Meridian Mississippi An Abandoned Places Experience

[@stevis8264]

This is my hometown. It's been in a state of decline for my entire life (I was born in the '60s). It seems like the decline has accelerated markedly in the last 20 years. Thank you Keith for your work.

[@happysnapper3676]

Thank goodness people like yourself are documenting these building for future generations. Thank you Keith.

[@Keithdotson]

Thanks for watching Rick! I hope you’re doing well

[@LemonThyme1933]

I was born here in '62, but have lived in many different locations since then. I am currently living in Poland, but all of my relatives are from Meridian. One of my great grandfathers was a train engineer for the old steam locomotives. He was born in the late 1800s.

[@Keithdotson]

Poland must be interesting!

[@tresfielder3148]

My hometown, although I was born in Chicago. Loved growing up there in the late 60's-late 70's. Great memories and good people. Our family and the Youngs were friends (still to this day). Sorry to see the building demolished. It was an important part of Meridian's history. My grandfather (and later father) owned Fielder & Brooks Pharmacy. Thank you for this trek back in time.

[@Keithdotson]

Yeah it’s such a shame that it was allowed to deteriorate so much. An important piece of history lost. Cool that you know the Youngs!

[@turhanruffin3201]

The EF Young Hotel was demolished this week. Very sad to see such a historical building torn down without a strong fight to save it by the city or the Young family. I hope the sign will be restored and some day it will be mounted in front of a new replica of the EF Young Hotel...

[@Keithdotson]

Darn! well I guess it was inevitable but that is such a sad loss of an important part of the city's history. Thank you for letting me know.

[@turhanruffin3201]

@@Keithdotson At the very least, I would love to see the neon signs restored and displayed at the site of the hotel. I feel the EF Young hotel history is bigger than the city and the young family.

[@Keithdotson]

@@turhanruffin3201 You are absolutely right!

[@Keithdotson]

@@turhanruffin3201 I had wanted to go back to Meridian to record the demolition, but I couldn't get anyone to talk to me about a date. Everyone said there is no date set.

[@samc8900]

My home town as well. I was born in 1978. Lived on PSD by an super stop back them. Sadly the house burned. It was built in the late 1800

[@oulipolesceptique9449]

This was eerie, and very interesting ...

[@mswitchywomanjulie4663]

I’m from Meridian too. A shame to see all this neglect

[@MrNobody91]

Man, you wouldve loved the Mattie Hersey Hospital. I have videos of us in there, though listenjng to us as teenagers is cringy lmao, but yeah, it was always a spot we went to when we were bored. Or the old dixie school on hwy 11n80 and the old hotel off the 22nd ave bridge. We never broke in or tore things up, just likes looking around homestly.

[@63connie78]

nice time trip.........and photography......thnx

[@Keithdotson]

Thank you!

[@ritakarlsson]

So many empty house!Wish i have one and resturaded up Thanks for share.

[@cliffordholloway6291]

Very much enjoyed your tour of my hometown... even the decay can make great photos..... thanks for sharing.

[@Keithdotson]

Thanks for watching! I’m a fan of Meridian. It’s a fascinating place

[@shemeshaduncan3325]

Looks like it was a nice town...wonder why its abandoned

[@georgecarpenter4126]

Another great video about the rural south. I like to play around occasionally with 'selective color'. The house with the old red car in the front would be interesting to try this on. Anyway, have a great day and safe travels.

[@Keithdotson]

Thanks for watching George! Interesting idea about selective color on the car!

[@toine1915]

Hi Keith. What a beautiful building that hotel is. I would have liked to take a few pictures of that typewriter. What a pity that this Lyon building has burned down another piece of history gone. Those pipes with the valves on them are not bad either. I made them a little closer and photographed them in parts. But that's just how you look at it and luckily we all do this differently. Too bad so many of the historic buildings are disappearing. That casing you found doesn't look like a small caliber. I totally agree with you about the houses. Beautiful buildings and then let them go to waste. If you're the owner of such a building, you don't let it go to waste like that. Or do people no longer want to live here? I see the power lines run along the road there. And I have seen this in more places in the USA. Over here they are all in the ground and come together in one clay high-voltage building. Those people who still live there will not be happy with this decay. Why did all those people leave there? You have brought very nice pictures from there. The light was also good for taking pictures. Thank you again, friend. Until the next opportunity.

[@Keithdotson]

Unfortunately this is one of the poorer states in the country and there isn't a lot of money for people to maintain things (or even to demolish them!) In the US, many things vary from state to state, but with some paint and repairs, those old houses would sell for $250,000 or more in other cities.

[@Keithdotson]

They do put the powerlines underground in some newer developed areas of the US, but yes traditionally they are suspended on poles, which is ugly and at risk from winds and falling trees. It's especially irksome to see powerlines running across an otherwise pristine and beautiful landscape in the west.

[@VictoriaN72]

😢

[@charliejg]

I've always wondered how often you run into wasp or hornet nests when investigating abandoned buildings!! I sure hope they rescue and preserve that tile floor inlay with the name of the hotel. Sweet 60s Mustang @12:45. Sirens, maybe you should wipe your fingerprints off of that shell casing! LOL! Some really interesting shapes in those abandoned houses. It's so hard to imagine how entire neighborhoods/towns become wiped out like that. Thanks for taking us along! Happy Easter to you and your family.

[@Keithdotson]

Quick eye to spot that Mustang! I agree about the tile floor. There's an interest in saving the hotel as a landmark but it's too far gone to save. I wanted to go back and record the demolition, but no one could give me a specific date. Someone said April (any time now) while others said it's not scheduled yet. With regards to hornets and wasps -- it's one reason I favor cold weather for this!

[@danielmaxwell5633]

They have now tore it down I’ve been so mad at my home town for letting this go! The young family should have kept it up, as judges they had the pull and the $$ one would think! Very nice lady but dang this should of stayed and been kept up

[@Keithdotson]

I agree. It was such an important part of history

[@HelenCrider-k7v]

Can these homes and the land with the home be both

[@Syamhouse_]

Hmmmm…ya’ need the right kind of folks mov in’ in.

[@DennisFreitas-bn7nh]

What happen in Mississipi??? Zombie Epidemian!!!

[@darrellgossett5342]

It seems that every "travel view" channel on KZbin wants to focus on the worst areas..... the areas that have the most distressed & abandoned properties. Okay, I get that your channel may be focused on that, but every video that I've watched about Meridian focuses solely on that. Meridian is so much more than that. Yes, we have areas that are "run down". Yes, we have a high crime rate due to poor city leadership. However, there are many good people in this city, of all races, & there are many good areas of town that are never shown. This is still a vibrant city with many good areas, & many good people, that no one seems to be willing to show on KZbin. I think every town or city has it's good side & bad side, but it is unfortunate that people, like yourself, want to make money by casting everyone in only a bad light.

[@Keithdotson]

Unfortunately you have completely misjudged my purpose. I use my videos to capture what I consider to be beautiful and fading bits of history before they are gone. Nothing in my video is about judgment nor the quality of the citizens or any of that. I’ve been to Meridian many times and I happen to love the city and I’m aware it’s vibrant and beautiful in other ways but I don’t make photographs of new things. I make photographs of old things in a derelict condition. But you obviously love the city too so why don’t you make the video you wish others would make rather than criticizing my hard work.