If Mississippi is on your travel itinerary, you might want to stop at locations honoring a few of the state’s remarkable women.
Corinth’s first female pharmacist, Camille Borroum Mitchell, is a pioneer in a man’s field. She practiced pharmacy for 67 years and is the current owner and operator of Mississippi’s oldest drugstore in operation today, Borroum’s Drug Store.
Founded in 1865 by her great grandfather, the drugstore has been owned and operated by Camille’s family since the end of the Civil War. Visitors may run into her when they stop in for a famous ‘Slugburger’ and milkshake or a soda from the working old soda fountain (circa 1930’s), and she’ll make a friend out of them quickly.
Jeri Carter is the founder and owner of Mississippi’s first and only meadery, Queen’s Reward, located in Tupelo. A retired kindergarten teacher, Jeri began experimenting with making mead several years ago at home after previously making homemade wines as a hobby.
To gauge how their flavors held up against more established mead makers, she entered two of her meads in international competition — with both winning awards. Next, she set out to bring the whole experience of mead to Mississippi. Queens Reward produces meads using honey directly from Mississippi, and visitors can stop by their tasting room to visit her and enjoy Mississippi mead.
One of America’s most significant authors, Eudora Welty (1909-2001), wrote all of her books in the upstairs bedroom in Jackson, Mississippi, including two novels: Losing Battles and The Optimist’s Daughter, for which she received the Pulitzer Prize.
Fannie Lou Hamer (1917-1977) was a civil rights activist from the Mississippi Delta who rose from her humble beginnings to become one of the most influential figures for women’s voting rights and African American economic opportunities.
Welty was the first living author in the Library of America series. Visitors can stop by the home-turned museum for guided tours of her home, interpretive museum exhibits, and a walk through her historic botanical garden.
A museum honoring her in Belzoni — the Fannie Lou Hamer Civil Rights Museum — celebrates the state’s She-Ro of the Civil Rights Movement.
Rachel Dangermond is the owner of 100 Men Hall in Bay St. Louis. She has resurrected the Black history landmark on the Mississippi Blues Trail, celebrating its centennial this year.
In addition to returning it to a performance venue, Dangermond is reinstating the original non-profit as the “100 Women Hall DBA.” Dues-paying 100 Women DBA members help support the hall and, like their predecessors, address the immediate needs of locals. 100 Women DBA also promotes tolerance and fosters community.
Oseola McCarty (1908-1999) was a Mississippi philanthropist who donated most of her life savings, $150,000, to the University of Southern Mississippi to provide scholarships for African American students in need.
A seamstress and washerwoman, primarily paid in dollar bills and loose change her entire life, McCarty was praised for her generosity and received many awards, including an honorary degree from the university.
She also received an honorary doctorate from Harvard University, and President Bill Clinton awarded her the Presidential Citizens Medal, the nation’s second-highest civilian award. In 2019, McCarty’s home was moved to Hattiesburg’s Sixth Street Museum District and turned into a museum.
Tags: Mississippi
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