Tallahatchie Bridge (Greenwood, Mississippi)

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Thought to be location of famous Tallahatchie Bridge, Greenwood, Mississippi, USA.

Best known from the fictional song by Bobbie Gentry - Ode to Billie Joe and movie (spelled differently) Ode to Billy Joe, which has the refrain Billy Joe McAllister jumped off the Tallahatchie bridge, the river has historical significance due to the lynching of Emmett Till, an African-American youth who was badly beaten, shot, and sunk in the river. This event is mentioned in another song, "Freedom Highway," by the Staple Singers, in the lines, "Found dead people in the forests, Tallahatchie River and lakes/Whole world is wondering, what's wrong with the United States?"
en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ode_to_Billie_Joe&re...
Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tallahatchie_River
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   33°31'10"N   90°12'13"W

Comments

  • I think this is Yazoo River.
  • The Tallahatchie River runs through Money, MS, which is about 10 miles north of Greenwood, MS. The Tallahatchie River and the Yalobusha River join just above Greenwood to form the Yazoo River. The actual bridge in the story/song refers to a bridge supposedly in or near Money, MS. The bridge used in the movie crossed the Yazoo River on County Road 512 (Old Roebuck Road) at Rising Sun, MS, which is south of Greenwood on U.S. 49. The movie bridge was torn down in 1987 and replaced with a concrete one. The bridge in the story/song collapsed in 1972 after vandals set it afire. Source: http://www.vaiden.net/movies.html.
This article was last modified 10 years ago