Magyar News, 1998. szeptember-1999. augusztus (9. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1999-06-01 / 10. szám
had the name Kossuth written on it. This included the general store, combination post office, seamstress' shop, firehouse, elementary school, high school, sport fields and three churches. Kossuth has a Boy Scout Troop, number 133 and the best basketball team in Alcorn County. The three churches are Baptist, Methodist and Church of Christ. In spite of the remoteness of the village to our knowledge four Hungarians have already visited the village one of whom was Edmund Vasvaty, reformed minister and archivist who mailed a greeting card from the village which card is now in the possession of the Vasváry Archive, Somogyi Libraty Szeged, Hungary. Most of the local industry is Settled in 1840 as New Hope. Name changed to Kossuth in 1853 to honor Hungarian patriot Louis Kossuth. Home of Col. M. P. Lowery, founder of Blue Mountain College. A skirmish occurred here during the Civil War. Alcorn Agricultural High School was established here in 1908; became Kossuth High School in 1960. Four American communities and one county took the name of Kossuth to commemorate his 1851—2 visit to the United States. On my visit to Budapest last year I promised István Gavlik, the president of the Kossuth Society that I would personally visit the distant village of Kossuth, Mississippi (MS) which was omitted by the Hungarian TV crew led by László Csorba and Mihály Ráday. We left New Orleans during the four-day Mardi Gras weekend to meet the mayor and the Historical Society of the town Kossuth on Feb. 15, 1999. The mileage meter showed exactly 500 miles on our car when we alighted in front of the town's one room townhall. This remote settlement of 250 is located at the Alabama (AL), Mississippi(MS) and Tennessee (TN) borders where a historical marker in the center of the town proclaims that the town was named in honor of the Hungarian patriot Louis Kossuth. We photographed this marker and every sign that Kossuth everywhere Julianna Bika visited an American town in Mississippi with a Hungarian name centered in Corinth eight miles away to where many of the inhabitants commute. Kossutli is an agricultural community and except for the village proper the houses are scattered on rolling fields and hills. The school's symbol, the bull's head for the Haggles is displayed around the school and its facilities. Cotton, wheat and soybeans are the main agricultural products. There is also silviculture neaiby. The part-time mayor of Kossuth. Steve Lambert works for the National Geograpluc printing presses where the magazine is printed in many languages including Hungarian. He is also a volunteer captain in the all-volunteer fire department. His w ife Linda Maud teaches in the high school and works as a part-time secretary for the mayor. In their spare time Page 4
