Visiting the capitol city of Jackson Mississippi was an enriching and wonderful experience.
The serenity of being parked by a lake at Le Fleur’s Bluff State Park in Jackson Mississippi
Le Fleur’s Bluff State Park
The lake was so still you could see the trees in a mirror image. But if you look closely you can see a gator!
A close up at that big bad alligator in the lake behind Ladybug.
Peeking at the lake through the trees near our RV site.
Some gorgeous views in Le Fleur’s Bluff State Park
Cypress trees growing right out of the water!
Ladybug tucked in for the evening
The was the first time The Traveling Locavores had visited Jackson Mississippi. We had just driven from Atlanta, Georgia, where our RV park was nice, but not beautifully landscaped.When we pulled in our site at Le Fleur’s Bluff State Park we were impressed with just how gorgeous it was. All of the RV sites are in one loop with a few of a beautiful lake. At our site the lake was our backyard! It was so peaceful and serene. Some of the trees were turning those warming tones of autumn. And the sun shone brightly on…an alligator. Yikes! Apparently an occasional gator makes its way to the lake via the Pearl River. The only day we spied this one was the day we arrived. But we were careful to keep our little fur baby Hershi away from the edge of the lake.
Capitol of Mississippi
The Capitol in Jackson Mississippi
The Capitol building in Jackson Mississippi as seen from the rear.
A replica of the Liberty Bell
Our first day of exploring was spent driving around the government district. Each building seemed massive and amazing. The capitol building was particularly beautiful. It was surrounded by lush lawn and landscaping. As we approached the main entrance we loved that there was a replica of the Liberty Bell. Hailing from Philadelphia we felt an immediate connection. The only difference between this replica and the original was that there was no crack. It was pristine and beautiful.
Monument honoring women of the confederacy.
Walking a bit closer the the Capitol entrance was one of the most inspiring sculptures honoring women of the confederacy, that I have ever seen! Each of the four sides of the base had an ode to Mothers, Daughters, Sisters and Wives engraved on it. Reading each of these special tributes literally brought a lump to my throat and tears to my eyes. It made me feel that I was in a very special place.
This incredible piece of art was created by Nashville artist Belle Kinney. It was cast by the Tiffany Studio and dated 1917. The monument is the oldest public bronze sculpture in Jackson and the only one memorializing women. The sculpture features three figures: a central female representing Fame, to her left a dying Confederate soldier, and to her right a Confederate woman on whose head Fame is placing a laurel wreath, the symbolic gesture of victory, giving the monument its meaning as a memorial to women. The monument is a Mississippi Landmark, giving it protected status. The monument stands on the south side of the Capitol, facing Mississippi Street.
The inscriptions
Our Mothers
To the women of the Confederacy “Whose pious ministrations to our wounded soldiers soothed the last hours of those who died far from the objects of their tenderest love, whose domestic labors contributed much to supply the wants of our defenders in the field, whose zealous faith in our cause shone a guiding star undimmed by the darkest clouds of war, whose fortitude sustained them under all the privations to which they were subjected, whose floral tribute annually expresses their enduring love and reverence for our sacred dead; and whose patriotism will teach their children to emulate the deeds of our revolutionary sires.” Jefferson Davis
United Confederate Veterans honor the memory of the Confederate women of Mississippi.
Our Daughters
Devoted daughters of the heroic women and noble men, they keep the mounds of loved ones sweet with flowers and perpetuated in marble and bronze the granite characters of a soldiery that won the admiration of the world and a womanhood whose ministrations were as tender as an angels benediction.
Our Sisters
Their smiles inspired hope; their tender hands soothed the pangs of pain; their prayers encouraged faith in god; and when the dragon of war closed its fangs of poison and death, they like guardian angels, entwined their hands in their brothers arms, encouraged them to overcome the losses of war and to conquer the evils in its wake, adopting as their motto: “Lest We Forget”.
Our Wives
They loved their land because it was their own, and scorned to seek another reason why, calamity was their touchstone; and in the ordeal of fire their fragility was tempered to the strength of steel. Angels of comfort, their courage and tenderness soothed all wounds of body and of spirit more than medicines. They girded their gentle hearts with fortitude, and suffering all things, hoping all things fed the failing fires of patriotism to the end. The memory and example of their devotion shall endure.
Government buildings and memorial
Mississippi Supreme Court
Mississippi Veterans Memorial
Army
Navy
Air Force
Marine Corps
Coast Guard
Mississippi Medal of Honor Recipients Monument
World War I Memorial
The government oath of office in Jackson Mississippi
Surrounding the Capitol were all of the other government buildings including The Supreme Court of Mississippi. But there was another structure that really caught our attention. The Mississippi Veterans Monument. This was an emotionally moving group of sculptures, plaques and monuments. One stone wall held bronze plaques denoting each of the branches of the armed forces. A marble pillar honored Medal of Honor recipients in Mississippi. Yet another paid homage to those who fought in World War I. But for us, the most awe inspiring was the marble wall with the inscription of the oath of office with a sculpture of a father showing his daughter the important words.
Beauty everywhere in Jackson Mississippi
A mural honoring Eudora Welty, Medgar Evers, Thalia Mara and David Banner
We saw beauty everywhere we looked. We drove through neighborhoods with fabulous homes and lush landscaping. There were even spectacular murals including one saluting Mississippi icons. Depicted in the mural are writer and photographer Eudora Welty, civil rights activist and NAACP Field Officer the late Medgar Evers, USA IBC founder and American ballet dancer Thalia Mara and musician and philanthropist David Banner.
We have been most impressed with just how rich in culture and beauty Jackson Mississippi truly is!
