Vicksburg



Vicksburg is a city of 22,000 people (2018) in Warren County, Mississippi. Vicksburg is a cultural landmark in the American South, and is home to the Southern Cultural Heritage Center, Vicksburg Military Park, and the Lower Mississippi River Museum.

Understand
The area which is now Vicksburg used to be part of the Natchez Native Americans' territory. The first Europeans who settled the area were French colonists, who built Fort-Saint-Pierre in 1719 on the high bluffs overlooking the Yazoo River at present-day Redwood. In 1790 the Spanish founded a military outpost on the site, which they called Fort Nogales (nogales meaning "walnut trees"). When the Americans took possession in 1798, they changed the name to Walnut Hills.

A sprawling community developed which was incorporated in 1825 as the City of Vicksburg. It was named after Newitt Vick, a Methodist minister. Vicksburg experienced rapid growth during the expansion of the cotton trade in the American South. Cotton was grown most profitably in the Mississippi Delta region. Vicksburg sits at the southern most tip of the Mississippi Delta, and served as a production and commerce hub for the cotton industry. In the decades leading up to the American Civil War, Vicksburg became very affluent from the large number of Delta planters and merchants making considerable profits selling cotton to European and North American textile producers.

Vicksburg is most famous as the location of a 47-day siege during the American Civil War (May 18 – July 4, 1863). A key strategic goal of the Union was to capture the entire Mississippi River and cut the Confederacy in two, but the rebels controlled the river's hairpin turn at Vicksburg, allowing men and supplies to cross from west to east. After federal naval forces on the Mississippi River made several attempts at passing the rebel batteries at Vicksburg, Ulysses S. Grant led the federal army on a campaign to put the Confederate garrison at Vicksburg to siege. The people of Vicksburg dug caves into the hillsides to survive the bombardment. The legacy of the siege lives through much of Vicksburg's art, museum exhibits and traditions.

Vicksburg was instrumental in the growth and propagation of American Blues music-- which is native to Mississippi. Blues evolved primarily in the Mississippi Delta region from the musical traditions of African-American slaves before the American Civil War. Vicksburg served as a central hub for musicians to perform for merchants and travelers in the music halls and "juke joints" near the river port at Vicksburg.

Today Vicksburg remains distinct as a place where travelers can experience the legacy and traditions of the American South in a quaint city overlooking the Mississippi River. The people of Vicksburg are very hospitable and love to pass down stories from generations past that will bring history to life. The pace of life remains much slower than in many other places in the United States. There are many activities in Vicksburg from cultural and historical venues, as well as historic Washington Street full of restaurants and consignment shops of antiques. Be sure to get out of the car and explore - Vicksburg has beautiful architecture and a warm, friendly environment for walking.

Get in
It is 234 miles (377 km) northwest of New Orleans on the Mississippi and Yazoo rivers, and 40 miles (65 km) due west of Jackson, the state capital.

By car
Interstate 20 (E-W) or U.S. Highway 61 (N-S)

By plane
The closest commercial airport to Vicksburg is Jackson-Evers International Airport in Jackson, about 50 miles east on I-20 (or a little more than 85 km). Vicksburg also has its own municipal airport for general aviation.

By bus
Greyhound Bus Lines (or Delta Bus Lines) has an active (albeit a very small) bus depot just off of I-20 on the Frontage Road (1295 S Frontage Rd), on the Halls Ferry Road exit south bound. You can contact the depot at.

By train
There is no passenger line that runs through Vicksburg. The nearest passenger station is in Jackson, MS and it is the New Orleans—Chicago route.

Get around
Visitors can walk around the downtown area easily. Other sites away from downtown will likely require some other form of transportation.

City Bus
The city of Vicksburg does have a local bus service called the NRoute, and there are nine routes throughout the city. The hours of operation are 6 AM till 6 PM Monday through Friday. The main depot where bus passes may be purchased is located at NROUTE Office 2501 Halls Ferry Rd, and may be contacted by calling. Bus riding rules are fairly strict (no food or drink may be consumed while riding, and exact change is required). Bus fares are: $1.50 (transfers are not included in the one-way base fare), senior citizen $0.75, children (ages 3-12) $0.50, bus transfer are $0.25 each, and monthly passes are $30. Bus transfers are only made at the main bus depot.

Taxi
Rocket Taxi Cab

See




Do

 * Casinos - Ameristar, DiamondJacks, Riverwalk, and The Rainbow Casino.
 * Bottleneck Blues Bar, Ameristar Casino, 4116 Washington Street, . This is about as close as it comes to a blues bar in Vicksburg (without hopelessly searching for a juke-joint in the Marcus Bottom area). Patrons must be 21 years old to enter (as you have to enter the casino) and have valid ID (a US driver's license or a passport for foreign nationals). Smoking is permitted during non-ticketed events, but prohibited during ticketed events. Most events are free, but occasionally you'll have to purchase tickets to some of the big name events.
 * Theater
 * WestSide Theater Foundation - for information about upcoming plays, view their page on Facebook or call Jack Burns at.
 * Gold In The Hills at the Parkside Playhouse, . It is the longest running melodrama in the world. Spring/summer only. $10 adults and $5 children.
 * Gold In The Hills at the Parkside Playhouse, . It is the longest running melodrama in the world. Spring/summer only. $10 adults and $5 children.

Drink

 * The Biedenharn Museum (see above) showcases an old-fashioned soda fountain, complete with authentic fountain drinks including all the Coke you can drink.
 * Be aware that Vicksburg does have what are called "local option" laws pertaining to the consumption and sale of alcohol. Beer and light wines are not sold M-Sa 2-7AM, and Su 2AM-noon.  It is illegal to consume alcohol in an open container outside of a bar or casino.  Penalties for public consumption violations can be as severe as a fine of $1000 and/or 90 days in the city jail.

Stay safe

 * When hiking into the wooded areas of Vicksburg, you may encounter a black bear (the proper description is the Louisiana Black Bear). Bear sighting typically increase during June and July (breading season), and bears have been spotted north in the forests of the cities of Redwood and Steele Bayou.  If you do see a bear or its cubs while in the woods, you are much too close to the bears, and need to carefully but quickly, backtrack from where you came.  Black bears are typically not as aggressive as the grizzly bears, but attacks on humans have been known to occur.
 * Care should be taken when participating in water sports (i.e., boating) in the Mississippi River. The currents are very strong, large barges traveling up and down the river generate strong wakes, the water is tan-brown (so you can’t see if you’re about to hit something floating just beneath the surface of the river), poisonous snakes (vipers commonly called a “water moccasin”) are a concern, and occasionally an alligator might be lurking in the water.  Swimming in or across the river is a very foolish thing to consider, and you’ll rarely see any sane person even attempting this feat.
 * There are some areas of the city you wouldn't want to stroll alone at night, and should use the same level of caution and street smarts (your wits) you would use in any large city. The gas station on Clay Street and Cherry Street is frequently a site of petty crime.

Stay healthy

 * The largest hospital in Vicksburg is the River Region Medical Center . It is a modern full-care center, and is equipped to handle nearly most major medical problems and emergencies.  As with any hospital stay in the USA, be sure that you are adequately insured (or expect a very large bill for services which can easily cost into the tens of thousands of dollars for serious medical treatment in an emergency room) as there is not a national health care system.
 * Humidity and the summer heat can be very intense. Hydrate yourself with either sports drinks or water (consumption of alcohol is not recommended regardless of what some may otherwise claim).
 * Mosquitoes along the riverfront can be annoying during the warmer months. Be sure to wear repellents that have a high concentration of DEET to reduce the risk of mosquito transmitted diseases.  Percentages of 25% or more DEET is recommended to repel most of the insects.

Go next

 * Jackson - You can find the Historic State Capitol building here, as well as the Russell C. Davis Planetarium, and the Jackson Zoo.
 * Natchez
 * Port Gibson
 * Natchez Trace Parkway - This 444-mile-long parkway is located a few miles east of town and traces an old trade route that has been in use since pre-colonial times.