News

William F. Winter led the MDAH Board of Trustees for nearly fifty years, making an unmistakable impact on the department and the state.

Winter’s greatest legacy at MDAH was the opening of the Two Mississippi Museums in 2017. Winter helped convince state leaders of the need to build the Museum of Mississippi History and the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum, and he was instrumental in securing public and private funds for the project. MDAH director Katie Blount said, “These museums stand at the intersection of William Winter’s greatest passions—history, education, and racial justice. Generations of young people will come here to experience the stories that have shaped our state and nation.”

As Winter said during the opening ceremony, “These museums will challenge all of us to have a better understanding of where we have come from, and then inspire us to work harder to find our common ideals and goals. We will find that we have much more in common than what might appear to divide us.”

William Winter joined the MDAH board in 1957, was elected president in 1969, and served in that role until 2007. During that time, he oversaw the opening of the Eudora Welty House, the restoration of the Old Capitol, and the construction of a state-of-the-art archives building that the state legislature named for him. 

Reuben V. Anderson, president of the MDAH Board of Trustees, recalled, “With his encouragement, MDAH strengthened its focus on African American history in Mississippi, acquiring significant collections of papers, mounting award-winning exhibits, and offering grants for the preservation of sites associated with African American history. Most notably, his close friendship with Myrlie Evers led to her decision to donate the Medgar and Myrlie Evers Collection to MDAH in 2002.”

According to the official obituary, memorial contributions can be made to the Foundation for Mississippi History. Gov. Winter was the leading force behind the opening of the Museum of Mississippi History and the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum. His goal was for every Mississippi student to visit these museums at least once. Over the last years of his life, Winter helped raise funds to endow field trips to both museums for schools with limited resources. With his help the Foundation for Mississippi History has raised half of the $4 million endowment to make this possible. Contributions in Winter’s memory can be made to the William Winter Education Fund, FMH, P.O. Box 571, Jackson, MS 39205.

A memorial service will be held once the dangers from COVID-19 abate and it is safe to gather for a service. Condolences to the Winter family may be mailed to P.O. Box 427, Jackson, MS 39205.

The Visitor Center and Museum at Winterville Mounds will remain closed for future renovation and interpretation of its exhibits. The historic grounds will remain open to the public and will continue to be monitored by MDAH personnel. A new on-site brochure is in development to provide visitors with information and direction around the site.

MDAH will develop a new comprehensive interpretation plan for Winterville Mounds with support from the Native American Tribes. Future developments for the site will feature upgraded museum exhibits, public programming, an orientation film for visitors, and outdoor signage and trails.

With the help of the Greenville Garden Club and Winterville Mounds Association, recent improvements to the site have included historic preservation of the grounds, landscaping work on the mounds, refurbished pavilion areas with new picnic tables and grills for families, a new pedestrian overpass, and new outdoor signage. Mound A remains barricaded as MDAH continues to work with the Tribes, local engineers, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to repair sloughing due to heavy rains.

Winterville Mounds is a prehistoric ceremonial center built by a Native American civilization that thrived from about A.D. 1000 to 1450. Its most prominent feature is the 55-foot-tall Temple Mound, the tallest mound between Natchez and Cahokia, Ill.

A National Historic Landmark, Winterville Mounds is administered by the Mississippi Department of Archives and History. Located at 2415 1 North, Greenville, the 42-acre park is open daily from dawn to dusk. Free of charge. For more information, email info@mdah.ms.gov.

The Mississippi Department of Archives and History’s (MDAH) website was named one of the best genealogical websites in the country by Family Tree Magazine, a national family history publication.

“We are grateful for being included on this list,” said Ally Mellon, MDAH library services director. “We strive to connect people with genealogical resources pertaining to Mississippi both online and in person and are delighted others have found the page useful.”

MDAH has compiled a list of online resources for researchers interested in tracing their family history. Reference librarians provide quick answers to basic questions using available reference works and finding aids. Email your research questions to refdesk@mdah.ms.gov.

Due to safety precautions for COVID-19, appointments are recommended for research in the William F. Winter Archives and History Building. Available appointment times are Monday–Friday at 9–11:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m.–2 p.m., and 2–4 p.m.  Call 601-576-6837 to schedule your time. Patrons without an appointment will be accommodated as space allows.

Appointment times for Saturdays will be 8:15–10:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.–12:45 p.m.

The Mississippi Department of Archives and History was founded in 1902. It is the second-oldest state department of archives and history in the country. For more information email info@mdah.ms.gov.

Museum of Mississippi History and Mississippi Civil Rights Museum

The Possum Ridge model train exhibit will be on display at the Two Mississippi Museums through December. Regular museum hours are Tuesday-Saturday 9 a.m.–4 p.m. The museums are open free of charge on Sundays from noon–4 p.m. Safety precautions at museums include requiring all visitors to wear masks and observe social distancing guidelines. The museums will close Thursday–Friday, December 24–25, for Christmas and Friday, January 1, for New Year's Day.

Eudora Welty House & Garden

Eudora Welty House & Garden tours take place 9 & 11 a.m. and 1 & 3 p.m., Tuesday–Friday, and 1 & 3 p.m. on Saturday. Purchase tickets by phone at 601-353-7762 or by email info@eudoraweltyhouse.com. The museum will close Thursday–Friday, December 24–25, for Christmas and Friday, January 1, for New Year's Day.

William F. Winter Archives and History Building

The state archives will close November 26–28, December 24–December 26, and December 31–January 1. Due to safety precautions for COVID-19, the reading rooms at the William F. Winter Archives and History Building will be open Monday–Saturday, 8:15 a.m.–12:45 p.m. Appointments are recommended. and available times are 8:15–10:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.–12:45 p.m. Call 601-576-6837 to schedule your time. Patrons without an appointment will be accommodated as space allows.

For more information email info@mdah.ms.gov.

The Museum of Mississippi History and Mississippi Civil Rights Museum announce a Holiday Food Drive to benefit the Mississippi Food Network (MFN). Visitors who donate non-perishable food items from November 24 through December 23 will receive free admission to the Museum of Mississippi History, Mississippi Civil Rights Museum, and the special exhibit Mississippi Distilled: Prohibition, Piety, and Politics, or a 20% discount at the Mississippi Museum Store. See below for details.

“The museums are committed to helping the community, and we know that food insecurity has historically been a challenge across the state,” said Pamela D.C. Junior, director of the Two Mississippi Museums. “We are proud to work with MFN to bring awareness to this issue.”

“The Coronavirus pandemic has caused an unprecedented increase in the demand for food, statewide,” said Dr. Charles Beady Jr, CEO at the Mississippi Food Network. “In that regard, this tremendous gesture by the Two Mississippi Museums is welcomed, needed, and appreciated. We have seen an increase in the number of Mississippi families, senior citizens, and children who are facing food insecurity, and we expect this number to continue to rise as more families are faced with uncertainty during this time.” 

Suggested donation is five items per person for free admission or a 20% discount on merchandise at the Mississippi Museum Store. Non-perishable items include:

• Canned meat, such as ham, tuna, chicken, Spam, Vienna Sausage, beef stew, and chicken and dumplings
• Canned fruit, regular and lite
• Canned vegetables
• Cranberry sauce
• Canned soups
• Boxed stuffing mix
• Boxed mashed or scalloped potatoes
• Boxed macaroni and cheese
• Ramen noodles.

Mississippi Food Network has been feeding Mississippians since 1984. MFN distributes more than 1.5 million pounds of food and feeds more than 150,000 every month—or a total of 1.8 million people per year. 

Safety precautions at the museums include requiring all visitors to wear masks and observe social distancing guidelines. Masks are available on-site. All public spaces have been sanitized, and thorough cleaning will continue every day. Hand sanitizing stations are provided and staff are on-site to ensure that social distancing guidelines are maintained. A limited number of visitors are allowed inside the museums at one time.

The maximum number of people per group is twenty. Regular museum hours are Tuesday-Saturday, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. The museums are open free of charge on Sundays from noon to 4 p.m.

The museums and the Mississippi Museum Store are located at 222 North Street in Jackson. For more information email info@mdah.ms.gov.

In appreciation of all frontline and essential workers who have saved lives and given their services during the COVID-19 pandemic, admission to the Museum of Mississippi History and the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum will be free on Tuesday, November 17, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. These individuals include health care workers, teachers, law-enforcement officers, fire fighters, and others. Guests will not be required to provide identification to receive free admission.

Safety precautions at museums include requiring all visitors to wear masks and observe social distancing guidelines. Masks are available on-site. All public spaces have been sanitized, and thorough cleaning will continue every day. Hand sanitizing stations are provided and staff are on-site to ensure that social distancing guidelines are maintained. A limited number of visitors are allowed inside the museums at one time. 

Visitors are encouraged to purchase their tickets online at tickets.mdah.ms.gov. The maximum number of people per group is twenty. Regular museum hours are Tuesday-Saturday 9 a.m.–4 p.m. The museums are open free of charge on Sundays from noon–4 p.m. The museums are located at 222 North Street in Jackson. For more information, email info@mdah.ms.gov. 

The Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH) is now accepting applications for the 2021 Eudora Welty Research Fellowship. Offered in partnership with the Eudora Welty Foundation, this annual fellowship awards a $5,000 stipend to one graduate student to conduct research using the Eudora Welty Collection at MDAH for two weeks during the summer. The deadline is March 26, 2021.

“This is the eleventh consecutive year the Eudora Welty Foundation has funded the award," said David Pilcher, director of MDAH Archives and Record Services. "Their generosity makes it possible for yet another highly-qualified fellow to travel to the state archives and use these one-of-a-kind materials."

Download the application and other materials HERE. The stipend may be used for travel, housing, and other expenses during the fellow’s two-week minimum stay in Jackson.

The Eudora Welty Collection is the world’s finest collection of materials related to Welty and one of the most varied literary collections in the United States. The collection includes manuscripts, letters, photographs, drawings, and essays that span Welty’s entire life.

Beginning in 1957, and over the course of more than forty years, Welty donated materials to the department, primarily literary manuscripts and photographs. At her death the remainder of her papers were bequeathed to MDAH and included unpublished manuscripts and 14,000 items of correspondence with family, friends, scholars, young writers, and noted writers.

The collection may be accessed at the William F. Winter Archives & History Building, 200 North Street, Jackson. The application is available at mdah.ms.gov. For more information about the collection or the fellowship, email April Blevins at ablevins@mdah.ms.gov.

The Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH) is partnering with the Daughters of the American Revolution, Mississippi Veterans Affairs, and Mississippi War Veterans Memorial Commission to honor Mississippians who serve and have served in the United States Armed Forces. The event begins at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, November 10, on Entergy Mississippi Plaza at the Museum of Mississippi History and Mississippi Civil Rights Museum. COVID-19 precautions will be in place. 

“Mississippi’s extraordinary record of military service is one of the most inspiring stories that we share in the museums,” said MDAH director Katie Blount. “We are pleased to join with our military service organizations to pay special tribute to all the many Mississippians who have served our country.”

The program will include a performance by the 41st Army Band, a moment of silence, recognition of the veterans in attendance, memorial volley, wreath laying, and a keynote speech delivered by Major General Janson D. Boyles—the Adjutant General of the Mississippi National Guard.

The museums are offering free admission to those currently serving in the military and veterans and a family member on November 10. The museums open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. The museums open free of charge on Sundays from noon to 4 p.m.

For more information, call 601-540-2794 or email Colonel Allen McDaniel at amcdaniel@ngams.org.

A partnership with the Community Foundation for Mississippi will fund the development of a podcast and strengthen the History Is Lunch lecture series by the Mississippi Department of Archives and History. The gift expands on the Community Foundation’s previous $750,000 donation to the Two Mississippi Museums.

“The Community Foundation has been a strong supporter of the department’s work,” said MDAH director Katie Blount. “We are grateful for this gift from their John and Lucy Shackelford Charitable Fund, which will allow us to expand our outreach of the popular History Is Lunch series and bring in speakers from across the country.”

The History Is Lunch series began in 2005 and explores different aspects of the state’s history. The hour-long programs—in a streaming-only format during the COVID-19 epidemic—are livestreamed at noon Wednesdays on the MDAH Facebook page and can be watched there and on the department’s YouTube channel  anytime afterward. In-person programs will resume on in December.

“We are thrilled to partner in this endeavor,” said CFM president and CEO Jane Alexander. “As many of us are changing the ways we live and interact with one another, it’s more important than ever to invest in programs like these that make our lives worth living.”

By preserving Mississippi's diverse historic resources, and sharing them with people around the world, MDAH inspires discovery of stories that connect our lives and shape our future. For more information email info@mdah.ms.gov.

Civil rights icon Fannie Lou Hamer was born October 6, 1917. In honor of Hamer’s birthday, admission to the Museum of Mississippi History and the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum will be free on Tuesday, October 6. Museum staff will highlight Hamer’s life and legacy through guided tours at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

“We honor Fannie Lou Hamer’s legacy daily at the Two Mississippi Museums,” said Pamela D.C. Junior, director of the Two Mississippi Museums. “We are offering free admission to the museums so people can learn more about this humble woman who gave of herself to uplift and strengthen her people.”

Born in 1917 in Montgomery County, Hamer worked for most of her life as a sharecropper. In 1962, she joined the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and encouraged African Americans to register to vote. Hamer was a founding member of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP), which challenged the seating of the regular party’s all-white delegation.

Hamer’s powerful testimony to the credentials committee during the 1964 Democratic National Convention is featured in the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum. The MFDP challenge forced the Democratic Party to eventually embrace diversity and forever changed American politics.

Visitors are required to wear masks and observe social distancing guidelines. Masks are available on-site. All public spaces are sanitized and thoroughly cleaned throughout the day. Hand sanitizing stations are provided and staff are on-site to ensure that social distancing guidelines are maintained.

Regular museum hours are Tuesday-Saturday 9 a.m.–4 p.m. The museums are open free of charge on Sundays, noon–4 p.m. Visitors are encouraged to purchase their tickets online at tickets.mdah.ms.gov.

The museums are located at 222 North Street in Jackson. For more information email info@mdah.ms.gov.