Downtown Hattiesburg: In History and Memory

This paper explores how public memory of Downtown Hattiesburg has been shaped by race, class, and historical change, drawing primarily on oral history interviews conducted by the author. Once the heart of the city, Downtown Hattiesburg experienced significant decline from the 1970s onward due to suburbanization, white flight, and demographic shifts. In response, the 1970s saw the emergence of a historic preservation movement focused on revitalizing memories of the city's early 20th-century prosperity (1910-1929), often idealized as a period of economic success even despite racial segregation. Many interviewees identified this era as the city’s "golden age," despite its deeply inequitable racial structures. The paper also examines the World War II era, marked by the reactivation of Camp Shelby, which boosted the local economy. Preservation efforts, particularly of two WWII-era USO buildings, play a central role in promoting this period in public memory. Additionally, the destruction of Hattiesburg’s Mobile Street district—largely due to flooding and urban neglect following the civil rights movement—represents a loss of a vital Black community and creating a historical silence of this area in public memory. This paper argues that public memory of Downtown Hattiesburg is deeply influenced by race and class, with preservation efforts often reinforcing some historical narratives while obscuring others.