President's Message

Objectives: FOR's Past, Present and Future

The Raymond battlefield now has an Interpretive Trail. The trail, the signage, and the cannons combine to create a first-class attraction for historical tourism. Add to this the new bus parking lot, and the battlefield is now poised for visitation. While we bask in the sunlight of this latest accomplishment, it seems prudent to take stock of our situation: from where have we come, where we are now, and where we should go from here?

Friends of Raymond (FOR) was formed with the mission of historic preservation and interpretation, and the first objective in 1998 was to acquire 40 acres along McGavock Ridge. After this objective was achieved, FOR set and achieved a new objective of acquiring 24 acres along Fourteenmile Creek, as well as one acre on McPherson Ridge to provide a viewshed for the entire battlefield. While this preservation mission was being accomplished, FOR sponsored interpretation programs such as reenactments, living history programs, seminars, tours, plays, concerts, and pilgrimages. A Texas monument was paid for and erected by private groups in that state, and was dedicated on the Raymond battlefield in 2002 on a parcel of land obtained by FOR.

FOR also worked hard to obtain and restore condemned cannons from Vicksburg National Military Park for battlefield interpretation, at the same time successfully working with Mississippi Department of Archives and History and Mississippi Department of Transportation to build a walking trail to provide visitor access to the 24 acres. With the completion of the trail, local inhabitants and visitors were finally able to walk the battlefield to experience history and exercise, and with the addition of the signage, they can learn while they walk. FOR also contributed to the restoration of the historic Hinds County Courthouse in Raymond, and the beautiful building has never looked so good since the days of the Civil War.

In the process of accomplishing these objectives, in 2005 FOR was awarded a monetary prize from the History Channel and the Civil War Preservation Trust for the “Most Active Park Day in the Nation,” and in 2006 received the coveted Mississippi Heritage Trust “Award for Stewardship of Historic Property.” Noted author Jeff Shaara sent FOR a donation from the proceeds of his latest battlefield book in honor of FOR’s efforts, as have many people from around our nation and even from out-of-country. The list of FOR Generals ($5,000 donors) has exceeded 20. So, what is the next objective for FOR?

While we have been successful in preserving our battlefield, Raymond still has one of the Civil War Preservation Trust’s “Top Ten Most Endangered Battlefields.” This distinction is one that any historic property would rather avoid, and, clearly, FOR needs to continue to focus on the preservation of historic property. A properly interpreted battlefield will serve as an attraction for historic tourism, thus serving the Raymond area well for generation after generation. The battlefield will contribute financially to the area through tourism dollars while maintaining the integrity and rural beauty of the area. In short, if we save our battlefield we can have our proverbial cake and eat it, too.

To achieve our objective will take hard work and money, as well as dedication, understanding, and education. We must dedicate ourselves to saving our heritage, and we must be willing to work to make it happen. We must raise the funds to buy and preserve the property, and we must raise funds again to properly interpret it. We must educate ourselves and our friends and neighbors that the future does not have to lie in fast food establishments, condos, strip malls, and mini-farms. We can save our beautiful countryside and then we can visit it anytime we wish, where we can ponder the sacrifices of those that went before us. We can profit from saving our history in many ways, financially and spiritually. But this is not easily accomplished, because the lure of the dollar is strong.

While at Gettysburg in September, I saw a small Northern town much like Raymond, with a small college and a battlefield, divided over the issue of whether or not to allow a huge casino complex to move into their peaceful and historic environs. Those in favor of history and the preservation of the rural environment were opposed, and those who looked to the casino for cash and service-industry jobs were in favor. Signs for both sides were posted all over the countryside, both in yards and in business windows. Each side had compelling arguments, but only one side was viewing the situation strategically, or long-range.

Commercial establishments come and go in a few decades, but battlefields last for generations. Vicksburg National Military Park was established in 1899 and is still attracting one million visitors per year. How many businesses can promise that? And, the citizens of Vicksburg visit the park daily for their exercise, just as did their parents their grandparents and their great-grandparents. The park not only produces revenue and provides jobs; it offers an island of quiet and beauty in the midst of asphalt and neon, and is a wonderful place to exercise and clear one’s mind. And, of course, a military park with a walking trail is also a place to work on one’s cardio-vascular exercise.

So, if we are to look out for our well-being and that of our descendents, we must redouble our efforts to preserve our heritage by preserving the historic property that is an integral part of what Raymond is all about. The Raymond battlefield is far from being preserved, and the interpretive trail is a very good start, but just a start. We still have lots to do, and you can help.

Please visit your battlefield tomorrow, or on your next day off, and remember the past, experience the present, and envision the future.

Parker Hills,

President, Friends of Raymond

FOR Generals' Names are "Carved in Stone"

   Friends of Raymond Generals pose by the new 
granite marker that acknowledges the 
contributions of those whose 
assistance helped preserve the battlefield.

On April 21, 2007, the Raymond Military Park granite marker, 7' long by 3' high, was officially dedicated, and on this marker are permanently inscribed the names of Friends of Raymond (FOR) Generals. The title of FOR General is assigned to any person (or couple) who donates $5,000 in either a lump sum or in five yearly payments of $1,000. The money donated is used for the preservation, interpretation, and promotion of historic sites in Raymond and the Raymond area.

The marker was designed to include space for the names of 40 FOR Generals, and there are presently 25 names inscribed on the marker, with two more FOR Generals pending. Upon completion of payment of the $5,000 (which also includes a lifetime membership in Friends of Raymond), the stone will be inscribed with the new FOR General's name. Engraving of the stone will be scheduled for December of each calendar year until all 40 spaces are filled.

FOR General John Gillespie and his daughter Mary Elise admire the new granite monument that honors their ancestors.

A Generalship in Friends of Raymond is, of course, tax-deductible, because FOR is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. And the monies donated will be used, not for salaries or lobbying efforts, but for historical preservation through a grass-roots organization that determines what action is needed and then makes it happen. To become a Friends of Raymond General contact David McCain at Merchants and Planters Bank or e-mail him at dmccain@mpbank.net.

Generals

Mrs. Mary Adams
John  & Barbara Barber
David Barton
Fred and Sue Brooks
James & Rebecca Drake
Martha Gillespie Ferguson
Gaddis Farms, Inc.
Mary Ann Keith, Hinds County Gazette
Dr. and Mrs. John P. Gillespie
Hugh B. (Gil) Gillespie IV & John P. Gillespie
Mr. and Mrs. H. R. Kilby, Jr.
Mary Nell Collins Landin
Dr. Robert Levine
Merchants and Planters Bank
David & Traci McCain
Frances McCain
Jack Moss
Isla Tullos & Butch Ogden
Charles & Kathy Pittman
Ed Sentell
Clarke Stewart & Paula Stewart Strange
Oliver V. Shearer, Jr. (Commodore)
Mary Kuhn
Pattie and Mike Snowball
Stanford’s Battery
Lester Senter Wilson

Your continued support – to preserve the past and build for the future – is key to our success

Friends of Raymond, Inc., was founded in 1998 as a not-for-profit organization concerned with the preservation of historical sites in the Raymond area.  The mission of Friends of Raymond is to maintain a non-for-profit membership organization supported by concerned citizens, public agencies, elected officials, businesses, and other groups devoted to the preservation, management, and promotion of significant historical areas of Raymond.

Friend                    under $100
Voting Member    $100 and above
General                 $5,000