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Mississippi Roads travels to one of the highest
points in the state; which is known as “Beautiful
Mountain”. We are in the Tishomingo County
town of Belmont.
With the plans for a new railroad line, the
town was founded by Christopher Columbus Shook
in the early 1900's. Shook later became the
first mayor of Belmont.
With the completion of the railroad, Belmont
grew as a large shipping point along the Illinois
Central Rail Line. And today manufacturing
and the timber industry remain vital in sustaining
this northeast Mississippi town.
In our first story we meet a Belmont family,
the Sparks
Family Singers, that passes music down
through the generations much like a family
bible. They have taken their unique blend of
gospel and bluegrass throughout the south and
now they are sharing with the local folks at
their weekly “Thursday Night Gathering”.
Sharon
McConnell is blind but that has not hindered
her in the effort to preserve the face of the
blues. She is using plaster to help capture these
living blues legends like Otha
Turner of Como. Just a few months after the
taping of this segment Otha Turner passed away.
In this segment you will see one of his last
appearances before his untimely death.
Belmont is said to be in the highest elevation
of any city in Mississippi and when they were
trying to think of a slogan for the town “Mississippi’s
Best” was suggested. Supposedly when
the inevitable question came- How are you Mississippi’s
Best? The answer was “It’s all
downhill from here”.
Our next segment features singer/songwriter
and Belmont’s favorite son, Mac
McAnally; who may or may not agree
with that statement.
In our next story we travel down to Vicksburg
to a historic Bed and Breakfast where strange
happenings are a common occurrence at Stained
Glass Manor.
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