According to Ron Collins, owner of the www.vaiden.net website, “Vaiden, Mississippi is not Heaven, but it’s probably in the same zip code.”

It may be harder to find a bigger fan in the state of Mississippi of the town of Vaiden than Ron Collins. Since the Fall of 1999, Collins has been sharing his favorite memories and a wealth of history about his hometown of Vaiden.

Collins love of Vaiden history has been ingrained in him since birth, but he points back to 1976 where his real passion for local history began. During the Vaiden Bicentennial, the Vaiden Garden Club composed ‘The Vaiden Heritage,” a book containing the history of Vaiden. It was composed of early Vaiden photos and information about the founding of Vaiden.

“Some of the old advertisements really caught my attention as well, and I spent hours looking at that book,” Collins said. “As a kid, I had explored just about every ‘nook and cranny’ of Vaiden – from gathering supplies for my treehouse to playing at the Old Shongalo junkyard, to riding bicycles all over town, with not a worry in the world.” Continue reading →