Video: Fulton Residents Encouraged to Help With Cleanup

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FULTON, Miss. (WCBI) — Fulton is inviting the nation to come visit this month and it’s asking residents to help put the city’s best face on.

Local and state officials are unveiling six historic markers during ceremonies April 17th and 18th. From historic homes and notable community figures, the events are expected to attract hundreds of guests.

The local Keep America Beautiful group is asking residents to help prepare by picking up trash and debris along city streets.

To promote the effort the city is giving out 200 free trash bags at city hall next week. Contact city hall if you have any questions.

A special unveiling event, officially designated “Fulton: Our Mark on History,” has been set for Friday and Saturday, April 17 and 18.

Representatives from the Mississippi Department of Archives and History will be on hand to unveil the markers, as well as various state and local officials.

Friday’s event will include a gala event, which will raise funds for ongoing historical preservation projects.

Saturday will kick off in the morning with open house events at all locations.

Self-guided tours of the buildings being designated as historical markers will allow visitors to see why these particular sites were selected.

A series of fun community activities is also being planned, including costumed portrayals of local historical icons, food and art vendors and merchant participation.

That afternoon, the unveiling event will begin in proper. Beginning at ICC, the markers will be unveiled one at a time, allowing those with an interest in history a chance to attend all of them.

Things should wrap up in the late afternoon with a non-denominational community church service at Fulton Catholic Church.

The Mississippi Department of Archives and History founded the State Historical Marker program in 1949 as a way to easily identify and promote historical significant sites across the state. Since then, approximately 900 makers have been erected.

The text on each marker is written by reps with the MDAH, with advice from local sponsors.

Itawamba County currently has three historical markers: One on Highway 78 in Tremont identifying Itawamba County; a second on Oakland School Road, again in Tremont, marking the location of the Oakland Normal Institute; and a third on Van Buren Road, denoting the history of Van Buren.

Members of the Fulton Community Volunteers have been working with city officials for nearly two years to get a series of MDAH markers placed at historical sites around the town. Most of the busywork involved with the project was handled by local volunteers. The signs themselves were funded through a combination of local donations, fundraising efforts and contributions from the city.

“We just feel that this is going to be a great way to preserve the history of those locations and let people know about some of the important events that happened in their community,” said Fulton Mayor Lynette Weatherford of the project.

The public is not only invited, but encouraged to attend this event. A full day’s festivities are being planned to celebrate the occasion, including open houses and walking tours of some of the newly-designated historical sites.

Things kick off at 9 a.m. on Saturday, April 18, with open houses at Aeolian Grove, Christ the King Catholic Church (which was the site of Fulton’s first church), Gaither House and Fulton Grammar School (where there will also be a community art show). Living historical characters, decked out in period-appropriate clothing, will be located at each marker to give visitors a little bit of history.

Those who want to dig a little deeper into the history of each location … or, perhaps, have some family history involved … are invited to visit the historical photography exhibit that will be set up on the Fulton court square. The display will feature photographs and memorabilia from some of Fulton’s founding families and significant citizens. Residents with old photographs of Fulton are encouraged to bring them to the event and have them scanned as part of an ongoing preservation effort.

There will also be a camera set up so that visitors can record their memories of Fulton.

The unveiling of the markers will begin that afternoon, starting with ICC’s marker at 1:15 p.m. and continuing to a new location every 45 minutes, closing with the unveiling for the City of Fulton’s marker on the court square at 4:30 p.m. Because parking at each location is limited, and attendance is expected to be high, there will be free transportation to each location. Those who want to take advantage of the free transportation should park at the ICC David C. Cole Student Services Building for the first unveiling. They will be bussed to the remaining locations.

Cake and lemonade will be served on the court square after the final unveiling.