Natchez Trace Parkway MISSISSIPPI. ALABAMA .TENNESSEE * GPO: 1972-515-978/30 The story of Natchez Trace is the story of the and village sites indicates human habitation as people who used it: the Indians who traded and long ago perhaps as 8,000 years. By 1733 the hunted along it; the "Kaintuck" boatmen who French had explored the area well enough to draw pounded it into a rough wilderness road on their a map showing an Indian trail running from Natchez way back from trading expeditions to Spanish to the Choctaw villages near present-day Jackson. Natchez and New Orleans; and the post riders. Miss .• and then on to the Chickasaw villages in government officials. and soldiers who. from 1800 the northeastern part of the State. French traders. to 1830. made it a link between Mississippi Ter- missionaries, and soldiers frequently traveled ritory and the fledgling United States. over the old Indian trade route. Natchez Trace Parkway is a modern recreational In 1763 France ceded the region to England, and roadway that preserves a good part of the history under British rule a large population of English- associated with the original frontier road. When speaking people moved into the area around completed. the 450-mile parkway will roughly fol- Natchez. British maps of the period show a trail low the route of the original Natchez Trace through called "Path to the Choctaw Nation." the States of Mississippi. Alabama, and Tennessee. During the American Revolution. Spain went to connecting the cities of Natchez. Jackson. Tupelo. war against England and. as a result of the British and Nashville. defeat. claimed all the land between the Mississippi Enrich your trip by taking the time to explore the and the Chattahoochee Rivers and northward be- many archeological sites. historical landmarks. yond present-day Memphis. nature trails. and recreational areas off the park- Beginning about 1785, men from Ohio, Kentucky. way. You can walk or ride over typical sections of and other parts of the western frontier floated the old trace and see for yourself what a frontier products such as flour, pork. tobacco. hemp. and road looked like. Here and there you will find ob- iron down the Mississippi to the markets at Natchez scure remains-a house. an abandoned mine. or an and New Orleans. Once downriver the only way old stream crossing-all associated with the people home was either to walk or ride the 450-mile trail who lived on or traveled over this thoroughfare. from Natchez to Nashville. The volume of traffic A WILDERNESS TRAIL TO THE GULF grew until these colorful "Kaintuck" boatmen When the French arrived on the gulf coast in 1699. had trampled the trace into a crude road. For they found the Old Southwest occupied by the years the pioneer economy was largely based Natchez, Choctaw, and Chickasaw Indians. These upon the Spanish silver they carried home. Indians were relative latecomers to the region. for Not far from Mount Locust the Old Natchez Trace The transformation of the boatmen's trail into the archeological evidence found in the many mounds is a sunken road, worn deep into the soil. Natchez Trace in 1798 came when Spain surren- o 10 Scale in Miles 61 Bullen Future route 0 Creek Parkway Visitor Center Ranger Station Campground (Comfort Station) Picnic Area (Comfort Station) Historic Site ••• Nature Area • Other NPS Area • Recreational Area @ Natchez Trace Parkway Connecting Routes Interstate Highway Other Roads Visiting Landmarks Emerald Mound. This ceremonial Indian mound is Along the Trace one of the largest in the United States. Built about A.D. 1600. the mound covers nearly 8 acres and The northern part of the parkway runs through measures 770 by 435 feet at its base. ridges and rolling hills. The central section goes Turpin Creek. Nature trail along a creek bank. The through wooded hills and rich. fertile bottom lands. plants found in wet lowlands and near streams are Farther south the land becomes gentle and rolling identified. with agriculture mingling with forests. rivers. and streams. The southern section of the parkway is Loess Bluff. Nature area. This bluff shows a deep low in some areas and has intermittent swamps. deposit of topsoil (loess) blown into the area dur- Hardwood is the predominant forest type. ing the ice age. A film about the Natchez Trace story is shown in Mount Locust. This restored inn. with its frontier the Tupelo Visitor Center. Parkway information furniture and utensils. was one of the first inns on and assistance may be obtained from any uni- the trace. An exhibit shelter traces the history of formed park employee along the road. Self-guiding this structure. nature trails. wayside exhibits. and interpretive markers are located at points of interest. Picnic Coles Creek. Rest stop and shaded picnic tables by tables are available in some areas. attractive creek. Major points of interest and historic sites along Bullen Creek. Nature trail through a mixed hard- the parkway are shown on the map and described wood-pine forest. The trail illustrates the constant in some detail below. If you enter the parkway from struggle for survival present in nature. the south. the points of interest are in sequence. If Old Trace. A section of the Old Natchez Trace is you enter the parkway from the north. turn the identified. folder over and read in reverse order. The park- way is under development in several areas. and State roads must be used to travel from one com- pleted section to the next. -0 of Interst~!~. ou~."'ti•• A ••• • future.~ •• *' ~---- Store & ,.....-•...•-,---~ Gas Station •.•••• ickans ® ..• ....•• Mangum Mound. Copper ornaments and other Southern Pines. Nature trail features several artifacts found in the hilltop graves revealed the species of southern pine and other native plants. story of the early Indians who once lived here. Beaver Dam. Nature trail along a beaver dam and Grindstone Ford Site. Burnett's stand. or inn. once an exhibit shelter that tells the story of the beaver. stood near the river. Across the river. and headed Holly Hill. Rest stop and shaded picnic tables. north. early-day travelers considered themselves to be in wild country. Hurricane Creek. Nature trail along a creek and up a hillside. The type of plants found in different soil Rocky Springs Park. Campground. picnic area. conditions are identified. nature trail to historic spring site. A section of the Old Trace may be explored. There is a trail to the Cole Creek. Nature trail through a Tupelo-bald- historic townsite. cypress swamp that is in the process of changing into a mixed hardwood bottom-Ia. d forest. Ross Barnett Reservoir. A part of the Pearl River weter conservancy district. Camping. picnicking. Old Trace. The historic trace winds through the marina. and boat landing facilities are available. woods. Ridgeland. Wayside museum. Yowani. Rest stop and picnic area. Named for a small clan of Choctaw Indians. Boyd Mound. These mounds were built more than 500 years ago by different Indian groups who Jeff Busby Park. Rest stop. gasoline station. camp- heaped new graves on top of old ones. ground. and picnic area. Nature trail identifies native plants and their uses by the pioneers. Cypress Swamp. Nature trail through a Tupelo- baldcypress swamp. Elevated walkway takes you Old Trace. The original Natchez Trace leads into through the plant communities typical of a south- the woods along the modern roadway. ern swamp. Old Trace. A section of the original Natchez Trace River Bend. Rest stop. Picnic tables stand beside a crosses the parkway at this point. scenic bend in the Pearl River. dered all claims to lands north of the 31st parallel. The invasion did not materialize. and Jackson was The United States in the same year created the ordered to disband the militia. He refused and Mississippi Territory with Natchez as its capital. marched his troops back up the Natchez Trace Adequate communication between the Territory sharing their hardships and earning the nickname and Washington. D.C.. became· important. and in "Old Hickory." In 1815. the British attempted to 1800 Congress extended mail service to Natchez. seize control of the lower Mississippi. but Jackson The road was still a wilderness trail. and the Post- stopped them at the Battle of New Orleans. The master General complained that it could be used victors then followed the trace northward to their only "at a great expense to the public on account homes. Because of Jackson's victory march. his of the badness of the road which is said to be no name has been associated with the trace more other than an Indian footpath very devious and than that of any other man. narrow." In 1801 President Thomas Jefferson From 1800 to 1820 this rough road was the most ordered the U.S. Army to clear the road between heavily traveled in the Old Southwest. Boatmen. Nashville and Natchez. but the few troops assigned soldiers. postmen. missionaries. Indians. and pio- the task could not hope to complete it without neer settlers moved along the road sharing its substantial assistance. So. in 1808. Congress ap- discomforts and dangers. Steaming swamps. propriated $6 million to allow the Postmaster floods. insects. accidents. sickness. unfriendly General to contract for improvements. and within Indians. and occassional robbers plagued travelers a short time the old Indian and boatmen trail be- on the trace. came an important frontier road. In January 1812 the steamer "New Orleans" made The Government encouraged the erection of inns. its first appearance at Natchez. By 1819. 20 steam- or "stands" as they were then called. along the boats were operating between New Orleans and trace. The first was built in 1804.