Mississippi Folk and the Tales They Tell: Myths, Legends and Bald-Faced Lies (American Legends)

From the hills to the coast, the people of Mississippi have stories to tell. Most would never guess that Raleigh, Mississippi, once played host to the National Tobacco Spitting Contest. Over in Okolona, children are told of the man who lived--and died--deep down in a hole and scared passersby. From the gandy dancers who built the first train tracks in Mississippi to the eight-foot-tall man who lived in the woods of Columbia, read tales that range from common myth to a good bit of righteous gossip. Author and storyteller Diane Williams traveled across the Magnolia State to gather these local legends and has compiled them into an inquisitive, laugh-out-loud collection. Explore And Enjoy Some Of The Most Fascinating Tales From The Magnolia State-- Collection Of Folktales From All Over Mississippi-- Ivory-billed Woodpeckers In Madison County 11 -- For Whom The Bell Tolls In Rural Madison County 13 -- Frog Gigging In Rolling Fork 19 -- Old Jim Gordon's Gold In Willoughby, By Ralph E. Gordon 23 -- The Gunfight At Willoughby Crossing, By Ralph E. Gordon 27 -- The Ghost Train Of Little Rock, By Ralph E. Gordon 29 -- How Poplarville Got Its Name 33 -- Poplarville Has A Haunted House 35 -- Marijuana And Moonshine In Poplarville 39 -- The Big Chicken Fight In Wiggins 43 -- Bill Restor's Childhood Possum In Wiggins 45 -- Murder Greek, The County Crossroad: Stone, Forest And Pearl River Counties 47 -- The Turpentine Shackin Pearl River County 51 -- Milking Cows In Carnes 53 -- The Wiggins Pickle Factory 55 -- The Two-dollar Mule In Aberdeen 61 -- Midwifery In Sandy Hook 65 -- The John Ford House Of Sandy Hook 69 -- Keep Okolona Hummin 73 -- Love Is Like Cornbread: A Story Of Unconditional Love In Columbia 77 -- The Corinth Railroad Story 83 -- Natchez: Back In The Day 89 -- Outhouses In Rural Mississippi 101 -- The Canton Graveyard Chase 107 -- Pretending To Be Grown In Canton 109 -- Cooking And Eating Turtles In Rural Madison County 111 -- Raleigh, Mississippi: Home Of The National Tobacco Spitting Contest 113 -- Places Around Mississippi: What's In A Name? 117 -- Rocky Springs: A Place Called Home 121 -- Windsor Ruins Of Claiborne County 125 -- Mississippi Hoodoo, By Phoenix Savage 129 -- The Belzoni Lady Who Kept The Hog Hooves 131 -- The Power Of The Conjurer In Belzoni 135 -- The Talc Of The Talking Frog And The Little Slave Boy Who Sat By The Pond 139 -- The Rabbit And The Turtle 143 -- A Feast Tonight! 147. Diane Williams ; Photographs By Susan Allen Liles. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 157-159).