Located in the northeast part of the state, Woodall Mountain is the highest natural point in the state of Mississippi at 807 feet (246 m). Originally called Yow Hill, it was the scene of fighting during the American Civil War. On September 19, 1862, Union General William Rosecrans occupied the mountain and used it to launch artillery barrages on the town of Iuka, then under the control of General Sterling Price. The battle was a victory for the Union although Price avoided capture.
In 1902, Theodore Roosevelt was invited on a bear-hunting trip by Mississippi Governor Andrew H. Longino. After several of the other hunters had already killed an animal, one of Roosevelt's assistants cornered an older black bear with dogs and tied it to a tree for Roosevelt to shoot. The president refused, seeing it as terribly unsportsmanlike. The story inspired candy store owner Morris Michtom to create a stuffed black bear which he called a "teddy bear" and mass-produced with the president's blessing.
O Brother, Where Art Thou? is set in 1937 rural Mississippi during the Great Depression. Its story is a modern satire loosely based on Homer's epic Greek poem The Odyssey that incorporates mythology from the American South.
Railroad engineer Casey Jones became a folk hero after his passenger train crashed into a freight train parked at Vaughan, Mississippi. He did his best to save lives before the collision. According to legend, Jones died with one hand on the train's whistle and the other hand on its brake.
Pine-Sol was developed in 1929 by chemist Harry A. Cole, who lived in a pine forest near Jackson, Mississippi.
Tupelo has a deep connection to Mississippi's music history, being known as the birthplace of Elvis Presley. At the Elvis Presley Birthplace and Museum, visitors can view the cottage where he was born and many items from Elvis' childhood.
Largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) are keenly sought after by anglers and are noted for the excitement of their 'fight', meaning how vigorously the fish resists being hauled in after being hooked. Largemouth bass will often become airborne in their effort to throw the hook.
Hattiesburg gained its "Hub City" nickname in 1912 as a result of a contest in a local newspaper. It was named for its location at the intersection of a number of important rail lines.
SHARE THIS PAGE!