On Wednesday, the Chamber of Commerce hosted a panel discussion at its monthly luncheon to kick off the 200th bicentennial celebration of the city of Vicksburg.

Brother Rogers of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History and Executive Director of Mississippi Humanities Council Dr. Stuart Rockoff shared stories of Vicksburg’s rich history while Vicksburg Mayor George Flaggs Jr. and Warren County Board of Supervisors President Kelle Barfield discussed the present and their vision for the future.

Rogers began the discussion by highlighting the new museum to be built in the Vicksburg National Military Park.

“We’re working on a new museum to interpret the full scope of the Vicksburg campaign. This is going to be a Smithsonian-caliber museum,” Rogers said. “This museum will explore not only the siege of Vicksburg, but also the outlying areas involved in the campaign, such as Chickasaw Bayou, Champion Hill and other areas. There will also be a portion of the museum devoted to the Reconstruction efforts following the Civil War.”

The new museum is to be completed by 2028 or 2029.

Rogers also highlighted notable citizens with ties to and origins in Vicksburg.

“Eleven Presidents have come to Vicksburg,” he said. “Dwight Eisenhower came in 1947 and was the grand marshal of the Fourth of July Parade.”

He also noted Theodore Roosevelt visited twice. Others mentioned were civil rights activist Myrlie Evers and Jane Ellen McAllister, the first African American woman to earn a PhD in education in the United States. Former governor Kirk Fordice and musician Willie Dixon were also from Vicksburg.

“You’ve got the Miss Mississippi pageant, you’ve got the first bottled Coca-Cola. You have it all,” Rogers said.

Rockoff encouraged people to record their history and stories.

“A bicentennial is an opportunity. It’s an opportunity to raise awareness of the history of the community and to do it in an all-inclusive way,” Rockoff said. “History is not what happened in the past, it is what happened in the past that has been preserved and is accessible to us today.”

The panel also discussed the challenges of appealing to younger generations through media.

“A long text in a museum, my kids are probably going to pass right by,” Rockoff said. “It challenges us to engage with the younger generation.”

Flaggs recalled that his father required him to visit the Vicksburg National Military Park as a boy and read the plaques under the statues. He said it made a tremendous impact on him and helped him understand the significance of the history around him.

“The bicentennial represents the spirit of resilience and progress that defines Vicksburg,” Flaggs said. “Join me in celebrating, because you won’t get to celebrate another 200 years.”

Barfield focused on three important areas for the community: energy, transportation and housing.

“This is a chance to truly dream big, to think big,” she said.

Barfield said nuclear power will play a big role in the future of energy. She predicted that, based on current progress, someday people might actually have small nuclear generators attached to their homes.

She addressed housing challenges and discussed the concept of residential resorts and small cottage housing.

“You’ve got to think what the potential is for housing that costs between $50,000 and $60,000, the cost of a luxury sedan,” she said. “If you want to grow housing, grow population, grow our tax base… and have more people living here, you’re going to have to think of new ways of transportation.”

She noted talks are underway with Amtrak to have the newly proposed route from Dallas to Atlanta run through Vicksburg.

“When you think ‘200 years,’ a lot of this stuff you can’t get your head around. But that’s the challenge, is to think so far beyond… Where we came from is important, where we are today (is important), but where we could be… the future here is just unheard of,” Barfield concluded.

Pablo Diaz, President & CEO of the Vicksburg Warren Partnership, of which the Chamber of Commerce is a member, moderated the panel. The chamber also announced upcoming events in 2025 to celebrate the bicentennial anniversary of Vicksburg, including a Music & Culture Festival in April and a Fall Family Fair in October.