Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Chautauqua Hotel -- Crystal Springs

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All are from the Cooper Postcard Collection, Mississippi Department of Archives and History.

"Chautauqua, an adult educational effort to bring entertainment and culture to rural America, was founded by Methodists in Lake Chautauqua, NY, in the late 1800s.  The movement, which was nondenominational, swept the nation.  It reached the height of its popularity in the 1920s.  


President Theodore Roosevelt has been quoted as saying Chautauqua "is the most American thing in America."


Other states may have had more famous locations, but Mississippi was definitely part of the Chautauqua movement -- witness this "daughter" Chautauqua hotel and beautiful lake in Crystal Springs..."

To read the remainder of this post and browse through similar photos, click here to visit Sippiana Succotash.

Friday, August 17, 2012

Hurricane Camille - photo archives

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Hurricane Camille
Mississippi Gulf Coast - August 17-18, 1969

[Hurricane Picture] "On the night of August 17, 1969 Hurricane Camille hit the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Many had scoffed at the forecast of unprecedented high winds and expected a rising tide, but in the early morning hours of August 18th were firm believers. Final data on the storm reported wind velocity in excess of 210 miles per hour and a tidal surge in excess of 24 feet topped with at least a 10 foot sea. Many of those who refused to believe the forecast and stayed at home to ride out the storm lived to regret it.
Some did not live through it. The latest survey reveals l34 deaths; 27 missing; 8,931 injured; 5,662 homes destroyed and 13,915 suffering major losses. This is not counting the loss of businesses, other structures, and much of the natural beauty of the Mississippi Coast. The total destruction area of Harrison County alone was 68 square miles. Because of ample warning the death toll was not as high as in some previous hurricanes, but the destruction was unprecedented in United States history to that time."

To read the remainder of this article and browse the hurricane archives of the Harrison County Library, click here.

Friday, August 10, 2012

The Smiths Go to Town…and Often (1940)

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"In 1940, The New Haven Railroad created the publicity brochure, The Smiths Go to Town…and Often. This pamphlet publicizes the half hour service – “Yes, a train EVERY HALF-HOUR from early morning till late at night to and from Grand Central Terminal, New York.”

The brochure is directed at commuter families who reside 30-40 minutes outside of New York City. The publication tells the story of the Smith family who “lived on the sound side of Westchester.” The husband, who worked in the city, took the train because he worked long days and wanted to “go with the dispatch” where he “traveled in good company” and “always arrived on time!

Mrs. Smith loved..."

To read the remainder of this article from the University of Southern Mississippi Libraries, click here.