A Friend indeed: Group celebrates 125 years of the Vicksburg National Military Park

This year marks the 125th anniversary of the Vicksburg National Military Park. The Friends of the Vicksburg National Military Park have been celebrating with volunteer work and fundraising. The Friends group is the official nonprofit partner of the park.

The park, which was established in February of 1899, commemorates the Vicksburg Campaign of the Civil War. This included the 47-day siege of the city by Union forces.

Bess Averett, executive director of the Friends group, said the anniversary is something they have been celebrating all year.

“This is our 125th anniversary, and so, to commemorate that, the friends group has been doing projects all year and has been fundraising around that theme of 125 years.”

The park itself actually predates the National Park Service (NPS) by 17 years and was not transferred from the War Department to the NPS until 1933.

The Friends organization started in 2008.

“We have, you know, hundreds of thousands of people who visit this park every year because of its history and all that it symbolizes,” Averett said.

Averett explained one of the Friends’ most recent projects.

“We’ve worked with the state of Wisconsin to accept funds to restore all of their regimental markers in the park. And so that project is actually about to get underway,” she said. “We’ve also recently finished a full restoration of the Texas monument, and we’ll be having a rededication for that monument on the anniversary of that battle this spring.”

Averett also laid out why she thinks the park is still valuable to the community and to the country.

“To understand the evolution of American history and kind of what has made us this United States of America, I think you have to understand a place like Vicksburg,” Averett said.

Information on volunteering and how to donate to the Friends group can be found at friendsofvicksburg.org.