Travel Guide Meridian

Meridian, the sixth largest city in Mississippi, is the headquarters of Lauderdale County. It is 93 miles east of Jackson, and 154 miles west of Birmingham (Alabama). The population is estimated at 40,000 people within the city and over 233,000 within a radius of 45 miles. The region became a territory of the United States under a treaty with the Choctaws in 1830. A year later, Richard mclemore, the first colon in the land, began to offer some of his land to newcomers to attract more and develop the region. Most of his land was purchased in 1853 by Lewis A. Ragsdale, a lawyer from Alabama, and John T. Ball, a Kemper County merchant. Ragsdale and Ball are now recognized as the founders of the city.Officially created in 1860 at the intersection of the Mobile and Ohio Railroad and the Southern Railway of Mississippi, Meridian developed through rail and freight transport.During the American Civil War, the city, which had become a munitions repository and housed a confederate army hospital, was burned by General Sherman during the Battle of Meridian (14-20 February 1864) during his March to the Sea (Savannah Campaign).The reconstruction of the city and its development were largely the work of an important Jewish community until the thirties. But, because of its position in favor of civil rights, the Jewish community was the object of numerous attacks by the Ku Klux Klan in the 1960 s.The city knew its golden age by becoming between 1890 and 1930 the largest city in Mississippi and the largest industrial center in the South.Although its economy has slowed down with the decline of the railway, the city has diversified in military and health care and health, and continues to be a center for wood and cotton production. Two military installations provide more than 4,000 jobs in the region: to the southwest of the city, the Key Field Air National Guard Base, in operation since 1928, and in the northeast, Naval Air Station Meridian (NAS), inaugurated in 1961. The Rush Foundation Hospital, opened since 1915, is the largest non-military employer in the region, with over 2,600 people.Many historic buildings in Meridan are dedicated to art. The MSU Riley Center (ex Grand Opera House of 1889), the Meridian Museum of Art (MMA - an old Carnegie library of 1912), Le Meridian Little Theater (1932), and Temple Theater (1924) can be cited. In the city center, do not hesitate to visit the Mississippi Industrial Heritage Museum.The Highland Park houses the Dentzel Carousel, manufactured in 1896.In addition to Jimmie Rodgers, the father of country music, the city is also the birthplace of George Cummings (1938), a founding member of the pop group of the 1970 s "Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show" and Sela Ward (1956), TV series actress Dr. House and Les Experts Manhattan. Jimmie Rodgers' tomb is located at the Oak Grove Cemetary.Major annual events include the Jimmie Rodgers Festival, which is held annually since 1953, in May; Junettardian in June; and Soulé Live Steam Festival in November. Finally, the Meridian Symphony Orchestra organizes concerts regularly.The latest museum, The Mississippi Arts and Entertainment (The MAX), became an unmissable one with its incredible multimedia exhibitions dedicated to the Mississippian art scene.