City, county and state leaders gathered at the Ardis T. Williams Auditorium Wednesday to celebrate a milestone: the 200th anniversary of Vicksburg’s incorporation in 1825.

A number of speakers from local government took the podium prior to a special Bicentennial Proclamation read by Vicksburg Mayor George Flaggs Jr. and a reissuance of the city charter by Mississippi Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann, a River City native.

Warren County Board of Supervisors President Kelle Barfield said Vicksburg’s anniversary is also a milestone for Warren County as a whole, which has celebrated achievements and shared struggles with its county seat through the years.

“Like much of Mississippi, Warren County experienced the racial tensions, but also the movements for improvement, in terms of voting rights, desegregation. And the citizens of Vicksburg worked together, whether they lived inside the city limits or outside the city limits in Warren County,” Barfield said. “We worked together to get through that era and preserve the memories and be a model for social change that we are still capable of today.”

Vicksburg Ward 1 Alderman Thomas “T.J.” Mayfield said he is proud of his city’s legacy, adding that pride extends to his own history with the River City.

“I would not be who I am without the city of Vicksburg,” Mayfield said. “It’s raised me; it’s educated me; and it’s trained me to travel all around the world to show the strength, the education and the power of here in Warren County, Mississippi.”

Vicksburg Ward 2 Alderman Alex Monsour said Vicksburg’s 200 years of history have both shaped what the city is today and prepared its people for what lies ahead.

“We’ve experienced quite a bit over the years,” Monsour said. “But through that we have persevered and this city is known as a city that is hospitable. We have great people here. It’s known for Southern Hospitality and friendly people.”

Prior to reading the official proclamation for Wednesday’s 200th anniversary, Flaggs said Vicksburg’s many victories over the years are the product of the work of many people and organizations across its landscape.

“It’s my privilege to stand before you today as we celebrate a true historic occasion: two hundred years of the city of Vicksburg,” Flaggs said. “Past mayors of Vicksburg have each played a role in shaping our city. Your leadership and your dedication have helped pave the way for the progress we see here today. Our city’s journey from being founded in 1825 to the thriving, dynamic community that we see today as one of the most resilient, innovative and progressive cities in this state. Today we stand together to honor our past, to celebrate our present and to look forward to an even brighter future.”

Hosemann closed Wednesday’s ceremony with the reissuance of the city charter and said seeing his hometown grow and thrive makes the 200th anniversary an even sweeter occasion.

“We’re seeing a transformation of the town from what it was to what it will be,” Hosemann said of organizations and projects in Vicksburg ranging from the ERDC to the new port project on Highway 61 South and upcoming interpretive center project at the national military park. “And we have our history behind us with the Vicksburg National Military Park. Our future here is exceptionally bright. I see the transformations that are going on.”