Everette: I really appreciate your sharing this with me. I grew up 30 miles from Moorhead and a friend and I whose family is from Moorhead appreciate this history. My grandfather was the Fire Marshall at Moorhead "back in the dark ages" Thanks Wanda -----Original Message----- From: Everette Carr [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Wednesday, June 08, 2005 10:07 AM To: [email protected] Subject: RE: [MISSISSIPPI] new Moorhead, MS list The Yazoo Delta existed only from 1897 to 1901 when the Yazoo & Miss Valley acquired it. The Yazoo Delta was a shortline with trackage of only a little over 20 miles and originally ran between Morehead and Ruleville. The blues songs referring to the "Yellow Dog" were written and sung in the 1920's and 30's, long after the Yazoo Delta's demise. Some report that the reference to the "Yellow Dog" is from the "Y. D" for Yazoo Delta that appeared on the tenders of the railroad. But the Yazoo & Miss Valley was also known as the "Yellow Dog" in later years and the Yazoo & Miss Valley existed 13 years before the Yazoo Delta and outlasted it by many years. So it is believed that the reference was to the Yazoo & Miss Valley that ran between Jackson and Yazoo. Simply stated, the origin is not known with any certainty. A good site that analizes the origin of the "Yellow Dog" can be found here: http://www.earlyblues.com/Yellow%20Dog.htm There are also some photos of the railroad sites on this web page including the crossing at Morehead, the Yazoo station and a steam locomotive. Everette Carr ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ona Patrick" To: [email protected] Subject: RE: [MISSISSIPPI] new Moorhead, MS list Date: Tue, 7 Jun 2005 20:40:52 -0700 > > Forgive me for breaking in on your coversations. I found them interesting > and decided to see what I could find. > > > http://www.cr.nps.gov/delta/blues/people/tommy_johnson.htm - a piece on > Tommy Johnson, mentions "Where the Southern crosses the Dog" & W. C. Handy's > "Yellow Dog Blues". > http://www.cr.nps.gov/delta/blues/people/charley_patton.htm > > In the small town of Moorehead, the Southern Railway line crossed the tracks > of the Yazoo Delta Railway, or Yellow Dog in local parlance. A sign > commemorates the spot "Where the Southern Crosses the Dog", a site often > referred to in blues lyrics and made famous by W.C. Handy in his song > "Yellow Dog Blues." and it has a picture of the marker telling about this > at the following site: > http://www.cr.nps.gov/delta/blues/sites/delta_sites.htm#southern > > > > http://www.deltablues.net/dawg.html map & other info > > April 2, 1912, Southern RR at Moorehead, MS, had a derailment; killing and > injuring 3; Index of RR ICC Reports 1911-1912, Vol. 2, File No. 058 > > http://www.mrjumbo.com/contents/delta99/3delta/moorhead.html > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Kate Mullins [mailto:[email protected]] > Sent: Tuesday, June 07, 2005 5:08 PM > To: [email protected] > Subject: RE: [MISSISSIPPI] new Moorhead, MS list > > > There is a very famous painting of the Yellow Dog crossing by Ha? Can/t > recall how to spell her name--well knowm Miss artist who painted with > little dab like strokes. Kate > > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] > Sent: Tuesday, June 07, 2005 7:49 PM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [MISSISSIPPI] new Moorhead, MS list > > In a message dated 6/7/2005 9:03:30 AM Eastern Standard Time, > [email protected] writes: > > > > I have read about the RR but have forgotten the reason for the name > "yellow > > dog crosses the Southern"?? Is it short enough you can refresh my > memory > > > > Hi Wanda, > It was the railroad crossing in Moorhead, MS (Sunflower County) where > the > Southern Railroad crossed the Yazoo Delta (sometimes called the Yellow > Dog) > Railroad, I think. I added some links about it on the Moorhead group > home page, > that give a better history and photos of the crossing. My mom grew up > in > Moorhead and she was always quoting that phrase but I've never been > there, myself! > I don't know the exact wording but the story I liked the best went > something > like this.....during World War I, in the trenches, the officer walked up > and > said "Who knows where the Southern crosses the (Yellow) Dog?"....and one > of the > soldiers yelled, "Moorhead!"...and then that became a password also in > World > War II, to distinguish friend or foe. I think they should put that in a > > movie! The crossing became legendary in a blues song by W.C. Handy. I > think they > pulled up the tracks and the last I heard, they had pulled up the actual > > crossing and I think I heard it's now at city hall, for safekeeping. > The Moorhead > group site can be visited at: > > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MoorheadMississippiMemories > > If you are new to Yahoo Groups, you first need to register with an ID > name > and password, in order to view the links, archives, photos, etc. It is > a > message board for those who are interested in Moorhead, MS and includes > genealogy as > well as history. New members are welcome to join and share what you > might > know about Moorhead. > > Peggy Dyas > Researching: Ferguson in Moorhead, MS > > > ==== MISSISSIPPI Mailing List ==== > Visit the Mississippi-L Website at http://www.rootsweb.com/~mississi > where you can both SUBSCRIBE and UNSUBSCRIBE with a click of the mouse. > > ============================== > Find your ancestors in the Birth, Marriage and Death Records. > New content added every business day. 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