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My uncle left me some country property (100+ acres) near Crystal Springs and I don't know much about the area. I'm going to visit next month to look at the property. Not sure if I will try to sell or hold it, or vacation there. From the pics, it looks like a very pretty area - property is wooded, with fields and streams/rivers.
Is there housing/commercial development going on in this area? Is there a market for land for ranching, farming, camping, ATV/horseback, hunting (duck? deer? boar?), other?
What is some of the interesting history of this area? Sightseeing?
Any info on the area and local market/trends is appreciated.
Crystal Springs was once quite a wealthy little town. It was a center for growing winter produce and summer tomatoes, to be sent (via the adjacent rail line) to cities in the North. There are a lot of beautiful old homes in the area, and the forests (and yards) are really lush and green. It's a beautiful area.
There are quite a few people who work in Jackson, who commute to the Crystal Springs area. It is, however, a hideously dangerous commute, with a high-speed Interstate, and people driving like absolute lunatics. Actually, they drive like zombies would drive, if they were the fast kind of zombies. There have been a number of horrible accidents, quite recently (mostly on the outskirts of Jackson, Three dead in nine vehicle fiery crash on I-55 - MSNewsNow.com - Jackson, MS, a city rapidly transforming into Detroit's Mini-me ), and EVERY time there is any sort of frozen precipitation - however sparse, and however brief - there are ridiculous accidents along that stretch of Interstate.
There are a lot of quite lovely people in South Mississippi. They tend to be gentler, kinder, and more open-minded than the people in the northern part of "The Hills" ("The Hills" encompass every part of Mississippi, which is neither "The Delta" nor "The Coast"). There's a good bit of ranching, and there are a variety of types of farming, down Crystal Springs way, including LOTS AND LOTS O' CHICKENS. But mostly, the industry is Forestry.
Brookhaven is particularly Lovely. Hattiesburg's nearly two hours away, but is bustling, fun, and country-cosmopolitain - quite mind-boggling, in many ways. You never know WHO you'll run into, out in the woods around Hattiesburg: http://media.jrn.com/images/b9938308...e8jr11.1-0.jpg
Yes, there are limited amounts of housing construction and development. And yes, there is a market for land. Hunting is almost a religion, in Mississippi (it's a way for the men to get away from the women, and I can't blame the men). Yes! Ducks, deer, BOAR, plus noodling (catching catfish with your bare hands), and I'm probably missing some things to hunt. PLEASE go down and hunt some boar, because they're eating EVERYTHING in their path.
Mostly, the towns are controlled by minorities, while the countryside is dotted with "fine brick dream homes", owned by hard-working, two-income Baptist couples. He's a plumber/she's a nurse. He's a telephone lineman/she's a court reporter - that sort of thing. Mostly, people have a lot of acreage. The towns have some beautiful old mansions, particularly Crystal Springs, and Hazlehurst, with its famed 'Silk Stocking Row'. But the feasibility of inhabiting those old homes, is limited by the towns' demographics.
Natchez is about ninety minutes away, and is so full of history and charm, I can't even begin to describe... Port Gibson used to be nice, but the usual problem with Mississippi's towns, has made it pretty-much a no-go zone. However, the old Synagogue is quite amazing to drive past.
True quip: "My first inkling that we might really be - you know - instead of "Norman English" - was when the family went to see Port Gibson. We were supposed to be looking at the world-famous church with the hand pointing heavenward. But I was going gaga over that OTHER building, the fun one across the street, which turned out to be the Synagogue. My aunt, who'd been Phi Mu at Ole Miss, was so humiliated by my liking the wrong kind of building - not even ANTEBELLUM - it was almost as bad as the time her son said the word, 'Offspring', right in front of her parents, which nearly gave her a nervous breakdown. You know, 'Offspring' has to do with reproduction, and, even worse, "luttuh-baaaaawiz ah not suppose ta know big wuuuuhds". And sure enough, thirty years later, I discover that our "Norman origins" are that our ancestors helped FINANCE the Norman Conquest, and became Gentiles somewhere on the way across English Channel, just in time to be awarded their lands and titles." https://www.tripadvisor.com/Location...ssissippi.html
And truly, 'The Church With the Hand' ("And speaking of which...": The Church with the Golden Hand) is the architectural equivalent of Van Cliburn playing "Claire de Lune" (something which sent polite Southern ladies swooning) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6s2QZU9RY3Y, while the Mauresque confection across the street, is the architectural equivalent of: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fq06dGRLAtI - a favorite of the not-so-refined Southern ladies in MY Crowd (I suspect, however, that the architecture proved a tad too racy for the Synagogue's original congregants,a mostly Alsatian group, every bit as refined and restrained as the Presbyterians across the street. Anyway, the Alsatian Jews and the Presbyterians pretty-much all intermarried, and their descendants now live in Southampton, Old Westbury, Greenwich, Druid Hills, Highland Park, Darien, Rancho Santa Fe, La Jolla, Montecito, Scottsdale, Grosse Pointe Farms, Jackson Hole, and Aspen)
Nearby Hazlehurst has popped-up in fiction, a time or two. First, it figured in Beth Henley's odious 'Crimes of the Heart' https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crimes_of_the_Heart , a movie which taught the world that Mississippians have neither air conditioning nor blow-dryers, when Cissy Spacek went out on the porch, to comb her hair dry. You'll have to spend a summer in Mississippi, to understand how truly asinine was that scene. Next, the town got mentioned a few times, in a cable TV series called 'Qu--r as Folk', because the only main character who looked like anything at all, was from there, and would talk about growing up in Hazlehurst. Emmett Honeycutt | ***** as Folk Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia
There's plenty else to tell, but I've used all the cardio machines in our part of the house. So, I'm going to sleep, now...
Gutn morgn! Dowager Soybean Empress (who's up in the Delta, which is really more 'Heartland' than 'Deep South') says to show you some of the kindly South Mississippi folk.
And that leads me to something we have to explain about Mississippi. Everything is SPARSE. People are accustomed to driving long distances, every day, to go to work, to take the children to private schools, to shop, to hook-up with people they've met on the Internet (https://www.roadsnacks.net/mississip...ison-accounts/), to club meetings, to events... Pretty much anything is going to be twenty or thirty or ninety miles away.
The demographics mean that a lot of things, which people in other regions take for granted, are simply not possible, in the Deep South. Farm Bureau can't even have refreshments at meetings, any more, because of all the feckless breeders, who bring ALL their children, for the free refreshments. After a few tables were KNOCKED OVER by the greedy grabbers, the flyers for the meetings prominently state, "No refreshments will be served." Movie theatres are not possible, either, in most towns.
Really, there's noplace to go, to "hang-out in a pedestrian-friendly district full of coffee shops, art galleries, and hip young people", because of the inevitable problems with loiterers. There are plenty of places to go. But they each involve (preferably, in case of collision...) a three-ton SUV, half an hour of driving, and a hike through a vast parking lot.If you're an intelligent, self-reliant person, accustomed to, and capable of, making your own amusements, doing things, creating, growing things - then you can thrive in Mississippi. But if you're someone who expects to plop himself/herself down in a place, and absorb "the scene", take advantage of this and that, "chill"... then it can be a very miserable place. People like that, end up on drugs, or supermorbidly obese. You have to be capable of editing what you come into contact with, and capable of filling the bubble you've constructed for yourself, with what's right for you and yours. "The Village" will not raise your children, as it will, in much of America.
Last edited by GrandviewGloria; 02-08-2017 at 01:54 PM..
I'll try to provide a little more practical info than GG:
Is there housing/commercial development going on in this area? - negative
Is there a market for land for ranching, farming, camping, ATV/horseback, hunting (duck? deer? boar?), other? Not much monetary value if that's what you're asking. Crystral Springs (as some locals pronounce it) is not known for producing the large bucks that can drive up land value (that type land is mostly around the MS River) not much money to be made in renting the land out for horse or ATV riding, most duck hunting is in the delta and no one pays to hunt wild boar. The area is not known for large scale farming/ranching operations, but the right stand of timber can increase the value (say $300- $500 or more per acre).
What is some of the interesting history of this area? Sightseeing? Not much, but the site of the Skynyrd plane crash is a about an hour south near McComb.
Any info on the area and local market/trends is appreciated. Have low expectations....
Hit us up with specifics and we can offer more input. The value of the land will likely be much lower than you anticipate. it's not much of a vacation destination but, if you decide one day to retire to the county in a place with a low cost of living (and don't give a hoot about fancy resurants or shopping or broadband internet) it may be for you. Oh yeah, it does have worst Sonic I have ever drove in to.
Gutn morgn! Dowager Soybean Empress (who's up in the Delta, which is really more 'Heartland' than 'Deep South') says to show you some of the kindly South Mississippi folk.
And that leads me to something we have to explain about Mississippi. Everything is SPARSE. People are accustomed to driving long distances, every day, to go to work, to take the children to private schools, to shop, to hook-up with people they've met on the Internet (https://www.roadsnacks.net/mississip...ison-accounts/), to club meetings, to events... Pretty much anything is going to be twenty or thirty or ninety miles away.
The demographics mean that a lot of things, which people in other regions take for granted, are simply not possible, in the Deep South. Farm Bureau can't even have refreshments at meetings, any more, because of all the feckless breeders, who bring ALL their children, for the free refreshments. After a few tables were KNOCKED OVER by the greedy grabbers, the flyers for the meetings prominently state, "No refreshments will be served." Movie theatres are not possible, either, in most towns.
Really, there's noplace to go, to "hang-out in a pedestrian-friendly district full of coffee shops, art galleries, and hip young people", because of the inevitable problems with loiterers. There are plenty of places to go. But they each involve (preferably, in case of collision...) a three-ton SUV, half an hour of driving, and a hike through a vast parking lot.If you're an intelligent, self-reliant person, accustomed to, and capable of, making your own amusements, doing things, creating, growing things - then you can thrive in Mississippi. But if you're someone who expects to plop himself/herself down in a place, and absorb "the scene", take advantage of this and that, "chill"... then it can be a very miserable place. People like that, end up on drugs, or supermorbidly obese. You have to be capable of editing what you come into contact with, and capable of filling the bubble you've constructed for yourself, with what's right for you and yours. "The Village" will not raise your children, as it will, in much of America.
Your experiences absolutely mirror mine. It won't let me rep you at the moment.
Gutn morgn! Dowager Soybean Empress (who's up in the Delta, which is really more 'Heartland' than 'Deep South') says to show you some of the kindly South Mississippi folk.
And that leads me to something we have to explain about Mississippi. Everything is SPARSE. People are accustomed to driving long distances, every day, to go to work, to take the children to private schools, to shop, to hook-up with people they've met on the Internet (https://www.roadsnacks.net/mississip...ison-accounts/), to club meetings, to events... Pretty much anything is going to be twenty or thirty or ninety miles away.
The demographics mean that a lot of things, which people in other regions take for granted, are simply not possible, in the Deep South. Farm Bureau can't even have refreshments at meetings, any more, because of all the feckless breeders, who bring ALL their children, for the free refreshments. After a few tables were KNOCKED OVER by the greedy grabbers, the flyers for the meetings prominently state, "No refreshments will be served." Movie theatres are not possible, either, in most towns.
Really, there's noplace to go, to "hang-out in a pedestrian-friendly district full of coffee shops, art galleries, and hip young people", because of the inevitable problems with loiterers. There are plenty of places to go. But they each involve (preferably, in case of collision...) a three-ton SUV, half an hour of driving, and a hike through a vast parking lot.If you're an intelligent, self-reliant person, accustomed to, and capable of, making your own amusements, doing things, creating, growing things - then you can thrive in Mississippi. But if you're someone who expects to plop himself/herself down in a place, and absorb "the scene", take advantage of this and that, "chill"... then it can be a very miserable place. People like that, end up on drugs, or supermorbidly obese. You have to be capable of editing what you come into contact with, and capable of filling the bubble you've constructed for yourself, with what's right for you and yours. "The Village" will not raise your children, as it will, in much of America.
One thing that is true about the Crystal Springs area is that it's noticeably lush, green, and rolling. Even on Mississippi's heavily wooded standards, that area is very green and pretty country. You can see on google maps, the terrain is almost entirely wooded ridges and ravines throughout the county.
As far as the towns, as Gloria said, both Crystal Springs and Hazlehurst have some pretty homes and historic character, but they feel as if time is standing still. However, down the interstate, Brookhaven is a bustling and beautiful community that would be a great place to live for someone who likes small towns.
I grew up in this area.
The best to desribe it
is that it is a island
surrounded bygravel
pits . The old people
with money control
every thing. If land is
put up sale i can who
buys it.
Thank you everyone for the informative responses - sorry I am just responding back now. I caught a flight to MS on Saturday, so am in Crystal Springs now.
First impressions... very beautiful country and probably some of the nicest people I've ever met - neighbors have already stopped by the cottage with Welcome baskets of food/wine. I also visited the Robert Johnson Blues museum in town, which was pretty cool, and stopped at some shops and parks...
Some things I'm trying to figure out....
- How to politely extricate myself from extremely slow moving conversations with the locals - I have some work to take care of so can't shoot the sh*t indefinitely (I'm too much of a Northerner I guess?). Also, do I talk too fast here (it seems like it)?
- Can I safely hike the property (in my Hunter boots) without worrying about snake bite or being accidently shot at by a random hunter.... ATVers and hunters are using the land. And how much should I really worry about water moccasins and wild boars in the woods?
- Should I go catfishing tonight with a neighbor, and do I even want to clean/eat catfish? Also, do I dare try that fried catfish from that catfish shack in town?
- The cottage on the property is surrounded by fire ant mounds - what should I do about those?
- Is the water safe to drink?
- Is the "crossroads" anywhere close to here? If so, I want to go.
- Should I meet the neighbor at Waffle House tomorrow for breakfast?
- Why does everyone call me ma'am - am I supposed to respond in kind?
- Should I take up the friendly neighbor's offer to show me around my property on his ATV? Everyone seems to know every inch of the property and have friends who "might want to rent from me" (translation - put a trailer on the property?).
- I am now hearing land goes for $7K/acre - accurate?
I think I'm experiencing culture shock. I've been to the south many, many times before, but I guess just the big city/touristy areas. I'm a little overwhelmed by all this now. Everything feels strange. I will keep you posted.
Thank you everyone for the informative responses - sorry I am just responding back now. I caught a flight to MS on Saturday, so am in Crystal Springs now.
First impressions... very beautiful country and probably some of the nicest people I've ever met - neighbors have already stopped by the cottage with Welcome baskets of food/wine. I also visited the Robert Johnson Blues museum in town, which was pretty cool, and stopped at some shops and parks...
Some things I'm trying to figure out....
- How to politely extricate myself from extremely slow moving conversations with the locals - I have some work to take care of so can't shoot the sh*t indefinitely (I'm too much of a Northerner I guess?). Also, do I talk too fast here (it seems like it)?
Grab whoever it is, give them a quick hug (or a handshake, depending...), say, "I'm sorry to interrupt, and I want to hear the rest of that. But I've got to get ready to.../But I'm late for... It's so wonderful for you to make me feel so welcome here! It already feels like home!"
- Can I safely hike the property (in my Hunter boots) without worrying about snake bite or being accidently shot at by a random hunter.... ATVers and hunters are using the land. And how much should I really worry about water moccasins and wild boars in the woods?
You need a hunter orange cap and vest, if you're worried about hunters shooting you. I have no idea about the boars. Usually, people have a dog with them, and a gun, when they go into the woods. The dog gives you time to get the gun ready.... Snakes are no biggie, if you can afford an emergency room visit (you need antivenin, to stave-off necrosis). And really, with hunter boots on, you'll probably be fine. Sounds like you have plenty of sense, and won't be sticking your hands and face into places you shouldn't. And, just in case you fall into an old well, be sure somebody knows you're headed out, and will be checking in with them, later on.
- Should I go catfishing tonight with a neighbor, and do I even want to clean/eat catfish? Also, do I dare try that fried catfish from that catfish shack in town?
Sure! Personally, I detest fried fish. But most people love it. Believe me, it's nothing like Gefilte Fish or Lutefisk (developed, apparently as methods for self-punishment). Fried Catfish is actually delicious.
- The cottage on the property is surrounded by fire ant mounds - what should I do about those?
The easy thing, is to get a bucket of hot water (not really hot - whatever your water heater is set on), and pour it onto the mound. This not only kills a bunch of ants - it dissolves the mound - far down into the ground. There will be survivors, but repeated applications of hot water, over ensuing weeks, will decimate the mounds. The best time is at dusk, on an evening when a hard freeze is expected. That way, the ants will freeze if they try to flee (they're originally from the jungles of South America). But really, anytime is good, for this method. If there's a nearby plant you don't want to damage with the hot water, a mound can be simply washed-away with a hose.
Also, you can take a big tub of hot water outside, and shovel the mound into the hot water. You need to be really fast, or it needs to be really cold outside, to prevent numerous ant bites.
There are commercial ant poisons, but they're POISONS. And besides - the hot water method levels those ugly mounds, and is quite a satisfying activity.
- Is the water safe to drink?
Depends.... Do you have a well? Is it municipal water? Is there a water association? (in most of Mississippi, these things are closely monitored, and except for occasional 'Chlorine Shocks', you'll be fine).
- Is the "crossroads" anywhere close to here? If so, I want to go.
- Should I meet the neighbor at Waffle House tomorrow for breakfast? Sure! If you're hypoglycemic, like me, there's always the eggs. And waffles are fine with just butter.
- Why does everyone call me ma'am - am I supposed to respond in kind?
I think they're just being ultra-respectful, because you're new, and they know you're feeling out-of-place. Normally, that's reserved for older females, or for females being addressed by males who're trying to show respect and deference.
- Should I take up the friendly neighbor's offer to show me around my property on his ATV? Everyone seems to know every inch of the property and have friends who "might want to rent from me" (translation - put a trailer on the property?).
Depends on the neighbor....
- I am now hearing land goes for $7K/acre - accurate? If it's close to something high-status, maybe. That seems like a LOT of money, in most cases. Do you have river frontage?
I think I'm experiencing culture shock. I've been to the south many, many times before, but I guess just the big city/touristy areas. I'm a little overwhelmed by all this now. Everything feels strange. I will keep you posted.
This is why there's YouTube. Get out the headphones, and listen to some of YOUR music, and you'll feel less out-of-place.
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Crystal springs ms.
