Yep. Just because people are less well off doesn't mean that they don't take pride in what they have. A lot of other areas could take a lesson from them.
Right rural Mississippi looks better than every other rural state that I’ve seen, and it’s hardly no crime in rural Mississippi and it doesn’t look bad 🤷🏿♂️
If you loved Collins ( like we do) come back after Thanksgiving for the small town Christmas Decorations. You will not believe your eyes! We have Vintage town Christmas decorations and the town comes together to furnish/decorate the town park! So basically the whole town is decorated and it’s AMAZING! You must return to see our little town all dressed up!!❤
Joe, I taught in Collins Mississippi for 7 years. Great people who have a lot of pride in their community. I have great memories from that place.and I have been to that Jr. food Mart many times .Collins is a great place to live. And we played Taylorsville all of the time. Thanks for the plug. If you go throught there again , try Main Street Cafe in Collins. Home cooking!
talking about poor...when there no Corp there...? like folks need so much money to live ...to survive...Yah ...survive... happy and comfortable... ( now yall try Him )...😊
Love watching these towns in the US. I'm from Brisbane (Scotland originally) and we love seeing these American towns. You do a good job showing and explaining them and very interesting too. Thank you! Just a thought... On this video you passed a hospital... Have you ever thought of seeing if people like maybe receptionists would talk on camera maybe telling us what it's like to live in their lovely town?
Wow! Pretty little towns. Everything so neat and tidy. Love they have their own hospital and don’t have to go to the bigger city. I’d certainly want to retire any one of them… if I was American. 😊
Me too!! Up north we was always told Mississippi was the poorest state in the country, but every video who do nothing looks bad 🤷🏿♂️!! Crime is not high, it’s plenty space to breathe not bad at all!!
Ever dentally Prentiss isn't as poor as indicated. I have been considering relocating south from West Virginia. I have been through Mississippi and what I saw I liked. Because of your video of Collins I will be praying and making inquiries about moving to Collins, MS. Thank you Joe
@@garybryant6148 I worked there for seven years and now retired to the Ms Gulf Coast and live in my family home. Got a lot of friends that live in Collins and Taylorsville. Collins is a great place. There is a big festival first week in May, The Okatoma Festival. You and 60 miles south of Jackson MS. , 24 miles from Hattiesburg which has great medical care a mall ,Plus the U of Southern Ms, and 90 miles north of the Ms Gulf Coast.
I see so much poverty on this channel and its incredibly concerning, and then you show us a town like this one and it restores some of my hope for this country. It just makes me wonder how these towns can look so beautiful and well maintained, and then the next town can look practically apocalyptic.
One thing about Mississippi folk we can make a way out of no way! Poverty doesnt mean anything for us. Most of those houses are paid off and if not they are paying prob 450/500 for there mortgage a month..these kinds of town are all over Mississippi.. oh and Mississippi gas station food is on another level! Taylorsville has a bit higher wage due to georgia pacific close by..
That really was a great insight into how you don't need millions to tend to your neighbourhood great video as always Joe, the townsfolk are obviously proud of their location.
Another very good video. Joe, you have a good eye and take some nice footage. These towns are also gems. The chicken reminded me of Chicken Express in New Braunfels, TX. I like fried okra too. These towns do take care of their trees. Those who don't have big trees don't know how hard it can be. I see you understand as you mentioned tall trees again in this video. Looking forward to the next one. Thanks for your art.
Just because your poor does not mean u have no pride. They have pride in there homes that some probably inherited from the older generation. And they love the look of beauty. My mama once told me just because your poor does not mean u don’t know what water is. It took me as a child to figuare out what she meant. It simply Meant they knew how to take a bath and become presentable. They took pride in there appearance.
This area is southern mississippi , not the gulf coast part but the area between jackson and the coast . i dont know the reason why but southern mississippi generally seems to be in better shape than the northern delta area and the central jackson metro area
Love, your videos. Shows, the Good, the Bad, and ugly. Of the U.S.A. being retired, I would like travel the U.S.A. It’s still on my bucket list. Safe travels.
A great video, fascinating as always. Lots of lovely homes, which seem to be well cared for, and it's great to see hospitals in rural towns like these ! It's always a great day for cat sightings !! Your fried chicken and fries looked awesome !! Thanks so much for the tour, Joe, always enjoyable.😺💚
A thought about the average income in Prentiss buying low crime and kept-up properties: the town did not seem overrun with liquor dispensaries, t-bars and pawn shops. Perhaps these Mississippians have cracked the code to managing limited income? There are all sorts of poverties, and the least of them is about money. This is a thought-provoking tour, for sure.
You make a very good point, something I think contributes is that much of the south is Baptist and they frown upon alcohol, although he didn't show much in the way of churches, they are surely there.
Another thought that comes to mind is that peer pressure is much more effective in a town of 800 residents as opposed to a city with 10,000 and up residents, wether it comes from religion, city hall, police, schools.
@@indianaslim4971 This is THE factor that makes small towns seem so orderly and social and cities so impersonal. It would be a good thing if this showed up in the literature but it's likely taken as understood. It isn't, at least not in it's nuances. Great reply!
The reason the crime stats are so low is because the police do NOTHING. Trust me when I say Prentiss is not as calm as it seems in an early morning drive thru. Lived in JDC half my life lol
I’m from Oregon but my dads brother years ago married a woman from Mize MS which is just north of Taylorsville. I went and visited a few years back and I remember my uncle driving me into Taylorsville and we went to that Piggly Wiggly. It’s weird because I didn’t realize it but when I was watching your video I thought wow that kind of looks familiar, so I decided to look up where my uncle lived and sure enough that is where we went. My uncle has since passed RIP, uncle Paul. His wife is still alive and living in the area. I’ve been to that area of Mississippi twice now. It sure is beautiful there. I still have cousins that live in that general neck of the woods. It’s such a world apart from the Pacific Northwest. My uncle developed a southern accent while he lived down there for most of his life. We always thought it was funny when he would call and have a southern accent being that he’s from Oregon.
Poor is poor. I think what you see in this town is the lasting effects of "old money." Those big homes are probably owned (paid for) by older residents or theyve been passed on to their children. You can't take the financial statistics that you quoted and purchase and maintain homes like that. It's impossible unless you're doing something illegal.
Your astonishment at finding low crime in a town with high poverty shows how brainwashed we are to believe that poor people must become thieves. I was raised in poverty. About the only "luxury" we had was electricity. We had no running water so no indoor plumbing. We had no television and no telephone. We had meat only rarely because we couldn't afford it. We ate plenty of vegetables because we lived in the country and we had a huge garden. We not only had lots of fresh vegetables in the summer but because our mother canned as much as she could get her hands on, we also had lots of vegetables all winter. Our clothes were either handmade by our mother or came from second-hand shops. The term "Thrift Shop" had not yet been invented. I went to my Junior Prom wearing my best Sunday dress because the thought of purchasing a fancy dress to wear only one time was not something that could be considered. I say this to show that we were clearly living in poverty. HOWEVER, the punishment would have been severe if mom and dad had learned that we stole something. We were never taught that because we were poor it would be acceptable for us to just steal what we needed. We either found a way to purchase it or we did without. PERIOD. BTW, this also showed that just as crime and poverty are not synonymous, neither is FILTH and poverty. Just because you're poor does not mean you have to live like a pig. Poor people do not have to live in squalor because it doesn't cost all that much to keep your house clean and to refrain from putting an old refrigerator or broken-down couch on your front porch and to not park derelict cars in the front yard or have old tires decorating the backyard. It appears that the people in this little town in Mississippi were raised to have a few morals even though they live in poverty. They also have apparently been taught that being poor doesn't mean they have to live in a nasty house surrounded by a junkyard for a lawn. My hat's off to them.
The numbers are accurate if calculated by its own population and compared across years. Rural area statistics should not be compared nationally. But for these communities compared to neighboring metropolitan areas it’s low. In all areas across the Mississippi Pinebelt, if you are good to people-they are good to you; and if you mind your business and let people know “I got protection”-you can live a good life!
Poverty absolutely have an effect on crime rates and Ms towns prove it but if you have a strong enough community or a community that helps their neighbor calls out bs instead of turning a blind eye you can defeat it.
That’s awesome!! My dads side of the family is from Taylorsville and Collins. We were in Taylorsville Oct 14th. Going to pass this along to them. I would be cool to run into y’all sometime as I am a trucker. Keep up the great work!!
Again Joe wonderful as usual. Happy cat day ! lol . To the residents in these small towns Mississipi here, Kudos to making your towns clean, well kept homes, low crime..you do it up mighty fine. Beautiful. I'm curious, 2 reasons perhaps for low crime 1) everyone knows everyone & no one wants to be known as a no good person. Respect. 2) everyone one has the same signage 'you will be shot' Good prevention measures I'd say. LOL. Let Nicole know I'm missing her in the last couple trips. 🥰
Love seeing the cats! So many today!! You are my favorite road trip tour guide. Your town stats are priceless. No one else I watch does that (I watch 2 or 3 others, and they have no commentary at all. Each style has its place). I also notice no roadside trash strewn about. Good for them. They care about where they live, looks like.
Really enjoy your road trip thru America…I so enjoy the backroads because they seem to reflect the base note of reality…you do a great job narrating…keep on keeping folks who appreciate your project entertained.🎉
My grandpa grew up in Prentis. We have a family burial plot there. Later he became Supervisor of Covington County. My great great grandfather built the Courthouse in Collins.
Regarding Prentiss just because a town may be poor and uneducated necessarily means its people are scum. Maybe that town has a real sense of community.
I think the word you were looking for in the town of Prentiss is PRIDE. For a town that has lost half it's population and most of it's businesses it appears to be very clean and tidy. That's where the local folk have PRIDE in their town. Unlike some of the towns in previous videos i have watched in this area. In Australia we have the Tidy Towns award given out yearly in each state and you will be surprised how seriously they take it.
Most people in the south live within their means, and take pride in their homes an property, they’re good honest hard working people. Im from Louisiana close to the areas you visited when in the oakdale area just north of it about an hour from there,
I love the neoclassical courthouse in Prentiss. Collins looks very nice. Lovely landscapes and homes. Good to see the cats. Your chicken looked great! Off to check out Areavibes! Thank you for a great video. Looking forward to your list and next video.
Being a nurse, I had to look up the hospital. It’s called Jefferson Davis Community Hospital. I am impressed with the services it provides for such a small town. There’s also a 55 bed nursing home on the campus.
Thank you Joe for another excellent video of small town America in the Deep South. Yes , seems to be a big mismatch between between the stats and what we actually see for example in Collins. On the other a hand, a single person with a 30K income AND a modest ranch home completely paid for could probably live well anywhere in America. So like everywhere, the "have and have nots" are often divided by who owns property and who doesn't. Also, the very low average home prices must reflect the number of very cheap run down properties in the town. I looked on Zillow and one of those average nice looking homes run about $150K not $70K which is a big difference and begs the question how people in the town can afford to buy it?
😅Thank you for the positive reinforcement. Just because you don't have a lot of money, doesn't mean you don't take care of your property. The South also have GREAT religious values which show it the way people greet and treat each other. I have lived just outside Taylorsville MS for a couple years and can testify the people are even better than the towns. Collins is a Jewel of a town and visit it often, please visit it during the Christmas season, you will be amazed!!! I ❤ MS
I know when I settle in with my cup of coffee on Saturday mornings, click on your video and hear you say "All right everyone" to start the video that it's gonna be a good time. Thanks for being consistent with the uploads all this time.
Joe, I see you're heading south again and there's something I wanted to suggest in case you two kids head back to the New Orleans area. Three places you will love to eat at. 1) Pontchartrain PoBoys, Mandeville, fresh seafood , huge portions, 2)Bears PoBoys, Covington, best roast beef poboy sandwich anywhere, & 3)Rocky & Carlos, Chalmette, old New Orleans eats for the everyman. Nicole may like them, but you will absolutely love them. Large portions, high quality, reasonable prices of New Orleans finest eats.
Mississippi definitely has some untapped potential on the gulf shores it’s just a shame that most of the land there either seems abandoned or unused for beach
Ah, you are in my old stomping grounds. I'm from Brookhaven and through the 1980's worked and managed three 2-way radio shops, one in Brookhaven, one in Laural, and one in McComb, and our territory was everything around and between those three towns, so I knew the area you traveled very well up until I moved to Texas in 1996. The biggest change was the upgrades to highway 84 as it went from a 2 lane to a 4 lane and bypassed most of those small towns along the way, so it was quite surprising how much everything looks much the same after almost 30 years away. Folks there do tend to take care of things, its only when the kids move away and the parents pass, and there is nobody to take care of the old home place that things go down hill. I do agree with you, they would be great towns to retire in, if they had better geriatric health services in the area.
I notice you gave out a couple of temperatures in one of the towns. Perhaps it might be of interest if you gave both summer and winter averages for those who may be considering retiring,or just moving to these towns?
I live on the coast. Winter here rarely drops below 40; highs are usually in the 60's. Lots of rain in winter and summer but we like the showers in the summer to cool things down a bit. Fall/Spring are very short seasons but definitely the most pleasant. You can enjoy outdoor activities pretty much year around but June - August, you'll want to stay hydrated and have an easy escape plan into air conditioning, especially if you're not used to the humidity 😂
Some well-kept small towns! My guess is that some folks in those nicer homes in Prentiss might be doctors and administrators who work in the hospital? I'm glad that you're showing all sides of these towns and not just trying to show poverty in a sensational way. A well balanced approach.
A Piggly Wiggly! One of my earliest memories of Los Angeles was going to a Piggly Wiggly in the early 60s. They don't have them in California any more but I see them from time to time on road trips and get a flash of nostalgia. After a bit of a feline drought, it's good to see that you're getting your cat-spotting mojo back 🙂. I'm thinking the trespassing sign would be funnier (and apropos of the season) if the owner had a Halloween skeleton or two sprawled on the ground in front of the store.
Man, these towns are blowing my mind. Clean AF. Nice, quiet. No commercialization. No traffic. No sirens. It’s almost surreal. I feel like it’s almost like a Twilight Zone episode or something and I am waiting for the twist at the end. It’s like I’ve always said. Even if you are poor or lower income you don’t have to be a messy pig. You can take pride in your place and community and keep it clean. Cleanliness is good. In today’s troubled times those places look like paradise. “Calgon take me away…” Hahaha.
Did you have to "throw names" in Prentiss? When I made a shun-piking visit to Prentiss, my Mississippian friend thought I acted rashly and would be accosted by locals wanting to know my business. I never was. Your comment on the houses being nice tells the lie about Mississippi: it's supposed to be universally terrible. In truth, the Delta is bad, Jackson is a mess, and the rest is nice. The poverty levels are based on national standards. In many states, the people in those houses would be homeless. When you say "Does this town look poor to you?" You hit the nail on the head. Lots of Mississippi is like that. Cheapest housing in the country. And hospitals open in small towns. And cat friendly. 😉
👍Opening shot: the long road sparse of traffic, the sideways (not overhead) tree-canopy of wide branches, and the brilliant, still light from a windless & cloudless high sky -- all remind me of a William Faulkner novel. Classic. 👍 Skills from when you goofied with amatuer movie-making, Joe??
Great video! eye opener also on these towns. The chicken lunch looked great. Can I b so bold 2 ask how much that was cuz ya got a lot of food in there! Ty 4 taking us thru these towns. Hi 2 Nicole! Stay safe guys
Pride doesn't come from money, it comes from the individual. What nice looking little towns. Looks like country living at it's best. I'm sure many make the drive down to Hattiesburg, where my sister lives, for work..
Just because you're low income or considered "poor", doesn't mean you don't have pride in your home or city! It cost very little to keep your lawn mowed and green and the garbage cleaned up.
I asked in another of your videos I just watched whether you were still doing cat sightings because I couldn't remember you doing it in recent videos. I guess this video answers that question. Jackpot day for cats! 😊
One of your many great videos, I was born in Philadelphia MS, but grew up in Syracuse NY. My father is always telling me about Mississippi, he grew up in Stallo MS.
Damn bro you biting into that chicken and that okra those fries just made me want to eat right then I would love to have about three boxes of that. 😅😅😅😅 Also that comment you made at the end about being old, and the chickens going to kill you, well at least it's a good way to go huh you ate a great meal before you went. I had to chuckle hard when you said that cuz I'm 65. Sometimes though I feel like I'm 21 again, I don't drink or do drugs anymore but sometimes the coffee works..
