We started out this morning with another grits and eggs breakfast before packing up a lunch and heading out to tour the Natchez Trace Parkway. As I had been here before, I was anxious to show some of it to the older kiddos. The Teen actually asked what the Trace was and what it was used for. I was thrilled to hear this question come from him and excitedly began explaining. I didn't get too far before I realized that he'd tuned me out. I asked "Are you listening?" He said, "Oh, yes ma'am, I get it." And that was that. :(
We started our little education adventure with a stop at the Elizabeth Female Academy which opened its doors to higher education for women in 1818. It was named in honor of Elizabeth Roach whose generosity made the College possible. John James Audubon was also on the faculty here. After the capital of the state and population shifted to Jackson, the Academy struggled and finally closed in 1845.
We followed the little pathway to see what is left of the Academy. As we approached it, the Teen said, "Mom. Please don't tell me that we got out of the truck to walk up here and look at a wall.....really?"
I guess some people just don't get it. Right?
We then moved on to visit Mount Locust, one of the oldest structures in the state of Mississippi. It functioned as both a working plantation and as an inn, where travelers on the Natchez Trace could rest for the night. Mount Locust is the only surviving inn of the more than 50 that existed during the period of greatest use of the Old Natchez Trace.
This historic home is now maintained by the National Park Service. The land where the house stands was originally part of a 1779 land grant, to Thomas Harmon, by the British Government of West Florida. Harmon then transferred the propery to Swiss born John Blommart, an early settler who probably began the first construction in 1780 in order to meet the conditions of the grant, whch included, "....one good Dwelling House to contain at least twenty feet in length, sixteen feet in Breadth." In 1781, Blommart moved to the Old Natchez District where he evenutally became one of the wealthiest men in Natchez due to his varied dealings as a merchant, fur trader, land speculator, and planter. Eventually, he became a prisoner of the Spanish, his property was confiscated and he was sentenced to death. Later, however, he was released and went into exile in the British West Indies.
After Blommart's banishment, his former business partner, William Ferguson, and his wife purchased Mt. Locust in 1784 and operated the farm until William's death in 1801. A short time later, Paulina married James Chamberlain, an overseer at the farm, and they continued to build the farm.
When James abandoned the family and farm sometime after 1810, Paulina carried on alone. In an era when women were typically shunned from business or making important decisions, Paulina proved to be an extraordinary woman. Despite losing two husbands, and raising 11 children, seven with William and four with James; she kept Mt. Locust going.
Mount Locust is about a day's walk from Natchez and developed as a popular "stand" on the Trace. Travelers would stop here for a meal and place to stay for the night for the affordable price of 25 cents!
The development of steamboats soon ended most Trace traffic. Foot travel on the Trace had nearly ended by 1825, but Mount Locust stayed open, operating as an inn and then as a prosperous cotton plantation. Five generations of the Chamberlain family lived in the house with the last of the family leaving in 1944. Park Ranger Eric Chamberlain is a direct descendant of the family and was born in the master bedroom of the house before the park service acquired it and restored it to its 1820 appearance. Walking paths lead through the grounds leading to the brick kiln, family cemetery and slave cemetery.
Can you imagine what was going through the travelers' minds as
they approached Mount Locust, hungry and tired?
My Kangaroo stands on a section of the Old Natchez Trace.
After our visit back in time at Mt. Locust, we stopped at Owen's Falls for a picnic lunch and short hike. I looked for a geocache here but was going in the wrong direction. My hubby isn't the enthusiastic sort when it comes to geocaching, and he prompted me to give up my search when I was only 100 feet away. Man....so close!
We moved on to Rocky Springs where I just KNEW I'd find more geocaches....if only the GPS batteries hadn't died. :(
Rocky Springs is a ghost town and a fascinating place to explore. Founded in 1837, the town was a thriving community by 1860, but then a series of disasters began: Union troops looted the town during the Civil War; a yellow fever epidemic decimated the town's population; the boll weevil wreaked havoc with the cotton crop; and then the town's springs, for which it was named, went dry. By 1920, Rocky Springs was dead. What's left of it -- a few artifacts, some building foundations, and a church with absolutely the most gorgeous cemetery you'll ever see -- has been preserved as a historic exhibit and is a must see for anyone traveling the Natchez Trace Parkway.
My kiddos, tired from all the education.
We left Rocky Springs and headed over to Grand Gulf Military Park. Grand Gulf was the site of a Union Army Naval attack.
From NPS website: Rear Admiral David D. Porter led 7 ironclads in an attack on the fortifications and batteries at Grand Gulf, with the intention of silencing the Confederate guns and then securing the area with troops of McClernand's XIII Army Corps who were on the accompanying transports and barges. The attack by the 7 ironclads began at 8 a.m. and continued until about 1:30 p.m. During the fight, the ironclads moved within 100 yards of the Rebel guns and silenced the batteries of Fort Wade; the Confederate upper batteries at Fort Cobun remained out of reach and continued to fire. The Union ironclads (one of which, the Tuscumbia, had been put out of action) and the transports drew off. After dark, however, the ironclads engaged the Rebel guns again while the steamboats and barges ran the gauntlet. Grant marched his men overland across Coffee Point to below the Gulf. After the transports had passed Grand Gulf, they embarked the troops at Disharoon's plantation and disembarked them on the Mississippi shore at Bruinsburg, below Grand Gulf. The men immediately began marching overland towards Port Gibson. The Confederates had won a hollow victory; the loss at Grand Gulf caused just a slight change in Grant's offensive.
One of the buildings at Grand Gulf is Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church from Rodney, MS where we visited a few days earlier. The building was donated to the State of Mississippi by the Rodney Foundation. It was moved to Grand Gulf in 1983 and has been restored to its original condition. It is now being used as a non-denominational chapel.
Kangaroo loved the old pipe organ inside.
Well, that's it for our Spring Break vacation. We went to bed, woke up the next morning, and headed home. It was a nice break away.
This is REALLY cool!!! It looks just like a painting doesn't it? But noooooo! It's a for real scene that we passed by while riding the train!
