Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad
Encyclopedia
The Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad (Y&MV) was incorporated in 1882 and was part of the Illinois Central Railroad
system (IC). Construction began in Jackson, Mississippi
, and continued to Yazoo City, Mississippi
. The line was later expanded through the Mississippi Delta
and on to Memphis, Tennessee
. In 1892, the IC bought the Memphis-New Orleans Louisville, New Orleans and Texas Railway and they later purchased the Mississippi and Tennessee Railroad. These lines were merged it into the Y&MV.
Between 1945 and 1946 the IC began to absorb its subsidiaries and the Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad ceased to operate as an independent railroad.
(Moorhead-Ruleville) - appears in a number of blues
songs as the Yellow Dog Railroad. According W. C. Handy
, locals assigned the words "Yellow Dog" to the letters Y.D. on the freight trains that they saw.
The Mississippi Blues Commission placed a historic marker at the Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad depot site in Rosedale, Mississippi
, designating it as a site on the Mississippi Blues Trail
. The marker commemorates the original lyrics of legendary
blues artist Robert Johnson's "Traveling Riverside Blues" which traced the route of the Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad which ran south from Friars Point to Rosedale among other stops, including Vicksburg
and north to Memphis
. The marker emphasizes that common theme of blues
songs was riding on the railroad which was seen as a metaphor
for travel and escape.
Illinois Central Railroad
The Illinois Central Railroad , sometimes called the Main Line of Mid-America, is a railroad in the central United States, with its primary routes connecting Chicago, Illinois with New Orleans, Louisiana and Birmingham, Alabama. A line also connected Chicago with Sioux City, Iowa...
system (IC). Construction began in Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson is the capital and the most populous city of the US state of Mississippi. It is one of two county seats of Hinds County ,. The population of the city declined from 184,256 at the 2000 census to 173,514 at the 2010 census...
, and continued to Yazoo City, Mississippi
Yazoo City, Mississippi
Yazoo City is a city in Yazoo County, Mississippi, United States. It was named after the Yazoo River, which, in turn was named by the French explorer Robert La Salle. It is the county seat of Yazoo County and the principal city of the Yazoo City Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is part of the...
. The line was later expanded through the Mississippi Delta
Mississippi Delta
The Mississippi Delta is the distinctive northwest section of the U.S. state of Mississippi that lies between the Mississippi and Yazoo Rivers. The region has been called "The Most Southern Place on Earth" because of its unique racial, cultural, and economic history...
and on to Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
. In 1892, the IC bought the Memphis-New Orleans Louisville, New Orleans and Texas Railway and they later purchased the Mississippi and Tennessee Railroad. These lines were merged it into the Y&MV.
Between 1945 and 1946 the IC began to absorb its subsidiaries and the Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad ceased to operate as an independent railroad.
Blues music
The railroad - or its predecessor, the Yazoo Delta RailwayYazoo Delta Railroad
The Yazoo-Delta Railroad was a branch line that opened in August 1897 between Moorhead and Ruleville, Mississippi...
(Moorhead-Ruleville) - appears in a number of blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
songs as the Yellow Dog Railroad. According W. C. Handy
W. C. Handy
William Christopher Handy was a blues composer and musician. He was widely known as the "Father of the Blues"....
, locals assigned the words "Yellow Dog" to the letters Y.D. on the freight trains that they saw.
The Mississippi Blues Commission placed a historic marker at the Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad depot site in Rosedale, Mississippi
Rosedale, Mississippi
Rosedale is a city in Bolivar County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 2,414 at the 2000 census.It is the same "Rosedale" that bluesman Robert Johnson referenced in his song "Traveling Riverside Blues." Locals claim that Johnson sold his soul to the Devil at the intersection of...
, designating it as a site on the Mississippi Blues Trail
Mississippi Blues Trail
The Mississippi Blues Trail, created by the Mississippi Blues Commission, is a project to place interpretive markers at the most notable historical sites related to the growth of the blues throughout the state of Mississippi. The trail extends from the border of Louisiana in southern Mississippi...
. The marker commemorates the original lyrics of legendary
blues artist Robert Johnson's "Traveling Riverside Blues" which traced the route of the Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad which ran south from Friars Point to Rosedale among other stops, including Vicksburg
Vicksburg
Vicksburg is the name of some places in the United States of America:* Vicksburg, Florida* Vicksburg, Indiana* Vicksburg, Michigan* Vicksburg, Mississippi** The Vicksburg Campaign, an American Civil War campaign...
and north to Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
. The marker emphasizes that common theme of blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
songs was riding on the railroad which was seen as a metaphor
Metaphor
A metaphor is a literary figure of speech that uses an image, story or tangible thing to represent a less tangible thing or some intangible quality or idea; e.g., "Her eyes were glistening jewels." Metaphor may also be used for any rhetorical figures of speech that achieve their effects via...
for travel and escape.
See also
- Yazoo & Mississippi DepotYazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad Company DepotThe Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad Company Depot is located at 100 South River Road. in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It was also known as the Illinois Central Railroad Station. The building currently houses the Louisiana Art and Science Museum....
in Baton Rouge, LouisianaBaton Rouge, LouisianaBaton Rouge is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South... - Yazoo & Mississippi DepotDelta Blues MuseumThe Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale exists to collect, preserve, and provide public access to and awareness of the blues. Along with holdings of significant blues-related memorabilia, the museum also exhibits and collects art portraying the blues tradition, including works by sculptor Floyd...
in Clarksdale, MississippiClarksdale, MississippiClarksdale is a city in Coahoma County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 20,645 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Coahoma County....
External links
- Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Chapter NRHS
- Yazoo & Mississippi Valley Railroad Company Ledger(MUM00497) at the University of Mississippi, Archives and Special Collections.