Group Tour Escort Manual - Mississippi

Robert Johnson
Blues Trail
Marker
HAzLEHursT
Population: 4,400
Main Industries: Timber, poultry
Famous Natives: Dr. Walter Washington, Judge Burnita Shelton Matthews,
Mary Tillman Smith, “Lipsinka” John Epperson, Lewis
Tillman, Lawrence Pillars, Robert Johnson, Blues Legend,
Judge Mablean Ephriam
Major Festivals/Events: Gospel Festival, Relay for Life, Christmas Parade,
Annual Memorial Day Service & Veterean Day Services
Tourism Office Phone Number: 601-894-3752
l Hazlehurst is named for George Hazlehurst, chief engineer for the New Orleans,
Jackson and Great Northern Railway.
l Hazlehurst is the site of the last railroad spike connecting Jackson to New Orleans.
l Hazlehurst is home to the largest employer of sight-and hearing-impaired people in
the United States.
l Hazlehurst was the setting for the play “Crimes of the Heart,” written by Beth Henley.
l Hazlehurst was the largest truck farming shipping point in the 1920’s and 1930’s.
l Site of the 1955 All Star Baseball Game between the Negro Major League All-Stars and the American
League All-Stars.
l Buildings listed on the National Register include The Cook House, The Cragon House, The Ellis House,
The Wilson House, and The Depot.
For more information about Hazlehurst, visit www.hazlehurstmiss.com/index.htm