Mr. Robert Bruce Smith will present two history programs on “William Johnson,” (the Barber of Natchez) on Saturday, February 13, 2010, at the Natchez Trace Parkway Visitor Center, near Tupelo.  At 10:00 am, Smith’s program is “William Johnson: Witness to a Vanished Natchez World.”  At 1:00 pm, Smith will present readings directly from the diary of William Johnson.

Smith will focus on William Johnson, and his life as a free black barber and diarist living in Natchez during the antebellum period. William Johnson was a free man of color, born a slave, in a town cosmopolitan enough to admire his business smarts and integrity, but unable to grant him full citizenship or social equality. As a result, Johnson made the best of his half-world, unburdening himself in page after page of priceless Old South observations while graciously passing the days with family, servants, and trusty violin.  Saturday’s talk by Smith will combine authentic images from the 1800s with William Johnson’s own words to revive the very human side of life in this famous African American Mississippian’s vanished Natchez world.

A Mississippi native, Robert Bruce Smith spent his childhood in Ripley, graduated from high school in Tupelo, and received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Mississippi. He now resides in Tupelo, where he does technology consulting and enjoys researching topics about science, architecture, and Mississippi history. Additionally, he reviews classical music concerts for the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal. In 2004, Smith published a book, Madness and the Mississippi Bonds, about the famous Mississippi bond scandal that became a worldwide cause célèbre in the decades immediately preceding the Civil War. For several years, he has led a walking tour of historic Faulkner sites during Ripley’s annual Faulkner Festival. He led a similar tour of Ripley and New Albany for visiting scholars at the University of Mississippi’s Faulkner-Yoknapatawpha Conference in Oxford. His first appearance at the Natchez Trace Parkway Visitor Center was in 2006, when he gave an illustrated public lecture about the famous Old Natchez District of southwestern Mississippi.

This event is free to the public.  The Natchez Trace Parkway Visitor Center is located along the Parkway at Milepost 266, just north of Barnes Crossing near Tupelo, Mississippi.

This  afternoon,  the  Natchez  Trace  Parkway  reopened  the  roadway from milepost  429 to the northern terminus at 442.5.  The Colbert Ferry Site in Alabama (Milepost 327.3) is also open.

Motorists  are  advised that icy patches are still possible on the northern section of Parkway and should continue to be cautious when driving.

WEATHER ADVISORY NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC

As a result of the adverse, wintery weather conditions, the Natchez Trace Parkway has issued a travelers advisory for the sections of Parkway in northern Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee.

The Natchez Trace Parkway is closed from milepost 429 to the northern terminus at 442.5. This will affect the on-ramps at Tennessee Highways 100, 96, and 46 (Pinewood Road). Travelers are strongly advised to not use the Parkway in Tennessee and Alabama.

From U.S. Highway 82 (milepost 204) northward to the Alabama line, roads are slick and bridges are icy. The Mississippi section of the Parkway is becoming hazardous as the temperature drops.

Forecasted conditions tonight and over the next few days are for lower temperatures with accumulation of snow and ice. 

Further advisories may be posted.  Current weather information is available through your local radio and television stations.  For up-to-date Parkway road information call (662) 680-4027 or (662) 680-4000.

A special program of dulcimer music will be provided by the North Mississippi Dulcimer Association from 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 16, 2010, at the Parkway Visitor Center located at milepost 266 near Tupelo, Mississippi.

The North Mississippi Dulcimer Association teaches dulcimer history, tradition, craftsmanship, and music by sharing its knowledge and talents. The Appalachian mountain dulcimer is the first instrument developed in the United States. Dating back to the early 1800s, the dulcimer is an instrument whose very name means “sweet sound.” The National Park Service and the North Mississippi Dulcimer Association invite everyone to listen to the soft sweet sounds of the dulcimer and learn of its extensive history.

This program is free.  For additional information, call 662-680-4027 or 1-800-305-7417.