Crowds made up of local residents, out-of-town visitors and Meridian natives back home for the weekend gathered downtown Saturday to reconnect with the Queen City’s past during the third annual Meridian Downtown History Walk.

Warm temperatures and sunny skies made for a beautiful day as attendees started at Dumont Plaza and then strolled a loop that extended a few blocks in each direction, stopping to listen to stories about Meridian’s history told by members of the Rose Hill Company of Storytellers and volunteers.

“It has been a great turnout. We couldn’t have asked for a better day,” said Sharon Hartley, who was set up in Dumont Plaza with her husband, Lee Hartley.

In their vignette, the Hartleys portrayed Louis and Libbye Dumont, a Jewish couple who owned a department store that was located where Dumont Plaza is today.

Louis Dumont, who immigrated along with his family to the U.S. from Russia, was a prominent downtown Meridian merchant for more than a quarter of a century.

“I think the Dumont family is an interesting story to portray,” said Sharon Hartley, who added they had seen a constant stream of listeners come through the plaza.

Across the street at the corner of 22nd Avenue and Fifth Street, several student actors with the Stage 2 youth theatrical company entertained history buffs with a vignette about an encounter between Union soldiers and a Meridian woman during the Civil War. In 1864, during the week of Feb. 14-20, the Union Army spent the week burning buildings and homes and destroying the railroad lines in Meridian, confiscating anything of value as they raided the city.

According to narrator Aaron Walker and the acting troupe’s short scene, a vanguard of the Union Army entered the outskirts of the city where homeowner Mrs. Semmes met them at her front gate. The soldiers informed her they were about to burn down her house, but Mrs. Semmes immediately fell to her knees and began praying. The two Union soldiers, moved by her action, chose to leave her house unharmed.

Aaron Walker said a good number of people, in both large and small groups, had stopped by to listen to their story. The performers, which also included Allie Wyman, Alana Richardson, Lillian Nunnery, Davis Reed and Jones Walker, appeared to be having a good time.

Down the block on Fifth Street, Jan Mardis was eager to show participants a replica gypsy wagon and explain how the Romani families traveled throughout the Southeast by horse-drawn wagons in the early part of the 20th Century. While her wagon was just a prop, the Romani wagon, or vardo, was typically highly decorated, intricately carved and brightly painted on the interior with built-in seats, bunk beds and cabinets, she said.

Mardis said she had spoken with both community residents and out-of-town visitors during the history walk.

Steps away at one corner of Fifth Street and 23rd Avenue was Elizabeth Dabit, who was telling the story of Kelly Mitchell, the queen of the gypsies who died while the Mitchell Romani family was passing through the region. Her body was brought to Meridian for burial in Rose Hill Cemetery.

Two of those gathered to hear her tale were Meridian natives who happened to be back in town visiting family.

Marilyn Abston Whiting, who now lives in Chicago, and Nell Jackson, who lives north of Jackson, said they wanted to see the revitalization efforts going on in downtown Meridian and a friend suggested they check out the history walk since it was a pleasant day to be outside.

“It has changed so much,” Whiting said of the downtown area’s growth since she lived here. “It is beautiful.”

Whiting and Jackson said they were enjoying the history walk and reconnecting with the Queen City.

Organizer Anne McKee estimated more than 800 history buffs turned out for the third annual history walk.