A Place Called Raymond - Part II

Thank you for joining me for "the rest of the story" about my recent visit to "a place called Raymond." If you haven't read Part I, you might want to scroll down or click here to read it first.

I'd like to begin with pictures of a few of the old houses in Raymond, the first of which is the restored Porter House.

Originally constructed in the late 1820s or early 1830s, the house was moved from its original location and lovingly and painstakingly restored. Today, it is also called "Cedarwood," and serves as a lovely Bed and Breakfast.

Next door to Cedarwood, is the Gillespie House. Built around the turn-of-the century, it is a classic example of Victorian architecture ...

I know I shouldn't, but I covet this rocking bench!

The backyard of the Gillespie House is reminiscent of the backyards found within the pages of an old Eudora Welty novel ...

Don't you just love those old clothesline poles with the trellises embellishing them!

I didn't have to drive far to find more "lagniappe" in the form of these pretty little birdhouses and unique weather vane. A lot of imagination and talent went into their creation ...

There are so many lovely houses in Raymond, but these in particular caught my eye ...

The "Blue Victorian Cottage"

The "Blue Victorian Cottage" is located near the abandoned "Little J" railroad line. Since the advent of Victorian architecture corresponded with the popularity of the railroad system in America, many of the Victorian homes, such as the Blue Victorian Cottage, were located along the railroad tracks.

In “times gone by,” former residents of the Blue Victorian Cottage could hear the whistle of the train as it rounded the bend and prepared for its stop at the Raymond Depot.

I love the wide veranda on this beautiful house ...

This house is gorgeous, and the elegant fence and gate just add to its perfection ...

Dogwoods and azaleas were in full bloom all over town ...

There was one more stop I wanted to make before I headed home -- the Confederate Cemetery south of town.

The Battle of Raymond was fought by Confederate and Union soldiers near Raymond on May 12, 1863, as part of General Ulysses S. Grant's Vicksburg Campaign during the Civil War. The Confederate Cemetery is the final resting place of 140 soldiers mortally wounded in that battle.

In 1985, an effort was initiated to identify the Confederate dead of the Battle of Raymond. A total of 109 were found, based upon the Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers in the National Archives, to have been killed or mortally wounded on the Raymond battlefield (the Union dead at Raymond were removed after the war by the federal government and re-interred in the National Cemetery at Vicksburg).

After leaving the cemetery, I headed toward home (Vicksburg), and enjoyed the colorful wisteria vines draping the trees and fences along the roadside ...

About halfway between Raymond and Vicksburg, is a very small town called Utica.

The area was first settled in the late 1700s, mainly because of its good water and close proximity to the Natchez Trace. It was first known as Cane Ridge due to the large thickets of cane growing in the area, but the name was later changed to Utica in honor of one of the early residents who hailed from Utica, New York.

Utica was once a thriving railroad town that had a huge truck crop industry, along with timber and sawmills. The town at one point had over one hundred businesses, an opera house, and three newspapers!

Sadly, those days of prosperity are gone now, but as a result of my rambling photo shoots, I have discovered that it doesn't matter how small or prosperous a town is, you can always find something of interest to photograph.

One of the first things that caught my eye was this old bell at the Utica Cemetery on the outskirts of town. It's not as picturesque as the church bell in Raymond, but it does have character, don't you think? ...

I like this old house which is on Main Street in downtown Utica. After researching it, I discovered that it is called the "Ellis Price Mansion," and was built before the Civil War ...

Just across the street from the mansion is the oldest structure still standing in Utica, the Woodmen of the World building which was built in 1885 ...

It is now the home of the Cane Ridge Antiques shop, which specializes in the restoration of authentic antique furniture. Of course, it was just my luck that it was closed when I was there Monday morning, but I looked in the windows and saw all kinds of stuff I'd like to go back and see "up close" sometime.

This is another building that caught my eye. I love its faded and peeling blue paint and ornate architectural details. Unfortunately, I don't know its history, but I'm sure it's quite old ...

This concludes my adventures in Raymond and Utica, and I hope you enjoyed hearing about them and seeing them through the lens of my camera as much as I did. I always learn something new about the places I visit on my photo shoots, even though I've passed through them many times before. And that's just one of the reasons I love blogging.

{If you would like to see a slideshow of my photos of Raymond, please click on the "A Place Called Raymond" slideshow on my sidebar}

Sincerely,