On January 31, 1915, Kelly Mitchell, Queen of the Gypsy Nation, died during childbirth in Coatopa, Alabama. She was buried in Meridian, Mississippi at Rose Hill Cemetery because the city had enough ice to keep the body cool until her funeral, a funeral attended by over 20,000 people. Since her death, people visit from all around the world to leave trinkets on her grave. One reason why folks might leave items is to let others know the grave has been visited and, therefore, the person is not forgotten. For the Queen of the Gypsies, people leave items to attract Kelly to their dreams in hope she will help solve their problems. If you visit, outside of the Mardi Gras beads, you will likely see bottles of Orange Crush because it was supposedly her favorite drink.
Over the years, several attempts to rob her grave were prevented. They often made national news.
The Turning Angel watches over the graves of five young women and girls who were killed in a blast at the Natchez Drug Company on March 14, 1908. The owner of the company placed to have the angel, also known as a scribe angel, over the headstones. Luella Booth, 17, Ada White, 19, Mary Worthy, 12, Inez Netterville, 17, and Carrie Murray, 22, lost their lives in the explosion.
The Turning Angel got its name because the angel sits near a curve in a road around the cemetery. At night, drivers would insist the angel was turning when their headlights lit the angel.
Located in Natchez City Cemetery, there is an interesting family plot. Rufus Case (1819-1858) was buried in his rocking chair next to his daughter, Laura Narcissa, while facing towards Louisiana. This “crypt” was built around him and the child.
Louis Winston (1844-1918) was born in Natchez. He served mainly as a lawyer, but he also served as a police officer and toll collector. He was a prominent Black lawyer in the Natchez and Greenville areas.
Winston founded the Colored Building and Loan Association, which helped finance the purchases of homes for African Americans. He was also the manager of the Mississippi Cooperative and Benefit Association.
The Woodmen of the Union honored Winston as their founder by commissioning the bronze bust on his tombstone. Winston died in 1918. Black artist Isaac Scott Hathaway sculpted the bust. It is listed on the Save Our Sculptures database that the Smithsonian manages.
Built in 1900, Laurel Manor began as a Colonial Revival home. At some point, the porch was replaced with the ironwork seen here. It is a contributing property to the Clifton Heights Historic District.
