things in mississippi that start with x
The people around us, who share in our experiences, have their own version of events saved away. On a summer day in 1931, a man was found wandering South State Street in Jackson, Mississippi. And without them, who was he? And the two letters that you consistently hear date all the way back to when people used to send telegrams. Sign up to get the weeks best Longreads delivered to your inbox every Friday afternoon. Mr. Xs time in state care fell between these two eras, at an institution flush with the spirit in which it was built. Well, you can thank Fred Smith of Marks, Mississippi for that. All radio stations have a four-letter identification code. The best hidden gems and little known destinations - straight to your inbox. Over the previous century, patients in mental hospitals were often written off as subhuman and kept in barbaric conditions; by the 1940s, mental health care began shifting toward new treatment models, some with real potential to help people (psychiatric pharmacology), and some that could only do harm (lobotomy). Who propounded the principle of recreation? Able-bodied patients sewed overalls in the occupational therapy workshop; others milked cows or repaired fences. This was a big step as these fibers were considered the first real synthetics. Perhaps she was being treated for alcoholism. It also helped stretch the institutions meager budget. But noI soon learned that Whitfield was another career shift. 
As she described her childhood, she dwelled for a while on a woman named Ligon Smith Forbes, her aunt on her mothers side. Jackson native, Dr. Henry Sampson, received a patent for the gamma-electric cell in the 1970s. Maybe you could lookat this my grandmother gestured vaguely toward the sky, indicating technology and its mysteriesfind out something about her work.. Considered Americas oldest game, stickball originated right here in Mississippi as it was played by the Choctaw Indians. The physical environs were intended to be peaceful and pleasing to the eye. Support The Atavist by becoming a member. Some 70 redbrick buildings with white columns were nestled on Whitfields green lawns and connected by paved walking paths. She was a feminist divorce suffragette journalist alcoholic lesbian rabble-rouser, my grandmother said, tapping a manicured finger against her ultra-slim cigarette. At first I thought Ligon had been a patient. And at the time of the 1940 census, her residence was listed as the Mississippi State Hospital in Whitfield. Ligon took me shopping, and well. My grandmother shrugged. By all accounts, Mr. X thrived at Whitfield. No stranger to innovation, the brilliant nuclear physicist has also been awarded patents for two other inventions, both of which are related to solid rocket motors. Over the course of several days, patients in Jackson were loaded onto buses in groups. But no one came to Whitfield to claim him. Try decoding these common acronyms that you probably never knew stood for something. Of course, they were lovers, my grandmother said in a casual aside, but we didnt talk about things like that back then.. The company responsible for bringing professional cooking to the home was founded by Greenwood native Fred Carl, Jr. in the 1980s.
Morgan is the Senior Production Editor at Trusted Media Brands. In his pocket was a cheap watch and a single penny. Now is the time to join us. Worse yet, the hospital was a firetrapits buildings were full of mattresses, linens, and other combustible material. This seems so simple, yet where would we be without it? Mr. X remained at the hospital, and the mystery of his identity lingered. When police questioned him, the man seemed dazed. He told his doctors that he was looking for something that might jog his memory, something that felt familiar. 119, Searching for Mr. X, written by Laura Todd Carns and illustrated by Ben Jones. Click here for information regarding the Premium Pay Program for first responders. Love Mississippi? It was the sort of thing the public was hungry for. The successful entrepreneur did not always know if the business would make it. What was missing were his autobiographical memories. In 1912, several countries attended a conference to discuss international radiotelegraphs. Blazon-Flexible Flyer, Inc. of West Point is known for making the nations best snow sled. She also started the first advertising agency in Mississippi. Become a Longreads Member for just $3 per month, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window), Click to share on Instapaper (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), This story was funded by Longreads Members, Friends: We Need Your Help to Fund More Stories. She stayed with Ligon and Earlene in their suite at the Robert E. Lee Hotel. Thank you! In all likelihood that someone was Ligon herself. Apparently Oliver Pollock realized the need for the dollar sign and came up with it in the late 1700s. He was arrested for vagrancy. The kind of story a writer stumbles upon only a handful of times, if ever. Ligonpronounced with a shortiand a hardgdied well before I was born, but as my grandmother spoke, a lively, unconventional woman took shape in my mind. It was always seeking content for its weekly photo supplement, referred to in the newspaper business as rotogravure. The Tallahatchie Riverfest In Mississippi Is The Perfect Way To Say Goodbye To Summer, 10 Changes And Inventions Mississippi Contributed To The History Of The World, One Of The Most Haunted Cemeterys In Mississippi Is Also The Most Beautiful, Walk Through Beautiful Stained Glass Windows At This Unique Museum In Mississippi, 16 Things You Can Only Brag About If Youre From Mississippi, The Story Behind Mississippis Most Notorious Murderer Will Send Chills Down Your Spine, These 7 Evil People In Mississippi Left A Dark Stain On History, The Story Behind Mississippis Mass Gravesite Is Like Something From A Horror Movie. When I was turning 13, Mama let me take the train to visit Aunt Ligon in the city, to celebrate my birthday, my grandmother told me, her eyes shining at the glamour of it all. Sometimes she sent me cuttings, but I dont think I saved them. which statement tells what the americans colonists thought of the british government during the later europeans of the 1700s? The notebook where Id scribbled my grandmothers memories soon slid to the bottom of a box. The three letters after the K or W can mean a few different things. She tried teaching, then managed a stationery and newspaper shop. Mitchell believed in giving residents the opportunity to contribute to their community, because the dignity of honest work could be a salve to a troubled spirit. Ever received a package from this shipping giant? When I discovered the notebook again, my grandmother had been dead for a decade. Ligon worked all her life, and she held a wide variety of jobs. This is an excerpt from The Atavists issue no. With over 500,000 members, the Order of the Eastern Star is the largest fraternal organization in the world and it originated right here in Mississippi. Be sure to share your thoughts in the section below! My grandmother had always been reticent to talk about her upbringing in Mississippi, but as she spoke, her initial hesitance burned away like a fog dissolving in sunshine. Sometimes its the actual station number, like in KTWO or KFOR. After graduating from the University of Southern Mississippi, Daniella began to hone her writing skills through various internships, working for The Royal Obsession and Anatomie clothing. But someone convinced the hospital that it could use a dedicated staff member to liaise with the press. Ligon suggested that the paper do a two-page spread on the state-of-the-art mental hospital where shed recently started working. For reasons no one could discern, his past was beyond his reach. At one point, he took the companys last $5,000 to Vegas in hopes of winning enough to keep FedEx afloat (and if youre wondering, his plan worked - he won $27,000). Who was he? After a few days, he was placed in the custody of Dr. C. D. Mitchell, superintendent of the Mississippi State Hospital. It sat there, unopened, and moved as I did, to new homes, half a dozen times over the years. Mr. X spent hours in the hospitals library, reading every newspaper and magazine he could get his hands on. Whitfields superintendent, Dr. Mitchell, designed the campus in line with the latest scientific understanding of psychiatry. She dabbled in real estate and in the insurance business. He appeared to be lost. He worked in the hospitals greenhouse, tending to plants and flowers, and he revealed a surprising store of botanical knowledge. Creating jobs out of whole cloth was one of her specialties. Were not the only ones who carry our memories. The stuff of radio melodrama and matinee movies. Radio stations east of the Mississippi River had to start their stations with W, and stations west of the Mississippi with K. She worked with Near East Relief, famously the first charity to let donors adopt a child by supporting them financially from afar. Orchards, fields, and a dairy farm provided Whitfields food. Not only can the drug be used to cure a number of fungal infections but it can also be used to restore artwork that has been damaged by water. Previously, administrators or the occasional contractor had handled publicity. Ligon filed a patent in 1920. Drivers who operate special types of commercial motor vehicles also need to pass additional tests to obtain any of the following endorsements on their CDL: Commercial Drivers License - Additional Information, 2021 Mississippi Department of Public Safety. We scatter memories like seeds, letting them take root in the people who care enough to listen. Create your own site at WordPress.com arrow-right. Now all she had to do was scour the hospital for story ideas. She got into journalism and road-tripped with Eleanor Roosevelt to report on conditions in the rural South for the Emergency Relief Administration. Where had he come from? I discovered facts about my aunts life that my grandmother hadnt shared, perhaps hadnt even known. He was white, with gray hair and a thin, angular face. Any combination of vehicles with a (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds provided by the GVWR of the vehicles being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds. What is the dental code for a Essix retainer? The Atavist, our sister publication, publishes one deeply reported, elegantly designed story each month. Commercial Drivers Licenses (CDLs) are only issued after the driver has completed and passed knowledge and skills tests (relevant to the type of vehicle that will be operated). Top 5 Times of the Year to Save, 90 Disney Trivia Questions Only True Fans Can Answer, 125 Christmas Movie Trivia Questions (with Answers) to Test Your Festive Film IQ, Do Not Sell My Personal Information CA Residents. But there were her words on the page, transcribed in my ballpoint-scrawled hand. We are no longer supporting IE (Internet Explorer), most zippers have the letters YKK on themand why, explanations for things youve always wondered about, When Is the Best Time to Buy a TV? In 1935, four years after Mr. Xs arrival, the institution moved to a brand-new campus about 15 miles outside Jackson. Every dollar you contribute goes to writers and publishers who spend hours, weeks, and months reporting and writing outstanding stories. If you need to know how to obtain a commercial drivers license or if you are not sure what class you need, please refer to the information below: The State of Mississippi coordinates licensing regulations and procedures with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Any single vehicle, or combination of vehicles, that does not meet the definition of Class A or Class B, but is either design to transport 16 or more passengers, including the driver, or is placarded for hazardous materials. Knowing the names of things is semantic knowledge; knowing how to do things is procedural knowledge. She worked for theTimes-Picayunein New Orleans for a while, my grandmother said of Ligon, narrowing her eyes in concentration. Our state is filled with awesomeness and just so the rest of the world doesnt feel left out, Mississippi inventors and innovators have made some contributions for all to enjoy. Ligon was a tall, striking woman, and by the time she was in her fifties, her lined face had a rosy glowthe complexion of a heavy drinker. Now that you know why radio stations do this, check out these other explanations for things youve always wondered about. Mississippi native Elizabeth Lee Hazen worked with fellow researcher Rachel F. Brown to develop the anti-fungal antibiotic Nystatin. You would havelovedher!. And when we tell a story to a loved one, were giving them a piece of our lives. She works with our Production Coordinators to keep content moving and make sure that things are working well behind the scenes for all our digital sites. He had a knack for complicated games like bridge. And memories of her beloved Aunt Ligon. The United States was given the letters W, K, N, and A. Ligon was hired in July 1938 as the institutions public relations director. A skilled bridge player who couldnt remember how or when hed learned the game; a gardener with no recollection of whod taught him the names of flowers or which varieties grew in his mothers yard. T Double/Triple Trailers (knowledge test only), P Passenger (knowledge and skills test), H Hazardous Materials (knowledge test only), X Combination of Tank Vehicle and Hazardous Materials, Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Commercial Drivers License Program, Law Enforcement Officers' Training Academy. In the years since, shes had the privilege of having her articles appear in several publications, such as Parents & Kids Magazine and Girl Meets Strong. She had a Rolodex full of contacts at regional newspapers and magazines. One blaze after another destroyed parts of the facility, necessitating reconstruction. For eight years, a man with amnesia lived at a hospital in Mississippi. Who was he and why had no one come looking for him? Xanadu Drive is the name of a street in Magee, Xavier Street is the name of a street in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Her mothermy great-grandmother, Ligons sisterhad given her five dollars to buy a dress. We recommend our users to update the browser. We are no longer supporting IE (Internet Explorer) as we strive to provide site experiences for browsers that support new web standards and security practices. How did he wind up alone on a street in the Deep South, at the beginning of the Great Depression, without his memory? The newspaper, presumably eager for an easy way to fill a couple of pages, agreed. I took the fragments my grandmother had given methe Robert E. Lee Hotel, theTimes-Picayune,Earleneand fed them into search engines. His clothes were worn and rumpled, but on his feet were a pair of tan Borden low-quarter dress shoes, the kind that sold for more than ten dollars at S. P. McRaes department store on West Capitol Street. Five dollars was a lot of money, my grandmother said solemnly, as if she could still feel the weight of it in her patent-leather purse. Sometimes they represent the networks that own the radio stationfor example, WABC, KCBS, and WTBS. The letters N and A were given to military stations, but K and W were assigned out for commercial use. He spoke with a genteel Southern accent, which suggested that hed had some education in his life, or at least had grown up among educated people. You'll receive your first newsletter soon! The hosts of the show typically come up with a more catchy station name than just the four letters, but you still hear it sprinkled in with their morning announcements and other advertisements. Months passed, then years. Snow may be a rare sight here in Mississippi but apparently that doesnt mean we cant make a good sled. He was unable to supply his name, his address, or an explanation for why he was in Jackson. She graduated from the University of New Hampshire in 2016 where she received her Bachelor of Arts in Journalism. Following the Civil War, John B. Stetson headed to Dunns Falls where he learned, practiced and perfected his craft of hat making. Wrote for a bunch of newspapers. She had experience writing copy she knew papers would run. The first fibers of rayon were developed by Dr. Emmette F. Izard of Hazelhurst. Her commute to work was a stroll down landscaped paths, first to the dining hall for breakfast at communal tables, then to the cupola-topped administration building. Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing a vehicle not in excess of 10,000 pounds GVWR. What would happen if you tried to pick up puddle? For those suffering from more severe or chronic disorders, the hospital offered comfort and stability. In the late 1920s, Harry Cole, a chemist from Jackson, came up with this distinctively-scented cleaning product that is so widely known today. Aiming to make life a bit easier, David Harrison of Columbus patented this invention which is obviously much appreciated as 1,000,000 are sold annually. Formerly known as the Mississippi State Lunatic Asylum, in 1931 the hospital was a warren of overcrowded barracks so decrepit that patients kept getting injured by pieces of plaster that fell from crumbling ceilings. In her free time, she likes exploring the seacoast of Maine where she lives and works remotely full time and snuggling up on the couch with her corgi, Eggo, to watch HGTV or The Office. One day in the late 1990s, I sat cross-legged on the cool tile floor of my grandmothers sunroom in Florida, listening. Upon his arrival at the facility, the man, who was estimated to be about sixty, was entered into the patient ledger as Mr. How old was bug wendal when he was killed? There she was: Ligon Smith Forbes. Though Daniella was born in New York and has lived in a couple of other states, Mississippi has been her home for the past 25 years. A CDL is needed if the driver is operating a vehicle in interstate, intrastate, or foreign commerce.
On Sundays, patients and staff alike worshipped in the campus chapel. She was married briefly, retaining nothing from the union but the title Mrs. and a new last name. No list of Mississippi inventions would be complete without Barqs Root Beer, which was invented in Biloxi in 1898 by Edward C. Barq, Sr. As of today, the companys corporate headquarters and manufacturing plant are still located here in Mississippi. Patients attended weekly dances and movie nights. All other vehicles or combination of vehicles which are not included in Class A, Class B or Class C and for which a Commercial License is required to be issued as provided by Section 63-1-43. For some patients weathering a temporary crisis, the restful environment was all the treatment they needed, and they left after a short stay. These parts of Mr. Xs mental functioning were intact. Instead of a dress, I came home with my first pair of high heels. She grinned with the mischief of a rebellious teenager. Shes also had the honor of interviewing actress Sela Ward for The Mississippi Arts and Entertainment Experience. It seems that whenever you switch on the radio for your morning commute all you hear is Time to wake up with K98.3, or WBLS will be right back after this commercial break. If you listen closely youll notice that they all have something in common; the vast majority of radio stations start with the letter K or W. For more letter trivia, did you know that most zippers have the letters YKK on themand why? Outlandish stories of feuds with her older brothers, of the small-town telephone operator who eavesdropped on everyones conversations, of the house her lumberman father built, hand-picking every board.
Laura Todd Carns| The Atavist Magazine | September 2021 | 7 minutes (1,935 words). X.. what was of the reconstruction amendments? I had a cheap spiral notebook in my lap where I scribbled down the scraps of memory she shared. Ligon reached out to theCommercial Appeal,a newspaper in Memphis, Tennessee, that had wide circulation in the South. Ligon moved into the female staff dorm at Whitfield. As topics went, it was far meatier than images of Whitfield, however lovely the campus was. In his downtime he played cards with other patients and with staff. She said she would travel to Memphis herself and hand-deliver the photographs. They traveled along Highway 80 before turning onto a long gravel drive lined with young trees and freshly planted flower beds. On the day she would board the train for Memphis, Ligon came across a patient file that roused her journalistic instincts. The focus of treatment was on easing symptoms and providing structures that kept patients safe. What Mississippi facts start with the letter x? Her cofounder was her longtime companion, a woman named Earlene White. Those peoplehispeoplecould tell Mr. X who he was. I tried, but searching through old newspapers on library microfiche was a formidable task, and the earliest databases for genealogy research, such as Ancestry.com, were just coming online. A visitor, taking in the manmade lake and the wide porches on the buildings, might have thought the place a summer camp or a university. The year was 1931, and the city was Jacksonfor a girl from a small, dusty town, the state capital was the height of sophistication. We want to dramatically increase our story fund this year, but we can't do it without your support. Check out the list below for some of the valuable things that have come from our wonderful state. Were you surprised by any of these, or have anything youd like to add to the list? He had shell-rimmed eyeglasses and a belt buckle with the letter Lon it. And other times its an acronym such as WTTW for Windows to the World. But the station that takes home the prize for the best four-letter combination is a sports radio station out of St. Louis that chose the name KRAP. It was built on the site of a former penal farm and dubbed Whitfield, in honor of the governorHenry L. Whitfieldwho approved the construction.
