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that town sounds really horrible...I am intrigued, think I'd like to see it for myself, yeah so I am a little sick that way
if I am ever down that way I will likely make a turn toward greenville, its like you cant help but slow down on the freeway to gaze at the scene of a car crash
I was born and raised in Greenville. True when I got old enough I wanted to leave but now I want to come home. For me it's taking what I have learned from living other places and bringing them home to Greenville. I still have a few friends that still live there and I know they could have left. But when you live other places and think about home...then for me it's always been the Delta. There's going to be problems any where you live and maybe we can't fix them all but a lot of the problems are with ourselves as much as where we live. We have our ideas of our childhood homes and I'm no different. I remember the fire works on the levee for the 4th of July. I remember the smell of magnolias on Washington Ave. I remember the Christmas parades where the Greenville High School band marched in pride. I remember when I got my licenses from the State Trooper at the court house. I remember the drive in on Main Street where my brother and his friends hung out. Can't remember the name as it was a long time ago. I remember shopping at Hafter's with my mom and Nelm's and Blum's. I remember Joy drive in. I remember Frost Top where the burgers were the best. All these places are gone now but there's nothing I wouldn't do to go home again if I could. But my husband could never find a job there. Maybe if those of you who still remember the Greenville I just recalled you could get it back for just a few minutes yourselves. Every day I pray that God will send to me the means to get back home to Greenville. There's an unmistakable ache in my heart to live my last years there for however long they are. So if you have the opportunity to be in Greenville or better to live there then know there's one person in this world who envies you so much.....
trisha, you remember things from the 60's or prior it sounds like, which was before my time. i think the drive in was Strazzi's.
Greenville's MAYOR did not even show enough pride in the city to attend the Christmas parade last year, GHS band was ok but far from being full of pride.
Washington Ave is straight and 2 way once again, they ripped out ALL the trees and shrubs and made it 4 lane and straight as an arrow. the old fountain is long gone, i can't tell you how many pennies/nickles/dimes/quraters i threw in that thing. it sat empty and falling apart for several years before they finally tore it down.
there is no more Steinmart downtown, that is an expanded parking lot for the PD currently.
Oh, but Frostop is still here. they recently moved down to the old Plaza movie theater across from the Mall. next door to where Gattas was, where StienMart now resides.
the memories of old Greenville are all any of us have, it will never return to the former glory it had. the tow boat industry is gone and that took most of the jobs and local wealth. next most of the factories left(Greenville Mills/Marconi/etc) and the workforce pool here is not of sufficient caliber nor quantity for new industry to come in. the casinos on Ferguson are in shambles because of Harlow's out by the new river bridge, i look for at least 1 of the 2 in town to shut it's doors soon and put a few hundred more folks out of work.
i WISH there was a way to turn Greenville around, but the mentality of the populace in general is one of entitlement(both whites and blacks) and until those folks are gone things won't change. more folks leave everyday, some come back because it is home no matter how bad it is, but the majority don't. we lost nearly 30% of the population again from 2000-2010, in another 10 years years i bet it is down to under 15k folks cause the exodus is speeding up. then this town will be another Mound Bayou/Shelby/Arcola/etc.. and the only thing left to do is bulldoze it all.
Late 60's.Yes I was a small girl but still have the memories and a lot of pictures. Steinmart is now head quartered here in Jacksonville, Fl. which is where I live now. And thank you it was Strazzi's.. No more magnolia trees, no more pride in living there.. What a shame. When I was growing up there we(my generation) thought that Greenville would not be better until my father's generation died off. Well, from what you say, it hasn't made a difference. I would still love to live there anyway. The last time I was home was in 2002. It was a shock for me to see how things had changed so much. Even had my son enrolled in GHS for a few months before we decided we had to come back to Jacksonville..I do agree that the mentality of the populace does make a impact on growth or non-growth. It's sounds as if the city government wouldn't know how to handle an influx of new business or maybe they just don't want to. It takes hard work to rebuild. It takes determination and it take a lot of fortitude to bring it back. And money as well. What does Greenville have to offer now? What are Greenville's strong points? There have got to be a few some where. Are there no more tow boat companies of any kind there? Is Uncle Ben still there or Valasic? How do people make a living? What about Tn.Gas? What about the farmers?
If I can remember I think my father told me it was when the Air Force closed that Greenville first felt the impact. Do you agree? And what did happen with the airport?
I have so enjoyed your bringing me up to speed but I would still love living there. Maybe if enough of my generation came back, it could make a difference..
Uncle Ben's and USG are the only real factories left, TN Gas and also TX gas are here still. the Airport is a joke, 2-3 flights a day to/from Memphis only and at the slightest rain they close and cancel the flights with little to no notice.
the area around here is still mostly agricultural but there are no where near the number of farmers there used to be most of the smaller operations combined or went under and the land was bought by bigger farmers. the catfish industry is practially gone too, most ponds have been drained and they now plant beans or corn in them. you have to look hard to find a cotton field or a gin!
as far as good things, well we have the casinos and the outdoors(hunting/fishing/etc) and that is about it. they say a new casino is coming and going to build a water park, but then again i have heard we were getting a water park "next year" ever since the mid '70's! there are a few "museums" for local history, but nothing that would bring in tourists just for it. the casinos bring in a few out of town folks for overnight gaming trips, and Harlows has a concert every weekend and most are good artists. but the town itself has nothing to offer. there are folks who are doing their best to turn things around, but sadly i think it is too little too late.
honestly the only thing Greenville has to offer is a place for the Government to spend welfare money, disability, and subsidize rent.
It absolutely breaks my heart to read that things are that bad. What, in you opinion, would be the the start to bringing Grenville back. It must be some thing you've given thought to. As I have spent so much time on the internet searching news from Greenville, there are good and bad comments. I read a report that CBS news did back in 2008,I think it was, that made it seem as if the Delta was nothing but poor folks with high hopes.
Last edited by trisha22522; 03-25-2011 at 10:13 AM..
It absolutely breaks my heart to read that things are that bad. What, in you opinion, would be the the start to bringing Grenville back. It must be some thing you've given thought to. As I have spent so much time on the internet searching news from Greenville, there are good and bad comments. I read a report that CBS news did back in 2008,I think it was, that made it seem as if the Delta was nothing but poor folks with high hopes.
There is nothing that can be done. The poor folks do not have "high hopes". What you have in Greenville is an entire community of people perfectly content to live off of the government. They have no desire to work or to better themselves. The don't know any other life.
Public corruption is rampant. And the mayor is completely worthless. The only thing that could save that city would be to build upscale apartments and homes and completely price out all the parasites content to suck at the government tit. Upgrade the downtown area and take advantage of the beautiful river. Build Jazz clubs and restaurants and capitalize on the city's rich R&B history. It's not a racial issue. It's economic. Greenville has too much dead weight. There are far too many consumers and not nearly enough producers. Get rid of the dead weight, and Greenville might have a chance.
MM, you are 100000% correct. the churches here have fought tooth and nail to stop the Walnut street and surrounding area from getting resort status and opposed every effort to bring in any new "clubs". the plan for the last decade has been to turn the downtown area into a mini Beale Street, but local opposition has killed most efforts. so over half the storefronts downtown sit empty and decaying. now the decay has spread out to both hwy 1 and hwy 82, and the surrounding residential areas are in constant decline. most folks think the government should step in and subsidize everyone in order to give them money to fix up their homes. i say let them decay, then use local ordinances to get them demolished. there is no sense in fixing a shotgun house that won't sell as it is, many are on the market for under 10k! yes, i mean less than $10,000.00 and they won't sell. when an area gets that bad, it is time to level homes and build parks. if nothing else the city limits could be shrunk back down and cut city costs.
oh, and THE MAYOR thought that since she met Obama when he came here during his campaign that she had an inside man in DC. she goes to DC multiple times a year "on city business" but so far has only succeeded in getting decent grants a couple times. and those were for specific projects that would have been approved even without her making a dozen or more trips at city expense. i am not the only person here glad that she is not running again for office in this city.
This is so sad to hear... I was born and raised in Greenville during the 80's and 90's. We lived in the Southeast part of town and my family was fairly well off. I have many good memories of growing up in the Delta. My favorite memories was when my family would have large get-togethers in my backyard in the summer. We would have a big catfish fry with all sorts of great food- fried green tomatoes, hushpuppies, fried pickles, slaw, collard greens, sweet tea, okra, and my favorite, pecan pie! On long weekends we would take trips to Biloxi and I thought that was paradise (until I got to college and went to Panama City Beach!). I have many great memories of Greenville, but I also remember that when I got into Ole Miss and went to Oxford, it made Greenville seem like a dump. Oxford was a lot smaller, but there was just a better feel there- the air was lighter. After college I moved to New Orleans to experience city life (which I found was not for me!). Then I moved back to MS and to Jackson where I met my boyfriend from Hattiesburg (where we live now). Occasionally we visit family in Greenville, but when I go back I get a little stressed. Greenville isn't the only place that does this, I find that all my friends (from all over the US) get stressed when going home. Most of my family has moved out of Greenville once they see that really it is a depressed little town. I like Greenville and wish this was not the case...
Part of Greenville's problem is the reverse racism. People seem to think that only whites in the South can be racist, and I admit that when growing up I was raised to look down upon blacks, but really the black community in Greenville is a crazy little one. They seem to hate all whites. When I lived in NOLA and Jackson, most of the blacks I met were friendly and very nice! One of my good friends is black and when I took her to Greenville, she even commented on how different the blacks in Greenville were. In no way am I saying the whites in Greenville are perfect- they have their own problems too. But if both races would just accept that they both want the same thing, better schools and LESS CRIME, then maybe G-ville could get better. But with all the whites seeming to leave, I see Greenville becoming a Mound Bayou, then god knows how bad things can get there...
Don't get me wrong, I love the Delta. I love willingness and friendliness of most of the people I have met there. I love the food! I love the wonderful hunting and fishing! But I hate the attitude where some think that they can just live off welfare and the government... your typical liberal in Greenville and the Delta. If I had to move back I would live on Grand Boulevard in Greenwood or in Cleveland. But some say the Delta will suck you back in, so I keep my time there limited... Get out of the Delta if you can, come see what else Mississippi offers. I love my home state. Go see historic Natchez on a horse drawn carriage. Go visit the beautiful towns in North Mississippi like Tupelo or Oxford or Corinth. Go see our coast, which is faring quite well now. Go to Jackson or Hattiesburg for some city life!
Overall, it really is the mindset you have. I grew up being taught to find the joy in the little things. I had a good time in Greenville. But I could be happier somewhere else in Mississippi, so I left. God bless Greenville and the Delta, I pray and wish for improvement there.
I grew up in Greenville and it is not the pleasant town it was in the 60's and 70's. The entire Miss Delta is on a slippery slope and it is getting steeper.
Got out of there 8 years ago and now live in Natchez...a fantastic town and virtually crime free compared to Greenville.
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I would love to go home
