Yazoo City, Mississippi
August 7, 1999

In mid-Mississippi, the flat Delta plain meets the rolling hills around Yazoo City. That name comes from a group of Native Americans called the Yazoo, which became extinct about 1740. The meaning of Yazoo remains a puzzle, some saying it means river of death, others suggest it comes from Yashu, or hunting ground.

When the town first came into existence, it was called Manchester, after the city in England. It survived a disastrous fire which destroyed nearly the entire downtown area in 1904.

The town was rebuilt within a year's time, and 174 structures are now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Since the town was inextricably tied to the Yazoo river, residents eventually renamed their town Yazoo. With more than 12 thousand residents, it's the seat of Yazoo County, largest county in the state.

The Triangle Cultural Center downtown has exhibits of of the late Willie Morris, comedian Jerry Clower and former President Jimmy Carter. Clower is a native of Yazoo City, while Carter merely slept there. Other natives include politician Haley Barbour, actress Stella Stevens, motivational speaker Zig Ziglar and blues singers Son Thomas and Jack Owens. A beautiful home that once belonged to a prominent black family is now the Oakes African-American Cultural Center. You can prowl the countryside through the Delta National Forest, the Hillside Wildlife Refuge and the Panther Swamp National Wildlife Refuge.

Famous for Blues, History and Legends, it's our Town of the Week, Yazoo City, Mississippi.

Come with us to Yazoo City, Mississippi; just listen in.

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