Historical Marker

61 Highway

Marker provided by: Mississippi Blues Commission.

Highway 61 occupies an important place in the blues, serving both as a popular lyrical symbol for travel and the actual route by which many artists moved northward. The original route of U. S. Highway 61 that was mapped out in the 1920s ran from downtown New Orleans to Grand Portage, Minnesota, on the Canadian border and connected cities including Memphis, St. Louis, and St. Paul. Within Mississippi the highway was initially mostly gravel and ran approximately four hundred miles through the downtown areas of many communities. Today’s route, which largely bypasses city centers, is considerably straighter and about eighty miles shorter.

The blues likely emerged in the late 1890s and the early 1900s, around the same time as the introduction of the automobile. Cars were initially somewhat of a novelty and luxury product – there were reportedly only twenty in Mississippi in 1900 – but this situation changed dramatically following the Ford Motor Company’s introduction of the Model T in 1908 and the moving assembly line in 1913; by 1920 there were eight million registered cars on the road. This growth was accompanied by widespread demands by commercial interests and citizens’ groups to build roads for the promotion of economic development, national defense, and tourism.

In 1916, when World War I raised concerns about interstate transportation of goods, the federal government initiated aid to states for road building, and the Federal Highway Act of 1921 mandated a national highway system. U.S. Highway 61 was one of nine numbered highways that ran through Mississippi that were officially designated in November of 1926, and construction on the initial road continued until the early ‘40s. By this time at least seven blues singers had recorded songs about Highway 61; later artists who cut songs on the theme included Vicksburg’s Johnny Young and Bob Dylan, who recorded the influential 1965 album “Highway 61 Revisited.”

Among the African American singers and musicians who have lived in communities along the southern stretch of Highway 61 in Mississippi are Willie Dixon, Louisiana Red, Artie “Blues Boy” White, Percy Strother, Greg Osgood & Cee Blaque, Little Joe Blue, Milt Hinton, and the Red Tops from Vicksburg; Muddy Waters and Johnny Dyer from Rolling Fork; J. D. Short from Port Gibson; Hezekiah & the Houserockers, Papa Lightfoot, William “Cat Iron” Carradine, Jimmy Anderson, Elmo Williams, and the Ealey brothers from Natchez; and Scott Dunbar, Polka Dot Slim, Robert Cage, Lester Young, and William Grant Still from Woodville

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.
The Mississippi Delta region, which is located in the northwest part of the state, is known for its rich soil and has been an important agricultural area for centuries.
Mississippi random facts
Warren County, Mississippi, has a rich and complex history dating back thousands of years. The area was originally inhabited by Native American tribes, including the Natchez and Choctaw peoples, who lived off the land and established their own communities. European exploration and colonization began in the 16th century, and Spanish, French, and British influences shaped the region.

By the early 19th century, European settlers began to establish permanent settlements in Warren County. The county's namesake, General Joseph Warren, was a hero of the American Revolutionary War and became a symbol of the county's commitment to independence and liberty. As a bustling frontier town along the Mississippi River, Vicksburg — which is the county seat of Warren County — quickly grew in importance as a center for trade and commerce.

The county played a significant role in the American Civil War. In 1862, Union forces sought to gain control of the Mississippi River and Vicksburg became the focal point of a lengthy and brutal military campaign. The Siege of Vicksburg, lasting from May to July in 1863, resulted in Confederate surrender, marking a turning point for the Union and further solidifying the importance of Warren County in American history.

Following the Civil War, the Reconstruction era brought significant changes to Warren County. African Americans, both freed slaves and those who had been free before the war, gained political and social rights. However, the county also experienced racial tensions and struggles for equality, as seen during the Civil Rights Movement in the 20th century.

Overall, Warren County's history mirrors the broader historical developments of the South, encompassing Native American cultures, European colonization, the impact of the Civil War, and ongoing social and political changes that shape the county today.

This timeline provides a condensed summary of the historical journey of Warren County, Mississippi.

  • 1767 - Warren County, Mississippi is established as one of the original nine counties in the Mississippi Territory.
  • 1779 - Spanish explorers pass through the area, establishing a temporary fort near present-day Vicksburg.
  • 1803 - The United States acquires the Mississippi Territory as part of the Louisiana Purchase.
  • 1811 - The first permanent settlement is established in what is now Warren County, known as Walnut Hills.
  • 1836 - The county is officially organized and named Warren County after American Revolutionary War General Joseph Warren.
  • 1863 - During the American Civil War, the Siege of Vicksburg takes place, with Warren County being a major battleground. The Union Army eventually captures Vicksburg, leading to a turning point in the war.
  • 1876 - The first bridge over the Mississippi River in the Vicksburg area, known as the Old Vicksburg Bridge, is completed, connecting Warren County with Louisiana.
  • 1903 - Mississippi Flood of 1903 causes significant damage and displacement in Warren County and the surrounding areas.
  • 1936 - The current Vicksburg Bridge, a steel truss bridge over the Mississippi River, is completed, replacing the old bridge.
  • 1962 - The Mississippi River floods again, causing extensive damage to Warren County and leading to the construction of the Yazoo Backwater Levee.
  • 2005 - Hurricane Katrina causes widespread devastation along the Gulf Coast, with Warren County serving as a temporary shelter for evacuees.
  • 2014 - The Warren County Courthouse, a historic building dating back to 1860, is added to the National Register of Historic Places.