A Photographic Exercise: Fulton Town Square Then and Now

The town square of Fulton has been the hub of county activity for more than 170 years. Being the county seat of government, the town square has served as a meeting place from the pioneer days of the 1830’s to the present. Perhaps the apex of town square activity was during the 1940’s and 1950’s when, on Saturdays, the square was filled with folks from all over the countryside, shopping and visiting.

However, like many other small towns across America, much of the retail business has left the traditional town square and moved to shopping centers. The black and white photo was taken from the corner of North Cummings Street and West Main Street during the mid-1940’s. The color photograph was taken on Wednesday, June 6, 2007 in the same location. It is amazing how the buildings have basically remained the same over sixty plus years as just minor changes in design and color have taken place.

To view much larger versions of the photographs, visit the Itawamba Historical Society’s Photographic Exercise page. The next posting will be a comparison of town square scenes spanning 100 years.