At this Place: Monroe and Clay

VICKSBURG, Miss. (VDN) — At the time the first photo was taken at the intersection of Monroe Street and Clay Street, cotton was king, and Vicksburg had a reputation for producing high-quality cotton in large volumes. Its fertile fields and prime location as a transportation hub—near the Mississippi River with access to major rail lines—made it a hotbed for cotton production.

In the historic image, a team of mules is seen pulling a wagon full of cotton bales. In the background, the building located in the middle of the street was the old City Hall, which also served as a marketplace.

The top photo, taken circa 1870, is part of the J. Mack Moore collection at the Old Court House Museum and shows a view looking north up Monroe Street at the intersection with Clay Street. The second image, showing the same location today, was recently taken by Chris Bolm.

The Old Court House Museum houses an extensive collection of historic photographs from Vicksburg and Warren County. For those interested in having a vintage image printed for a home or business, contact the museum for assistance.

Starting in 2022, Chris Bolm began to take images from the Old Court House Museum‘s photo collections and pinpoint their current locations and replicate the shot. Bolm named the series “Then and Now.”