How Vicksburg almost became the capitol of Mississippi

The year is 1870, Vicksburg is just beginning to recover from the devastation wrought by the Civil War, and County officials have devised a plan for the rapid growth of the economy that once ruled the Mississippi River. Their scheme was to have the State’s Capitol moved from Jackson to Vicksburg.

Jackson had not always been the capitol. Natchez was the original location before Mississippi became officially recognized as a State, and was replaced in 1802 with Washington where Jefferson College had been established. It was again moved back to Natchez in 1817 with the signing of the Mississippi Constitution. Needing a more centralized location, in 1822 the State Legislators decided the newly founded city of Jackson would be the best place to settle the capitol.

Warren County began its campaign during the February session of the Board of Supervisors in 1870, where they decided to offer the State their newly constructed courthouse as the location of the next capitol building. They believed the building to be valued at $125,000 and were willing to extend a further offer of $100,000 divided among the County and City budget in order to entice the Legislators. With an expansion, the courthouse would have been able to accommodate their needs, at least that was their hope. If the courthouse was not enticing enough, the County was willing to provide land for a new building altogether.

While County and City officials made their plans, the citizens of Vicksburg had already begun their own campaign for this objective. William H. McCardle put together a committee of citizens to go to Jackson and begin wooing State officials. Word spread quickly across Mississippi, and newspapers in Oxford and Columbus were reporting positive feedback of the possibility of the move; meanwhile, Canton appeared to be completely against it, maybe even considering their own bid.

Everything appeared to be working in favor of the County’s plan except for one fatal issue; Vicksburg was currently suffering from a terrible outbreak of yellow fever. State Legislators had accepted the invitation to be wined and dined in Vicksburg, but upon their arrival, they were not actually wined and dined in the City. Local officials feared actually bringing them into town with so many inhabitants being infected. Instead, they were taken out on steamboats and shown the City from a distance. The vision of having a grand capitol building looking down upon the mighty “Father of Waters” did not seem as enticing from the river as it might have been from the high edifice of the courthouse.

Vicksburg and Warren County began to lose hope in their campaign soon after this visit. No official statement had been made, but Legislators had approved funds for the repair of the capitol building leaving little hope they had plans to move. Despite their efforts, Jackson would remain the capitol of Mississippi. Although no changes had taken place, the prospect was a welcomed distraction for the citizens that had suffered greatly over the previous decade.

Vicksburg & Warren County Historical Society

If you enjoyed this story about Vicksburg’s efforts to become the capitol of Mississippi and want to learn more about this area, please consider visiting the Old Court House Museum here in Vicksburg, MS. We’ve been a museum for 74 years now, and all items on display were donated by families from this area. We also have a vast archives in our McCardle Research Library that is accessible by appointment. Members of the Historical Society have free admission to the museum, so please also consider becoming a member. All proceeds raised through membership goes directly to the preservation of the museum and its contents. For more information visit our website at www.oldcourthouse.org or give us a call at 601-636-0741. You never know what you’ll find at the Old Court House!