hopson

Location: Clarksdale Mississippi, Hopson Commissary

Just outside of downtown Clarksdale is the Commissary, situated on the old Hopson plantation. The Hopson plantation was established in 1852 and at its height was one of the largest farms in the delta region. With World War II in full swing the demand for labor in the northern factories stripped the south of its workforce. Luckily, the Hopson plantation had already been experimenting with alternative farming methods for the past decade. In 1944, International Harvester introduced the first cotton picker on the Hopson farm. This made Hopson the first farm in the world to grow and harvest cotton completely by mechanical methods.

In the old days every plantation would have a commissary where share cropper families would purchase on credit everything they needed to live on the farm… Unfortunately, creative accounting practices on the part of the commissary plagued the share cropping system and at the end of every season the families tied to the plantation always seemed to be in the red.

Today, the Hopson Commissary is one of the best places in the delta to hear live music...They usually get some of the best acts that roll into town. Legendary blues pianist Pinetop Perkins, who lived on the Hopson farm when he was a kid, still comes home every year to play at the Commissary. But for Floyd, Hopson was unfamiliar and considering he had not been back to Mississippi in 60 years there was some apprehension about playing on an old plantation. But in the end, Hopson was his favorite place to play...oh and make sure you sample the catfish they serve up.