A Quick 48 Hours in Marks, Mississippi
A small town of 1800 residents in Quitman County in the heart of the Mississippi Delta, Marks played a big role in the histories of Civil Rights and American music. In June 2019 (which seems like a lifetime ago), I spent time with Velma Benson-Wilson, the former Quitman County Administrator and current Director of Tourism and Economic Development for Quitman County, to hear her stories and the history of the area. She also gave me a wonderful list of what to see and do while in Quitman County for a weekend.
Getting There:
Take the 58/59 Amtrak right into downtown Marks. In 2018, the Northwest Mississippi Regional Station of Amtrak opened in Marks, Mississippi. Seven days a week, the southbound (#58) and northbound (#59) “City of New Orleans” passenger train stops in Marks en route to New Orleans or Chicago.
What to Visit:
Rosenwald School, Marks. Marks’ Old African American High School is one of the few remaining Rosenwald Schools in Mississippi. This school building is also one of the oldest historic properties left standing in the African American community.
Sites on the Country Music and Mississippi Blues Trails, Quitman County. Surrounding Quitman County is the home to many heavy hitters of American music, including country music legend Charley Pride, blues greats John Lee Hooker, Earl Hooker, James Edward “Snooky” Pryor, and Albert “Sunnyland Slim” Luandrew.
Sites on the Marking the Mule Train Interpretative Trail, Quitman County. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. visited Marks in 1968 to garner support for the Poor People’s Campaign, a nationwide march to Washington, D.C. in the spring of 1968 to raise awareness of economic disparity and persistent poverty. This trip to Quitman County was hugely impactful, with Marks as the beginning site for a large mule-drawn wagon caravan to Washington.
Quitman County Visitors’ Welcome Center & Gift Mule Train Shoppe, Marks.
Illinois Central Coaling Tower, Lambert.
Mills Flowers & Gifts-236 E. Main Street, Marks.
Jamison Designs 317 Locust St., Marks.
1968 Marks’ Mule Train photograph by Dr. James Goldman. Many of his photographs documenting the Mule Train appear in Goldman's Gold, a book he published with Macklyn Hubbell. This photo and many others can be found at the Mules and Blues Fest website.
What to Do:
Attend the Annual Mules and Blues Fest, Marks. Since 2015, Marks has hosted its Mules and Blues Fest during the first weekend of October. Highlights include a 5K run/walk, art contests, and tons of live gospel, country, and blues music. Free admission.
Fish or paddle the Coldwater, Big, or Little Tallahatchie Rivers. The Mississippi Delta is one of the most beautiful places on Earth, period.
September Song Festival, last Saturday in September Highway, Marks.
Catch an event at The Hub, Marks Community Center.
Contact the Archaeological Conservancy Southeast Regional Office to explore the Native American Mounds and artifacts, Marks. Several Choctow and Chickasaw mounds (the Denton, Norman, Posey, and Shady Groves sites) are in Quitman County.
Mills Auction, downtown Marks.
Check out highlights from the 2019 Mules and Blues Fest. Video credit: Quitman County, Mississippi.
Where to Dine:
Alice’s Soul Food Restaurant, Marks.
The Dining Room-Chubby Burgers & Grill, Marks.
Pizza Pro, Marks.
Main Street Diner, Marks.
K & J Grill, Lambert.
Bumpers Drive-In, Marks.
Where to Stay:
Squirrel Lake Cabins, Gumbo Flats Hunting Lodge, Quitman County.
Hampton Inn, Comfort Suites, Fairfield Inn & Suites, Quality Inn, Batesville.
Quality Inn, Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn, Travelers Hotel, Clarksdale.
Jennifer Drinkwater. Eudora, acrylic on wood panel, 12” x 12”, 2019.
A few months before his assassination, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr visited Marks, Mississippi and spoke at the Eudora African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church to rally support for the Christian Leadership Conference’s “Poor People’s Campaign,” a nationwide march to Washington, D.C. in the spring of 1968 to raise awareness of economic disparity and persistent poverty. The Eudora Church also provided meeting space and hot meals for Freedom Riders and PPC organizers.
Want the condensed list? Download a free PDF of great ways to spend A Quick 48 Hours in Marks.
Have suggestions of what to add to this list? I invite you to comment below.
Want to learn more about Marks and Quitman County? Check out the Places page for more stories and histories of Marks. Even better, visit the Quitman County website.
Plus! Looking for a few other off-the-beaten-path itineraries this year? Check out more places to spend A Quick 48 Hours: