John Blommart

"We are taking a journey along what was the busiest road in the Old Southwest in the early 1800s, the Natchez Trace. Mount Locust is the sole remaining stand of more than 50 "houses of entertainment" that once thrived along side the old road.

"The original land grant for what became Mount Locust, was made in 1779 by British West Florida to Thomas Harmon who transferred the land to John Blommart, a Swiss-born soldier of fortune who had been a powerful man in Pensacola, the Capitol of British West Florida.

"Also in 1779 Spain went to war with the British and captured Baton Rouge and occupied Natchez. In 1781 the British planned to retake these territories, and commissioned Blommart, then owner of Mount Locust, to lead a revolt in Natchez. Blommart was successful, but the rest of the British plan only ended up losing the capitol, Pensacola, to the Spanish. With no support Blommart surrendered to the Spanish and was later banished from the territory.

"Join us next time when we'll look at something a little different, the first of many informative nature trails along the Natchez Trace Parkway. I'm Frank Thomas, your guide along the Natchez Trace, a Road Through the Wilderness."

For more about Natchez Trace: A Road Through the Wilderness, visit eddieandfrank.com