On the Dixie Overland Highway, Historic US 80 - Delhi, Louisiana (LA-04)

Heading west on the historic Dixie Overland Highway (now US 80), we reach Delhi (DELL-hi, Loo-zee-ANA) only a few miles west of Waverly (see the previous article).

US 80, Delhi, Louisiana (Fuji X-E1 digital file)

According to Wikipedia, Delhi, which is in Richland Parish, was originally called Deerfield. It looked like a clean and cheerful town, at least during a blazing hot summer day in mid-July 2020. The temperature was hovering around 35° C (95° F), and it was a challenge to use the dark cloth on my 4×5" camera. I wimped out and also took some digital snaps.

Former shop (car dealer?), US 80 (Fuji X-E1 digital file)

Mooney's Auto Sales & Repair, 236 Rundell St., Delhi (Tri-X 400 film, Fuji GW690II camera, EBC Fujinon 90mm ƒ/3.5 lens, yellow filter)

Heading into town from the east, you see a number of old commercial buildings, nothing too exciting.

509 East 1st Street (US 80) (4×5" GAF Versapan film, 135mm ƒ/5.6 Caltar-S II lens, yellow filter)

Former service bay, 509 East 1st Street (Fuji X-E1 digital file)

501 East 1st Street 4×5" (GAF Versapan film, 90mm ƒ/6.8 Angulon lens, yellow filter)

Former service bay, 501 East 1st Street (Fuji X-E1 digital file)

These two unused gasoline stations are on the south side of US 80 as it enters Delhi from the east. I do not know the architecture well enough to identify the original oil companies that built the stations. Both were faced with enameled steel panels, which are very durable and remain clean. Unfortunately, the roofs on both units were wood, and 501 has collapsed.

Former Water Works, Depot Street (4×5" GAF Versapan film, 180mm ƒ/5.6 Caltar IIN lens, yellow filter)

Within the main town, I did not see much of photographic interest except for the old Waterworks building on Depot Street. I did not see a railroad depot. Is it gone?

Helena Chemical from US 80 (Tri-X film, Fuji GW690II camera, 90mm ƒ/3.5 lens, polarizer)

Helena Chemical (Tachihara 4×5"camera, 135mm ƒ/5.6 Caltar-S II lens, polarizer) 

West of downtown, I drove past an impressive elevator/silo complex owned by Helena Chemical. I like industrial photography like this and plan to do more of it in the future.

In the next article, we will continue west on US 80. Thank you for riding along.

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."

On the Dixie Overland Highway, Historic US 80 - Mound and Tallulah, Louisiana (LA-02)

Dear Readers, I want to continue exploring the Dixie Overland Highway. I will start at the Mississippi River Bridge in east Louisiana and proceed west. 

From the Federal Highway Administration

To remind you were are picking up this journey on historic US80, here are some maps from the Federal Highway Administration's "Highway History." These histories about the development of our cross-continent roads are very interesting. The Arizona DOT also has an interesting history of the alignment and changes over time, including the removal of the designation of US 80.

Mound

The tallest structures in this area are grain elevators (or silos?). Some of them are impressive towers of steel and concrete. Are they not vulnerable to tornadoes, hurricanes, and lightning? Regardless, they make great photographic subjects.

Silos on Duckport Road (near Vicksburg-Tallulah Airport), Mound, LA (Tri-X Prof. film, 240mm ƒ/9 G Claron lens)

These silos are on Duckport Road in Mound (one interstate exit east of Tallulah). The thunderstorm was approaching - my favorite light.

Tallulah

Tallulah is the parish seat of Madison Parish (Louisiana does not have counties but instead divides the state into parishes). I have photographed there before in 2013 and 2018. Being only 30 minutes west of Vicksburg on I-20, it is easy to reach. The old Dixie once ran right through downtown. 

Bunge Corp. elevator, LA 602, Tallulah (GAF Versapan film, 135mm ƒ/5.6 Caltar-S II lens, yellow filter, ¼ ƒ/16.5)

When I bike on LA 602, I pass this tall elevator/silo complex just south of US 80. Late afternoon on July 4, a thunderstorm was approaching and the light was ominous. I only had time for one exposure with my 4×5" camera before the drops started to fall. Within a minute, a monsoon was coming down. I hustled the equipment into the back of the car and headed home through the deluge. This is another test photograph using 1960s GAF Versapan film. Click the picture to expand and see the amazing detail.

Bunge Corp. elevator, LA 602, Tallulah (Kodak Tri-X film, 135mm ƒ/5.6 Caltar-S II lens, polarizing filter, 1/30 ƒ/22)

Here is the same scene with a blue sky and puffy clouds. The 135mm Caltar-S II lens is a recent purchase with impressive resolution. The shutter is fine despite being 1970s vintage.

Bottling plant, 701 E. Green St (US 80), Tallulah (Fuji Acros film, Leica M2, 50mm ƒ/2.0 Summicron-DR lens, yellow filter)

Interior of bottling plant (Fuji Acros film, 25mm ƒ/4.0 Color-Skopar lens, 1/15 ƒ/5.6)

The former Coca Cola bottling plant at 701 East Green Street (US 80) sits forlorn and unused, year after year. I saw bales of straw and some trailers inside, so maybe someone uses it for storage. I did not see any bottling machinery inside.

E. Green St. (US 80) view east, downtown Tallulah (Moto G5 digital file)

US 80 follows East Green Street in town and passes right by the Madison Parish courthouse.

Gas Sta., E. Green (US 80) and Chesnut, Tallulah (Panatomic-X film, Fuji GW690II camera, 90mm ƒ/3.5 lens, yellow filter)

Original arched door in former gas station (Moto G5 digital file)

This old-fashioned gas station at the corner of East Green Street (US 80) and Chestnut probably served travelers on the old Dixie Highway in the pre-interstate era. The building is in good condition and the tile roof looks like it might have been re-tiled recently.

Chestnut Street at Craig, Tallulah (Fuji Acros film, 25mm ƒ/4.0 Color-Skopar lens)

Chestnut north of East Green is a bit dreary. Some strip malls are pretty rough.

These old stores right across Chestnut from the courthouse are crumbling. Some of the units no longer have roofs. This is a photograph with my newly-acquired Voigtländer Color-Skopar 25mm ƒ/4.0 lens. This is a modern Japanese-made lens, not one from the old pre-1970s German production. The light was harsh and contrasty.

Another old commercial block is on Chestnut south of the railroad tracks. These units were partly occupied. The big water tower looms over the block.

Dabney Street is not too inspiring, but it leads to farm fields.

This has been a short visit to a Dixie Overland Highway town. In the next few articles, we will continue heading west. Thank you for riding along!

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.