Things to do in Ridgeland MS

Ridgeland is a city in Madison County, Mississippi. The population was 24,047 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Jackson Metropolitan Statistical Area. Wikipedia

Elevation: 358′

Weather: 58°F (14°C), Wind SW at 3 mph (5 km/h), 94% Humidity

Hotels: 3-star averaging $102. View hotels

Jackson is the capital of Mississippi and also is just one of 2 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 troops over-ran Jackson and also burned it to the ground. There was a natural gas boom in the 1920s, and also it's nicknamed "The City with Soul."

The Jackson market has a populace of 579,332. It belonged to the Choctaw nation in the day. Mississippi Choctaw are currently part of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians and also live in numerous Native-American communities 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 said LeFleur's Bluff was a beautiful area and also had lots of water and also trees and access to the Natchez Trail. The site then came to be the seat of state government. It was mapped in 1822 in a grid pattern, and also city blocks include numerous parks. The railway went through Jackson in 1840, which stimulated growth after the War Between the States.

Jackson was a manufacturing facility for the Confederacy throughout the Civil War, making it a target of Union forces in 1863. Given that the city was destroyed, few antebellum structures have actually survived. However, the Governor's Mansion, the Old Capitol, and the Jackson City Hall continue to be.

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

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

Gas fields were found in 1930 causing another boom that lessened the impacts of the Great Depression. This industry trailed off in 1955.

Throughout Mississippi's extensive ban on booze, drinking and betting prospered on the opposite side of the river in Flowood's Gold Coast. Those businesses shut down when Mississippi legalized alcohol in 1966. The state enabled riverboat gaming in 1990, and also numerous casino sites have opened up.

Hawkins Field ended up being a vital U.S. Army airbase in World War Two, housing the Royal Netherlands Military Flying School after Nazi Germany overwhelmed the Netherlands.

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

Harvey Johnson, Jr. came to be Jackson's first African-American mayor in 1997, and also he was a champion for the Convention Facility. Jackson was denoted as one of the ten friendliest cities in the United States 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 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 an extinct volcano that's 2,900 feet below ground. The buried peak is under the Mississippi Coliseum. Jackson-Evers International Airport has continuous service to six cities.