By Haley Huntington
New Orleans, January 17, 2013 - After a solid 14 hours on the road from St. Louis, we finally arrived In New Orleans on Thursday night (technically, Friday morning).
The team made several stops along the way, however. First, we followed the path of the Mississippi to Thebes Landing, an RV Park and camp ground located on the river’s banks and owned by local resident Neal Day. Thebes has drawn a lot of attention
over the last seven months because of rock blasting by the Army Corps of Engineers, which has worked to ensure that the Mississippi has remained navigable for commercial shipping.
Although a Thebes business owner for only three years, Day was practically an expert on the history, culture and commerce in area. It helps that he grew up and went to school in Southern Illinois.
With his full head of silver hair and a commanding voice, the tall, rugged Day braved the cold wind and provided great insight as to what it was like for tiny Thebes, population 500, to be suddenly thrust into the national spotlight.
Day also knew a great deal about the history of Thebes. Pointing to a structure atop a hill about a quarter of a mile away, Day
explained that the building was the local courthouse in which the slave Dred Scott had been imprisoned in the 1850s while awaiting trial!
For those in need of a refresher on their U.S. history, Scott was an African American slave who unsuccessfully sued for his freedom and that of his wife and their two daughters. In what is popularly known as the“Dred Scott Decision,” the U.S. Supreme Court voted against Scott 7-2, finding that neither Scott nor any other person of African heritage had the right to declare citizenship in the United States, and furthermore, had no standing in a U.S. federal court. The case enraged both sides in the slavery debate and is often cited as a contributing factor to the Civil War and its aftermath.
Day had to run to meet friends for a prime rib lunch, so we thanked him and went on our merry way to our next destination: Memphis, Tennessee. The world-famous Beale Street (and its restaurants) were must-sees, as was Elvis Presley's Graceland Mansion.
After some sustenance and sightseeing, the team began the six-hour haul to New Orleans. Hilarious family stories, fits of
interpretive dance by team members, and some napping helped us pass the time.
We were glad to finally arrive in New Orleans to get a few hours of sleep before another packed day of interviews. But more importantly, we were excited for a break from ourconfused GPS sassily telling us to "make the next available U-Turn" every 10 seconds.
New Orleans, January 17, 2013 - After a solid 14 hours on the road from St. Louis, we finally arrived In New Orleans on Thursday night (technically, Friday morning).
The team made several stops along the way, however. First, we followed the path of the Mississippi to Thebes Landing, an RV Park and camp ground located on the river’s banks and owned by local resident Neal Day. Thebes has drawn a lot of attention
over the last seven months because of rock blasting by the Army Corps of Engineers, which has worked to ensure that the Mississippi has remained navigable for commercial shipping.
Although a Thebes business owner for only three years, Day was practically an expert on the history, culture and commerce in area. It helps that he grew up and went to school in Southern Illinois.
With his full head of silver hair and a commanding voice, the tall, rugged Day braved the cold wind and provided great insight as to what it was like for tiny Thebes, population 500, to be suddenly thrust into the national spotlight.
Day also knew a great deal about the history of Thebes. Pointing to a structure atop a hill about a quarter of a mile away, Day
explained that the building was the local courthouse in which the slave Dred Scott had been imprisoned in the 1850s while awaiting trial!
For those in need of a refresher on their U.S. history, Scott was an African American slave who unsuccessfully sued for his freedom and that of his wife and their two daughters. In what is popularly known as the“Dred Scott Decision,” the U.S. Supreme Court voted against Scott 7-2, finding that neither Scott nor any other person of African heritage had the right to declare citizenship in the United States, and furthermore, had no standing in a U.S. federal court. The case enraged both sides in the slavery debate and is often cited as a contributing factor to the Civil War and its aftermath.
Day had to run to meet friends for a prime rib lunch, so we thanked him and went on our merry way to our next destination: Memphis, Tennessee. The world-famous Beale Street (and its restaurants) were must-sees, as was Elvis Presley's Graceland Mansion.
After some sustenance and sightseeing, the team began the six-hour haul to New Orleans. Hilarious family stories, fits of
interpretive dance by team members, and some napping helped us pass the time.
We were glad to finally arrive in New Orleans to get a few hours of sleep before another packed day of interviews. But more importantly, we were excited for a break from ourconfused GPS sassily telling us to "make the next available U-Turn" every 10 seconds.