An 8,000-acre plot of land between New Orleans, Louisiana and Natchez, Mississippi was purchased in 1880 by Confederate Major Samuel James. It was named Angola for the country of origin of the slaves that worked the land shaped by the Mississippi River. Once the existing prisons in New Orleans and Baton Rouge became old and overcrowded, Louisiana State Penitentiary … [Read more...] about Angola: Alcatraz of the South
museums
Visiting the National Civil Rights Museum
The National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel is one of the biggest attractions in Memphis, Tennessee. Located in a desegregated hotel popular with musicians and celebrities of all races, it was here that an assassin's bullet ended the life of Martin Luther King Jr. A wreath now marks the room that he stayed in while helping with the Sanitation Worker's Strike. The … [Read more...] about Visiting the National Civil Rights Museum
Visiting New Orleans Area Plantations
The byway known as the River Road follows the Mississippi River from the north to the Gulf of Mexico, winding curves along the way. The river was an important resource for commerce and transportation as steamboats were the main form. Houses were built on both sides of the water using materials brought back and forth, but these plantations also grew items like cotton, indigo, … [Read more...] about Visiting New Orleans Area Plantations
Visiting the Edison & Ford Winter Estates
American inventor Thomas Edison bought a plot of land in Fort Myers, Florida in 1885 to build his winter home, a rural area he called Seminole Lodge. It was here that he grew plants that would play a role in future creations and where he had a laboratory. In 1916, Henry Ford purchased the house next door, called The Mangoes, to be close to his friend. They spent winters … [Read more...] about Visiting the Edison & Ford Winter Estates
Visiting the Country Music Hall of Fame
Perhaps the top attraction in Nashville, Tennessee, and the one most important for music fans, is the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, founded in 1961. This downtown attraction documents the genre's creation, influenced by other styles, as well as artists to come out of the Music City. The building design itself looks like a piano keyboard, pictured above, and has one of … [Read more...] about Visiting the Country Music Hall of Fame
