Lex Anteinternet: USS Mississippi launched, January 25, 1917

Wednesday, January 25, 2017

USS Mississippi launched, January 25, 1917

The USS Mississippi was launched at Newport News on this date in 1917.

Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels and others.

Sponsor Camille McBeath, who was a local girl chosen to perform the honor of breaking the bottle of wine on the hull. This ship was unusually subject to a controversy on whether to use wine or water, given Virginia's recent enactment of prohibition. The choice was at one time left up to Miss McBeath who wisely deferred to Newport News, who had built the ship.

She would serve until February, 1956.

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Lex Anteinternet?

This blog has been around since 2009. In the very first post, we asked the question: "What the heck is this blog about?"

Our answer to the question was: "The intent of this blog is to try to explore and learn a few things about the practice of law prior to the current era. That is, prior to the internet, prior to easy roads, and the like. How did it work, how regional was it, how did lawyers perceive their roles, and how were they perceived?"

We also noted: "Part of the reason for this, quite frankly, has something to do with minor research for a very slow moving book."

All of this is still true, but the focus of the blog has changed somewhat. It now focuses on the era from 1890 to 1920 in general, rather than on the law and lawyers specifically, although that may be far from obvious. It's also become the location where we comment on anything we feel moved to comment on.

We hope you'll feel moved to comment as well. While we moderate every comment, so as to weed out Spam, we greatly appreciate the comments where they are offered, and hope to see more.

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