Mississippi

These trees are among the oldest in MS and some may date back 1,000 years

Published

2 years ago

April 21, 2024

Press Room

These trees are among the oldest in MS and some may date back 1,000 years

From 175 years old to possibly 1,000 years old, these Mississippi trees have seen a lot in their lifetimes.

Trees are wonderful things. In spring they offer nesting sites for birds that start the day singing. In the heat of summer they provide cool, shady areas to relax. In fall, they brighten the landscape with splashes of purple, yellow and red before they go to sleep in winter.

But not all trees are created equal. All are beautiful in their own way, but some become wonders of the natural world.

Over time, some grow to enormous sizes with sprawling limbs that almost seem to defy physics. Some with twisted trunks and broken limbs speak to the forces of nature they’ve endured in their lifetimes.

Here are some of the oldest trees in Mississippi and if only they could tell us the things they’ve seen.

A ‘sacred’ tree at Ole Miss

Ole Miss is known for a lot of things; game days in The Grove, academic excellence and a deep-seated dislike of cow bells, just to name a few.

One thing that may go unnoticed to people who haven’t spent time at its Oxford campus is a giant northern catalpa tree located there.

Terran Arwood, president of Woodland Tree Service, worked on the tree several years ago to prevent a large branch from breaking and said it’s the largest example of the species he’s ever encountered. According to the University of Mississippi Museum, the tree is 76 feet tall and the trunk has a diameter of 22 feet, 7 inches.

Some estimates online say it’s 400 years old. While Arwood described the tree as “sacred” and “ancient-looking,” he feels the age is more like the age of the university. The UM Museum website states the same, which would make this somewhere around 175 years old.

The Ruskin Oak, possibly the oldest in Ocean Springs

Live oaks are among the most majestic of trees in Mississippi and elsewhere, and they’re basically icons of the city of Ocean Springs. Once you’ve walked on Washington Street where these giant oaks line the street, it’s hard to imagine the city without them.

However, one just outside of downtown stands out. The Ruskin Oak, located on Ruskin Avenue, is generally estimated to be between 350 years old and 400 years old. If that is true, the tree saw the first French settlers arrive on the Mississippi coast on Feb. 10, 1699.

Coincidentally, the tree is located near where those early explorers built Fort Maurepas.

Age aside, the tree is acknowledged as the largest live oak in the city. According to an article written in 2013 by Warren Kulo of AL.com, the tree has a trunk diameter of 237.2 inches. It became the largest in Ocean Springs in 2013 after the Hasty Oak, which had a trunk diameter of 244.5 inches and was estimated to be 500 years old, split and had to be removed.

More: What are the deepest lakes in Mississippi? Here’s how they stack up

University of Southern Mississippi Friendship Oak

If trees had eyes, this one would have seen a lot. The Friendship Oak on the University of Southern Mississippi’s Gulf Park Campus in Long Beach dates back to 1487, according to the university.

That would make the tree 5 years old when Christopher Columbus first sailed to the Americas in 1492. It would have been 100 years old when Virginia Dare, the first Anglo-American born on Roanoke Island, was born in 1587. It would have been almost 300 years old when the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776.

In more recent history, the tree has survived the hurricane of 1947, Hurricane Camille in 1969 and the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

According to the university, 2011 measurements included a 59-foot height, a trunk circumference of 19 feet, 9 1/2 inches and a foliage spread of 155 feet.

More: How to keep snakes away from your home: What works and what doesn’t.

The ancient cypress trees at Sky Lake

Trees that have lived hundreds of years are truly majestic wonders of Mississippi, but the bald cypress trees at Sky Lake Wildlife Management Area near Belzoni take old to a whole other level.

According to conservation non-profit Wildlife Mississippi, some of the trees there are thought to be in excess of 1,000 years old. That dates them back to a time when Native Americans were enjoying the rich resources available by hunting, fishing and farming. During that time, they were also building ceremonial mounds such as Emerald Mound near Natchez.

The largest of the trees are truly massive. One has a circumference of 46 feet, 9 inches with a 15-foot diameter and 70-foot height.

Visitors can view these trees from a 1,735-foot-long boardwalk or when water levels allow, by canoe or kayak.

Do you have a story idea? Contact Brian Broom at 601-961-7225 or bbroom@gannett.com.

Source link

Click to comment

Mississippi

Carpenter Pole and Piling invests $5M in Mississippi, creating 10 jobs

Published

1 hour ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Carpenter Pole and Piling invests M in Mississippi, creating 10 jobs

Staff
| Mississippi Clarion Ledger

A Mississippi wood products manufacturer is investing nearly $5 million in an expansion.
Carpenter Pole and Piling’s project is expected to create 10 new jobs in Wiggins.
The expansion includes a new treatment plant and an additional 20 acres for storage.
Construction is anticipated to be completed by September 2026.

A wood products manufacturer is set to create new jobs as part of a major expansion.

Carpenter Pole and Piling is investing nearly $5 million into its Wiggins, Mississippi, operation.

The expansion will add 10 new positions and support long-term growth in the region.

“Carpenter Pole and Piling is a true Mississippi success story, and we’re proud to see the company continue investing right here at home,” Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said.

“This expansion in Stone County is creating new opportunities for hardworking Mississippians while strengthening a company that has long contributed to our state’s economy,” Reeves said. “When Mississippi businesses grow, our communities grow with them, and we remain committed to fostering a business environment where companies can thrive.”

Carpenter Pole and Piling produces utility poles and pilings for marine and foundation use.

The project includes construction of a new treatment plant, investment in a 2,600-cubic-foot autoclave and an alternative treatment option to improve production capacity.

The company is also clearing and preparing an additional 20 acres for a new pole storage yard.

Stone County is also contributing to the project.

The company expects to complete construction by September 2026.

The new roles are expected to be filled by January 2027.

Carpenter Pole and Piling specializes in the production of utility poles. It also manufactures foundation and marine pilings.

The new autoclave will increase production and add an alternative treatment option.

This story was created by business and development writer Ross Reily, with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more.

Source link

Mississippi

CBSB: Southern Miss sweeps again, Mississippi State shines in Texas, Ole Miss struggles – SuperTalk Mississippi

Published

13 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

CBSB: Southern Miss sweeps again, Mississippi State shines in Texas, Ole Miss struggles – SuperTalk Mississippi

Southern Miss earned its second consecutive sweep, rounding out a mostly successful weekend of college baseball for Mississippi’s major programs.

The No. 12 Golden Eagles (10-1), fresh off a mercy-rule victory over Alabama, exited a hostile Louisiana Tech environment with three straight wins versus a former conference counterpart. Christian Ostrander’s crew won 8-3 on Friday, cruised to an 11-0 run-rule victory through seven innings on Saturday, and was on the good side of a 6-2 scoreboard in Sunday’s finale.

A three-run bomb by Kyle Morrison in the top of the fourth of Friday’s game put the black and gold up 5-3, and solid pitching carried the team the rest of the way. A six-run top of the fourth of Saturday’s game, in part due to a Matthew Russo 2 RBI single, broke a scoring stalemate and fueled Southern Miss to a win in a shortened matchup. A two-run long ball by Joey Urban in the top of the ninth of Sunday’s battle gave the Golden Eagles a buffer that would not be eclipsed.

Kros Sivley (2-0) was Friday’s winning pitcher after logging a pair of strikeouts in 1.2 innings. Grayden Harris (2-0) got the win on Saturday after fanning five batters and surrendering no runs through six complete innings. Camden Sunstrom (1-0) closed out the finale with the win after striking out two batters and not giving up a hit or a run in the final two frames.

Mississippi State wins two in Texas

The No. 4 Bulldogs (11-1) had a solid weekend in the Amegy Bank College Baseball Series. Brian O’Connor’s club handled the weekend test with an 8-4 win over Arizona State, a 15-8 victory over Virginia Tech, and a heartbreaking 8-7 extra-innings loss to No. 1 UCLA.

Mississippi State broke a scoring hiatus on Friday with a strong bottom of the fifth. A Bryce Chance RBI single scored the game’s first run, then a Gehrig Frei homer put the Bulldogs up 4-0. Three insurance runs were added in the next offensive frame, and Mississippi State did not look back. On Saturday, an Ace Reece longball gave the maroon and white a 4-0 lead in the top of the second. Virginia Tech chipped away, cutting the deficit to two runs, until a five-run top of the seventh put things out of reach.

Sunday’s finale was a battle between two teams vying for bragging rights as the nation’s best. The Bruins took an early 3-0 lead, but Mississippi State quickly countered. A two-run bomb by Reed Stallman and an RBI double by Ryder Woodson knotted things up 3-3 in the bottom of the fourth. The Bulldogs added a run in the bottom of the seventh and eighth innings to lead 5-3.

A two-out home run by UCLA’s Roch Cholowsky tied the ballgame in the top of the ninth. Mississippi State, with runners on second and third and no outs in the bottom of the ninth, could not send a runner home. A wild pitch and a 2 RBI triple scored three Bruins in the top of the 10th. Stallman hit his second home run of the day to inch the Bulldogs within one run of their foe, but it was not followed up with more scoring.

Winning pitchers for Mississippi State this weekend were Ryan McPherson (2-0) and Tomas Valincius (3-0), while Ben Davis (0-1) was tabbed with the lone loss.

Ole Miss struggles in neutral-site tournament

In its first set of tests versus power conference opponents, the Rebels (10-2) struggled mightily, dropping two of three outings in the BRUCE BOLT College Classic. Mike Bianco’s club fell to Baylor 6-5 in extra innings on Friday before bouncing back on Saturday in an 8-0 win over Ohio State and suffering a 9-2 loss to Coastal Carolina in Sunday’s finale. Ole Miss was a combined 0-18 at the plate with runners in scoring position in the two losses.

Though the weekend didn’t play to the Rebels’ advantage, a few individual performers stood out. Murray State transfer Dom Decker, who entered his junior campaign without hitting a home run, hit three balls over the outfield wall at the Houston Astros’ Daikin Park. Hunter Elliott had a career-high 11 strikeouts on Friday, while Cade Townsend and Taylor Rabe collectively fanned 16 batters in Saturday’s shutout.

Next up

Southern Miss will play a pair of home midweek games, the first being against Mississippi State on Tuesday at 6 p.m. and the second versus Nicholls on Wednesday at 6 p.m., before hosting North Alabama over the weekend.

Mississippi State will host Lipscomb over the weekend after facing the Golden Eagles.

Ole Miss will host Memphis on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. and North Alabama on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m., before welcoming Evansville for a weekend series.

Source link

Mississippi

Mississippi State women’s basketball vs LSU, Kim Mulkey score, live updates, start time, TV

Published

1 day ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Mississippi State women’s basketball vs LSU, Kim Mulkey score, live updates, start time, TV

STARKVILLE — Mississippi State women’s basketball is playing its final regular season game against No. 6 LSU at Humphrey Coliseum on March 1 (3 p.m., SEC Network).

The Bulldogs (18-11, 5-10 SEC) enter the game on the NCAA Tournament bubble after losing three consecutive games, so an upset win could secure an at-large bid.

The Tigers (25-4, 11-4) and coach Kim Mulkey have won three straight games. Their only losses of the season are to Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Texas and South Carolina.

The Clarion Ledger is bringing you live updates from the game. Follow along.

Watch Mississippi State vs LSU