On the Dixie Overland Highway, Historic US 80 - east Mississippi (MS-01)

Route US 80 was one of our earliest paved cross-country auto roads. According to Wikipedia, much of the present 80 was once part of the Dixie Overland Highway, a southern route stretching from the Atlantic to the Pacific coasts. Today, 80 ends in Dallas, with the sections further west absorbed into various interstate highways or local roads. "As an original US Highway commissioned in 1926, US 80 was the first all-weather coast-to-coast route available to auto travelers. For a time known as the "Broadway of America", its history is second only to US 66 in American highway folklore"

The present U.S. Route 80 (in red), from Creative Commons, Wikipedia (in the public domain)

Map of US 80 (from the 1941 Mississippi Tourist Guide (courtesy Preservation Mississippi). Note that north is to the right in this diagram 

This is the first of a multi-part series. We will start our trip in the Mississippi city of Meridian and drive west. This is not a comprehensive guide, just some of my random photographs along the way. Meridian was a major rail junction for 200 years and still has many tracks running through town as well a historic depot. US 80 enters Meridian from the east and merges with Interstate 20 at a complicated intersection near the mall. Within town, 80 may have run along 5th (also known as Main) Street or 8th Street. Maybe a reader can  advise.

Commercial hotels like this once served the Dixie Highway as well as rail travelers (Nexus 4 digital image)

Main Street, Meridian, Kodak Panatomic-X film, Hasselblad 50mm Distagon lens

The Miner Saw Company on Main Street is an example of the type of industrial activity that once flourished in Meridian.

E.E Young Hotel, Main (5th) Street at 25th Ave., Meridian, Hasselblad 50mm lens

Historic Benevolent Association Building, Main Street, Meridian, Hasselblad, 50mm Distagon lens

Meridian has a wealth of old architecture. I need to explore in more detail. The E.F Young Hotel in the photograph above has been placed on the Mississippi Heritage trust's most endangered list for 2019.

Former Cities Services station, 3700 5th Street, Meridian, 80mm Planar lens

On 5th street, I turned a corner, and there was one of the classic Cities Services Company stations with the characteristic peaked roof. Previously, I seldom paid attention to gasoline station architecture, but Thomas Rosell had just written about Citgo stations in Preservation Mississippi, and my interest was on alert. This one is now a restaurant. Some ladies were making ribs and offered me a plate, but it was only 10:00 in the morning and a bit too early for a hearty rib lunch. Pity. They were very gracious and said I was welcome to take pictures.

Hodges Variety & Arcade, 3400 5th Ave., Meridian, 80mm Planar lens

Not far from the old Citgo station was a building in poor condition at 3400 5th Ave. A sign stated "Hodges Variety & Arcade."

Heading west out of Meridian, US 80 passes through a number of small towns with names like Chunky and Hickory. I did not see all that much to photograph. It looks like most cultural or architectural remains of the Dixie Highway have been replaced with modern gas stations, fast food restaurants, and characterless steel utility buildings.

Lawrence Garage, Lawrence, Mississippi, 50mm Distagon lens

The Lawrence Garage in Lawrence may have seen Dixie travelers back in the day, but I can't be sure of the date.

Whimseys store, 23 Cedar St., Lake, Mississippi, 50mm Distagon lens, green filter to lighten foliage

Whimseys store, Lake, Mississippi, 50mm Distagon lens, green filter

Whimseys occupied a nice little 1920s cottage on Cedar Street. It was closed so I do not know what they sold or did.

Lyle's Power Equipment, 606 2nd St., Pelahatchie, Mississippi, 50mm Distagon lens

Lyle's Power Equipment occupies an interesting semi-Spanish style building on US 80 in Pelahatchie.  Look at the name molded into the arch above the door: Rankin County Motors Ford. A gent from the store told me that this was once a Ford assembly building and dealership. Model T parts were unloaded from the rail line in the back and cars were assembled and sold on the premises. The building was in nice condition and I complemented them at maintaining it so well. In fact, Pelahatchie overall looked prosperous and busy.

This ends out very short ride on the Dixie Highway east of Jackson. As usual, there is more to explore in the future. The square photographs are from Kodak Panatomic-X film taken with my Hasselblad 501CM camera. I scanned the negatives with a Minolta Scan Multi medium-format film scanner.

Vicksburg's Railroad Bridges and Crossings (More Snow)

Vicksburg, Mississippi, has been an important railroad town since before the Civil War. One of the reasons that General Grant considered this to be a crucial strategic objective in the Civil War was the railroad infrastructure. The railroad from the western Confederate states (Texas and Louisiana) came through Vicksburg on the way to Jackson, Meridian, and other eastern Confederate cities. Once Vicksburg surrendered, the Union Navy totally controlled the Mississippi River and the Confederacy was split. This meant food and other crucial supplies could not move east from the western states.

The train still comes through Vicksburg. Let us take a quick tour of the railroad bridges in town. I suspect many motorists just rush over and do not pay any attention to the tracks below.

Mississippi River from Vicksburg, view west towards Louisiana, 1996, Kodachrome slide, Nikon F3 camera

Before the construction of the old bridge, rail cars were ferried across the Mississippi River by barges. This must have been dangerous work considering currents and changing water levels. The Vicksburg Bridge & Terminal Co. built the first bridge first bridge across the river (on the right in the photograph above) during 1928-1930. It uses three cantilevered truss spans and three Parker truss spans (from National Park Service). It formerly carried US 80 (the Dixie Overland Highway) but has been closed to car traffic since 1998. The bridge on the left was built in 1972 to carry Interstate 20.

KCS tracks from North Frontage Road, view NW towards Washington Street, Jan. 16, 2018, Fomapan 100 film

After emerging from the bridge on the Vicksburg side of the river, the track makes a long turn to the north under the interstate off ramp. The photograph above is from North Frontage Road looking to the northwest. North Washington Street runs on the hill in the snow in the distance.

View underneath North Frontage Road bridge (Tri-X film, Hasselblad 50mm ƒ/4 Distagon lens)

This is the view from underneath the North Frontage Road bridge, which crosses Stouts Bayou and the railroad (no snow in this 2020 photograph).

KCS tracks from North Washington Street, view SE, Jan 16, 2018, Fomapan 100 film

The tracks run underneath South Washington Street and head north to the Kansas City Southern rail yard. The view above is to the south. I waited for a train, but it was cold, and snow was falling on the camera.

KCS tracks view north from S. Washington Street, Fomapan 100 classic film

From Washington Street, look north and you can see the KCS rail yard in the distance. The track in the distance to the right makes a turn and runs under Washington Street again to the cut between Belmont and West Pine Streets.

Long-closed Fairground Street Keystone bridge from under KCS tracks, Hasselblad, 80mm Planar-CB lens, Kodak Panatomic-X film

The Fairground Street Bridge has been closed to cars and pedestrians for decades. It crossed the KCS rail yard. This photograph is from under the rail line that follows Pearl Street and eventually turns under Washington Street.

Washington Street railroad tunnel, April 2015, Panatomic-X film, Fuji GW690II camera, 90mm lens

Railroad cut between Belmont and West Pine Streets

This valley between Belmont and West Pine Streets must have been cut by the railroad before the Civil War. It is a rather convoluted route but may have followed natural gullies that required minimal dirt removal. The photograph above is from the Monroe Street bridge.

KCS tracks from Mission 66, view west, Hasselblad, 250mm Sonnar lens

KCS tracks from Mission 66, view east with Baldwin Ferry bridge in distance, Fomapan 100 film, Hasselblad, 250mm Sonnar lens

KCS tracks from Baldwin Ferry Road bridge, view east towards Vicksburg National Military Park, Hasselblad, 250mm Sonnar lens

As the Kansas City Southern rail moves inland, it passes under the bridges at Mission 66 and Baldwin Ferry Road. I expect most people drive over and barely pay any attention to the tracks below. In summer, the view is rather dull, but the snow made the scene interesting by outlining the topography.

KCS tracks from Old Highway 27, view towards 2-Mile Bridge, Vicksburg National Military Park

From here, the tracks head east towards Bovina, cross the Big Black River, and continue on to Edwards and Jackson. Back to the Vicksburg waterfront, the Vicksburg Southern Railroad runs along North Washington Street and on to Redwood and just north of the International Paper Company mill.

Vicksburg Southern Railroad tracks view south from Haining Road, Tri-X 400 film

Vicksburg Southern Railroad tracks passing through Vicksburg Forest Products lumber processing yard, Tri-X 400 film, Hasselblad, 250mm Sonnar lens 

Vicksburg Southern Railroad from Redwood, view south to International Paper Vicksburg Mill, Panatomic-X film, Rolleiflex 3.5E, 75mm ƒ/3.5 Xenotar lens. 

This ends out short tour of railroad tracks and bridges. These were all film photographs. Thank you for reading.

Snow in Vicksburg, Mississippi (B&W film)

Dear readers, the heat is here, and the winter of 2018-2019 is fading away into memory. Other than a minor dusting of snow sometime in January, we did not see any of the white stuff. But the winter of 2017-2018 was much more interesting, with three real snowfalls. Because this is a rare phenomenon here in central Mississippi, it is worth recording on film. I bopped out with the Hasselblad and tripod as soon as I could while the white stuff was still falling or just afterwards. Here are a few examples (click any photograph to expand to 1600 pixels wide).

Beulah Cemetery, MLK Jr. Blvd., Vicksburg (50mm Distagon lens, Kodak Panatomic-X film)

Zollinger's Hill Road, Vicksburg (50mm Distagon lens, Fomapan 100 classic film)

Zollingers Hill Road drops steeply down from MLK Jr. Blvd. In the snow, it looks like a country lane. In one of the snowfalls, the city closed it because of the slick surface.

Sycamore Avenue, Vicksburg (80mm Planar lens, Panatomic-X film)

Sycamore Avenue is another small road that drops down into a valley from MLK Jr. Blvd. Once there were small homes along Sycamore, but most have been demolished. When I took this picture on December 8, 2017, the snow was melting quickly, and I wanted to capture the scene in soft light.

West Pine and KCS railroad cut from Belmont Street (80mm Planar lens, Panatomic-X film)

This is the railroad cut between West Pine and Belmont Streets. This has carried the railroad between Vicksburg and Jackson since before the Civil War. Once, there were many more cottages on the opposite slope.

Washington Street, view north (80mm Planar lens, Fomapan 100 film)

Vans, 2640 Washington Street (80mm Planar lens, Fomapan 100 film)

Heading west, we reach Washington Street, unusually quiet on a snowy morning. I have been unable to do much photographically with Washington Street, but the snow added contrast and eye interest.

Fairground Street (80mm Planar lens, Fomapan 100 film, yellow filter)

Fairground Street drops down to the west from Washington Street. These little cottages at the west end of Fairground Street have been here for decades. I have photographed them before. Most appear to be occupied.

2521 Pearl Street (80mm Planar lens, Fomapan 100 film, yellow filter)

This duplex on Pearl Street is on the east side of the street and faces the railroad tracks. All the cottages on the west side of the tracks have been demolished as have many on the east side, but I photographed them years ago.

Fairground Street Bridge (80mm Planar lens, Fomapan 100 film)

The Fairground Street Bridge is a Keystone bridge from the late-1800s. It is in poor condition and may be demolished despite its historical significance as being one of the only bridges of its type in Mississippi. I wrote about it in 2017. According to the Vicksburg Post,

"Nancy Bell, executive director of the Vicksburg Foundation for Historic Preservation, said the bridge is listed as the oldest in the state, is on the National Register of Historic Places and is a Mississippi landmark. 

The bridge was closed to traffic in 1995 as unsafe. Its approach at the intersection of Pearl and Fairground streets is overgrown with trees and other vegetation, and the crumbling structure crosses over the Kansas City Southern Railroad yard."

Way to go, Vicksburg, make us proud! Demolish a historic engineering landmark, while meanwhile trying to promote the city as a tourist destination.

Durden Creek, Waterways Experiment Station (February 2010 snowfall, Sony DSC-R1 digital file) 

3000 block of Drummond Street, view south (February 2010 snowfall, Sony DSC-R1 digital file)

I found some snow files from the winter of 2010.

KCS tracks, Warrior's Trail, Bovina (80mm Planar lens, polarizing filter, Fomapan 100 film)

These are the Kansas City Southern tracks next to Warrior's Trail near the town of Bovina. The sun was just coming out and the light was magical briefly.

Highway US 80 over the Big Black River, Bovina (50mm Distagon lens, polarizer filter, Fomapan 100 film)

 Finally, this is the US 80 bridge over the Big Black River a short distance east of Bovina.

KCS railroad bridge, Big Black River, Bovina (50mm Distagon lens, yellow filter, Fomapan 100 film)

A short distance south of the US 80 bridge is this concrete arch bridge, which carries the Kansas City Southern railroad tracks over the Big Black. I am not sure when it was built, but an arch bridge this high  is unusual for Mississippi. The dark stain on the concrete shows how high the Big Black can rise after heavy rains in west central Mississippi.

This ends out short snow tour of Vicksburg and immediate area. Come back to this article when it is 100° F during some scorcher of a muggy summer day.

All square photographs are from my Hasselblad 501CM camera. I scanned the negatives with a Minolta Scan Multi medium format film scanner controlled by SilverFast Ai software, running on an old Windows 7 computer.

Quick Visit to the Imperial Capital, Washington, DC (B&W film)

The protest sign man, Pennsylvania Avenue, directly in front of the White House

Business took me to Washington, DC, in September of 2018. I had not been to Washington for many years, and it was fun to walk around and see some sights that were new. I have always liked Washington. As a visitor, it is exciting to be at the seat of imperial power. These centers of empire (present or past) are always interesting because you see the trappings of power, the grandiose buildings, the monuments to heroes, and the souvenirs of colonialism or the souvenirs purchased with vast wealth (think of Moscow, Vienna, Berlin, Rome, Paris, or London as other examples).

But in Washington, it is challenging to do much creative photography in a short trip. Historic neighborhoods have largely been torn down or gentrified, and the cell phone crowd takes a million snaps of the monuments every day.

Room with a view: 17th Street from the Mayflower Hotel

My hosts reserved rooms for us at the Mayflower Hotel. Nice place! I appreciated seeing photographs of Harry Truman and other notable guests. Even Nikita Khrushchev stayed there (no nasty budget people's hotel for those Soviets).

FBI building, Pennsylvania Avenue (Leitz GGr yellow/green filter to lighten foliage)

Salad greens, Rosa Mexicana restaurant, 7th Street NW

I saw an interesting idea: grow the salad greens in plant boxes where the customers sit. Certainly fresh and wholesome.

Checking in, National Gallery of Art

The National Gallery of Art is always rewarding. To think, you can see Rembrants and daVincis for free.

Mirrored pyramids occupy the concourse between the east and west buildings of the National Gallery.  Selfies have been taken here since long before the cell phone era. In the two frames above, I used the same 1949 Leica IIIC. It is a pity the photographer did not age as gracefully.

7th Street at the Mall

7th Street food truck

Walk along the mall, where you see tourists from around the world walking, eating, taking selfies, and hanging around. The food trucks are a decades-old institution, but I admit I have never tried their culinary specialties.

World War II Memorial

World War II Memorial with Lincoln Memorial in distance 

The World War II Memorial at sunset is a peaceful setting. The Lincoln Memorial is due west in the distance.

Tree trunks, 17th Street SW

Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial, Washington, DC

The quote above is engraved in the granite panels at the FDR Memorial. It is a somber and meaningful place. Consider this quote when you observe the vile and self-serving man who occupied the White House as 45 and the way we institutionalize abuse of the poor.

This is the end of our short tour around Washington. As with so many other places, I should return and explore in more detail.

The black and white photographs are from Fuji Acros film, taken with my dad's 1949-vintage Leica IIIC rangefinder camera and its 5cm ƒ/2.0 Leitz Summitar lens. I previously showed a comparison of my 70-year old IIIC with the new Leica Monochrom black and white digital camera when I stopped at the Leica Store Washington DC.