The title of this post almost became "When men were men". Highway 51 in Ridgeland was once the scene of machine guns, whiskey, torchings, beatings, and all other sorts of nefarious activities. Some Ridgeland men decided they had enough and fought back. Even eventual Ridgeland Mayor Hite Wolcott took part in the crusade. The story as told by one of the ringleaders is posted below. He is the grandfather of a current candidate for office so JJ will not include the name until after the election. He is currently in a nursing home and is going through the trials of old age we all must one day. However, his family recorded his telling of the story when his memory first started showing signs of deteriorating. Click on images to enlarge. Enjoy.
24 comments:
The Billups station on 51 was the northernmost point of my cruising range when I was in high school in the late '50s. Beyond that it was darkness. Time to turn around and head back to the Pig Stand.
I remember the day they tore down the Billups station. When I went to the bank the teller was lamenting that no one would be able to give directions in Ridgeland anymore. All directions used to start with "turn at the Billups station".
Why did " men have to be men"? Weren't gambling and selling liquor illegal? Wasn't there any law enforcement at any level that wasn't corrupt?
Seems to be that the tolerance for corruption and violence as well as overlooking " the right for others to make a living" even if they break the law in the process is still alive and well!
Hwy 51 through Ridgeland was the main route between New Orleans and Chicago in the 50s, so it was a busy road. The train going south was called the City of New Orleans. You get extra points if you can remember the name of the same train when it headed back to Chicago. (Illinois Central rerouted the train through Yazoo City when the track past Canton was declared unusable. Now it is used only by the Nissan plant)
The Ridgeland Vigilantes
Wasn't that the Panama Limited ?
Going North the train was the Chicken Bone Special.
This repeatedly uses the word 'thugs'. IT'S RACIST!!!
Whoa Kingfish is this D.I. Smith's Grandfather? He's the only REAL MAN in Ridgleand today. Ridgeland is the Soddom of the Metro. D.I. is the hero Gotham... I mean Ridgeland needs.
@ 2:27 the most racist thing about this articles is that they hired the Ross Barnett law firm.
I've heard this story before. But the version I heard the men were klan. Before the sixties, the klan was pretty active in shutting down establishments such as these.
D.I. is from the Delta.
Exactly, 4:46. The Klan was not at all simply the racist hanging organization it was purported to be. They ran many a white man's ass out of the county (every county in this state) for failing to take care of his family, for being a ne'er do well drunkard, for abusing children or for being a damned sorry outlaw.
If the Klan had existed in 1863 we would have never endured Lincoln's Unnecessary War. They woulda run his ass out of this country.
I wonder if this was told by Jim Lacey jr. The only real man was Billy Noble.
Oh yes, 6:32am, surely the KKK was only about enforcing morality and making sure no one was drinking or gambling or horrors, dancing !
Don't we miss the days when the church folk imposed their religious beliefs on others?
I loved the Blue Laws on Sunday when you couldn't get cough syrup or some medicines for a sick child IF you could find an open drug store.
And, it was so cool when Al Capone and his gang were terrorizing Chicago with their tommy guns.
And, wasn't vigilante justice great? To hell with the Bill of Rights! Shoot first and ask questions later!
Now those were the good old days!
My grandfather was part of this group. I can tell you they were not klan.
6:58. Coffee is your friend. So is an enema. Not sure what you're attempting to say.
7:15; Most people have no clue that there grandfathers were Klan members, including you.
6:58
It's still the same type of rule just different people. Now we are all forced to live by the rules of the perverts and the black militants.
@9:15 - I'm certain that I know my family history as it is extensive in the City of Ridgeland and I can say with 100% certainty that not one person in my immediate family was ever a member. Before you want to hurl accusations through the mighty power of your keyboard you might want to learn to spell properly.
@ 10:01 do you honestly believe that your Grandfather would tell you if he was in the Klan???? Like come on really?
@10:43 - If you knew him you would know he was not. But you don't. You want to make prejudiced assumptions. Sounds like you are the one that is Klan.
@ 10:57 if you're in such an "extensive" family in ridgleand why do you remain anonymous?
@10:57 because I'm not going to subject my family's name to trolls that have nothing better to do than attack people they don't know and hurl insults from behind an iPhone. You posted as anonymous so there is nothing stated to qualify you. If you would like to post your name and contact number we can get together for lunch and I would gladly share with you my family's history with the city as well as the service we have provided to the city, county, state and nation from WWII until now. (For the record, I say WWII because that was the first of my family to fight in any war. We had no civil war relatives that we can find as our family came to this country after that period in time.)
9:15 am That you missed the point is not a surprise.
If you are also 6:32am , I guess you forgot what you wrote and if you are not, you didn't read 6:32am's comment.
6:58am's post was obviously sarcasm in response to 6:32am ( " context" matters).
The post pointed out that the vigilantism of the past ( often justified by religion) didn't result in times that warrant nostalgia. Some of us understand that no matter how superior or self-righteous those who take the law into their own hands consider themselves to be, there are some rather negative consequences when they succeed.
PS I rather doubt Lloyd's of London was insuring such two bit clubs in rural Mississippi.
Post a Comment