[Pages S2573-S2574]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    SENATE RESOLUTION 177--RECOGNIZING THE 200TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE 
INCORPORATION OF THE CITY OF VICKSBURG, MISSISSIPPI, AND THE HISTORICAL 
                        SIGNIFICANCE OF THE CITY

  Mrs. HYDE-SMITH (for herself and Mr. Wicker) submitted the following 
resolution; which was considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 177

       Whereas, prior to 1719, the Vicksburg and Warren County 
     region in the State of Mississippi was the home of several 
     Indian Tribes, including--
       (1) the Tunica;
       (2) the Yazoo;
       (3) the Koroa;
       (4) the Ofo; and
       (5) the Tioux;
       Whereas, in 1719, the first European settlement in the 
     Vicksburg and Warren County region, Fort St. Pierre, was 
     established by French settlers as a trading place;
       Whereas, in 1791, the Spanish briefly established a 
     military post in the Vicksburg and Warren County region after 
     Native American uprisings displaced the French;
       Whereas Vicksburg and Warren County was recognized as part 
     of the United States following the American Revolution;
       Whereas, in 1811, early settlers of the United States began 
     a community in the Vicksburg area on the east bank of the 
     Mississippi River;
       Whereas, in 1816, a Methodist minister, Newitt Vick, 
     established a mission on the land that became Vicksburg, 
     Mississippi (referred to in this preamble as ``Vicksburg''), 
     which is named his honor;
       Whereas, on January 29, 1825, Vicksburg was incorporated 
     and quickly grew as a center for commerce and agriculture;
       Whereas, during the Civil War, Vicksburg was the location 
     of the historic 47-day Siege of Vicksburg, from May 18 to 
     July 4, 1863;
       Whereas the surrender of Vicksburg on July 4, 1863, along 
     with the Battle of Gettysburg the day prior, marked the 
     historic turning point of the Civil War;
       Whereas, in 1866, the Vicksburg National Cemetery was 
     established by the War Department pursuant to the Joint 
     Resolution entitled ``A Resolution respecting the Burial of 
     Soldiers who died in the military Service of the United 
     States during the Rebellion'', approved April 13, 1866 (14 
     Stat. 353);
       Whereas, as of 2025, Vicksburg National Cemetery is the 
     second largest national cemetery in the United States;
       Whereas, on February 21, 1899, President William McKinley 
     signed into law an Act entitled ``An Act to establish a 
     national military park to commemorate the campaign, siege, 
     and defense of Vicksburg'' (16 U.S.C. 430h), establishing the 
     Vicksburg National Military Park;
       Whereas, in 1901, President McKinley became the first 
     President to visit Vicksburg;
       Whereas the Vicksburg Military Park preserves the site of 
     the Battle of Vicksburg, spanning 20 miles of original and 
     reconstructed trenches, and boasts over 1,300 monuments, 
     making it 1 of the largest collections of commemorative 
     military art in the United States;
       Whereas, in 1873, a Vicksburg office of the Corps of 
     Engineers was established to coordinate Federal and local 
     river management and flood control efforts;
       Whereas, in 1894, the first bottling of Coca-Cola occurred 
     at the Biedenharn Candy Company in Vicksburg, which now 
     serves as a Coca-Cola Museum;
       Whereas, in 1865, the first Black-owned bank in the United 
     States, The Freedman's Bank, was established in Vicksburg;
       Whereas shoes were sold as a pair for the first time in 
     1884 by Phil Gilbert's Shoe Parlor in Vicksburg;
       Whereas Vicksburg has a rich history rooted in riverboats, 
     and the Sprague, recognized as the largest and most powerful 
     stern wheel towboat, set an all-time world record in 1907 for 
     towing 60 barges of coal, weighing 67,307 tons, covering an 
     area of 6\1/2\ acres, and measuring 925 feet by 312 feet;
       Whereas during the Great Flood of 1927, Vicksburg was 
     significantly impacted and experienced 56.2 feet of flooding;
       Whereas, in 1937, the Blue Room opened in Vicksburg, which 
     became a legendary venue with notable performances by artists 
     like Ray Charles, B.B. King, Louis Armstrong, and others;
       Whereas, in 1975, Hinds Community College opened a 
     Vicksburg branch as a high school vocational program, 
     offering career and technical education programs that 
     provided important job and skills training;
       Whereas, in 2002, the Vicksburg branch of Hinds Community 
     College became the Vicksburg campus, offering college-level 
     programs and degrees and officially cementing the presence of 
     an accredited academic institution in Warren County;
       Whereas, in 2009, the Southeast Regional Campus of the 
     AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps opened in 
     Vicksburg;
       Whereas Vicksburg proudly hosts Corps of Engineers 
     installations, including--
       (1) the Engineer Research and Development Center;
       (2) the Mississippi Valley Division headquarters; and
       (3) the Vicksburg District headquarters;
       Whereas Vicksburg is home to the community of Marcus Bottom 
     and became a key area for the development of blues, jazz, and 
     gospel music in the first half of the 20th century;
       Whereas Vicksburg has been home to several notable 
     individuals, including activist Dr. Myrlie Evers-Williams, 
     educator Ida Louise Jackson, and President Ulysses S. Grant;
       Whereas Vicksburg has a deep-rooted tradition in faith and 
     religious diversity, exemplified by--
       (1) the establishment of Catholic education in 1860;
       (2) the founding of the oldest African American Methodist 
     Episcopal Church in Mississippi in 1864;
       (3) the dedication of the first Jewish synagogue in the 
     State of Mississippi in 1870; and
       (4) the establishment of the first Antiochian Orthodox 
     Church in the State of Mississippi in 1906;
       Whereas modern-day Vicksburg and Warren County benefit from 
     a capable leadership that works to build on the position of 
     Vicksburg as an historic, river-bound economic crossroad to 
     create new economic opportunities for its residents;
       Whereas, in 2024, Vicksburg was named Newsweek's Best 
     Historical Small Town in America;
       Whereas, in 2025, Main Street America named Vicksburg Main 
     Street as a 2025 Great American Main Street Award 
     Semifinalist;
       Whereas the Thad Cochran Mississippi Center for Innovation 
     and Technology, established in 2024, drives innovation, 
     entrepreneurship, research, and technological advancement in 
     the community;
       Whereas Vicksburg city events contribute to the cultural 
     life and historical understanding of the State of 
     Mississippi, including--
       (1) the Annual Miss Mississippi Pageant and Parade;

[[Page S2574]]

       (2) the Vicksburg Annual Mardi Gras Parade; and
       (3) the Vicksburg Hipstoric Art Festival;
       Whereas, as of 2025, the Vicksburg experiences roughly 
     2,000,000 visitors annually and is home to several 
     attractions, including--
       (1) 8 museums, including--
          (A) the Biedenharn Coca-Cola Museum;
          (B) the Catfish Row Museum;
          (C) the Jesse Brent Lower Mississippi River Museum;
          (D) the Old Court House Museum;
          (E) the Old Depot Museum;
          (F) the Southern Heritage Air Museum;
          (G) the U.S.S. Cairo Museum; and
          (H) the Vicksburg Civil War Museum; and
       (2) 11 historic homes with elegantly designed structures 
     that vary in age, the earliest of which was built in the late 
     1700s, and the most recent of which was built during the 
     post-Civil War era, bearing design influences from Victorian 
     America;
       Whereas, during 2025, Vicksburg is holding a year-long 
     bicentennial celebration in honor of the history of Vicksburg 
     and its incorporation on January 29, 1825; and
       Whereas it is important for the people of the State of 
     Mississippi and the United States to remember history in an 
     inclusive way that honors contributions from all backgrounds: 
     Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates the year 2025 as the ``Vicksburg 
     Bicentennial'';
       (2) honors Vicksburg, Mississippi (referred to in this 
     resolution as ``Vicksburg''), and its rich and pivotal 
     contributions to the history of the State of Mississippi and 
     the United States;
       (3) encourages the people of the United States to 
     acknowledge Vicksburg as it commences a year-long celebration 
     of its bicentennial; and
       (4) respectfully requests that the Secretary of the Senate 
     transmit an enrolled copy of this resolution to Vicksburg in 
     recognition of the respect and admiration of the Senate for 
     Vicksburg and its residents.

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