Muddy Waters's House
In August 1941, on a field recording expedition sponsored by the Library of Congress and Fisk University, Alan Lomax and John Work set up portable equipment in Waters’ house to record Muddy and other local musicians, including fiddler Henry “Son” Simms. Lomax returned with Lewis Jones in 1942 for a second series of recordings. Two of Waters’ recordings, “Burr Clover Farm Blues” and “Burr Clover Blues,” paid tribute to plantation owner Colonel William Howard Stovall (1895-1970) and his crop. The Stovalls, one of the Delta’s most successful cotton-farming families, were pioneers of agricultural technology, and Colonel Stovall invented the burr clover seed harvester in 1935. Waters told Lomax that he wrote “Burr Clover Blues” at Stovall’s request. Waters entertained field hands at his house, which served as a juke joint, and also played at social functions for the Stovalls, as did the Mississippi Sheiks, a popular black string band that Waters admired.
Waters’ cousin, The Reverend Wilie Morganfield (1927-2003), was born on the Stovall plantation and turned down offers to sing the blues and devoted his talents to the church, becoming a popular gospel recording artist in the 1960s. He was pastor of the Bell Grove Missionary Baptist Church in Clarksdale. Blues singer-pianist Eddie Boyd (1914-1994), who wrote the classic “Five Long Years,” a No. 1 rhythm & blues hit in 1952, was also born on Stovall. Stovall resident and blues bassist David “Pecan” Porter (1943-2003) later lived in the house that Muddy Waters had earlier occupied. Porter was active on the Clarksdale blues scene from the 1960s through the 1990s.
Only in the 1980s, after the vacant house was in disrepair, did tourists begin visiting it as a Muddy Waters shrine. In 1987, guitarist Billy Gibbons of the rock group Z.Z. Top had “Muddywood” guitars crafted from the planks of the house. Z.Z. Top subsequently used the guitars to promote a fund-raising drive to benefit the Delta Blues Museum
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.
Mississippi has a rich musical history, particularly in the genres of blues, gospel, and country. Many famous musicians, including Elvis Presley, B.B. King, and Muddy Waters, got their start in Mississippi.
The county was officially established in 1836 and was named after a Native American word meaning "red panther." In the decades that followed, Coahoma County saw a significant influx of settlers, mainly from the southern states, who were drawn to the fertile agricultural lands along the Mississippi Delta.
The economy of the county was heavily dependent on agriculture, with cotton being the primary cash crop. Plantations dominated the landscape, and the county's population grew rapidly due to the demand for labor. However, this growth came at the expense of the enslaved African Americans, who were forcibly brought to the region to work on the plantations.
Coahoma County played a significant role in the Civil Rights Movement of the 20th century. It was the birthplace of influential figures like Aaron Henry, who fought for racial equality and was a prominent leader in the Mississippi State Conference of the NAACP. The county also witnessed the efforts of civil rights activists like Medgar Evers and Fannie Lou Hamer, who organized voter registration drives and challenged segregation.
Today, Coahoma County continues to reflect its rich history through its cultural heritage and music. The city of Clarksdale, located in the county, is known as the birthplace of the blues. It has been home to influential musicians such as Muddy Waters, Sam Cooke, and Ike Turner. The county also houses the Delta Blues Museum, providing visitors with a glimpse into the region's musical heritage and its impact on American culture.
Coahoma County Timeline
This timeline provides a glimpse into the major events and milestones that have shaped the history of Coahoma County, Mississippi.
- 1836 - Coahoma County is established as a county in the state of Mississippi.
- 1839 - The city of Friars Point is incorporated.
- 1841 - The town of Clarksdale is founded.
- 1882 - The Yazoo-Mississippi Delta Levee District is formed to control flooding.
- 1888 - The Yazoo-Mississippi Delta Levee Board is established to oversee levee construction.
- 1903 - The first railroad arrives in Clarksdale, boosting economic development.
- 1920s - Coahoma County becomes a major center for blues music.
- 1930s - The Great Depression and the boll weevil infestation severely impact Coahoma County's economy.
- 1942 - The Coahoma County Fair is first held.
- 1954 - The "Coahoma County Project" is initiated to promote economic development.
- 1980s - Coahoma County experiences a decline in population and economic activity.
- 2002 - The Delta Blues Museum is designated as a Mississippi Landmark.
- 2011 - The Mississippi Development Authority designates Coahoma County as a "Gulf Opportunity Zone," aimed at stimulating recovery after Hurricane Katrina.