Historical Marker

Rosedale

Marker provided by: Mississippi Blues Commission.

Rosedale was immortalized in Robert Johnson’s 1937 recording Traveling Riverside Blues. In 1968, Eric Clapton’s group Cream incorporated the verse “Goin’ dow to Rosedale” into their version of Johnson’s Cross Road Blues. Although Johnson’s original 1936 version of this song did not mention Rosedale, the town has since become associated with the legend of a bluesman selling his soul to the devil at the crossroads.

Rosedale inspired work by prominent blues artists, including Robert Johnson. Johnson (1911-1938), though among the most influential of all blues musicians, enjoyed limited commercial success as a recording artist during his lifetime.”Traveling Riverside Blues,” from his final session in Dallas, was not even released until twenty-three years after his death, on his landmark 1961 Columbia LP King of the Delta Blues. With that album Johnson’s powerful and poetic blues was introduced to a new generation, including many rock bands who recorded his songs.

Johnson’s original lyrics for “Riverside Blues” traced the route of the Riverside Division of the Yazoo & Mississippi Valley Railroad (Y&MV), which ran from Friars Point south to Rosedale, Riverside Junction, and other stops. The Y&MV continued to Vicksburg to the south and Memphis to the north. Extolling his diversions “on the Riverside,” Johnson sang, “I got womens in Vicksburg, clean on into Tennessee.” Of all of the towns he mentioned, only Rosedale made it into the band Cream’s “Crossroads” or Led Zeppelin’s version of “Traveling Riverside Blues” (1969). Sexual metaphors were prominent in many blues lyrics, including one that Led Zeppelin reworked from Johnson’s “Traveling Riverside Blues” into “The Lemon Song” in 1969. The story of Johnson’s alleged deal with the devil eventually led crossroads seekers to Rosedale, where the legend has been promoted at local venues and festivals.

Blues activity in Rosedale historically revolved around the juke joints of Bruce Street, which date to Johnson’s era and earlier. The town, one of two seats of Bolivar County, was at its most active in the 1930s, before the county’s population began to decline. Delta blues pioneer Charley Patton (1891-1934) spent much ofhis time in Bolivar County and was the first to sing about Rosedale in his 1929 recording”High Water Everywhere,” a dramatic account of the 1927 Mississippi River flood (“Thewater done rose, it rose most everywhere…I would go down to Rosedale but they tell meit’s water there.”)

Musicians born in Rosedale include blues singer-pianist Dennis Binder (b. 1928), who beganrecording in the 1950s, and Isaac “Redd” Holt (b. 1932), a renowned jazz drummer in Chicago

The Mississippi Blues Trail markers tell stories through words and images of bluesmen and women and how the places where they lived and the times in which they existed–and continue to exist–influenced their music. The sites run the gamut from city streets to cotton fields, train depots to cemeteries, and clubs to churches. We have a lot to share, and it’s just down the Mississippi Blues Trail.

The Mississippi Blues Trail is an ongoing project of the Mississippi Blues Commission. Funding for this project has been made possible by grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, National Endowment for the Humanities, Mississippi Department of Transportation, the Federal Highway Administration, AT&T, and the Delta Center for Culture and Learning at Delta State University plus additional support from the Mississippi Development Authority Tourism Division.

For more information visit msbluestrail.org.

Blues Trail
Mississippi is home to several historically black colleges and universities, including Jackson State University, Alcorn State University, and Mississippi Valley State University.
Mississippi random facts
Bolivar County, Mississippi, has a rich history that stretches back centuries. The area was originally inhabited by Native American tribes, such as the Choctaw and Chickasaw, who thrived along the fertile Mississippi River Delta. European settlers began to arrive in the late 18th century, primarily French and Spanish explorers and traders. The territory changed hands several times, becoming part of the United States following the Louisiana Purchase in 1803.

The county was officially established in 1836 and named after South American revolutionary leader Simón Bolívar. Its location along the river made it an ideal location for plantations, leading to the rapid growth of the cotton industry and the rise of the antebellum plantation economy. Bolivar County became a major slave-holding area, with African Americans comprising a significant portion of the population.

During the Civil War, Bolivar County was caught in the crossfire between Union and Confederate forces, with several major battles and skirmishes taking place in the area. The war took a heavy toll on the region, leading to economic decline and social unrest. Reconstruction brought about some changes, including the establishment of schools for African Americans.

In the 20th century, Bolivar County continued to develop agriculturally, with cotton remaining a dominant crop. The county also saw significant social and political changes, including the implementation of Jim Crow laws and the civil rights movement. Today, Bolivar County remains an important agricultural region, but also faces challenges such as poverty and racial disparities. The county's rich history is celebrated and remembered through various historical sites, museums, and community events.

This timeline provides a concise overview of the key events in the history of Bolivar County, Mississippi.

  • 1836: Bolivar County is created and named after Simón Bolívar, the South American freedom fighter.
  • 1844: The county seat is established in the town of Bolivarville, which later changes its name to Cleveland.
  • 1858: The Mississippi Delta Agricultural Experiment Station is established in Lula, contributing to the region's agricultural development.
  • 1865: The Civil War ends, and Bolivar County begins the process of rebuilding and recovering.
  • 1875: The county's first railroad, the Mississippi Valley Railroad, is completed, connecting Bolivar County to other parts of Mississippi.
  • 1890s: The county experiences significant economic growth due to cotton production and the expansion of the railroad network.
  • 1920s: Bolivar County becomes a major center for the blues, with influential musicians like Charley Patton and W.C. Handy performing in the area.
  • 1955: Emmett Till, a 14-year-old African American boy, is brutally murdered in Money, Bolivar County, becoming a significant catalyst for the Civil Rights Movement.
  • 1969: Parchman Farm, the infamous Mississippi State Penitentiary, closes in Bolivar County.
  • 1980s: Bolivar County experiences economic decline due to changes in the agricultural industry and population shifts.
  • 1994: The Grammy Museum Mississippi opens in Cleveland, celebrating the cultural heritage of the region.