Recognizing the 200th anniversary of the incorporation of the city of Vicksburg, Mississippi, and the historical significance of the city.

Recognizing the 200th anniversary of the incorporation of the city of Vicksburg, Mississippi, and the historical significance of the city.

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;

(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.