Brittany Horne, an artist from Shuqualak, remembers being presented with a challenge from Esther Howard, with the Noxubee County Historical Society, in June.
The organization hadn’t received any submissions for its banner design contest that effectively showcased Noxubee County’s history and its place within American history.
So with less than 24 hours before the submission deadline, Horne and her 8-year-old son Josiah Slater got to work, and by the next day submitted a design featuring nine residents of different racial backgrounds hand-in-hand facing the Noxubee County Courthouse.
“We were blown away with how beautiful it was and how well it represented Noxubee County,” Howard said.
Even though Horne now lives in Jackson, she felt it was important to give something unique back to the county.
“Charity starts at home, so I’d rather give back to my home first than anywhere else,” Horne told The Dispatch on Thursday. “So, when I (had) the opportunity to do so, I jumped on it. And I was excited about it, and so was Josiah.”
The duo’s design was printed on 26 banners delivered Thursday to be hung in downtown Macon and Shuqualak in time for Fourth of July celebrations in both areas, Howard said.
The banner design contest, as well as an essay contest, were funded by an $8,000 America250 Public Art Grant received earlier this year, Noxubee County Historical Society President Anderson Thomas told The Dispatch.
Those contests and other ongoing projects – including historical document digitization, the development of a county mural trail and recent renovations to the War Memorial Building and its second-floor museum – have been a few of the ways the society has worked to keep the county’s history at the forefront of residents’ minds.
“I’ve always loved history, … so (we want) to bring that back to everybody’s forethought, and (emphasize) how important history is to our present day,” Howard said. “One thing that keeps going through my mind is our history is our story. How do we save our story? How do we present our story to the world?”
Telling the story
Within the last year, the society has developed several projects that have grown into a collective effort to promote history in Macon, Brooksville and Shuqualak, Thomas said.
That includes a new mural trail – funded by $15,000 in grant funding from Communities Unlimited, Resource Rural and Trust for Civic Life – to help beautify the areas and promote local tourism. The murals are expected to be complete within the next few months and will each feature distinct historical designs for each of the areas.
Additionally, Rebecca Hunter, society board member, and volunteer Tina Higginbotham have worked since January to digitize more than 1,000 archived historic records, including personal records, court cases and portraits at its building on Jefferson Street.
The effort is funded by a $20,900 grant from the Mississippi Digital Humanities Hub, which was received late last year, Hunter said, and helped cover a document scanner alongside other project costs.
“(There is) just a lot of different things (being archived), but all really good things, and it’s so interesting to read through them and refresh our history as we do this digitizing,” Hunter said.
Both projects, Thomas said, have given the society a way to continue promoting the county’s history while discussions persist on how to reopen its museum.
The museum has been closed for about 20 years, Howard said. It houses several displays that showcase more than 1,000 items with ties to the county, from town ledgers to fossils found in the area.
Over the last year, the Noxubee County Board of Supervisors has approved roughly $20,000 in repairs, including roof and window replacements to the building, Howard said. But the building, originally built in 1946, still needs other improvements, including HVAC replacements and a new elevator, before it could open again, Thomas said.
In May, the society hosted a public meeting to discuss its future, with either a relocation to the society’s building on Jefferson Street or potentially renovating the current space.
The society is hoping to get a clearer idea of costs for those options based on a project done last spring by a Mississippi State University graduate student studying historic preservation, who evaluated the building and potential renovation efforts as part of his thesis project.
Once those evaluations are sent to the board in the next few months, Howard said the goal is to discuss the feasibility of those as a board and with Noxubee residents to decide which idea to pursue.
“We’re split on that,” Howard said. “… Every option is on the table. We’re looking for the best option, so we’re exploring. We’re talking to as many people as we can to get as much information to help us make the best decision.”
Hunter said no matter what happens with the museum, a space is needed for locals to come and learn about the county’s history.
“There are people who lived in Macon their whole lives and didn’t even know we had a museum,” Hunter said. “… And just in the last, I would say five years, some of us who were in the historical society now decided we need to get in here and do something with this. We just can’t let this go.”
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 34 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
