Tanglefoot Trail

All aboard the Tanglefoot Trail! Once a railroad track that spanned Mississippi from top to bottom, the Tanglefoot Trail is now a walking, running, and biking trail for all to enjoy. Before its creation in 2013, though, M.B. Mayfield used the old railroad tracks and the picturesque fields and daily life of Ecru, Mississippi's citizens as inspiration for his paintings. The Tanglefoot Trail offers the same to you today, so enjoy exploring it as you learn about Mayfield's life.

While in Ecru, one cannot help to notice the Tanglefoot Trail, as it is a centerpiece of the town. How did it come to be, though? In 1871, Colonel William Clark Falkner began building the Gulf and Ship Island Railroad. This railroad stretched down Mississippi, connecting a few of the state’s small towns together. One of these towns happened to be Ecru. Although the railroad served its purpose for many years, it was eventually abandoned and remained that way until September 2013. This was the grand opening date of the Tanglefoot Trail; a biking, walking, or running trail that replaced the forty-four mile railroad tracks through Mississippi. Before his death, M.B. Mayfield painted many scenes along the railroad of the cotton fields and the people that worked in the fields. Now, people all over Mississippi come to experience the trail for themselves. Ready to start your own trip on the trails? On the main street of Ecru, the Friendship Fitness gym offers bicycle rentals, so you can bike and support a local business. There are also many accommodations along the trail for food, sleep, and shopping.

Although the railroad seen in his paintings is now the trail, you can easily go back in time trying to find the exact spots of each painting. In the pictures for this location, Some of the paintings that were inspired by the railroad and the surrounding locations are included in the pictures section of this stop on the tour. The trail as seen in many of Mayfield’s paintings is beautiful and full of nature. By seeing how amazing and natural it is in his paintings, you can truly appreciate his art for depicting how the area used to be. If you have the time, try to walk along the trail and spot the approximate locations of the paintings. The easiest one to find off the main street of Ecru is the cotton gin, which is included in one of his more popular works, as it still stands today! The beauty of the trail can be seen in his paintings like the Cotton Gin which can be seen in a beautiful field surrounded by trees. Also, if you do not have the time today on your tour to fully enjoy the trail, consider taking your family or friends back to Ecru for a day trip so you can spend hours exploring, biking, or letting children play. As for the artists among you, this is an excellent place to paint as Mayfield demonstrated time and again.

Entry by Ellie Davis and James Geiger

Tanglefoot Trail. Accessed April 21st 2022. http://tanglefoottrail.com/trail-towns-info/lodging-food/#.YksUtW7MK3I http://tanglefoottrail.com/trail-towns-info/about-the-tanglefoot/#.YksVs27ML9E.

Mayfield, M.B.. The Baby Who Crawled Backwards: An Autobiography. Memphis, TN. Langford & Associates, 2003.