One would not be blamed for automatically thinking that the grave site of the founder of Vicksburg would be located in or near the central part of the city in Warren County in Mississippi — but it is actually located northeast of the city in a somewhat sparsely populated area.
Grave Site of The Founder of Vicksburg
The only indication that one has arrived at the site is a green historic marker, which can be hidden by trees upon approach and therefore easy to pass without realizing it. On the marker itself are the words:
VICK GRAVES
Buried here is Rev. Newitt Vick, the Founder of Vicksburg, his wife Elizabeth, and their four children. Vick, a Methodist minister, and his wife settled here in 1812; both died of yellow fever in 1819. In 1825. the Court Square was donated to the county as a memorial to the Vick family.
Mississippi Department of Archives and History, 2007
A stone marker — which is located adjacent to the small parking lot — indicates that visitors have arrived to the right place if they are searching for the grave of the founder of Vicksburg. How the first name of the founder of Vicksburg is apparently in dispute, as this stone marker spells the first name Newet instead of Newitt with the following words engraved on it:
THE REV. NEWET VICK MEMORIAL
ESTABLISHED IN 1984 BY
CRAWFORD STREET UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
WITH ASSISTANCE BY CITY OF VICKSBURG
WARREN COUNTY
AND
INDIVIDUAL CITIZENS
The grave site itself is surrounded by a low brick wall with two large trees adjacent to it — and it includes several graves.
Newet Vick — as the first name is spelled on the grave itself — was born on Monday, March 17, 1766 in Virginia and “departed this life” exactly 204 years ago on Thursday, August 5, 1819. His wife Elizabeth was born in Virginia on Thursday, April 16, 1772. She also died exactly 204 years ago on the same day as her husband.
Hartwell Vick was born on Monday, March 12, 1792 and died in April of 1833; while the grave of Martha Vick indicates that she was born on Thursday, February 20, 1800 and died on Wednesday, September 7, 1851.
Hartwell and Martha are two of the eleven children of Newet — or Newitt — and Elizabeth Vick.
Final Boarding Call
Give yourself ten minutes to look over and explore the site — or perhaps some more time if you are really interested in the history of the founder of Vicksburg.
Interestingly, the grave site for the founder of Vicksburg cannot be specifically located on Google Maps at the time that this article was written; but it is located on the south side of Oak Ridge Road in unincorporated Vicksburg. Take exit 5A off of Interstate 20 and drive approximately 2.5 miles north on United States Highway 61 before turning right on Oak Ridge Road. Then, head east on Oak Ridge Road approximately 2.8 miles to the site. Allow at least seven minutes for the drive from Interstate 20 to the site.
The grave site of the founder of Vicksburg and some of his family is open to the public 24 hours per day, seven days per week. No admission is charged.
Free parking is available — but toilet facilities are not available.
All photographs ©2023 by Brian Cohen.
