Fulton, MS

Today was another planned day of no travel, with no list of chores to take care of while docked. We woke up to light rain, made a hot breakfast onboard, then borrowed the marina’s courtesy car to explore the town. 

Fulton, MS, population 3,900, is the seat of Itawamba County and named for Robert Fulton, inventor of the steamboat and the submarine. It is the birthplace of Vernon Pressley, father of Elvis, who was born in nearby Tupelo. 

We took a long walk on the Tenn-Tom Waterway Trail, a lovely paved path on the levee that ends at the Fulton Lock & Dam, about three miles from the marina. We watched four Looper boats—two we recognized—approach the lock, heading downriver. There’s a regular progression of boats coming, going and passing by and the marina staff seems accustomed to the annual snowbird migration.

After our walk, we visited the Jamie Whitten Historical Center, dedicated to one of the champions of economic development in Northeast Mississippi during his 53 years in the U.S. House of Representatives. The first lock we passed through yesterday is also named after Whitten. Fun fact: The Tenn-Tom locks were originally called Lock A, B, C, etc. but were renamed for politicians and administrators who were proponents of the waterway. Other fun fact: large amounts of petrified wood were uncovered during the excavation for the center.

The skies are overcast, with on and off drizzle and we’re glad that we didn’t go out on the river today. We did connect with another Looper boat that’s leaving tomorrow and we plan to travel together through the next four locks to Columbus, MS.

Here is the group photo from last week’s AGLCA Fall Rendevous. Exercise for the reader: Find Kathleen and Tony.