Eudora Welty was born in Jackson, Mississippi, on April 13, 1909, to a schoolteacher and had three brothers. This book-loving household that encouraged her early interest in reading and observation, which would shape her future.
She studied at Mississippi State College for Women, the University of Wisconsin, and Columbia University, initially pursuing advertising before returning home during the Great Depression. While working as a publicity agent for the Works Progress Administration, she traveled extensively across the state.
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Welty’s literary career took off in the 1940s with short stories published in major magazines, later collected in A Curtain of Green. Her fiction, known for its psychological depth, precise language, and humane treatment of characters, often explored race, class, family, and community without sentimentality. Notable works include Delta Wedding, The Ponder Heart, and her best-known novel, The Optimist’s Daughter, which won the Pulitzer Prize.
Throughout her life, Welty remained in Jackson, choosing quiet literary devotion over public celebrity. She received numerous honors, including the National Book Award, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and recognition as the first living author published by the Library of America. She died in 2001.
To see more places from Welty’s life in Jackson, check out this post from Visit Jackson.
Mississippi State College for Women
Founded in 1884 as the Industrial Institute and College in Columbus, it was the first public women’s college in the United States. The school was created to provide Mississippi women with practical and academic education at a time when higher education was largely inaccessible to them.
Welty is one of the most famous alumni, attending from 1925 to 1927, along with writer Blanche Colton Williams. Columbus was home to fellow writer Tennessee Williams, whose former residence now operates as the city’s visitors center and a museum.
Eudora Welty House
Welty lived out her early days in a house on North Congress Street, but moved to the house she’s best identified with at age 16. She lived in what’s now known as the Eudora Welty House & Garden on Pinehurst Street until her death in 2001.
Artifacts include examples of her photography. House tours are offered Tuesday to Saturday, and reservations are recommended. Admission is $10 per person, but you can also go on a free, self-guided tour of the gardens, which Welty maintained herself.
Mayflower Cafe
Welty, called “Miss Eudora,” was a frequent patron of the Mayflower Cafe in Jackson, a beloved local spot known for its simple, hearty lunch counter fare. It opened in 1935 by Greek immigrants and is known for its fried catfish, and it’s considered by many to be the original home of “comeback sauce,” a popular condiment in the South.
Greenwood Cemetery
After she died in 2001 at her Jackson home, she was buried at this storied local cemetery. Established in 1821, Greenwood Cemetery is the final resting place of several of Mississippi’s governors and Confederate soldiers. Her headstone has a quote from The Optimist’s Daughter: “For her life, any life, she had to believe, was nothing but the continuity of its love.” Public tours are offered.
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