Natchez Pilgrimage Tours of Antebellum Homes
The 1931 annual convention of the Mississippi Federation of Garden Clubs hosted by the Natchez Garden Club was scheduled to tour the old-fashioned gardens of the antebellum homes of Natchez, Mississippi. A late spring freeze ruined both the atmosphere and the appearances of the gardens. An impromptu peak inside the homes was suggested.
These homes of Natchez, Mississippi had been built prior to the Civil War, which meant that the youngest home was at least 70 years old. Time, the decline of the rich Old South, and the lack of money from the boll-weevil destruction and the Great Depression had weathered the homes into varying degrees of neglect that only unavailable money could attempt to repair. The homeowners couldn’t imagine what anyone would want to see, but they let the guests into their homes. The visitors found historical treasures. Priceless furnishings, silver, and antiques filled the homes. Though the carpets were worn, the drapes faded and the wallpaper in need of repair, the fine woodwork, chandeliers, and handcrafted furniture overshadowed the rest. Descendants of the original occupants still owned many of the homes on the tour and they had some stories to tell. And the proud homeowners discovered that they loved to tell the stories.
Despite being in the midst of the Great Depression, the Natchez Garden Club and the homeowners made plans for a Pilgrimage week for the year 1932. To make the event even more special, attics were raided for old dresses with hoop skirts for women and suits for the men, in which the owners dressed to receive visitors. The 1932 Pilgrimage was a rousing success, and except for three years during World War II, has been the longest running Pilgrimage in America where period-costumed owners receive visitors into their antebellum homes. Over 1,500 visitors from 37 states came in 1932. It has long since reached international acclaim and the Pilgrimage attracts visitors from around the world. Due to the success of the Spring Pilgrimage, a Fall Pilgrimage was added in 1977. The Fall Pilgrimage runs for two weeks and showcases 18 homes, some which are not open during the Spring Pilgrimage.
The 1932 Pilgrimage also introduced the Historic Natchez Pageant. This annual event is a lively musical production performed by local talent during the Spring Pilgrimage. The pageant tells the story of Natchez. Other evening events include “Southern Road to Freedom”, a musical tribute of the struggle and victory of the Black American experience in Natchez. “Southern Exposure” is a satirical spoof of the Pilgrimage. “Songs of the South” offers a mix of Stephen Foster music, traditional spirituals, and showboat tunes.
Twenty-eight antebellum homes are open for tours during the Spring Pilgrimage. Auburn is owned by the city of Natchez, Rosalie is owned by the Mississippi DAR, Magnolia Hall and The House on Ellicott Hill are owned by the Natchez Garden Club, and Stanton Hall and Longwood are owned by the Pilgrimage Garden Club. These homes and the homes Melrose and Monmouth are open daily for tours. The remaining homes are still privately owned. Natchez Pilgrimage Tours is the only full service receptive tour operator in Natchez and is owned by the Pilgrimage Garden Club.
Natchez Trace Parkway
The Natchez Trace Parkway is a 444-mile road that commemorates the ancient trail that connected southern portions of the Mississippi River, across Mississippi, through Alabama, and into central Tennessee. The Natchez Trace Parkway was officially completed in 2005, 68 years after construction first began in 1937. Many sections of the Old Natchez Trace have been preserved and are accessible along the Parkway.
The natural migrations and wanderings of animals such as deer and bison likely started the Trace. Native Americans settled on the land and developed the path through continuous use so that it became well worn enough for horses to travel through single file. An unnamed Frenchman was the first known Caucasian to traverse the entire Trace and he described the trail’s “miserable condition”. It was a rigorous trail and often required the help of the Native Americans, particularly, the Cherokee, Choctaw, and Chickasaw on whose land the Trace passed through.
In 1801, the United States Armed Forces began to expand the Trace for use as a postal route to be followed by a travelling road. By 1809, the trail was ready for wagon travel. Inns and trading posts (called “stands”) were established along the way. These led to some of the first settlements in Mississippi, including Washington, the state’s first capital. By 1816, development elsewhere saw the decline of the Natchez Trace, and by 1830, it was abandoned as an official road and the wilderness began to reclaim the road. Despite its brief “official” life, the Trace was the most reliable and expedient route between the North and the trading ports of Louisiana. This brought all sorts of people to the area, from bandits and highwaymen, to traders and itinerant preachers. The criminals organized into large brigands to terrorize and rob the travelers along the road. Natchez Under-the-Hill at the port to the Mississippi was the hotbed for gamblers, thieves, and lowlifes.
The Natchez Trace Parkway is marked by mileposts representing the distance of the parkway. The start at Natchez, Mississippi is Milepost 0 – the end near Nashville, Tennessee is Milepost 444. The Visitor Center in Tupelo, Mississippi is just over halfway at Milepost 266. The Natchez Trace Scenic Trail and the Parkway travels diagonally from Natchez in the southwest and exits Mississippi just below the northeast corner of the state.
Visitors can enjoy Natchez Trace Parkway through a variety of activities and special events celebrating the American culture that are held throughout the year. Biking, camping, fishing, horseback riding, and hiking are popular activities along the Parkway. The Parkway Visitor Center at Milepost 266 in Tupelo is open daily year round and is closed on Christmas.
Vicksburg Military Park
In the early days of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln is reputed to have said, “See what a lot of land these fellows hold, of which Vicksburg is the key, the war can never be brought to a close until that key is in our pocket." From March 26 through July 4, 1863 the Vicksburg campaign was fought in battles in west-central Mississippi at Port Gibson, Raymond, Jackson, Champion Hill, and Big Black River. For 47 days, the Union fought against the Confederate forces at Vicksburg, which sat on the bluffs high above the Mississippi River. Vicksburg’s fortress was called, “The Gibralter of the Confederacy”. The fall of Vicksburg along with Port Hudson in Louisiana, caused division in the south and gave the Union control over the Mississippi River.
The Vicksburg National Military Park was established in 1899. The Veterans of the Vicksburg campaign were determined to see the park created. Since then, the park has been remarkably preserved. The park includes 1,325 historic monuments and markers, 20 miles of reconstructed trenches and earthworks, a 16 mile tour road, an antebellum home, 144 cannons, the restored Union gunboat-USS Cairo, and the Vicksburg National Cemetery.
The U.S.S. Cairo was a union ironclad. Nearly a year after it was commissioned, the Cairo struck two underwater torpedoes (mines) and sunk in less that 12 minutes. It rested in the mud and silt of the Yazoo River for 102 years until it was raised in 1964. It has since been restored and is now on display at Vicksburg National Military Park. Also at the Vicksburg National Military Park are the riverfront batteries at Navy Circle, South Fort, and Louisiana Circle. The Tour Road is a 16-mile stretch that parallels Union and Confederate siege lines. Along the road are points of interest and exhibits, spurs to interesting sites, a 12-mile scout compass trail, and hiking trails.
The Vicksburg National Military Park Visitor Center offers general services and historical information, a bookstore, an orientation film, and exhibits on the Civil War. The U.S.S. Cairo Museum and Gunboat provides general services and historical information, exhibits on the naval operations of the Civil War, a bookstore, and a picnic area. Artifacts include a time capsule, sailors' personal possessions, cookware, medical supplies, and weaponry. A short video describes the sinking, discovery, and salvage operations of the U.S.S. Cairo.
The Vicksburg National Military Park and the Visitor Center are open daily and are closed on Christmas.