Throughout the years, many businesses have come and gone in Mississippi. While some are easily forgotten, others are hard to forget. After doing a bit of digging around, we found a few of the state’s oldest shops. Whether still in operation or not, anyone who’s grown up in Mississippi is sure to recognize these stores. Read on to see how many your remember.

1. H. Frishman Department Store
RoadsideArchitecture.com
Located in Port Gibson, Frishman Department Store first opened in the early 1900s. Though it’s been years since the store was in operation, the Red Goose Shoes sign still remains. Extremely rare, only a few Red Goose Shoes signs are still on display around the country.
2. Kennington's Department Store
Mississippi Department of Archives and History
The first Kennington’s Department Store opened in Jackson in 1905. It quickly began to thrive, leading to a New York City store being opened. Kennington’s came to an end in the 1970s, when it was sold to McRae’s.

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3. Jitney Jungle
Paul Lowry/Flickr
If you’ve lived in Mississippi for an extended period of time, you most likely visited a Jitney Jungle at some point. The popular supermarket opened its first store in Jackson in 1919, with the chain gradually expanding across Mississippi and into nearby states. Jitney Jungle’s success began to decline in the 1990s due to debt, and by 2000, Winn Dixie acquired the chain.
4. Neilson’s Department Store
neilsonsdepartmentstore.com
In business since 1838 and still going strong, Neilson's is the South's oldest store and the nation's 16th oldest! By 1980, the Oxford landmark landed a spot on the National Register of Historic Places. A must-visit when in Oxford, the store sells everything from clothing to housewares.
5. S. H. Kress & Co.
Onasill ~ Bill Badzo/Flickr
Opened by Samuel Henry Kress, S.H. Kress & Co. was a five and dime store that operated from 1896 to 1981. Extremely successful, Kress stores were located in hundreds of cities and towns and could most often be found on the town’s Main Street. Natchez, Hattiesburg, and Meridian, are just a few of the Mississippi cities that once had a Kress store.

So, do you remember all of these stores? Have another vintage shop to add to this list? Tell us in the comments section!

Looking for more ways to get your fill of nostalgia? Check out “These 14 Old Signs Spotted In Mississippi Are Like Entering A Time Machine.“

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