Things to do in Pearl MS

Pearl is a city in Rankin County, Mississippi located on the east side of the Pearl River from the state capital of Jackson. The population was 25,092 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Jackson Metropolitan Statistical Area. Wikipedia

Hotels: 3-star averaging $103.

Getting there: 4 h 35 min flight, from $423.

Jackson is the capital of Mississippi and is just one of two county seats of Hinds County. Named after General Andrew Jackson, it was developed in 1821 to be the state capital. After the Battle of Vicksburg in 1863, General William Tecumseh Sherman's Union forces captured Jackson and destroyed it. There was a gas boom in the 1920s, and it's nicknamed "The City with Soul."

The Jackson area has a population of 579,332. It belonged to the Choctaw nation at one time. Mississippi Choctaw are now part of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians and also reside in numerous Native-American towns in the state.

The initial European settler was Louis LeFleur, and also Jackson was initially called LeFleur's Bluff. In 1821, a state-commissioned summary stated LeFleur's Bluff was an attractive area and had a lot of water and trees and also access to the Natchez Trail. The area then ended up being the seat of state government. It was plated in 1822 in a grid pattern, and also city blocks include numerous parks. The railroad was built through Jackson in 1840, which stimulated growth after the Civil War.

Jackson was a production center for the Confederacy throughout the Civil War, making it a target of Union troops in 1863. Since the city was destroyed, few antebellum structures have actually endured. Nonetheless, the Governor's Mansion, the Old Capitol, as well as the Jackson City Hall continue to be.

After the Civil War, economic recuperation was slow. Mule-drawn streetcars ended up being electrical in 1899. A new capitol building was built in 1903.

Born in Jackson in 1909, author Eudora Welty won the Pulitzer Prize in 1973 for, "The Optimist's Daughter." The Jackson Public Library was named for her, and also her residence is a National Historic Site. Jackson experienced a growth explosion in the very early 20th century, and also a brand-new Union Terminal was built. The King Edward Hotel opened up in 1923 and also was a center for distinguished occasions. The 1919 Standard Life Building set the record for the largest reinforced concrete building at the time.

Natural gas fields were discovered in 1930 causing another boom that lessened the results of the Great Depression. This sector tailed off in 1955.

During Mississippi's extended Prohibition, alcohol consumption and betting thrived across the river in Flowood's Gold Coast. Those organizations shut down when Mississippi legalized alcohol in 1966. The state allowed riverboat gaming in 1990, and also numerous gambling establishments have opened up.

Hawkins Field ended up being an important United States Military airbase in World War Two, housing the Royal Netherlands Military Flying School after Nazi Germany overran the Netherlands.

Jackson was an important hub of civil rights protests in the '60s and was the terminus of the James Meredith March. Meredith was the very first African American to register at the University of Mississippi. The very first lung transplant took place at the U of Mississippi Medical Facility in 1963. Malaco Records calls Jackson home and also is a leader in gospel, blues, and soul. Paul Simon recorded at Malaco in 1973.

Harvey Johnson, Jr. ended up being Jackson's very first African-American mayor in 1997, and also he was a champ for the Convention Center. Jackson was signified as one of the ten friendliest cities in the USA in 2013.

Jackson is in Hinds County and some areas of Madison and Rankin counties. The eastern line is the Pearl River. It's bordered on the north by Ridgeland, on the east by Flowood and also Richland, the south by Byram and the west by Clinton. It has a total area of 113.2 square miles and is drained by the Big Black as well as Pearl Rivers.

Jackson rests on top of a dead volcano that's 2,900 feet underground. The buried peak is under the Mississippi Coliseum. Jackson-Evers International Airport has non-stop service to six cities.