Barham retiring as Visitor Center director

By Randy Bell

Barham at the 2022 Veterans Day Tribute, one of many she coordinated during her tenure.

As director of the Clinton Visitor Center for more than thirteen years, Marsha Barham has welcomed thousands of people to the city. But a couple of visitors from Austria stand out. They were bicycling brothers who grew up near the spot where The Sound of Music was filmed.

“The Natchez Trace was on their bucket list to cycle,” Barham recalls.

Standing in front of the United States map on the Visitor Center wall, the men told their story of biking across China, then Australia and on to South America, then north to Mississippi. Barham says they were looking forward to the homecoming celebration which was waiting for them when they returned to Austria.

There have been visitors from many other countries—a total of 94 to be exact – and Barham says she and her volunteers always tried to find a way to communicate with them despite the language barrier that often separated them.

She remembers when a Japanese man stopped by and struck up a conversation with a volunteer, even though neither could understand what the other was saying. He stood at the front desk and bowed. The volunteer stood up and bowed. They continued to exchange bows for a few minutes before the man waved goodbye.

“I think my volunteer did an outstanding job with her service,” Barham says.

With her retirement on November 15, Evan Winschel takes over as director of the Visitor Center. The Board of Aldermen approved his hiring October 21.

“I have truly valued my time here and the relationships I have built with the volunteers, Clintonians and the City employees,” Barham says. “We have cultivated a culture of high performance and continuous improvements and enhancements to maintain a best-in-class Visitor Center and enriching visitor engagements.”

But the job has been about more than just welcoming visitors.

Brandon Morgan
After being named Outstanding Citizen of the Year, Barham served as Grand Marshall of the Clinton Christmas Parade in 2017.

“I quickly was influenced on Clinton’s history by working closely with Dr. Walter Howell, City Historian, for many years; and we created many historical events, whether it was a dramatic reading sharing Clinton’s history or the unveiling of a historical marker.”

Barham, with the help of a committee, was able to develop eighteen of the city’s thirty-two state and local historical markers, with three more to be unveiled in 2026. Also, she has overseen the creation of Clinton’s Walk of Honorees on the walking trail at the Quisenberry Library. Thirty-seven people are honored there.

Another of her responsibilities: the Veteran’s Banner Program.

“The program was created for the community to recognize and honor all Clinton veterans who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces with courage and compassion,” Barham says. Begun in 2017, it’s grown to now include 159 veterans, each with a banner proudly displayed along the Clinton Parkway during the Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day holidays.

And there’s an opportunity for more banners when lamp posts are installed along Pinehaven Drive. Barham says veterans or their families who want to apply for a banner can contact the Visitor Center to be placed on a waiting list. More details will be released early next year.

During her time as director, Barham has worked to bring entertainment to the Visitor Center.

“In 2014, several local Saturday morning musicians who were playing weekly at the Visitor Center approached me about starting an evening performance,” she says. “These musicians were Comer ‘Moon’ Mullins, Theda Shirley, Murry Stewart and David McCoy. I was in favor of the idea and started work on the graphics—and ‘Friday Nights at Milepost 89’ was born.

Over the ten years, we have had great multi-instrumentalists and talented singer-songwriters performing a variety of genres of music.”

Even though she’s retiring, Barham won’t be disappearing. In addition to having time to explore her passions and interests, the woman who was the first Clintonian that many visitors ever met will continue helping to promote the city.

“I look forward to giving back to the Clinton community by volunteering and being involved with the Main Street Clinton events.”