Great River Road Trip, Day #12
Thursday, May 15, 2025
Our first stop today was supposed to be a riverside park with a raised viewing platform to view the river. However, due to recent flooding, the park was closed. So, plan B was a walk around the Greenville Cypress Preserve in Greenville, Mississippi.
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These are some very unique looking trees. It is amazing that not only do they survive living with their roots continuously flooded, they actually thrive in this environment.
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These interesting root projections above the water line are known as Cypress Knees. Cypress Knees provide stability and anchor the tree in soft mud.
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Our next stop was a visit to the Martin & Sue King Railroad Heritage Museum in Cleveland, Mississippi.
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This modest building houses some interesting railroad artifacts along the walls. But the real showpiece is this amazing model railroad. measuring 17-feet by 71-feet.
The level of detail in this model is simply incredible. This is NOT just a bunch of purchased pieces assembled together. James shared with us the history of the model - it started out as one man’s passion, and upon his death the city reportedly acquired the model and moved it here, where they continue to build upon it.
Although they have recreated some of the local buildings; James tells us the overall model is supposed to represent “Anytown” USA in the 1950’s.
I like how the train in the foreground is blurred due to motion as it moved on past.
On the day we were visiting these gentlemen were in the process of switching over some of the train operation to wireless and they were working the bugs out of the WiFi connection. You can see the iPad in his left hand - that is how they will control which train is in operation, its speed, etc…. Behind and in front of him you can see all the electronics and switches/levers currently used to operate the model.
This is one of the structures which is an actual reproduction of a famous local establishment. This is Po’ Monkey’s Juke Joint which was a famous site for blues music in years past. In order to render this model correctly, they actually went out and measured the original place so as to render it perfectly to scale in the model. The entire structure is handmade. The next photo tells the story of Po’ Monkey’s. James pointed out that even the tires on the roof were included in the model; they existed in the original to prevent the tin roof from flying off in the wind.
“Po’ Monkey’s
In 1963 Mr. Willie Seaberry aka “Po’ Monkey,” opened his establishment in a 1920’s shack located on farmland just to the west of Merigold. Although rural juke joints were once common throughout the Delta, Po’ Monkey’s was one of the last authentic places remaining. The unique exterior and signage set the stage for what you would find inside. Calling himself a farmer by day and a prince by night, Seaberry entertained all walks of life at his lounge. Po’ Monkey’s was known world wide, written up in National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, the New York Times, and many other publications. The subject of, and included in, several documentaries, Po’ Monkey’s fame spread. Visitors from all over the globe would make the trip to “Monkey’s Place.” The site was placed on the Mississippi Blues Trail in 2009.
Willie Seaberry, August 24, 1940 - July 14, 2016”
Again, the level of detail in this model goes above and beyond. Here are three men, wearing the appropriate protective netting, working on their beehives. My colleague Joe Fulton should appreciate this one - he’s trying to teach me something about beekeeping.
Cleveland Mississippi has a rich railroad history and in this park they have preserved an old railroad turntable.
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For fans of blues music, this site on the corner of Highways 61 and 49 in Clarksdale, Mississippi is considered holy ground.
From ChatGPT:
“The "Blue's Crossroads"—often referred to simply as "The Crossroads"—is a legendary location in blues folklore, particularly associated with the story of Robert Johnson, one of the most influential Delta blues musicians.
According to myth, Robert Johnson went to a crossroads at midnight, where he met the Devil (or a demonic figure) and made a pact: he would sell his soul in exchange for unmatched skill on the guitar. After this encounter, Johnson's playing and songwriting abilities allegedly improved so dramatically that the story stuck.
This tale has become a cornerstone of American blues mythology.
Clarksdale, Mississippi, at the intersection of Highways 61 and 49.”
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While talking with James at the railroad museum in Cleveland, he insisted that we stop at Abe’s Bar-B-Q for a pork Bar-B-Q sandwich. When we looked it up on the map, low and behold, it was immediately next to the Blue’s Crossroads sign we planned to visit anyway. So, we stopped in - and I have to say, James did not lead us astray. This little Bar-B-Q joint was fantastic! Thanks to James for the suggestion.
In the 30 or so minutes we were at Abe’s, we noticed at least 3 or 4 people stop to photograph the Blue’s Crossroads sign. And, those are just the one’s we could see from where we were sitting. You can imagine how many people stop at this little nondescript corner in the middle of nowhere Mississippi just because of the legend.
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