Steven's Travels and Thoughts

Hot Coffee, Mississippi is a rural area on Hwy 532 near Mt. Olive and Collins, Mississippi. I first heard about Hot Coffee in 1982 when I lived in Mississippi for few years.

On August 19, 2006, I had the opportunity to drive through Hot Coffee on my way to Soso, Mississippi from Jackson. When I saw the highway sign saying Downtown Hot Coffee, I pulled over to take a picture. The only business I saw was J & H Harper Grocery so I decided to visit it. The owners, Judy and Herbert Harper, welcomed me. We chatted about Hot Coffee and their store. I jokingly, called Herbert, the mayor of Hot Coffee. He replied, I was not the only one who called him the mayor.

The store sold groceries, but antiques and curios were everywhere. There were deer heads, two gasoline pump handles with a sign from when gas sold for 25.9 cents a gallon, and more.

Herbert pointed out one novelty – an old coffin, perched high on a shelf with a gloved shirtsleeve hanging out of it. When I turned to see the coffin, he pulled a fishing line that made the glove wave. We got a chuckle out of that.

I have read that the store is now closed, but the pictures below share a glimpse of what I saw in Hot Coffee, Mississippi.

If you look on the top shelf you will see the coffin with the glove hanging out, which Herbert made wave at customers by pulling a fishing line.