. This shed's contents (if any) likely stayed dry this year. A gent from a house nearby said this was once the grist mill.

I crossed the lift bridge and headed west on Satartia Road but could only drive a couple of miles before the road dropped under the water. If the road were open, it would take you to Holly Bluff, another small agricultural Mississippi Delta town which I photographed in 2016 (click the link).

This ends out short visit to Satartia. Most of the photographs are from long-expired Kodak Ektar 25 film, taken with a Pentax Spotmatic camera and various Pentax Takumar lenses. The Ektar 25 had odd color shifts, but I was able to partly correct them with the automatic color function in Photoshop CS3.

Update March 2021: A friend sent me some 120 size Ektar 25, which I used in and around Vicksburg (please click the link)