Natchez Trace: A Road Through the Wilderness

Windsor Ruins

"Today we'll look at the often photographed ruins of the Windsor Plantation house, twelve miles southwest of Port Gibson and lying several miles to the west of the Natchez Trace Parkway. This magnificent Greek Revival plantation home sat high up on a hilltop, overlooking the Mississippi River. It was completed in 1861 just before the outbreak of the Civil War, and during the war between the states, Confederate soldiers used the roof of the mansion as an observation deck. The Windsor plantation house was fortunate to make it though the war intact. But after having survived so much of both the war and the war's aftermath this grand old building was destroyed by fire during a party in 1890.

"What's left for visitors to see today are 23 huge Corinthian columns that reach skyward and speak to the poet's heart in all of those who will take the time to listen and remember. So you see, even a Windsor in ruins is a grand mansion as its eerie columns stand like a ghostly skeleton of the antebellum South.

"Join us next time when we journey on up the parkway to walk through an enchanted forest at SUNKEN TRACE. For Natchez Trace: A Road Through the Wilderness, I'm Frank Thomas."

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

Sunken Trace

"Our journey along the Natchez Trace Parkway, north out of Natchez, Mississippi has brought us to a site near Port Gibson, the town U. S. Grant found too beautiful to burn during the civil war. Today's site is called SUNKEN TRACE.

"SUNKEN TRACE is a place you can walk along a section of the old trail and see how the footsteps of animals and people over the centuries have worn their way deep into the loose topsoil deposited here by windstorms hundreds of thousands of years ago.

"If you decide to take a few minutes to walk the Old Trace, you may be fooled by the shadows and the tangle of vines, and roots, and the Spanish Moss that makes beards for the trees, and believe this to be an enchanted forest; but as you walk, try to imagine how the travelers in the early 1800s felt having 500 miles to endure, not knowing if they would survive the swamps, and the heat, and the swollen rivers and streams, the insects, disease, and accidents that lay ahead for them.

"Join us next time when we'll visit Grindstone Ford where early travelers along the Trace took their first steps into the wilderness. This is 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

Grindstone Ford

"A Ford, as you know, is not just a car, it's a place to wade across a stream. The significance of Grindstone Ford is that the water it crosses is Bayou Pierre. The Ford is about 45 miles up the Trace now from Natchez and in the early 1800s when boatmen traveled north out of Natchez to return home after floating their produce down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers to sell it at Natchez or New Orleans, crossing Bayou Pierre marked their first actual steps into the wilderness. Up to this point, they'd been in the Old Natchez District, but after crossing the ford, travelers were setting foot into the lands of the Choctaw Indian Nation.

"In 1801 the United States signed treaties with the Choctaw Indians at Fort Adams, which is south of Natchez; and with the Chickasaw Indians at Chickasaw Bluffs, which is now Memphis, Tennessee. These treaties permitted the government to improve the road through the Indian lands.

"There's a trail at this stop that takes you over to the Old Trace and Grindstone Ford, which by the way was named for a water mill that was nearby.

"Join us next time when we'll look at the nearby Indian burial mound, Mangum Mound. For Natchez Trace: A Road Through the Wilderness, I'm Frank Thomas."

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

Mangum Mound

"Today we'll be looking at Mangum Mound.

"This mound is a burial mound of the Plaque Mine Culture, ancestors of the modern Mississippi and Louisiana tribes, (and there's a close relationship between these mound builders and the Natchez Indians and the builders of EMERALD MOUND. The Indian society here had elaborate religious and agricultural ceremonies. Information gathered from the burials at this site indicate there was a high infant mortality rate, and that the burial ritual at the death of a chief included slaying the chief's servants who were buried with him.

"At this site, important clues have been found that tell the story of people who lived and died here before the Spanish explorer Hernando DeSoto ever came through this country.

"Artifacts tie these mound builders to a religious cult known today as the Southern Cult. Similar finds of artifacts link this mound to sites in Georgia, northern Alabama, and eastern Oklahoma.

"On our next program we'll journey on up the Trace to the abandoned town site of Rocky Springs. For Natchez Trace: A Road Through the Wilderness, I'm Frank Thomas."

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

Rocky Springs

"55 miles north of Natchez, Mississippi is the campground and village site of Rocky Springs.

"A settlement grew up around the spring here in the late 1790s. The town of Rocky Springs prospered during the time of the Old Trace and much later with the population reaching 2600 people. But, like its name, the history of the town was "Rocky." The town and farms suffered during the Civil War, and over a decade later in 1878, it was struck by Yellow Fever. Then in the early 1900s the Boll Weevil attacked and destroyed the cotton crops. Farming also suffered from over a hundred years of neglect and poor land management -- the erosion scars can still be seen in the area today. People left after all that, and during the 1930s the last store here went out of business. Now, even the spring's dried up.

"If you like you may walk a loop trail through the old town site. You'll see all that's left, a brick church and cemetery, a couple of rusty safes and several cisterns. The old Methodist Church was built in 1837 and still holds regular services. Both the church and the cemetery rest on a hilltop overlooking the abandoned town.

"Next time we'll look at a related exhibit, Owens Creek Waterfall. For Natchez Trace: A Road Through the Wilderness, I'm Frank Thomas."

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

Owens Creek Waterfall

"Today we'll visit what was a waterfall at Owens Creek. Rocky Springs and Owens creek are connected by a foot trail 2 1/2 miles in length and they're related to each other by a curious fact.

"When the old national road was active in the early 1800s and before, there were fresh water springs in this area. One spring fed Owens creek and another was known by travelers as "Rocky Springs." Since those days the water table, that's the level of underground water, the water table has fallen and the springs have dried up. So, while this stop is called, Owens Creek Waterfall, there is no waterfall, unless you happen by this spot after a heavy rain. Then for a short time the steam will flow and the waterfall, like some ghost of Rocky Springs, will whisper for a time of things that once were and now lie silent.

"We've made our way over half way now from Natchez, Mississippi up to Jackson. Next time we'll cross what was the early boundary into the lands of the Choctaw Indians. 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

Lower Choctaw Boundary

"The next point of interest along our trip up the Natchez Trace Parkway is called LOWER CHOCTAW BOUNDARY.

"There's a line of trees there that have been a boundary since 1765. Then a north-south line running through this point and along these trees ran from east of Vicksburg, south as far as the 31st parallel. When you look at an outline of the state of Mississippi it looks a bit like the profile of the head of a worn toothbrush with the bristles facing left. If you look at it that way the 31st parallel runs along the bottom bristles of the toothbrush. This north-south line from up near Vicksburg down to the 31st Parallel marked the eastern boundary of the Old Natchez District. Since 1820 this same line has marked the boundary between Claiborne County and Hinds County in the state of Mississippi.

"Inns along the old road like Mount Locust were called stands, and another stand, was located at this boundary with the Choctaw Indians. This stand was known as Red Bluff Stand, it wasn't as elaborate as Mount Locust, but for several years after it was established in 1802, Red Bluff Stand was the last place travelers heading north could buy provisions.

"Join us next time when we'll learn more about the stands that grew up along the Natchez Trace as we visit Dean's Stand. 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

Dean's Stand

"We are making our way up the Natchez Trace Parkway from Natchez, Mississippi to Nashville, Tennessee and today we are just a little south of Jackson, Mississippi.

"Along the old Natchez Trace there grew up places to rest and possibly buy provisions. The common term for these hostelries came to be stands. Prior to 1820 there had been as many as 50 of these stands established along the route of this national road between Nashville and Natchez.

"In October of 1820 the Choctaw Indians signed a treaty with the United States, in which the Choctaws gave up a large portion of land on the south and west of their territory. This land was quickly claimed by pioneer families. One such family was William Dean and Margaret his wife. They settled in 1823, and in addition to farming the land, they allowed the travelers and mail riders and boatmen and preachers who came along the old road, to lodge in their house. This stop along the Natchez Trace came to be known as DEAN'S STAND.

"Our next stop along the Trace contains a bit of Civil War history and the Battle of Raymond. 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

Battle of Raymond

"The next stop along our journey up the Natchez Trace Parkway from Natchez, Mississippi to Nashville, Tennessee is the exhibit for BATTLE OF RAYMOND.

"Before the time of the American Civil War the Natchez Trace had already lost its use as a national road, so the role it played in the war was a small one. One section that was still used ran between Port Gibson and Jackson. General U. S. Grant was planning his siege of Vicksburg when he crossed the Mississippi River and took Port Gibson in the spring of 1863. Grant marched up the old road with his union army from Port Gibson and on May 8th a Confederate brigade located on the south of Raymond, and commanded by brigadier General John Gregg, fired upon the Union soldiers. The Battle of Raymond lasted a day before the Confederates were forced to retreat to Jackson. This battle convinced Grant that the city of Jackson had to be taken before his siege of Vicksburg.

"Following the Battle of Raymond on May 12th, Grant made his headquarters at Dean's Stand which lies 5 miles to the south of this exhibit.

"Join us next time when we'll visit LeFleur's Bluff, the site of present day Jackson, Mississippi. 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

LeFleur's Bluff

"Today in our journey up the Trace from Natchez we have reached Jackson, Mississippi, an important landmark both in the history of the Trace and the history of early settlers forging out the American Frontier.

"The French Canadian Lewis LeFleur first set up a trading post with the Choctaw Indians near a bluff that overlooked the Pearl River. The post became known as LeFleur's Bluff.

"In the early years of the Mississippi Territory the capitol was located at Washington, Mississippi just north of Natchez. The capitol remained there until 1821 when it was moved to the site of LeFleur's Bluff. This move of the capitol occurred following the 1820 Treaty of Doak's Stand when the Choctaw Indians gave up one third of their land to the United States. Andrew Jackson was head of the United States team negotiating with the Choctaw at Doak's Stand and the new capitol at LeFleur's Bluff was renamed Jackson in his honor.

"Join us next time when we'll journey north of Jackson to the Ridgeland Crafts Center and take a look at the handiwork of the Native Choctaw and other craftsmen of Mississippi. 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