Places

European Antique Auction Gallery

Places

European Antique Auction Gallery is a family-owned business that features the largest, ever-changing imported inventory of the fine antiques in the Southeast. We have maintained a highly respected reputation while supplying thousands of dealers, shop owners, and retail customers. We have auctions monthly and sell out of our warehouse daily.

We are open for everyone to shop, Monday through Saturday, 9-5.

We are located at 45 Bullock Road in Seminary, MS 39479.

You may have seen us on past episodes of HGTV’s ‘Home Town.’ We are pleased to announce we will be working with Ben, Erin, and the team for future seasons!

As seen on HGTV’s Hometown!

 

Natchez Trace Parkway

Places, Things,

Route 66 may be “The Mother Road”, but if that is true, then the Natchez Trace is “The Great Grandmother Road.”

With family living in the Natchez area and having spent most of my life in Central Mississippi, I’ve have plenty of opportunities in my life to experience the Natchez Trace. As a matter of fact, I taught my daughter how to drive on the highway on the Trace because the traffic is slower and a lot lighter than the Interstate. And over the years, I’ve stopped along the way to visit the many pull-offs and sites on the Trace.

From Wikipedia:

The Natchez Trace Parkway (also known as the Natchez Trace or simply the Trace) is a National Parkway in the southeastern United States that commemorates the historic Old Natchez Trace and preserves sections of the original trail.

Natchez_Trace_Parkway_LogoThe Natchez Trace Parkway logo can be seen on signs and trail markings along the parkway. Its central feature is a two-lane parkway road that extends 444 miles (715 km) from Natchez, Mississippi to Nashville, Tennessee. Access to the parkway is limited, with more than 50 access points in the states of Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee. The southern end of the route is in Natchez at an intersection with Liberty Road, and the northern end is northeast of Fairview, Tennessee, in the suburban community of Pasquo, Tennessee, at an intersection with Tennessee 100. In addition to Natchez and Nashville, the larger cities along the route include Jackson and Tupelo, Mississippi, and Florence, Alabama.

The gentle sloping and curving alignment of the current route closely follows the original foot passage. Its design harkens back to the way the original interweaving trails aligned as an ancient salt-lick-to-grazing-pasture migratory route of the American Bison and other game that moved between grazing the pastures of central and western Mississippi and the salt and other mineral surface deposits of the Cumberland Plateau. The route generally traverses the tops of the low hills and ridges of the watershed divides from northeast to southwest.

natchez_trace_walking_trail

Native Americans, following the “traces” of bison and other game, further improved this “walking trail” for foot-borne commerce between major villages located in middle Mississippi and central Tennessee. The route is locally circuitous; however, by traversing this route the bison, and later humans, avoided the endless, energy-taxing climbing and descending of the many hills along the way. Also avoided was the danger to a herd (or groups of human travelers) of being caught en-masse at the bottom of a hollow or valley if attacked by predators. The nature of the route, to this day, affords good all-around visibility for those who travel it.

Construction of the Parkway was begun by the federal government in the 1930s. The development of the modern roadway was one of the many projects of the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Great Depression. The road was the proposal of U.S. Congressman T. Jeff Busby of Mississippi, who proposed it as a way to give tribute to the original Natchez Trace. Inspired by the proposal, the Daughters of the American Revolution began planting markers and monuments along the Trace. In 1934, the Franklin Delano Roosevelt administration ordered a survey. President Roosevelt signed the legislation to create the parkway on May 18, 1938. Construction on the Parkway began in 1939, and the route was to be overseen by the National Park Service. Its length includes more than 45,000 acres (182 km²) and the towering Natchez Trace Parkway Bridge in Williamson County, Tennessee, completed in 1994 and one of only two post-tensioned, segmental concrete arch bridges in the world.

The National Park Service has a website dedicated to the Natchez Trace Parkway that has a lot of great information about the Trace and the sites you can visit along the way.

From their website:

National_Park_ServiceThe history and culture found along the Natchez Trace Parkway is a lifetime worth of exploration for students of history, or just the curious. The number of cultures and historic topics touched by the Natchez Trace seems boundless.

People have been using the Natchez Trace for thousands of years. The Choctaw, Chickasaw, and Natchez, as well as pre-historic American Indians all called the area home for part of the year. The most celebrated travelers of the Natchez Trace were farmers and boatmen from the Ohio River regions of Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Kentucky floating supplies down to ports in Natchez and New Orleans at the beginning of the 1800s. Regardless of where they came from, they were collectively known as “Kaintucks.”

Several famous figures traveled the Natchez Trace. Meriwether Lewis, of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, was traveling through in 1809, when he died under mysterious circumstances at a small cabin in Tennessee. Andrew Jackson traveled on the Trace with his troops during the War of 1812.

Whether famous, infamous, or anonymous, travelers of the Natchez Trace relied heavily on this wilderness road. The Trace was a road home, a path of exploration, and a link to the growing population of the Old Southwest. Over time, new roads and population centers were developed and steamships carried people and supplies upstream. The Old Trace fell out of use. Reestablished as a unit of the National Park Service in 1938, the Natchez Trace Parkway was completed in 2005. The route still serves as a connection between population centers, and allows modern travelers to explore and discover the history and culture of earlier generations.

Here’s a short video tour of the Trace that I think you’ll enjoy!

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGJTQ-a7zfA[/youtube]

Ward’s Restaurant

Things, , ,

wards_logoBack when I was a student at the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, MS, one of the local favorites for burgers was the Ward’s Restaurant on Hardy Street just before you cross the bridge over I-59. Well, the address is technically 101 Thornhill Drive, Hattiesburg, MS, but if you decide to visit Hattiesburg, just stop and ask someone where the Ward’s on Hardy Street is and they’ll get you there. As they say, you can’t miss it.

What I can confirm is that if you’ve never had a Ward’s Chili Dog, a “Big One” with Chili and Cheese or a “Ward’s Quarter” then you’ve lived a sheltered life. So, as soon as you can, find the Ward’s nearest you and order a great burger and frosty mug of homemade root beer and then decide whether I’m telling you the truth.

From the Ward’s website:

Richard and Ed Ward opened the first Ward’s location May 28, 1978. The two brothers rotated shifts with one working early and one working late. It was years before some customers ever realized there were two of them! They thought one hard-working man owned and operated the new concept on his own. The years of hard work and long hours paid off as Ward’s developed its own identity and following of loyal customers. Known for delicious homemade chili and smooth as silk homemade Root beer, Ward’s has grown to 39 locations over the past 35 years and shows no signs of slowing down.

wards_chili_dogThe signature hamburgers are lovingly referred to as the “Big One” and the “Little On.” Dressed with Ward’s homemade chili and signature sauce these favorites are two of the most popular on the menu. The homemade chili is not just used on hamburgers. OH NO! Ward’s chili is served on our own Chili Dogs. What better way to conquer the munchies than with a Big One Combo and a Ward’s Chili Dog on the side!

For those who choose not to indulge in Ward’s Chili there are other options! The Ward’s Quarter is just what your personal trainer would approve of! Lettuce and tomato dress this burger just right to make you feel good about yourself. However, if you insist, there is also a delicious line of salads and wraps available to help you watch your waistline.

From Breakfast, to lunch and on through out the evening Ward’s has something for almost any appetite and to please any taste. New menu concepts include the addition of Sweet Potato Fries and Real Fruit Smoothies. Ward’s is the best of both worlds merging the ole time menu items of years past and the best of whats new.

Biloxi Lighthouse

Places, Things,

Having traveled to the Mississippi Gulf Coast hundreds of times in my life, I’ve often driven past the Biloxi Lighthouse. With all the tall casinos and condos in the area, the lighthouse does not seem as imposing as perhaps it once was. But it is still a beloved sight to see once you hit the coast.

From the City Of Biloxi Website:

The Biloxi Lighthouse was erected in 1848 and was one of the first cast-iron lighthouses in the South. It is the city’s signature landmark and has become a post-Katrina symbol of the city’s resolve and resilience.

The light was civilian operated from 1848 to 1939, and is notable for its several female lightkeepers, including Maria Younghans, who tended the light for 53 years. In 1939, the U.S. Coast Guard assumed responsibility for the light’s operation.

After being declared surplus property in 1968, the Biloxi Lighthouse was deeded to the City of Biloxi, which eventually opened it to public tours.

The lighthouse has withstood many storms over the years. Katrina’s storm surge enveloped a third of the 64-foot tall lighthouse, and the constant pounding from the water and winds toppled many bricks that lined the interior of the cast iron tower. The storm’s winds also broke many of the windows in the light cupola and destroyed the structure’s electrical system

In March 2010, the city re-opened the lighthouse to public tours after a 14-month, $400,000 restoration that was funded by FEMA and MEMA and completed by Biloxi contractor J.O. Collins.

Guided tours: Daily at 9, 9:15 and 9:30 a.m., weather permitting. No reservations required, except for group tours, which can be arranged by calling (228) 374-3105.

Admission: $5, adults, $2 students, with discounts for groups.

Location: The lighthouse is in the middle of U.S. 90 at Porter Avenue, south of the new Biloxi Visitors Center, and just west of I-110 loop and Beau Rivage Resort & Casino. More info: Email Biloxi’s museums office at museums@biloxi.ms.us or call (228) 374-3105.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYE2hHDKzfw[/youtube] [youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jK0ATNAQ6Q[/youtube]

Stennis Space Center

Places

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, there was an old saying around the community, If you want to go to the moon, you first have to go through Hancock County, Mississippi.

The site known today as NASA’s John C. Stennis Space Center boasts a rich and colorful history dating as far back as 1699. Indians, settlers, pirates and soldiers shaped this part of Mississippi, which now hosts modern-day explorers

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmikCdiK3Do[/youtube]

In the decades before the space age arrived, the old towns of Gainesville, Napoleon, Santa Rosa, Logtown and Westonia formed a logging and shipping center along the scenic East Pearl River. In time, these settlements gave way to a more high-tech network involving space, oceans and Earth.

In October 1961, a historic announcement was made: the federal government had selected an area in Hancock County, Miss., to be the site of a static test facility for launch vehicles to be used in the Apollo manned lunar landing program.

It was the largest construction project in the state of Mississippi and the second largest in the United States at that time.

Less than eight years later, astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the lunar surface, safely transported thousands of miles by a space vehicle whose boosters were tested and proven flight-worthy at Stennis Space Center.

The selection of the Mississippi site was a logical and practical one. The land offered water access, essential for transporting large rocket stages, components and loads of propellants. It also provided the 13,800-acre test facility with an acoustical buffer zone of close to 125,000 acres, which is still considered a national asset.Saturn V Rocket

The center’s primary mission at the onset was to flight certify all first and second stages of the Saturn V rocket for the Apollo program. This program began with a static test firing on April 23, 1966, and continued into the early 1970s.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2gU4CVDV6Y[/youtube]

Proof of the contributions made by Stennis Space Center to America’s space program was that all the Apollo space vehicle boosters did their job without a single failure, including those for the Apollo 11 mission the landing of the first men on the moon.

A new chapter was added in June 1975 when the space shuttle main engine was tested for the first time. All the engines used to boost the space shuttle into low-Earth orbit were flight certified at Stennis on the same stands used to test fire all first and second stages of the Saturn V in the Apollo and Skylab programs. Space shuttle main engine testing continued at Stennis for 34 years, from 1975 to 2009.

With the end of the Space Shuttle Program in 2011, NASA turned its full attention to returning humans to deep space exploration. Once again, Stennis will be responsible for testing engines that will make such missions possible. RS-25 engines to power the core stage of NASA’s new Space Launch System craft will be tested on the A-1 Test Stand at Stennis. The center also is testing the SLS core stage, which involves the simultaneous firing of four RS-25 engines.

Over the years, Stennis has evolved into a multidisciplinary facility comprised of NASA and more than 40 other resident agencies engaged in space and environmental programs and the national defense, including the U.S. Navy’s world-class oceanographic research community.

stennis-space-centerStennis has undergone a number of name changes. Its original name, Mississippi Test Operations, was changed to Mississippi Test Facility in 1965. In 1974, the facility was named the National Space Technology Laboratories, reporting to NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C.

In May 1988, it was renamed the John C. Stennis Space Center in honor of U.S. Sen. John C. Stennis for his steadfast leadership and staunch support of the nation’s space program.

Source: Stennis Space Center Website

Biedenharn Coca-Cola Museum

Places, Things,

Where Coca-Cola was first bottled in 1894!

The Biedenharn Coca-Cola Museum features the history of one of the Nation’s beloved beverages, along with equipment of the type that Joseph Biedenharn used to bottle Coke for the first time anywhere in the world in 1894.

biedenharn-coca-colaA wide variety of original Coca-Cola advertising and memorabilia is on display to allow the visitor to follow the evolution of “The Pause That Refreshes!”

The restored candy store and office area will take you back to a simpler, sweeter time with furnishings and displays from the 1890s. We offer our visitors ice cream, fountain Cokes, Coke floats and a wide selection of Coke souvenirs.

Visit Beidenharn’s Website To Learn More!

Natchez, Mississippi

Places

natchez-msThis post is one I’ve been looking forward to doing since I started this website and there will probably be many more posts to come from the Natchez area going forward. My interest is personal as it was my birthplace and I have had family in this area since the late 1600’s. There are a lot of attractions in Natchez, but you need to start by learning about the place itself and Natchez is unique when it comes to places in Mississippi. To start you off right, check out these fun facts about Natchez, The Biscuit Capital Of The World!

The year 2016 marks the 300th birthday of the Oldest Settlement On The Mississippi River!

You can learn more about the Natchez Tricentennial Celebration at their website:

Established by French colonists in 1716, Natchez was one of the oldest and most important European settlements in the Lower Mississippi Valley. Named after the Natchez Indians, Natchez spent periods of time under British and Spanish colonial rule before becoming part of the United States with the establishment of the Mississippi Territory in 1798 and later served as the first capital for the new State of Mississippi in 1817.

Located high above the mighty Mississippi River, Natchez did not hold a strategic position during the Civil War and was spared much of the damage other cities suffered. As a result, more than 600 examples of antebellum architecture remain — more than any other city in the South. These historic homes and buildings, dozens of African-American heritage sites including the Forks of the Road, site of the second largest slave market in the South, along with churches and other historic landmarks make Natchez a rare find for history buffs.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Rff7zOJz_E[/youtube]

From the VisitNatchez.org website:

The birthplace of Mississippi

Natchez, the birthplace of Mississippi, is known internationally as a quaint, Southern town with a rich culture and heritage shaped by people of African, French, British and Spanish descent. It’s first inhabitants, however, were the Natchez Indians and it was French explorers who first came to the area and made it their home in peace with the tribe.

southShortly after French settlers joined the Natchez Indians on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River, they brought people from western Africa as slaves to provide labor for development. These members of the Bambara tribe — whose name means “those who accept no master” — were the first Africans in what would become the State of Mississippi. Known for their abilities to cultivate the earth, the Bambarans contributed greatly to the economic growth of the region and the nation.

As the settlement grew, French, English and Spanish residents began constructing homes and buildings in the styles with which they were familiar, leaving several architectural influences and creating the unique backdrop to the city with which our residents and visitors enjoy today.

Today, the legacy of these original settlers lives on in the historical sites that enrich Natchez and its surroundings — including the churches of the state’s oldest Black-Baptist and Catholic congregations — and in the lives of the area’s vibrant community.

Visitors can explore Natchez history, including the community’s cultural, economic and political growth through the Natchez Visitor Center, the Natchez National Historical Park, the museum of the Natchez Association for the Preservation of African American History and Culture and Natchez Pilgrimage Tours. These fascinating learning opportunities are complimented by celebrations and events throughout the year, including Fall and Spring Pilgrimage, The Natchez Literary and Cinema Celebration, Black History Month and many more.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-KJTJj43jA[/youtube]

Learn more about Natchez, Mississippi at Wikipedia:

Natchez is the county seat and only city of Adams County, Mississippi, United States. Natchez has a total population of 15,792 (as of the 2010 census). Located on the Mississippi River some 90 miles (140 km) southwest of Jackson, the capital of Mississippi, and 85 miles (137 km) north of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, it is the 25th-largest city in the state. It is named for the Natchez tribe of Native Americans who inhabited the area.

Natchez has been used as the backdrop in several works of fiction, such as Greg Iles’s Sleep No More and John Grisham’s The Appeal.

Natchez and Natchez-Under-The-Hill both feature in a number of scenes in George R. R. Martin’s novel Fevre Dream.

Natchez is part of the setting in Eudora Welty’s short story “A Worn Path” and also a part of her short story “Old Mr. Marblehall“.

Neshoba County Fair

Places, Things, ,

The Neshoba County Fair, also known as Mississippi’s Giant House Party, is an annual event of agricultural, political, and social entertainment held a few miles from Philadelphia, Mississippi. The fair was first established in 1889 and is the nation’s largest campground fair. The event usually starts at the end of July lasting a week.

From the Neshoba County website:

The Neshoba County Fair is called Mississippi’s Giant House Party, and it is just that. Neshoba County families gather from across the country every summer for a week long family reunion and house party like no other.

The Fair cabin is the center of activity for families staying at the fair and the front porch is the most popular place for gathering. Porches are for sitting, visiting and just watching the neighborhood activities. Neighborhoods such as Happy Hollow, Sunset Strip, Founders Square and Greenleaf Hollow all have their own personalities and traditions.

As Robert Craycroft said in The Neshoba County Fair: Place and Paradox in Mississippi, “Conversation is the underlying reality of the Fair. It is the impetus for thousands of  people to live in crowded cabins under the intense August sun, and it is the glue that has brought together and has held together generation after generation of Neshoba Countians.”

Great food is another attraction at the Fair. Meals are the result of months of planing and preparation. Friends and visitors that stop by to visit are often invited to stay for a  meal. Gallons of tea, lemonade and coolers of   ice are always plentiful in every cabin.

There are plenty of other things that make up a day at  the Fair besides visiting and eating. There are merry-go-rounds to ride, prizes to win, new friends to make and old ones to see again. There are races to get excited about, exhibits to see and politicians to shake hands with. There’s an antique car parade to watch and something called a chair race that just can’t be explained. In fact the Fair itself can’t really be explained. Only when you’ve walked in the sawdust covered Square on hot summer day can you begin to understand.

History:

The Neshoba County Fair has its roots in the agricultural fairs and the church camp meetings popular in the nineteenth century. The Lake Patron’s Union in Scott County  was a regional fair held on the former site of a  Methodist camp meeting and served as a model for Neshoba Countians wanting to establish a fair of their own.

The first fair was called the Coldwater Fair and was held in 1889. Two years later in 1891 the fair was organized as a private corporation called the Neshoba County Stock and Agricultural Fair Association and  was moved to its present site. Admission was charged for the first time in order to operate the fair. The Neshoba County Fair remains a self-supporting non-profit organization today with operating funds derived mainly from admissions and concessions.

Families coming to the Fair began camping on the grounds for the duration of the fair. In 1894 a pavilion was constructed and a hotel was built to accommodate visitors. Cabins began to replace wagons and tents and in 1898 the oaks were planted that shade Founder’s Square today. The first cabins were simple one story structures with some being log cabins.

In 1896 Governor McLaurin spoke at the Fair which began the tradition of the Neshoba County Fair as a political forum for local, state, and national politicians. Ronald Reagan, Jack Kemp and John Glenn are among the national figures who have visited the Fair during their campaigns.

Improvements and additions were made to the grounds through the years. The race track was built it 1914 and the Fairgrounds received electricity in 1939. The Fair was not held during World War II, but was reopened in 1946. More cabins were built establishing distinct neighborhoods beyond the Square. The Fair was expanded to a seven day schedule and entertainment began to come from nationally known stars.

The Neshoba County Fair has grown from a two-day meeting of local farmers and their families to an eight day Giant House Party in over 600 cabins and over 200 RV campers. The traditions of the Fair continue today. Families still gather for reunions and friends, old and new, visit every summer as they have since 1889.

Vardaman, Mississippi

Places

sweet-potato-posterI’ve always had a weird relationship with sweet potatoes. I grew up with parents who loved them baked with a little butter on them, but I never was able to cozy up to the simple baked version of the treat. However, I never met a sweet potato pie that I didn’t like and my grandma used to make an awesome sweet potato souffle with pecans and marshmallow topping. As I’ve grown older, I’ve found that I also enjoy french fried sweet potatoes, which I guess just confirms all of the stereotypes of Mississippians liking anything fried.

When a good friend heard about this website, she immediately suggested that I post an article about Vardaman and by extension sweet potatoes. After doing a little bit of research, I discovered she had offered up a perfect idea for MadeInMississippi.us!

I guess the place to start is with some basics about Vardaman which is located in eastern Calhoun County, Mississippi and has a population of less than 1,500 people and a boatload of taters.

According to Wikipedia, Vardaman was named for Mississippi governor and U.S. Senator James Kimble Vardaman. The town is located in one of Mississippi’s top five sweet potato-producing counties. The Vardaman Sweet Potato Festival, also known as the National Sweet Potato Festival, is held there annually the entire first week in November.

According to the Mississippi Sweet Potato Council:

“Vardaman’s history as a sweet potato growing area began in 1915 when a few farm families moved to the area from Martin, Tennessee. The newcomers brought with them the beginnings of the Vardaman, Mississippi sweet potato industry. Their knowledge coupled with the county’s quality soil and climate led to the production of the world’s finest sweet potatoes. Fourth and fifth generation growers from those original farm families, along with others, make up the majority of the sweet potato grower families farming near the town of Vardaman today.

sweet-potato-sweetsThe specialty bakery in Vardaman, Sweet Potato Sweets, uses only local Vardaman Sweet Potatoes. The bakery ships its delicious products nationwide daily. Sweet potato production remains a mainstay in the Vardaman, MS area. The economic impact of the sweet potato industry as a whole has put Vardaman, MS on the map. The impact of the sweet potato industry helps keep agriculture the Number 1 industry in Calhoun County, MS. Vardaman sweet potatoes find their way to Atlanta and up the eastern seaboard, to Texas and up to Colorado and Idaho, down to Florida and all across the USA and Europe.

According to their website:

The Mississippi Sweet Potato Council was founded in 1964 to promote Mississippi Sweet Potatoes and to educate growers on the latest practices to improve their product and their livelihood. It is one of the oldest agricultural organizations of its kind in the State of Mississippi and today has about 150 members. The members of the Mississippi Sweet Potato Council represent 105 farms and 26 packing facilities. Many of these growers are members of families who have been involved in growing Sweet Potatoes for four to five generations.

From Wikipedia:

800px-Ipomoea_batatas_sweet_potatoesThe sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the family Convolvulaceae. Its large, starchy, sweet-tasting, tuberous roots are a root vegetable. The young leaves and shoots are sometimes eaten as greens. Ipomoea batatas is native to the tropical regions in America. Of the approximately 50 genera and more than 1,000 species of Convolvulaceae, I. batatas is the only crop plant of major importance some others are used locally, but many are poisonous. The sweet potato is only distantly related to the potato (Solanum tuberosum) and does not belong to the nightshade family.

The genus Ipomoea that contains the sweet potato also includes several garden flowers called morning glories, though that term is not usually extended to Ipomoea batatas. Some cultivars of Ipomoea batatas are grown as ornamental plants; the name “tuberous morning glory” may be used in a horticultural context.

The origin and domestication of sweet potato is thought to be in either Central America or South America. In Central America, sweet potatoes were domesticated at least 5,000 years ago. In South America, Peruvian sweet potato remnants dating as far back as 8000 BC have been found.

It would be appropriate at this time, to end this article with a link to a recipe. I’ve found one that sounds fabulous and is presented by someone who is passionate about this pie! Feel free to post your favorite sweet potato recipes in the comments below!

http://joythebaker.com/2013/11/dads-sweet-potato-pie/

Found a recipe for whipped sweet potato casserole that you might like too:

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DofRSiYDr9g[/youtube]

The Natchez Trace

Places

The Natchez Trace Parkway, named an All American Road by the federal government, extends from Natchez to just south of Nashville, Tennessee. The Trace began as an Indian trail more than 8,000 years ago.

Temple Theatre for the Performing Arts

Places,

From The Temple Theater Website: By the early 1920s, the Meridian membership of the Hamasa Shrine had outgrown their building and wanted a larger facility that would not only accommodate their needs for the various meetings and ceremonies they conducted – but also as a multi-purpose facility to serve the community. Architect Emile Weil was engaged to design the building – as he was already well known for his grand designs. Mr. Weil delivered a plan that met the Shrine’s expectations – and perhaps even more. Construction began in 1923 – with the Grand Ballroom being completed in November 1924. The Shrine moved in and conducted it’s meetings and ceremonies there while the rest of the building was being completed.

The building today is much the same as originally built -exterior in Moorish Revival style with the interior featuring Byzantine motif decorations with exceptional attention to details. Being built on a corner allowed each part of the building to enjoy it’s own street access – the theater facing onto 8th Street; while the ballroom is accessible from 24th Avenue. The theater’s construction was completed some months later – taking it’s place as a truly grand facility that rivaled any in the nation – In fact when completed in 1928 – the Temple’s stage was second in size only to the Roxy Theater in New York. However – for the first few months after completion – the only entertainment available were the occasional traveling show and wrestling matches.

In 1927 the Hamasa Shrine struck a deal with the Saenger Theater chain that would begin the process of allowing the Temple to fulfill it’s potential. Signing a lease/management contract made the Saenger brothers of New Orleans responsible for bringing movies and other entertainment to the Temple Theater for the next 40 years. As part of their “upgrades” made to the theater, a 3 manual 8 rank Robert Morton Theater Pipe Organ was installed to accompany the silent movies of the time. Even though the silent era didn’t last much longer, the organ continued to provide a lot of entertainment. During the next 40+ years thousands of movies and hundreds of famous (and not so famous) entertainers would grace the Temple with some of the finest entertainment available anywhere in the world.

In 1973 the Hamasa Shrine undertook a general restoration project which ranged from repairing damaged plaster, cleaning and painting, reupholstering the seats and replacing the carpets. Since then and until recently – the Temple Theater has seen only limited use, and only nominal maintenance – and the building was put up for sale.

In February 2009, a deal was struck between the Shriners and a semi-retired business man from Dallas. Roger Smith stepped forward – and has purchased the entire facility – Theater and Ballroom – and has committed to not only bringing the Temple back to it’s former splendor, but to create and present a rich and full calendar of events and entertainment.

Weidmann’s Restaurant

Places,

Meridian, Mississippi has always been steeped in tradition, and one of the longest running traditions around is having a great lunch or dinner at Weidmann’s Restaurant.

Since 1870, generations of families have gathered around Weidmann’s tables to sample some of the greatest food and beverages available. Starting with the freshest ingredients, tried and true recipes and just a little bit of tender, loving care, Weidmann’s has always specialized in high quality comfort food.

With respect for the history of Weidmann’s and with an eye on the future, owner Charles Frazier has combined the best of both worlds and created a restaurant experience full of surprises and flavors while retaining the comfortable, cozy warmth that has always been a part of Weidmann’s charm.

Weidmann’s is located in downtown Meridian, Mississippi at the intersection of 22nd Avenue & 4th Street, between 2nd Street & 4th Street.

Reservations are not required, but if you’d like to make reservations, you can contact Weidmann’s by telephone or use their online reservation form.

Visit Weidmann’s Online!