News

How to Join this Public Meeting of the Mississippi State Records Committee Meeting (src)

The src will review, approve, disapprove, amend or modify records control schedules for all state agencies, boards, and commissions at 10 a.m. for the following dates: Thursday, January 16; Thursday, April 17; and Thursday, October 23. Once approved, schedules shall have the force of effect of law. 

Written comments must be presented no less than five (5) days before the scheduled meeting, by mail or personal delivery, to the attention of the Director of the Department of Archives and History at 200 North Street, Jackson MS 39201, in accordance with the information provided at https://www.mdah.ms.gov/sites/default/files/2020-02/State-Records-Committee-Rules-and-Procedures.pdf. 

The meeting packet for Thursday, January 16, can be found here: https://www.mdah.ms.gov/sites/default/files/2024-06/July-2024-Meeting-Packet.pdf.

This public meeting may be joined via Zoom video from (PC, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android): https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81682848598?pwd=dOg7ju8oll9kC1bwswn9wx55oz4SaU.1#success

Meeting ID: 816 8284 8598

Passcode: 380112

Or Telephone: Dial: USA (312) 626-6799 (Chicago) Find local numbers: https://us06web.zoom.us/u/kdO3eF1xBF

For more information, call 601-576-6850 or e-mail info@mdah.ms.gov

On Sunday, Dec. 1, the Possum Ridge model train exhibit will open at the Two Mississippi Museums. There is no charge to view the exhibit, which will close on Dec. 31.

For more than 40 years, the model trains and the town of Possum Ridge have been a holiday tradition delighting both children and adults. The site depicts a typical Mississippi railroad town of the 1940s. In its first year, it consisted of a single block of an electrified Main Street with 10 buildings, including a bank, dry goods store, newspaper office, and restaurant. 

Today, the trains circle a town that has grown to include a depot, church, bakery, barbershop, icehouse, sawmill, cotton gin, train yard, and much more. There are also houses located off Main Street, farmsteads, a small airport, and even a river baptism scene.

In addition to the exhibit, visitors can view a toy collection from the state Historic Objects Collection that spans over 150 years. The oldest toy in the collection – a toy stable with horses and a wagon – dates from the 1840s.

The Two Mississippi Museums opened on Dec. 9, 2017, in celebration of the state's bicentennial. Museum hours are Tuesday–Saturday, 9 a.m.– 5 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m.– 5 p.m. Admission to the museums is free every Sunday. The Two Mississippi Museums are located at 222 North St. in Jackson.
Free parking can be found alongside North Street or in the visitor garage of the Two Mississippi Museums on Jefferson Street.

For more information, call 601-576-6800 or email info@mdah.ms.gov. 

MDAH Hosts Windsor Ruins Program in Port Gibson

The Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH) will host a community engagement program titled “The Untold Stories of Enslavement at Windsor” at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 3, at the Mississippi Cultural Crossroads building in Port Gibson. This program is funded by a grant from the Mississippi Humanities Council, with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

The featured speaker, Hasan Kwame Jeffries, an associate professor of history at The Ohio State University, will explore the historical context of the 19th-century cotton boom that led to the establishment of the Windsor plantation. Jeffries will also address the challenges of uncovering and presenting the narratives of enslaved individuals in historical interpretations of sites like Windsor.

In addition, MDAH staff will share findings from recent research that bring to light the stories of those enslaved at Windsor. Using a combination of wills, census data, military and banking records, and oral histories, researchers have uncovered details that add depth and humanity to these once-overlooked lives.

“We know Windsor Ruins as an iconic Mississippi site that draws people in,” said Katie Blount, director of MDAH. “This program will shed light on the lives of the enslaved people who lived and labored there, honoring their contributions to Mississippi’s culture and history.”

Windsor Ruins, one of Mississippi’s most renowned historic landmarks, was originally constructed as the Windsor plantation for Smith Coffee Daniell II in 1861 and was later destroyed by fire in 1890. Today, 23 full columns and five partial columns remain standing, marking the site’s historical significance. In 2024, MDAH completed a stabilization project at Windsor Ruins, which included adding parking and an ADA-accessible walking trail that allows visitors to view the remains of the former mansion. The site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and holds Mississippi Landmark status.

Founded in 1902, MDAH is dedicated to preserving and sharing Mississippi’s rich history through its five divisions: Administration, Archives and Records Services, Historic Preservation, Programs and Communication, and Museum. The department currently oversees 11 historic sites and projects statewide.

The program will take place at Mississippi Cultural Crossroads, located at 507 Market Street in Port Gibson. No registration is required to attend. 

For more information, contact MDAH at 601-576-6850 or email info@mdah.ms.gov.

The Foundation for Mississippi History has been awarded $225,000 by the Mississippi Arts Commission for the construction of Margaret Ann Crigler Park in Jackson. The foundation is one of 20 organizations in Mississippi awarded a Building Fund for the Arts grant for 2025.  

Margaret Ann Crigler Park will be adjacent to the Two Mississippi Museums and will include a large open green space, an outdoor stage, and a natural play area for children. A new anchor on the city’s museum trail, a walking and biking trail that connects the museums at LeFleur’s Bluff to museums downtown, Crigler Park will feature Mississippi’s native foliage.

“This project not only links the Two Mississippi Museums to downtown but also expands our capacity for public programming that contributes to a vibrant arts and culture landscape in the community,” said Katie Blount, Mississippi Department of Archives and History director.  

Plans for Margaret Ann Crigler Park align with the original layout for Jackson from 1822, which included public green spaces on alternating blocks. Only two of the original parks remain: the Old Capitol Green and Smith Park. MDAH has selected Perkins&Will, a national architecture firm that specializes in park design, to develop Crigler Park. The park will be open to the public every day from dawn to dusk. 
 

The first $1 million for the project was donated by retired businessman Noble T. Crigler, and the park will be named after his late wife, Margaret Ann Crigler. The Mississippi Legislature has provided $3 million for the project, and the remaining funds will be raised privately by the Foundation for Mississippi History.    

MDAH is the second-oldest state department of archives and history in the United States. The department collects, preserves, and provides access to the archival resources of the state, administers various museums and historic sites, and oversees statewide programs for historic preservation, state and local government records management, and publications.  

The Foundation for Mississippi History is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that conducts fundraising efforts to support and promote the projects and programs of MDAH, which operates the Museum of Mississippi History, Mississippi Civil Rights Museum, Eudora Welty House & Garden, Grand Village of the Natchez Indians, Old Capitol Museum, Windsor Ruins, Historic Jefferson College, and Winterville Mounds.  

For more information, call 601-576-6850 or email info@mdah.ms.gov.  

 The Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH) is the recipient of three 2024 Southeastern Museums Conference (SEMC) Awards.

During the recent SEMC awards luncheon in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, MDAH was recognized with the following:

• Silver Award in the poster category for the Two Mississippi Museums 2024 Makers Fest Poster.
• Silver Award in digital education over $10,000 budget category for MDAH Digital Snapshots – exhibits designed to introduce to a broader audience lesser-known, selected collections from the state agency’s Digital Archives Collection.
• Bronze Award in the gallery guides category for the Two Mississippi Museums Family Guide.

“These resources created by our staff and partners allow visitors to immerse themselves in Mississippi’s history and culture and empower people and communities to tell their own stories,” said Katie Blount, director of MDAH. “We’re honored by the recognition.”

The poster and family guide were submitted to the SEMC Publication Design Competition, which rewards excellence in graphic design in southeastern museum publications. The Two Mississippi Museums are among the sites administered by MDAH.

The MDAH Digital Snapshots were an entry in the SEMC Technology Competition that recognizes effective design, accessibility, creativity and pride in work, and recognition of institutional identity. MDAH Digital Snapshots are developed in partnership with the University of Southern Mississippi’s Digital Humanities Center.

Award winners will be listed in the Fall 2024 edition of “INSIDE SEMC,” a digital publication of the Southeastern Museums Conference.  

About the Southeastern Museums Conference:

The Southeastern Museums Conference (SEMC), a nonprofit membership organization, is an association of museums, museum staff, independent professionals, and corporate partners. We focus on the Southeastern United States including: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Puerto Rico, and US Virgin Islands.

A free, public screening of “Little Brother of War” will be held Sunday, Oct. 13, at 2 p.m. in the Craig H. Neilsen Auditorium of the Two Mississippi Museums. This screening is part of a monthly series and is made possible through partnership with the Mississippi Humanities Council, the Mississippi Film Society, the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, and the Mississippi Film Office.

Directed by Bryan W. Carpenter, the 89-minute film focuses on the origins of the Native American game of stickball and the struggle by the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians to keep their traditions alive. The Oct. 13 screening is the first public screening outside of Philadelphia, Mississippi. The film premiered Oct. 3 at the reservation.

For centuries, stickball has been an important custom of the Choctaws, originally serving to handle disputes between different Native American tribes. Since 1975, various stickball teams have competed in Mississippi. The sport, which serves as the basis for lacrosse, consists of two teams of 30 players who attempt to control and shoot a ball at the opposing team’s goal, where each player has two sticks.

Following the screening, Carpenter will moderate a panel discussion with Jay Wesley and Casey Bigpond, members of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians.

Bigpond serves as the director of cultural affairs for the Jena (Louisiana) Band of Choctaw Indians. He also makes stickballs, handcrafting sticks for players. Wesley is the director for the Department of Chahta Immi, which consists of the Choctaw Tribal Language Program, the Cultural Affairs Program, the Special Projects/Media Program, and the Chahta Immi Cultural Center.

Carpenter is a Carthage native who has worked as an armorer on several projects and provides armorer and stunt services and consultation through his company Dark Thirty Film. He is also a producer with several upcoming Mississippi-made projects through his 13 South Productions.

The Two Mississippi Museums opened Dec. 9, 2017, in celebration of the state's bicentennial. Museum hours are Tuesday–Saturday, 9 a.m.– 5 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m.– 5 p.m. Admission to the museums is free every Sunday. The Two Mississippi Museums are located at 222 North St. in Jackson. For more information, visit the MDAH Facebook page or email info@mdah.ms.gov.