This photo gallery is part of our new initiative, MT Listens. Learn more about the project here or be part of it by taking our survey.
Take a virtual stroll through Canton, a historic Mississippi community with about 12,000 residents, through the lens of Mississippi Today photojournalist Vickie King.
Canton is just one of five communities our newsroom is focusing on for our community listening project, MT Listens. The others are Yazoo City, Forest, Moss Point and New Albany.
Photo Captions:
The historic Madison County Courthouse in Canton is located in the heart of downtown on the Square.
The Canton Train Depot was constructed in 1890 and additional buildings were constructed in the 1920s. The depot was operational until the early 90s under management by the Illinois Central Railroad Company. It was purchased by the Canton Redevelopment Authority and renovated into a museum where visitors can learn about the history of how trains affected the the city and the county.
Photo Captions:
Views of downtown Canton and the Willie Morris-My Dog Skip Museum, a landmark featured in movies, such as A Time to Kill and My Dog Skip.
“I’d really love to see this area come back. This was the happening area back in the day. There were all kinds of businesses and a movie theater.”
Dorothy Kelly, 70. Kelly is the owner of T&D North Hickory Sandwich Shop, home of “The Hollowburger.” The restaurant is one of the last vestiges of a once thriving African American community in Canton called The Hollow.
Photo Captions:
A mural and park honoring the historic district, The Hollow, a once-thriving African American community centered around Hickory Street.
“People moved away, especially our young people. So those businesses left by their parents eventually closed. This area used to be the area where Black folk prospered. I’d really love to see it be that way again.”
Dorothy Kelly
Photo Captions:
Old high school renovated into stylish apartments in Canton
Grace Episcopal Church in Canton. The church was built of wood instead of brick in 1853 and is an example of antebellum Gothic Revival. It is the oldest church structure in Canton.
The Nissan Canton Vehicle Assembly Plant opened in Canton in 2003, bringing vehicle manufacturing to the state for the first time.
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The post Canton: Small town, big charm appeared first on Mississippi Today.
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