Historical Marker

Harlem Inn

Marker provided by: Mississippi Blues Commission.

The Harlem Inn, known as “The Showplace of the South,” was once the Delta’s most important venue for touring national blues performers. B. B. King, Little Milton, Bobby “Blue” Bland, Howlin’ Wolf, Tyrone Davis, and T-Bone Walker were among the many stars who appeared, and Ike Turner and his Kings of Rhythm from Clarksdale gave some of their earliest performances here. The Harlem Inn stood at this site until it burned down in 1989, just prior to its 50th anniversary.

The Harlem Inn was built in 1939 by a local African American farmer, Hezekiah Patton, Sr., who launched his nightclub operation with twenty-five dollars provided by an uncle, according to Patton family lore. The uncle, James Patton (1898-1955), was already a successful club owner in Shelby. Hezekiah (1910-1968) first opened a smaller club across the railroad tracks in Winstonville (also formerly known as Chambers and Wyandotte) just west of here, and bought property to build a larger venue at this site after a new Highway 61 route was designated to run parallel to Old Highway 61 in the late 1930s. Business boomed at the Harlem Inn in the 1940s and ‘50s, and according to Hezekiah’s son, Robert Patton, patrons from towns throughout the Delta would take the train to Winstonville for the big Saturday night shows, stay overnight, and return home by rail the next day. The Harlem Inn was one of the state’s premier nightclubs, part of an elite circuit that included the Blue Room in Vicksburg, Stevens Rose Room in Jackson, Club Ebony in Indianola, the Harlem Nightingale in McComb, New Club Desire in Canton, and several black Elks (I.B.P.O.E.W.) and V.F.W. halls. Named in honor of the famed African American district of New York City, Patton’s club apparently had no connection to the many similarly named Harlem inns, clubs, and theaters in other Mississippi towns.

Patton, who continued to farm as well as operate the club, booked many of the biggest names in blues and rhythm & blues at the Harlem Inn, including Ray Charles, Little Willie John, Percy Mayfield, B. B. King, Bobby “Blue” Bland, Ivory Joe Hunter, T-Bone Walker, Howlin’ Wolf, and Big Joe Turner. Ike Turner and Little Milton began playing the Harlem Inn when both were local acts in the early ‘50s; in the 1960s Turner returned to the club leading the Ike & Tina Turner Revue.

After Patton’s death, a family friend, Lamar Crowder, rented the club for a few years, and in the early 1970s Patton’s sons, Robert, Charles, and Hezekiah, Jr., took over, assisted by their mother, Ruby. They maintained the tradition of top-flight entertainment, often drawing packed houses to see Bland, Little Milton, and Tyrone Davis. Jackie Wilson held an audience spellbound here on one of the many nights when the club’s audience of five to six hundred outnumbered the population of Winstonville. The Impressions, Bobby Rush, Joe Poonanny, and others also appeared, as did Delta locals including Little Wynn, the White Family, and T. J. and the Hurricanes. After a fire destroyed the club in May of 1989, Robert Patton recalled that Little Milton, who played at the club over a period of thirty-five years, said, “Your daddy put a blues monument here in Winstonville, and Winstonville will never be the same.”

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
Audiobooks about the history of Mississippi.
In 1962, the University of Mississippi, located in Oxford, was the site of a violent confrontation between federal forces and white segregationists over the enrollment of James Meredith, the university's first African American student.
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 glimpse into the major events and milestones that have shaped 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.