In the concluding edition of the aftermath of the 1929 Duncan tornado, we focus on a family, a child, and a unique culture that has contributed to the Mississippi Delta and beyond. In the Fong family, who operated the Fong Chinese grocery store in Duncan, all but a 4 year old boy, William Joe Fong, perished. Joe Fong and his other children died in the tornado, and Quan Shee Fong died not long after in a Memphis hospital from injuries sustained. She was buried alongside her husband and children in the Greenville Chinese cemetery.
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MissPres News Roundup 3-2-2015
Hear the latest from Starkville’s Cotton Mill project, MHT’s Mad Mod Affair, Jackson’s McRae’s building renovation, Pascagoula’s gala for LaPointe Krebs House, and learn about an amazing preservationist from Pass Christian.
Mississippi Springtime: Glenfield
Hang on, Mississippians, there may be snow on the ground in the Delta, but Spring is almost here! And when it’s Spring in Mississippi, it’s time for Pilgrimage. Which town will you visit this year? Glenfield, originally called Glencannon, was… Read More ›
Craftsman Style in Mississippi
At long last I have finally gotten around to starting a series on the Craftsman style in Mississippi, something I promised to do two years ago. Hopefully, having it percolate around in my head for that long will make the… Read More ›
In Memoriam: E. Louis Malvaney (1924-2014)
A few years ago, after I had been blogging using the pen-name of ELMalvaney for a year or two, I received an email that began, “I’m E.L. Malvaney. Who are you?” *gulp* Thus began my almost completely virtual relationship with… Read More ›
Ice on the Magnolias
Here at MissPres, we may not be all about Moonlight and Magnolias, but when there’s ice on the magnolias (and the camellias), we pay attention. Remember, Mississippians, you do not know how to drive when the temperature gets below 33… Read More ›
New Book on North Mississippi architect Andrew Johnson
A friend from up in Panola County recently told me about a new book about north Mississippi’s master builder/architect Andrew Johnson. Johnson emigrated from Sweden to Evanston, Illinois in 1865, and came down to Sardis, MS in 1870. Many of… Read More ›
Newspaper Clippings: Jackson Illustrated, 1887 (Part II)
Today’s post is the second of two articles describing Jackson in 1887, written by Mr. Moses Folsom of Des Moines, Iowa (thus his interest in native Iowans) and published by the Jackson State Ledger. Here’s Part 1. Once again, I… Read More ›
Newspaper Clippings: Jackson Illustrated,1887
Recently, an archivist friend (and to reiterate something I’ve said before, an archivist friend is a jewel of great value, so go get you one!) sent me two articles he came across while scrolling through the newspaper microfilm looking for… Read More ›
Architects Pics: John T. Collins, Fat Tuesday Edition
The Carnival balls have been thrown and parades have been rolling across the coast for weeks. However you are marking the day I thought it would be fun to share a photograph of Biloxi architect John T. Collins. While not… Read More ›
MissPres News Roundup 2-16-2015
Our President’s Day special edition roundup covers the state from Natchez to Oxford, from Greenwood to Waveland, cheap standardized homes to expensive standardized homes.
New Book on William Nichols
Amazon reminded me yesterday that a new biography of William Nichols, who designed our Old Capitol, Governor’s Mansion, and the Lyceum at Ole Miss, has just been released by University Press of Mississippi. Here’s the blurb from University Press, where… Read More ›
Duncan after the 1929 tornado: Part 2
Last week introduced part 1 of a 3-part series on Duncan, Mississippi after the 1929 tornado destroyed many of the village’s homes and businesses. This week will highlight some of the buildings that were constructed following the tornado. (Note:… Read More ›
Digital Preservation: Reality or Mirage?
Today is this little blog’s 6th birthday, and in keeping with tradition, we will revisit the Old Capitol, a touchstone of Mississippi’s preservation movement. This year, I’ve been thinking a lot about a statement that came out of the mouth… Read More ›
Modern Mississippi Update
If you haven’t visited the Mississippi Heritage Trust website http://www.lovemsmod.com since its launch you need to stop back by. The posts are piling up and have highlighted some of Jackson and the Gulf Coast’s premier Modern works. They are, in no particular… Read More ›
Gulf Coast Gas Company, Oak Street Facility
From the Walter Fountain Collection-Local History and Genealogy Department of the Biloxi Public Library. This photo from the January 18, 1995 edition of the Sun Herald had the following explanatory text. Click on the image for more detail. The article refers to the enterprise… Read More ›
Six Years: Where History Meets Architecture
MissPres will be celebrating its sixth anniversary during 2015. To acknowledge this achievement we will be looking back at some of our earliest posts while sharing thoughts and any developments that have occurred since the post originally debuted. Today’s post is a… Read More ›
Duncan, Mississippi after the 1929 Tornado, Part 1
With little warning, a category F4 tornado swept across the Delta village of Duncan at 2:30 p.m. Monday, February 25, 1929. Two blocks of Main Street businesses (numbering 14 in one report, including a two-story brick hotel) were destroyed. Sources… Read More ›
MissPres News Roundup 2-2-2015
Kiss those Kress neon signs good-bye, Meridianites, in a “preservation” project that defies the definition of preservation.
Holly Springs Gas Reservoir Explodes
The gas well explosion this week in Smith County reminds us of the dangers of any industrial process. A gas explosion more than 110 years ago gives some insight as to why I haven’t been able to find much information on… Read More ›
Crossing the Pascagoula Twenty Years Apart
To shake out the winter dust and get on the road I took a trip to George County. I had several stops to make but I had two destinations with a common thread: crossing the Pascagoula River. The first stop on… Read More ›
Mississippi Unbuilt: A Holabird & Roche Capitol
You may recall a 2012 post, “Mississippi Unbuilt: 1897 New Capitol,” about a proposed New Capitol for Mississippi, designed by the Memphis firm Weathers and Weathers, that was never built although it received full-page treatment in January 1897. Perhaps the… Read More ›
MissPres News Roundup 1-26-2015
You know what a two-week gap in news roundups means? Lots of catch-up! ———————————————— The Craig H. Neilsen Foundation recently gave a $2.5 million gift to the Museum of Mississippi History and the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum, now under construction… Read More ›
Go Back to Architecture School (for a day or two)
Millsaps College has announced its newest round of Community Enrichment classes, and there’s a full slate of topics of interest to MissPresers. Pick one or more and head back to school for a few days–what else do you have to… Read More ›
Update on Mississippi Landmark Status for the Meridian Police Department
Although the Mississippi Department of Archives and History Board of Trustees voted to place the Meridian Police Station under consideration for Mississippi Landmark status in October 2014, it did not bring up the request to designate the Meridian Police Department as a Mississippi Landmark… Read More ›
Smokestacks: The nitty gritty or work of art?
Once soaring symbols of the Industrial Revolution and material progress, smokestacks later became the poster kids of environmental degradation. Today, legions of artists, urban planners and preservationists are seeking to change those carbon chugging chimneys from sooty to beauty. (Smokin’… Read More ›