Natchez, Mississippi

Our campsite at Natchez State Park

The Melrose Mansion

These buildings were the slave quarters

A typical room in the slave quarters. There is a bed in this room also.

Now we are on to the Grand Indian Village. This sign tells how the houses were built of mud and pole construction with grass roofs.

Here is a replica of one of these homes

This sign explains the Indian Mound which the houses were built on.

The Great Sun's Mound

Another Mound in the distance

We arrived in Natchez, MS yesterday afternoon and will be leaving here on Sunday. We are staying at the Natchez State Park, just one mile off the Natchez State Parkway at mile marker 8. We plan to continue our trip on the Parkway on Sunday, but needed a couple of days to relax and unwind. I will be doing a separate post on the Parkway as we travel along it over the next few days.

We decided to check out a couple of historical places in the area. First we went to Melrose, a cotton kingdom estate once owned by John McMurran and now owned by the National Park Service. Mr. McMurran had the estate's mansion and outbuildings constructed by a combination of free and slave labor. Melrose was considered by many to be the finest home in all the Natchez region. The slave houses are located behind the main house and of course we not nearly as elaborate.

We also visited the Grand Village of the Natchez Indians which has been designated a National Historic Landmark by the National Park Service. Between 1682 and 1729 the Grand Village was the center of activities for the Natchez Indians. There is historical and archaelogical evidence that this Indian Mound site is the actual place where the Grand Village was located.

There is lots more to visit in Natchez. We will definately revisit this place in the future. When you only have 1 day, it is difficult to take everything in.