In the final month of our Tricentennial year, our December Legends & Lore programs will once again reflect the diversity of subjects that make up Natchez history. All December sessions will begin at 5:30 p.m. in conference rooms A and B at the Natchez Grand Hotel, 111 North Broadway St. Light refreshments will be provided.

Our weekly gatherings will kick off on Dec. 5 with a presentation by Judy Wiggins, retired professor from Copiah-Lincoln Community College, about noted artist and ornithologist John James Audubon as a “Self-Actualized Genius.” Audubon created a number of his bird paintings in the Natchez area, including the strikingly beautiful Mississippi kite.

Stratton Bull will also be on-hand on Dec. 5 to provide information about the annual Audubon Society Christmas bird count in the Natchez area, which will be held on Dec. 17. This nation-wide undertaking utilizes the volunteer efforts of a legion of citizen-scientists to catalog changes in bird species numbers across the country.

Then on Dec. 12, local petroleum geologist Ed Godfrey will make a presentation on the importance of geological factors in the history and development of Natchez.

Finally, with our final presentation on Dec. 19 we will transition into 2017, the year of the Mississippi Bicentennial, with Robin Person, director of Historic Jefferson College. She will talk about statewide plans for the Mississippi bicentennial celebration that include a focus on the importance of the town of Washington.

According to Cheryl Munyer Waldrep, “Washington, Mississippi, provided the stage in the early 19th century for extraordinary historical events: In 1801 it became the capital of the Mississippi Territory; in 1811, Jefferson College, the only chartered educational institution prior to the statehood of Mississippi opened there; and in 1817, Mississippi’s state constitution was drafted there in a small Methodist Church, which later became part of Jefferson College.”

A final thank-you to my co-chair, Dr. Betty Cade, and to all the dedicated and diverse members of the Natchez Tricentennial Ethnic and Social History Committee who have been meeting monthly for nearly four years now to craft meaningful programming that has included not only the Natchez Legends & Lore events but also a genealogy workshop, “Tea and Tombstones” tours, the special Rhythm Club anniversary commemoration and a number of events highlighting local Civil Rights era stories — beginning with the Parchman Ordeal 50th anniversary in October 2015.

Thank you to Stratton Bull, Jennifer Ogden Combs and Kelin Hendricks of the Tricentennial staff for all your leadership and assistance.

Thank you to all the local venues who have hosted our Legends & Lore series this year. Thank you to all the scholars and storytellers who have added to our knowledge of the complexity of Natchez history. And thank you to the hundreds of attendees whose thirst for knowledge has brought you out week after week.

Lastly, we extend our appreciation to the Natchez Grand Hotel for their hospitality this month. For more information, please contact Kelin Hendricks at the Natchez Tricentennial Office at1-800-647-6724 or kelin@natchezms300.com.
Kathleen Bond is co-chair of the Natchez Tricentennial Ethnic & Social History Committee.