Our First Day of Caching in Clinton, MS 4/8/2008

Our first day in Clinton and we are off to do some caching. It's going to be warm today, in the low 80's so we got an early start. Our first cache was almost right across the street at a gas station/car wash so that was a quickie. The next cache we went to was in the woods at a site that used to be a German POW camp called Camp Clinton which along with 3 other POW camps and 15 branch camps in Mississippi held approximately 20,000 prisoners. If you would like to read more about Camp Clinton go to Google and type in the name. Then it was on to our next cache near a no dumping sign in the woods, then on to a small local park that had a new playground and tennis courts for a cache near those courts, then a cache in the parking lot of O'Reilly's Auto Parts Store, then a cache near the front of McAlister's Restaurant.
Next was a cache in the Independant Order of Odd Fellows Cemetery on a back street in Clinton that contained some grave sites dating back to the 1850's. Did you know that back in 17th Century England, it was odd to find people organized for the purpose of giving aid to those in need and of pursuing projects for the benefit of all mankind. Those who belonged to such an organization were called "Odd Fellows". Odd Fellows are also known as "The Three Link Fraternity" which stands for Friendship, Love and Truth.
The Independent Order of Odd Fellows was founded on the North American Continent in Baltimore, Maryland, on April 26, 1819 when Thomas Wildey and four members of the Order from England instituted Washington Lodge No. 1. This lodge received its charter from Manchester Unity of Odd Fellows in England.
Odd Fellowship became the 1st national fraternity to include both men and women when it adopted the beautiful Rebekah Degree on September 20, 1851. This degree is based on the teachings found in the Holy Bible, and was written by the Honorable Schuyler Colfax who was Vice President of the United States during the period 1868-1873. Odd Fellows and Rebekahs were also the first fraternal organization to establish homes for our senior members and for orphaned children.
Next cache was located near the overpass of the Clinton Parkway, next we drove into downtown Clinton and a cache in a small Area called Olde Clinton Courtyard which was an area about 10' wide by 40' deep that had tables, chairs, trees, and flowers, which was a very pretty little place but it needed a coffee shop orsmall restaurant so you could get something and sit in the courtyard and enjoy it.
Next was a cache located at a one time "healing spring" in a back section of town. Clinton was formed in 1823 and called Mt. Salus (Mountain of Health) and got its name from the recently completed home of the Governer which sat by a large flowing spring. The town was known for miles around for its many springs, thought to have healing qualities. As the town grew it changed its name to Clinton in 1837 after prominent New Yorker Dewitt Clinton. There still were springs in the area and this was one of them which still flows.
Then it was on to the Natchez Trace again and a cache at the former home of acting Governor Cowles Mead. Mead came from the East seeking opportunity in the Mississippi Territory. He owned a tavern on the Old Trace near Natchez and held several political offices, including acting Gov. in 1806. During this time, he ordered the arrest of Aaron Burr for treason but the former Vice President was acquitted. Mead followed the growth of the state and moved to the Jackson area. He built his beautiful landscaped home "Greenwwood" on this site. Little remains today of his grand estate that burned after his death, during the Civil War, except the family cemetery.
Next cache was at the Clinton Nature Trail in the woods of course, the it was on to a small park, and a place that has the largest wooden playground in the state,and the cache was near the tennis courts and our last cache was at a VFW site that had a Thunderchief Jet on the grounds. That was all the caching for today so it was on back to the RV and we took showers, the cobwebs in the woods got to us both, and had lunch and Mom did the logs and I am doing the blog now. We are going out tonight to Mazzio's an Italian restaurant that has a buffet on Tuesday nights. We just got back from the buffet and it wasn't bad at all. Salads with all kinds of fixings, all different kinds of pizza, dessert pizza, brownies, garlic bread and spaghetti. So I'm finishing the blog and watching TV like Mom. Time to say good night and until tomorrow and we love and miss you all.


Pictuyre List:1-Cowles Mead Cemetery, 2-Cowles Mead Marker 1818-1849, 3-Mary Lilly wife of Cowles Mead 1797-1834, 4,5-Downtown Clinton,6,7,8-Independant Order of Odd Fellows Cemetery, 9,10,11-Olde Towne Courtyard, Clinton, 12-Healing Spring, 13-Brick streets in downtown Clinton, 14-Mural on a wall in downtown Clinton.