About

I am a social worker, believer in the capacity of people, and a chronic pronoid. I am adventurous to a fault at times, love history, literature, research, and meeting new people in new places to find out about their lives.  In my next life, I will be a chef and historian.

29 Responses to About

  1. Christian says:
    August 26, 2012 at 10:35 pm

    Hey Suzassippi,

    I recently spent some time in Merigold, Mississippi and was just reading your blog entries on your time there and your research into the history of some of the local businesses. You referred a few times to something called the Fidelis, and I’m wondering what that is?

    Thanks,
    Christian
    christian.patterson@gmail.com

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    • Suzassippi says:
      August 26, 2012 at 10:44 pm

      The Fidelis was the high school year book. You can find copies of it online. Thanks for stopping by.

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      • Alan Venable says:
        July 18, 2020 at 3:09 pm

        Hi Suzasippi, Thanks for the memories of John Lewis. I was dismayed to see him described first and foremost in the SF Chronicle as one of MLKs lieutenants. To me he, like Bob Moses, loomed as tall or taller on his own. Been trying to reach you about permission to use one of your photos of the closed Steven’s Kitchen in a memoir by my late brother Gil of his summer in Jackson as a law student working on civil rights in 1965. I’ve filched it from your blog. The book has no commercial value and we have no budget, but if you’re willing to give us permission, I’d love to make a $100 donation to the organization of your choice. e.g., Southern Poverty Law Center? Thanks and warm regards, Alan Venable (onemonkeybooks.com), (member of SCLC/SCOPE voter registration project, in South Carolina, summer 1965)

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  2. Roger Waguespack says:
    January 24, 2013 at 1:01 pm

    I stumbled into your blog about historic architecture, but haven’t read all of the entries. Over the Christmas holidays, I passed through Mississippi looking for a specific type of late 19th and early 20th century commercial architecture. Are you familiar with the Mesker Brothers? They provided cast columns and other components for storefronts, and pressed metal facades, window hoods, and cornices. One Mesker Company was in St. Louis and another was in Evansville, Indiana. They sold their products by sending out catalogs across the country. Builders could pick out a design and have it shipped via rail or boat. There are hundreds of examples that still exist around the country, and I have been helping document them. I found significant buildings with Mesker components in Crystal Springs, Yazoo City, Canton, Brookhaven, and especially Natchez. If you are interested here is a link to a blog about them, which also has links to other sites. http://meskerbrothers.wordpress.com/
    My finds in Mississippi have been added to the growing list of extant Meskers. Also, my understanding is that a blog article will be posted soon about the wonderful Meskers in Natchez. The historic homes in Natchez get all the attention, but it has a very unique and special collection of commercial buildings, too. By the way, a number of buildings have columns and one has a multi-story facade provided by the Chickasaw Iron Works of Memphis. Great barbeque there, too. Roger

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  3. Suzassippi says:
    January 24, 2013 at 1:15 pm

    Thanks for the link to the blog–it’s added to my list now! I have done a few posts on the Chickasaw Iron Works, and have found a number of examples in the Delta. I will definitely add Meskers to my hunts. I have located a number of pressed metal components in the area. Are there specific markings or identifying signs?

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    • Roger Waguespack says:
      January 25, 2013 at 9:05 am

      Thanks for the reply and interest. The “gotMesker” web site, http://www.illinoishistory.gov/ps/gotmesker.htm , which is one of the links on the blog page, has an identification guide ( http://www.illinoishistory.gov/gotmesker/Mesker_identification_guide.pdf ) that can help; although, some of the early examples of the cornices and columns (mid-late 1880s) can be more difficult since they may not have the truly unique identifiers and there were competing firms with similar designs. Also, the Google Earth database of Meskers, which is listed on the blog home page under “Other Relevant Sites” has both historic and extant locations. There is a link to a Flickr photos, too. It helps when nameplates are still legible and all of the components are from one company, but there are times when the columns on the ground level are non-Mesker and the cornice and/or window hoods are Mesker. Natchez has a number of these kinds of hybrids, for example Chickasaw Iron Works columns and Mesker cornices. I’d be happy to try to help with identification if you send photos. Darius Bryjka, who maintains the blog and is the most knowledgeable, could also be asked. Although the main focus has been on locating Meskers, Darius and I have compiled a list of other manufacturers that made similar products, especially the ground-level columns, which is accessed through the “Other Manufacturers” tab on the blog’s home page. The last column in the spreadsheet lists locations where examples have been found. I’d be happy to share my limited knowledge about Mississippi towns and would be interested in hearing about any locations with metal-fronted buildings, Meskers or others, that you’ve found. Sorry for the long entry.
      Roger

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  4. John Jung says:
    June 23, 2015 at 9:34 pm

    I found your nice post about the Gong Co. grocery store in Merigold and linked it to the Mississippi Delta Chinese Facebook page.

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  5. Suzassippi says:
    July 4, 2015 at 1:32 pm

    That sounds wonderful–thank you for telling me about it.

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  6. The Coastal Crone says:
    July 11, 2015 at 11:07 am

    Thanks for stopping by my blog to comment. I always learn from fellow bloggers!

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  7. bronsondorsey says:
    October 20, 2015 at 10:24 am

    Hi Suzassippi,

    I just discovered your blog while searching for information on the Rock Schoolhouse in Mineral Wells. I love what you’re doing and have subscribed. I am a fellow history buff, retired architect, and photographer. For the last four years, I’ve been photographing abandoned buildings around Texas. You can see some of the results on http://www.lost-texas.com.

    Great work! Glad your fire was contained quickly.
    Bronson

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  8. Val Hoski says:
    August 23, 2016 at 8:46 pm

    Your description and photos of Throckmorton depot are very informative. Might you consider sharing those in the monthly newsletter of the North Texas Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society? The Chapter consists of rail history hobbyists, not a paid professional firm. Full credit and acknowledgement would be given, of course. You can see the chapter site and newsletters at ntxnrhs.org

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  9. cupcakecache says:
    August 2, 2020 at 1:14 pm

    I am happy you liked one of my comments about pythons in the toilet. I am interested in learning more about Mississippi. I spend a summer taking classes at the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg and loved the feel of the place.

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    • Suzassippi says:
      August 2, 2020 at 2:46 pm

      A little scary to be sure–pythons in the toilet. Well, and sometimes, Mississippi, too. I am not a native Mississippian so it has taken a lot of getting used to. Thanks for visiting, and come back any time!

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      • cupcakecache says:
        August 2, 2020 at 3:21 pm

        I will have to read more of your blogs. Are you from London? Yes, the South and you are in the deep South is a bit of an adjustment.

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        • Suzassippi says:
          August 2, 2020 at 4:23 pm

          No, I was only there the one time for a couple of days. I spent my life in Texas until 2003 when we moved here. I taught at the U of Mississippi until I retired in May. I still recall chatting with a woman in the Delta one day while I was photographing a New Deal building and mentioned I was headed back to Mississippi from having been home in Texas. She asked what I thought and I said it was a major culture shock. She looked at me knowingly and said, “You thought being from Texas you were from the South didn’t you? And you found out you wasn’t.” It was part of the Mississippi education of Suzassippi.

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  10. Byron Patton says:
    August 8, 2020 at 12:57 pm

    Suzassippi
    I found several pictures that you have past about Panola County. Do you have any objection if I repost them to group called Panola Pictures?

    Byron

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    • Suzassippi says:
      August 8, 2020 at 5:46 pm

      Hi, Byron. Thank you so much for asking, I appreciate it. Yes, you are welcome to share the pictures. Is this on Flickr? I will appreciate it if you can either indicate Suzassippi, or the blog name, but since I am not certain where your site is, that may not be possible. Honestly, most folks just take the photos and repost, so I truly do appreciate that you had the courtesy to ask. Susan

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  11. Pingback: Suzassippi’s Lottabusha County Chronicles – Featured Blogger of the Week August 28, 2020 | Ups and Downs of Family History V2.0

  12. Dot Tribble says:
    August 19, 2023 at 9:46 am

    Regarding your post from 2012 about a cemetery survey that was done in Mound Bayou. I’m trying to find the results of that effort. Could you please contact me?

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