MSU Faculty Spotlight Natchez in New ‘Hidden History’ Publication

Contact person: Sarah Nicolas

STARKVILLE, Mississippi—A fourth book in the “Hidden History” series of Mississippi has been published by a Mississippi State faculty member and journalism advisor.

Joshua K. Foreman, an instructor in MSU’s communications department and adviser to student newspaper The Reflector, published “Hidden History of Natchez,” co-written with Ryan Starrett, another Jackson native and Foreman’s childhood friend.

The History Press book series written by the two authors details the mysteries and hidden aspects of the Deep South and explores the stories of early Mississippians that little was previously known about.

“Natchez’s story is so unique that it deserves to be written down,” Foreman said. “Natchez was the great village of the Natchez Indians, a stronghold for the French, a commercial hub for the British, a target for American pirates and a hold for the Spaniards, all before it became part of the Mississippi. So many different types of people have lived in Natchez that the layers of culture and history here are as thick as its loamy soil.

“Mississippi’s history is so present it can be overwhelming. It is a blessing and a curse for us Mississippians. But if we tell true stories about the Mississippians who came before us, we honor them and reveal part of the path forward,” Foreman said.

“A good example is John Blommart, who is virtually unknown to Mississippians today, but he was a sea captain who traveled the world, a Swiss mercenary and British war hero, and the richest man in Natchez. at one time,” Foreman said.

“Another good example is William Johnson, a free black citizen from Natchez who became wealthy running a barber shop. Johnson kept one of the most detailed and thorough diaries of any Natchez citizen of that era, and in doing so offered the city a colorful account of life in the city in the 1830s and 40s.”

Foreman and Starrett plan future books on the greater Natchez Trace region, the Mississippi Delta, and areas north of the Mississippi. More information about the authors is available at www.foremanstarrett.com.

“Josh is a storyteller at heart,” said Terry Likes, professor and head of MSU’s communications department. “Like most journalists, he strives to find unique stories about American life.

“Josh wears many hats, from teaching photography and journalism, overseeing online newsroom Bulldog – a new capstone course in the print and digital journalism concentration – to advising The Reflector and chairing the Story State conference held at MSU. All of these components involve telling engaging stories like Josh does with his Hidden History series which, in this case, details colorful and tragic stories in the state of Magnolia.

As part of the Hidden History series, Foreman and Starrett published “Hidden History of Jackson” in 2018, “Hidden History of the Mississippi Sound” in 2019, and “Hidden History of New Orleans” in 2020.

The duo also wrote “Dallas Tough,” an early city story, in 2020.

Part of the College of Arts and Sciences, more information about the Department of Communication can be found at www.comm.msstate.edu.

MSU is the main university in Mississippi, available online at www.msstate.edu.