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From the Sunday 25 July edition of the Daily Corinthian
Interpretive center officially opens
The summer heat was unable to dampen the spirits of the hundreds of Civil War enthusiasts, local citizens and state and community leaders who gathered on the hallowed ground of Battery Robinett Saturday to mark a new chapter in Corinth’s history with the opening of the Corinth Civil War Interpretive Center.
Siege and Battle of Corinth Chair Rosemary Williams received much of the praise from the speakers as the long-awaited $9.5 million center was officially opened to an enthusiastic public.
“I can truthfully say that we would not be here today if it were not for the tenacity, the perseverance, yes, even the harassment, of Rosemary Williams and her commitment to this project. Thank you so much, Rosemary,” said U.S. Senator Trent Lott.
While the center tells the stories of the past, many of the speakers focused on its place in the future progress and education of Corinth and the nation.
“I hope this building will be a place where we can study, remember, and move on to even greater things,” said Shiloh National Military Park Superintendent Woody Harrell.
Mississippi Senate President Pro Tem Travis Little, representing the governor and lieutenant governor, emphasized the potential the center has to help the area grow economically by bringing in tourists.
“Ladies and gentlemen, after today Corinth is not going to be just a stopover on the tour the Civil War history, but it’s going to be a destination point,” he said.
(For details on this story, see Sunday’s Daily Corinthian print edition.)
Contraband camp site dedicated
In 1863, thousands of former slaves made the treacherous trip to Corinth seeking freedom and established a community under the protection of Union forces.
This little known chapter of Corinth’s history was commemorated Saturday with the official dedication of the Corinth Contraband Camp Historic Site on North Parkway.
The camp served as a home for more than 5,500 slaves who came to the city seeking refuge with the Union Army. They created a model community which included numerous houses, a very large farm and a number of specialized artisans such as blacksmiths.
Preservationists plan to build a park and walking trails on the site along with adding interpretive signage to help tell the story of those who took their first steps toward freedom in the Cross City.
National Park Service Chief Historian Dr. Dwight Pitcaithley said the men and women who occupied the camp set an example for thousands of others in bondage and helped lead their people toward freedom.
“It was a bold statement, filled with determination, filled with the promise of a new life, filled with the hope of a better tomorrow,” he said. “The men and women who gathered at this place wanted to know how freedom feels. They chose freedom over bondage.”
Interpretive center officially opens
The summer heat was unable to dampen the spirits of the hundreds of Civil War enthusiasts, local citizens and state and community leaders who gathered on the hallowed ground of Battery Robinett Saturday to mark a new chapter in Corinth’s history with the opening of the Corinth Civil War Interpretive Center.
Siege and Battle of Corinth Chair Rosemary Williams received much of the praise from the speakers as the long-awaited $9.5 million center was officially opened to an enthusiastic public.
“I can truthfully say that we would not be here today if it were not for the tenacity, the perseverance, yes, even the harassment, of Rosemary Williams and her commitment to this project. Thank you so much, Rosemary,” said U.S. Senator Trent Lott.
While the center tells the stories of the past, many of the speakers focused on its place in the future progress and education of Corinth and the nation.
“I hope this building will be a place where we can study, remember, and move on to even greater things,” said Shiloh National Military Park Superintendent Woody Harrell.
Mississippi Senate President Pro Tem Travis Little, representing the governor and lieutenant governor, emphasized the potential the center has to help the area grow economically by bringing in tourists.
“Ladies and gentlemen, after today Corinth is not going to be just a stopover on the tour the Civil War history, but it’s going to be a destination point,” he said.
(For details on this story, see Sunday’s Daily Corinthian print edition.)
Contraband camp site dedicated
In 1863, thousands of former slaves made the treacherous trip to Corinth seeking freedom and established a community under the protection of Union forces.
This little known chapter of Corinth’s history was commemorated Saturday with the official dedication of the Corinth Contraband Camp Historic Site on North Parkway.
The camp served as a home for more than 5,500 slaves who came to the city seeking refuge with the Union Army. They created a model community which included numerous houses, a very large farm and a number of specialized artisans such as blacksmiths.
Preservationists plan to build a park and walking trails on the site along with adding interpretive signage to help tell the story of those who took their first steps toward freedom in the Cross City.
National Park Service Chief Historian Dr. Dwight Pitcaithley said the men and women who occupied the camp set an example for thousands of others in bondage and helped lead their people toward freedom.
“It was a bold statement, filled with determination, filled with the promise of a new life, filled with the hope of a better tomorrow,” he said. “The men and women who gathered at this place wanted to know how freedom feels. They chose freedom over bondage.”