Touring Mississippi
Rolling hills, steep bluffs, and slanted sidewalks are things that some Louisiana residents rarely experience. You may think that you need to hop on a plane to visit a city that's not so flat, but it exists closer than you realize. Vicksburg, Mississippi was inhabited specifically because of the high vantage point that sits along the Mississippi River. A mere three-hour drive north from New Orleans will bring you to the Key City of hilly streets, renowned Southern cuisine, and centuries of history packed into a walkable city.
Though cannon fire tore through the homes and buildings here during the Siege of Vicksburg from May 18 to July 4, 1863, many historic homes were saved and are currently bed and breakfasts, tour homes, and restaurants owned and operated by citizens who couldn't bear seeing the institutions demolished. I stayed in one such home called Cedar Grove, which just reopened under the ownership of Dr. Steven & Kendra Reed and partner Harley Caldwell (all of whom own other historic tour homes and properties in town).
Checking into The Inn at Cedar Grove is like walking into a novel. The grand rooms are lush with decor and mementos from the past. The big, soft beds are so inviting; you can look out over the grounds or the river from them. It would feel like a trip to the past if not for the modern comforts of proper plumbing, Wi-Fi, and streaming TV.
After a lovely multi-course breakfast of fresh fruit, eggs, and sausage, Kendra takes her house guests on tours of Cedar Grove, explaining its incredible journey. John Alexander Klein erected the stately home starting in 1830. He spared no expense installing striking red Murano glass above the doors. The ballroom still has its piano and dance cards from parties held so long ago. During the Siege of Vicksburg, the home was rocked with cannon fire, and some of the balls are still lodged in the walls and floor beams. It's hard to believe walking through the well-appointed and meticulously detailed rooms that the house was nearly demolished in the 1960s to install a gas station. The Guinness Book of World Records-holding Theater Guild of Vicksburg saved Cedar Grove by purchasing it to turn it into a tour home.
From the past to the present, Key City Brewery & Eatery is a cool meeting place for gourmet pizza and beer in a rustic, industrial setting. This spot is obviously popular with locals who come here regularly for one of the plethora of craft beers brewed next door and some weekly entertainment in the form of live music and trivia. After the appetizers of Brussels sprouts and sweet corn fritters, the creamed leeks pizza was a triumph alongside the various beers I tried.
So Many Museums
After a restful sleep at Cedar Grove came a day of pounding the pavement visiting museums and galleries to learn more about The Key City. The main downtown street of Vicksburg is the storied Highway 61, and several Mississippi Blues Trail Markers explain how the city figures into musical history. The Jesse Brent Lower Mississippi River Museum on the same corner of the Highway 61 Marker teaches people about how the Mississippi River functions in the geography of America and how a massive flood in 1927 created mass hardship for the city. I so enjoyed exploring the docked Motor Vessel Mississippi IV towboat, which was like a time capsule of previous decades.
The Catfish Row Museum showcases how minority cultures settled here, worked to gain civil rights, and shaped Vicksburg into what it is today. Red Tops' drummer Walter Osborne's drum kit stands as a symbol of "music as a unifying force" of the Civil Rights era. Visitors who come on certain days will get to see a cooking demonstration in the adjoining teaching kitchen. A steep walk down the hill brought me to the Old Depot Museum that, of course, held so many running train dioramas along with racks of boat and plane miniature replicas, Coca-Cola memorabilia, and more. The Biedenharn Coca-Cola Museum is also full of Coke memorabilia as this is the spot where Joseph Biedenharn made the first bottled Coca-Cola in 1894. You can get a Coke Float here to cool off in the hot weather (I got mine with cherry ice cream—yum).
Speaking of local flavor, no trip to this city is complete until you get a taste of Solly's Hot Tamales. The humble spot has its storied history posted along the brick and wood panel walls in the form of newspaper and magazine clippings. Owner Jewel McCain lamented that she should have had Henry Howard Solly write down his life story while he was still alive, yet she told as much as she knew about how the Cuban native who became a tamale-making mogul during his train-hopping years before settling in Vicksburg. The menu has barely changed, and The Fiesta is a popular dish of tamales layered under chili, cheese, sour cream, and more.
The Vicksburg Civil War Museum is unlike any other Civil War museum that you'll find. Owner Charles Pendleton's massive collection of war artifacts began with a desire to collect one of every type of gun used in the war. One thing unique about this new museum is that the proprietor is African American, and he hopes to bring a more rounded view of the war and "how important black people were in the Civil War." "Lincoln said that if it weren't for the enlistment of black soldiers perhaps the Union wouldn't have won the war. 186,000 black soldiers fought in the Civil War, 40% of them died. The key point in that is that those men died not being citizens of this country. They fought for this country, but they were not citizens," Charles said. "It's one thing to give your life for your country, but to give your life for a country that really don't want you…it takes it to another level."
Charles does not give an opinion on the war as his aim is to educate about the formation of the United States. He does like to explain that Vicksburg is a great place to have this museum. "Mississippi, and particularly Vicksburg, you see a lot of movies, horror stories, of black people being lynched that come to Mississippi, and it's not like that anymore. I think there's still racism here, which is everywhere, but maybe areas like this are less racist than most other areas. People live close together, they work with each other. It's easier to get to know somebody in a small area like this."
The final museum of the day had some war relics to look over as well, but the history of it could really be felt here. Union soldiers burst into this building to celebrate the end of the Siege of Vicksburg, flowing up the iron staircase and into the imposing courtroom to claim their prize. You can still see their graffiti etched into the slate. The Old Courthouse Museum has far more than that, however. There is "overlapping history" documented here as well as things that the community wanted to preserve just to show who they are. You'll find a little bit of everything from a Native American effigy pipe that was used as a doorstop at a local business until someone recognized its extreme significance to clothing owned by the original owners of the tour homes we were visiting. It was amazing to think that, like other local buildings, it was nearly torn down until someone stepped in to revive it. Mrs. Eva Whitaker Davis campaigned so much about saving The Old Courthouse 76 years ago that the keys were finally given to her. She had quite the task of reviving the building which was packed with dirt in the ceilings to create a fireproof barrier. The work continues to this day as the employees are scanning documents of all kinds to preserve them.
"Have you eaten at Anchuca yet?" asked the locals. This is perhaps the most elegant eatery in Vicksburg, and it's the place where everyone has their most special meals. Anchuca is a historical tour home at bed and breakfast like others in town, but the Cafe Anchuca stays busy because of the citizens. The brick sunroom overlooks foliage surrounding the house making it intimate in the evening and gorgeous in the daytime. My Chicken Piccata was truly heavenly thanks to the rich tang of the best champagne sauce I've ever tasted. Each bite of the caper-dotted pasta and chicken breast was an event. I will spend a lot of time trying to make something at least close to this. The Turtle Brownie Trifle was almost too chocolatey to finish.
Art & Architecture
A misty, rainy morning was the backdrop for a day of discovering art. Walking the streets of downtown was whimsical as light, pretty acoustic music is piped to speakers on light posts. I stopped into quirky Highway 61 Coffee Shop for a buzz. The locals who post up there said The Attic Gallery above the coffeeshop is a must-see. Indeed the gallery is a burst of color starting at the bottom of the stairs. It holds an array of art from over 100 artists. The gallery's unparalleled mix of eclectic paintings, posters, jewelry, and things that cannot be defined give you even more local flavor.
One of the artists that got their start here is H.C. Porter, who now owns her own gallery down the street. Inspired by the splashy colors of Andy Warhol, the artist uses bright, neon colors to create art based on photos she takes. This isn't just a gallery; upstairs is a huge Airbnb that overlooks the waterways along the city. Art can be found in unexpected places in Vicksburg. The swanky Mulberry Hotel built in a former Harrah's Casino partially over the water holds the Jackson Street Gallery. The tall ceilings and elegant architecture (thanks to the design of Harrah's Casino entryway) make this gallery of modern art feel luxurious.
Walnut Hills Restaurant was highly recommended by so many citizens as the place for a big, Southern lunch, and I found it interesting that Vicksburg was referred to as The Walnut City before receiving its current name. The most recommended dish was the fried chicken, so that's what I got. I couldn't resist it anyway. Some sides of rice and brown gravy and sweet roasted carrots made this one delectable meal. Though the pies and cakes were staring at me from the cooler, I resisted knowing I had more to do and couldn't take a post-lunch nap.
Three beautiful tour homes told the tale of the city before war, during the siege, and present day, and each of the homes hosts overnight guests who can immerse themselves in it. These homes explain how Vicksburg is different from other Civil War historical cities in that it is much younger and was populated by many transplants who were pro-Union. It only had about 30 years of prosperity before it was besieged.
Duff Green Mansion sits on an exceptionally tall street; the next-door home's roof is the height of the ground here. Cotton broker Duff Green commissioned the home in 1856, and his family only lived here for seven years until they allowed Union forces to occupy the home as a hospital. The Greens fled into man-made "caves" dug into the hillsides with other citizens. Duff's second child was born in such a cave, and his middle name was Siege. The most requested guest room in the house is the one with a cut-out in the ceiling where you can see a cannonball blast.
Anchuca Historic Mansion & Inn is barely two blocks away downhill, and making the trek on foot is a great way to see the rest of the neighborhood. Vicksburg native Anna Kate and her husband Sam Andrews bought the home in 2022 from Thomas Farr, who purchased it in the early 2000s (adding the restaurant in 2006). Walking through the heavily decorated rooms, you learn the story of how JW Mauldin first built on this site in the 1830s, and it was expanded twice by the next owners. The balcony has the distinction of being the place where Jefferson Davis made a short speech in 1869. Guests are welcome to sit in every room and admire the cannonball-blasted breakages and the ceiling medallions created with marble dust, molasses, and horse hair.
Oak Hall Bed & Breakfast immediately feels different from the other tour homes as it is Mission Revival style. The millwork is stunning throughout the home that Elizabeth Nelson has beautifully restored after it's near foreclosure. Oak Hall is distinct for its 32 original stained glass windows by Stuart Ironworks and for the fact that this was a home for widows from 1919 to 1966. Original owner Fannie Willis Johnson spent the inheritance from her late husband on helping widows like her, building a library, opening a YMCA, and more.
One of the newest restaurants in town was on the list for dinner this night. Atop a tall building that houses a bank and apartments, 10 South Rooftop Bar & Grill provides gorgeous nearly 360 degree views of Vicksburg. You can imagine how popular this place is on a clear day because the sunsets are stunning. Every table is next to a window because there really are no walls (there are plastic shields used to keep out inclement weather though). I used this opportunity to walk around and take in the views; it's the ultimate way to see how the city was built on these tall bluffs along the river. You can also get a sense of where the Union forces were stationed and firing cannons into the homes we saw earlier in the day.
After taking this walk around, my food promptly arrived. I just wanted some calories that day. The poutine was more like a massive bowl of gravy and cheese fries, but I'm not complaining. The rib-sticking, thick-cut fries were swimming in rich gravy and melted curds. I took bites of that alternating with the pasta that was in such rich sauce that I chose not to eat much so that I could enjoy it again the next day (and the next day). These portions were huge to the point that a couple could share for a great value and still have leftovers.
War and Piece of Glass
It was a gray morning, misting and foggy. This was the perfect, somber backdrop to learn about the raging battles and intense siege that shaped the city of Vicksburg. Sustenance was required for this in-depth history lesson, and we headed to the charming Bohemia Cafe & Bakery that just overlooks the Yazoo Diversion and Mississippi River far in the distance. A bellyful of pastry, bacon, and coffee started off the journey to the Vicksburg National Military Park where our knowledgeable guide drove us through the winding paths of the extensive park and thoroughly detailed what happened on this spot.
The serene former battlefields are now peppered with monuments to people, platoons, and states. Some are modest while others are gargantuan. You could almost see the soldiers running over the dramatic, steep landscape of bluffs towards the cannons still standing in their ground. At times, we stopped to walk around the fields, crossing enemy lines to see how it looked to both sides. We stepped into the largest monuments to marvel at their exquisiteness, and we boarded the USS Cairo Gunboat. This was truly an immersive experience that put everything into perspective.
Lunchtime took us to the funky, quirky roadside stand and restaurant The Tomato Place, which sits along Highway 61. The bright colors beckon drivers to stop for some fresh fruit and veggies, a community service hard to come by these days. Inside, however, they choose to stay for an excellent meal. The menu here is surprisingly huge with lots of fresh fruit smoothies, burgers, po-boys, and fried foods. Obviously, the Fried Green Tomato BLT is the specialty here. I wanted to get a little bit of everything so I selected a Purple Haze Smoothie, a veggie plate, and fried green tomatoes because there's nothing better than vegetables with a little something extra for flavor. The plate itself was so loaded with food that I could hardly finish it. A huge ear of corn, butter beans, a mountain of fried okra, and thick, juicy slices of ruby red tomatoes served with a side of garlic bread was a perfect meal for me. These fried green tomatoes were awesome: crunchy and seasoned to perfection with just enough tenderness inside. The Tomato Place has the best fried green tomatoes I've ever had. I used to experiment with making them just to my liking at home, and I did not achieve this excellence.
From somber to funky to reverent, the Church of the Holy Trinity glimmered this afternoon. The stately brick church may look like most others from the outside, but the inside is a sight to behold for people of any or no faith. The Romanesque Revival church erected in the late 1800s with deep red carpets and dark wood pews is made magnificent by the many stained glass windows lining the walls. Six of these windows are original works by Tiffany, and the famous glassmaker's fans travel from all over just to see these pieces of art in person. While all of the stained glass windows are gorgeous, the Tiffany pieces are spectacular up close. You can see the detail of the shading with metal oxides and the very thick portions of the glass that he crafted to make a glowing opulence. We were encouraged to get close up and even touch the windows to experience the craftsmanship. The church remains a facet of the community even after nearly 150 years.
We were excited to have our final dinner at home. Cedar Grove just began its revived dinner service, and we were some of the first to have it. Word had spread quickly about the menu as every seat soon enough filled up with locals happy to be a part of this meal. The elegant menu featured contemporary southern delights: well crafted, but approachable. The tuzzi mushrooms are a Vicksburg delicacy, earthy and with a little heat. The chicken etouffee was in a much thinner sauce than I've had before, but that was the beauty of it. It was simple and herbaceous. It felt like a much healthier version of the rich, buttery etouffee of New Orleans.
This dinner was delightful for several reasons. Having stayed here now for several nights and learned about its history and now enjoying lively meals with others, it felt like this is what Cedar Grove was in its heyday and what it was created to be, a place for friends and family to gather, bond, and enjoy life.
When it was nice and dark out, we ventured over to the McRaven House, which is allegedly the third most haunted house in America. The original portion of the home is the oldest in the city, being cobbled together in 1797. This is one of the few tour homes not transformed into a bed and breakfast or restaurant because it's just too risky. It has been saved from destruction by its resident ghosts, and it was purchased by the owners of Cedar Grove to serve as a haunted piece of history.
Our costumed tour guide of the night led us from room to room explaining the manor's sad past. McRaven was inhabited by a number of characters in its lifetime. Leyland French was the previous owner, but he never returned after being attacked by some entity. Hoarder sisters Annie and Ella Murray lived here until 1960 who lived here with no electricity or water service. The front of the home is the youngest, being built in 1849 by John Bogg, who lived there during The Siege of Vicksburg. The 11-acre rose garden around the home (now a neighborhood) was overtaken by wounded and dying soldiers.
The middle portion of the home built in 1836 is where Mary Elizabeth Howard died during childbirth. She lives across the hall from a much darker spirit, but she seems to keep him in check. The oldest and spookiest area belonged to Andrew Glass, a highway robber and scoundrel. Andrew died in his bed, bleeding from a gun shot wound and also having his throat sliced by his lady. This is where a noticeable tingling sat on top of my head which did not leave until I got in the car. This was a very fun tour just for the incredible and sad history of this place, but I must say I felt a strange heaviness in my body that I've never felt before.
There was just one more stop needed to say that I experienced everything that Vicksburg has to offer. Rusty's River Front Grill had a line of locals waiting outside for it to open, so you know that there's got to be great food inside. Within minutes of opening, every table of the ample space was taken. The fried green tomatoes here come slathered in hollandaise sauce which is something that can spell doom for the fragile dish. However, I was impressed at how well the streaming hot tomatoes held up; they're so thick and firm, and they even had a large lump crab meat for an extra layer of flavor. I wanted something lighter for the drive back, but this is hardly the place to find that. The grilled wasabi tuna was a huge steak that made me skip dinner. It was cooked to perfection and coated with rich sauces that I dipped the freshly fried onion rings and hot green beans in too.
Vicksburg will be celebrating its bicentennial in 2025 with a slew of programming set to commemorate the occasion including the Music & Culture Festival in April, Independence Weekend in July, and Fall Family Fair in October. Fall is a great time to visit especially for those who want to take a canoe out into the Mississippi River with The Quapaw Canoe Company.
Vicksburg's history has been well preserved by the citizenry, but it is not stuck in the past. The people that I encountered who have taken over historic homes or opened museums seek to show their resilience and camaraderie as a community through the stories of the past and how it shaped who they are today. The Key to the South is truly "hipstoric."
