Merci Train Memorial -- Jackson MS
N 32° 17.910 W 090° 10.747
15S E 765626 N 3577018
A sign at the Merci Train boxcar given to the state of Mississippi by the French government in 1949 located at the old GM&O Depot near the Old Capitol Museum in Jackson MS explains the history of this gift
Waymark Code: WMWD0R
Location: Mississippi, United States
Date Posted: 08/16/2017
Views: 2
In 1949 the government of France wanted to show its gratitude to the United States for everything United States had done during World War I and to to help the French people. They decided to create a Merci Train comprised of 49 boxcars filled with French cultural and symbolic gifts, one for each state and one to be shared by the District of Columbia and the US territory of Hawaii.
The Mississippi state Merci Boxcar is on display at the old GM&O Depot near the old Capitol Museum in Jackson MS.
A sign at the boxcar reads as follows:
"MERCI TRAIN MEMORIAL
History of the Merci Train
Frequently referred to as “40 & 8” cars because of their capacity to carry “40 men or 8 horses.” The boxcars were built beginning in the 18 seventies and used in both world wars to transport troops and supplies. Each of the cars of the Merci Train was adorned with coats of arms of the provinces of France and filled with offerings from the French people is a heartfelt thank you to America for its aid to France during war to. The 49 cars that composed the Merci Train arrived in New York harbor aboard the ship Magellan on February 3, 1949. Because the wheelbase of the French boxcars was too narrow for American rail tracks, they were transported to the various states by flatcar. This boxcar came to Jackson via circuitous route on different rail lines through the states of Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama.
Following a brief stop and transfer to the Illinois Central rail line in Meridian, Mississippi, the boxcar given to the state of Mississippi by France arrived in Jackson at 4 p.m. on February 12, 1949. Dignitaries on hand to receive the Merci Train included Mississippi Governor Fielding L. Wright, Jackson Mayor Alan C. Thompson, Mississippi Department of Archives and History Director Dr. William D. McCain, and the French Consul-General to New Orleans, Lionel Vasse. Among the myriad gifts packed in the railcar were paintings, drawings, handmade clothing, lace, dolls, metals, musical instruments, flags, candlesticks, and letters. They were displayed for 2 weeks at the central farmers market on Woodrow Wilson Drive, attracting large crowds of visitors, and were later distributed to appropriate institutions and organizations throughout Mississippi. Items given to the Department of Archives and History, some of which are pictured, remain in the museum’s collections.
Inset: MERCI TRAIN MEMORIAL
This boxcar is one of 49 gift-filled railcars that composed the Merci Train, also known as the French Gratitude Train, sent to the American People in 1949 by the citizens of France. The gift of the Merci Train was a spontaneous act of gratitude for France’s liberation during World War II and for the more than 700 boxcars of food and other supplies US citizens donated to aid Europe’s post-World War II recovery. Millions of French families donated items to fill the boxcars to overflowing. Each of the then 48 states received a boxcar, while the District of Columbia and Hawaii shared the 49th car.
[photos of some of the gifts received by the State of MS in their boxcar]"
Date Installed:: 1/1/2015
Organization that placed the object:: Mississippi Department of Archives and History
Related Website:: [Web Link]
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