COLUMBUS, Miss. — They were the center of life and livelihood long before they were linked by a canal. And like so many others across the country, they were the lifeline for much of the nation’s development, from its largest cities to the frontier.
And now, the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway and other water ways across the nation will come to life in a new exhibit opening in January at the Tenn-Tom Waterway Transportation Museum in Columbus.
The traveling educational exhibit Water/Ways, from the Smithsonian’s Museum on Main Street, will be on display Jan. 26 through March 10 with daily tours and viewing for classrooms, families and individuals Monday through Saturdays.
“It’s truly an exhibit for all ages. It’s filled with the kind of things that make you go, ‘I never knew that’ and ‘Oh wow’,” said Tenn-Tom Waterway Transportation Museum Board member.
“It’s a wonderful opportunity for us to host it to explain the role waterways and water have played in our history and will play in our future and to expose the region to our own Tenn-Tom Waterway Museum,” Mays continued.
Designed for small towns and regional exhibits, “Water/Ways” explores the endless motion of the water cycle and its effect on everything from the landscape and environment to settlement, migration, and culture. The interactive exhibits, features and breathtaking pictures weave together a story for generations.
It looks at how political and economic planning have been affected by access to water and control of water resources. It also encourages a better understanding of conserving those resources and renewing respect for the natural environment.
“Between the Tombigbee and the Tennessee rivers, so much of this region’s history and culture centers on water and we hardly think about it. This exhibit will change that and get us talking about things we’ve never thought about like how water impacts not just our jobs and economic development but also music and art.
The Museum is located on Seventh Street North in downtown Columbus adjacent to the historic Lee Home Museum and the Columbus-Lowndes Public Library.
“Just look at how many times rivers and waters like the Great Lakes, the Gulf of Mexico, the Mississippi or the Ohio or the Missouri or the Hudson rivers are mentioned in songs and literature,” explained Glen Lautzenhiser, chairman of the volunteer committee that is hosting the exhibit.
.“Look at the kinds of policy debates we are having about water across the country. The wonder of the exhibit is it works just as well for a family, individuals or school or community groups. That’s what makes it so special,” he added. “When you combine it with our existing waterway museum, it’s a unique opportunity that’s right here in front of us.”
For more information on the exhibit or to schedule a tour for a school or community group, call the Tenn-Tom Waterway Transportation Museum or call Agnes Zaiontz, the museum executive
director at (662) 328-8936. For information, visit the Museum Web site at https://www.tenntom.org.
