The Delta Blues has its roots in Bolivar County, along fabled Highway 61 and in unique towns like Merigold, Rosedale, Mound Bayou and Cleveland — where W.C. Handy, after listening to a local string band play, declared, “tonight an American composer was born.”
The Delta Center for Culture and Learning is instrumental in chronicling the Delta. The Center, located on the Delta State campus, strives to promote a broader understanding of the history and culture of the Mississippi Delta by offering seminars and conferences. The early 1900s saw an influx of migrant workers in the Delta. Aspiring musicians gravitated to the Cleveland area because Charley Patton, the "Father of the Blues," called it home. More specifically, Charlie Patton called Will Dockery’s Plantation home.
Dockery Plantation,
though no longer in operation, is a fabulous place to feel the spirit
of the Blues. A drive through Bolivar County is another. Residents
of these small communities For the adventurous, travel to Merigold's famed Po' Monkeys--an original juke joint experience-- Thursday nights. |
Along
the roads of Bolivar County the Blues is realized within the flat
dusty landscape and the weathered hearts of countless generations.
Though there is a distinct living Blues within the Delta, there
is also a need to chronicle and preserve the legend of the Blues.
The
Dockery Plantation was established in 1895 and provided a key asset
to the Blues movement — the Peavine railroad, which connected
the Plantation to Rosedale and Cleveland. The railroad meant a broader
audience could experience the Blues, and musicians could more easily
combine their talents.
