Monuments will be getting an addition

Published 7:23 pm Monday, December 11, 2017

The six monuments occupying an area on a small hill in Pemberton Square shopping center off Pemberton Square Boulevard, are getting an addition.

The Board of Mayor and Aldermen Friday approved a request from Vicksburg National Military Park officials to install a wayside exhibit with historical information on the property near the monuments.

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Scott Babinowich, the park’s chief of interpretation, said the 2-by-3 marker “will provide information about events that occurred in the area during the siege of Vicksburg in 1863.”

According to a letter from park superintendent Bill Justice, the panel’s design will also help put the monuments in a historical context.

“The panel will identify the monuments as part of the Civil War story and will create opportunities for the public to make personal connections to the events of the Civil War,” according to the letter. The letter also indicates park officials will present the final design to the board for approval, and the park will be responsible for the panel’s maintenance.

The monuments at one time were on park property that was returned to the city of Vicksburg in the early 1960s, and at the time were located on a street known as Illinois Avenue South. They were relocated to their present positions in the late 1970s, during the development of what is now Pemberton Square Boulevard.

About John Surratt

John Surratt is a graduate of Louisiana State University with a degree in general studies. He has worked as an editor, reporter and photographer for newspapers in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. He has been a member of The Vicksburg Post staff since 2011 and covers city government. He and his wife attend St. Paul Catholic Church and he is a member of the Port City Kiwanis Club.

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