Western Towns

In 1846, several families from Claiborne County in south Mississippi travelled up the Yazoo River in a fervent quest to locate rich and fertile farm land. The family members and their laborers cut through the densely wooded habitat to find the property alongside a small area of the 19 mile Roebuck Lake as prime for constructing their lob cabins. The group named the area of land, Itta Bena, an Indian Choctaw phrase for “home in the woods” or “camp together.” The families developed a viable lifestyle on their plantations, with cotton and corn serving as their chief crops. Their successful production of quality products and abundant water sources became noticed by others, thus making their quaint little discovery more and more appealing to other settlers, especially those interested in agriculture.

With the village rapidly growing, the Georgia Pacific Railroad purchased a right of way that traveled directly through the plantation in 1888. In that same year, the first school was constructed with Miss Emma Cross serving as the first teacher. The construction of the railway, old Southern Railroad (later the Columbus & Greenville Railway) was completed with the first train traveling through Itta Bena in 1889. As a result of the influx of Deltans and other visitors to the area, J.B. Humphreys, P. Cohen, and Uriah Ray built the first stores to serve the booming center for trading, processing, and shipping crop. The centrally located train depot and eventually bus station transported many Deltans in and out of the area and allowed visitors a chance to explore this “home in the woods” often commenting on the aesthetically noticeable arches, columns, and brick designs.

Itta Bena, Mississippi

Indianola is a small town of a little more than 12,000 citizens, but its population size is no reflection at all to its importance as a growing Mississippi business. This business is the musical genre of blues and the tourism industry it has spawned. Thousands flock to Indianola annually for the music festivals and to visit the homes and birthplaces of its famous bluesmen.

Indianola began like most small towns in Mississippi. In the 1880s, Indianola was a sawmill town, but it soon developed as a farming community. Agri-economy is still a big business, and the surrounding area produces cotton, soybeans, corn, rice, and plenty of catfish. It is located almost in the center of the Delta, midway between the Mississippi River and the rolling hill country, and is intersected by Highways 82 and 49, making it an important crossroads town.

The town has had a number of names. It was first called Indian Bayou and then in quick succession became Eureka, Belengate, and then Indianola. Some people think that the name was from an Indian princess named Ola. But no matter how many names this town has had, Indianola is known around the world as one of the most important stops on Mississippi’s famous Blues Trail.

Indianola personifies the new Delta. It has firm roots in its agricultural past, but the future is barreling down Highway 49 at an amazing rate. Can you imagine this small town as an international tourist destination? It is well on its way, but still keeps its small-town charm, friendly people, and an entrepreneurial spirit that it grows as fast as Johnson grass. This small town offers a great combination of the Old South and good things to come.

Mississippi Magazine