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Mississippi Roads comes to you this week from
a town where the traditional values of family
unity and hard work extend from the backyard
to the assembly line. We are in the Scott County
town of Morton.
Colonial Caleb Taylor left Kentucky in the
mid 1850's in search of the promised land.
He came to the rolling hills and rich forests
of Mississippi and built his home. When the
Meridian to Vicksburg rail line was completed
the area began to flourish and Colonial Taylor
named the town Morton after his wife Alice
Morton Taylor.
The promise of progress was delayed when the
Civil War arrived; it brought destruction and
debt to the town. But the people of Morton never
gave up and today abundant natural resources
and a strong work ethic support industries that
produce everything from poultry to automotive
supplies.
The city of Morton sponsors nearly every
kind of team sport for all levels of youth.
Tee ball, baseball, softball and soccer are
all played on the fields here at Farris Municipal
Park. Many life lessons are learned by youths
from the battles that take place on these athletic
fields.
In our first story, we meet a Mississippi
man who learned a valuable life lesson; not
on the athletic field but on the battlefield
of World War II. Lanier Phillips was involved
in this tragic and life changing event.
USS Truxtun, USS Pollux (February 18, 1942)
Two American destroyers blown on to the rocks
at Chambers Cove, Placentia Bay, Newfoundland,
during a vicious snow blizzard. The ships were
en-route to the US Naval Base at Argentia,
Newfoundland, when the blizzard struck. In
poor visibility and raging seas, the USS Truxtun
headed straight for the rocks at the base of
a 200-foot high cliff and broke in two. About
two miles away the USS Pollux became stranded
on the beach at Lawn Head. A miners camp nearby
was alerted and the men hurried to the rescue
of the two ships. Within hours, 168 survivors
were pulled from the boiling seas. From the
Truxtun, only three officers and 43 ratings
survived. Next day a total of 204 bodies were
washed up on the shore. In June, 1954, the
US Government built a hospital on the Burin
Peninsula as a memorial to the 204 sailors
who died on that fateful night.
A 150 acre lake and wooded grounds make Roosevelt
State Park in Morton a great place to
go boating, hiking and picnicking. A variety
of overnight facilities are available from
lakeside cabins to camper pads to primitive
camping. It’s just a great place to
get out and enjoy the sights and sounds of
nature.
In our next story, we travel just down the road to the Double S R.V. Park to
soak up the sights and sounds of the Frogtown Bluegrass Festival. Here good music
and food compliments the gathering of friends who all share a love of gospel
and bluegrass music. (Also see Magnolia
State Bluegrass Association.)
Inside the new Livingston
Performing Arts and Media Center here
at Roosevelt State Park. The stage is home
to bluegrass festivals, concerts, beauty
pageants and other special events. This
building has a state of the art sound and
light system and is equipped to seat 600
people. This building is truly amazing
and you should make a point to check out
this facility.
And speaking of amazing facilities we travel
east to Meridian and go inside the historic
Temple Theater. The Temple Theater was constructed
in 1923 by the Hamasa Shrine and leased to
the Saenger Theater chain in 1927. Saenger
originally leased the building for 25 years
and renewed for an additional 20, ending
in 1972. This beautiful motion picture palace
featured Byzantine motif, marble fountains,
and splendid bronze chandeliers. It is said
to have rivaled the ornate movie houses of
New Orleans and Atlanta. With seating for
1800 persons, the silent movie era was a
prosperous time for the Temple. Another feature
of this lavish cinema was the Mighty
Robert Morton Pipe Organ. With its ornate
white and gold console, excellent stop selection,
and good acoustical setting, the organ thrilled
audiences from near and far. Fortunately,
as many 1920's movie houses were meeting
the fate of the wrecking ball, the Temple,
now under the care of the Shrine, was painted,
recarpeted, and the 1800 seats were recovered.
The theater again saw life as it was used
for both Shrine functions and for public
screenings of classic movies.
Through a quarter-century of personal effort
and sacrifice, resident organist Frank Evans
has kept the Mighty Morton playing. Frank
has fought the ravages of time, leaking roofs,
and falling plaster and, as a result, the
organ is operating and playable. Frank entertains
before Saturday evening shows, and his performances
draw audiences of theater organ lovers from
all over the country and the world.
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