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Natchez Trace Parkway- America's Frontier Highway
By Joel Raeber / (All
photos courtesy of Natchez Trace Compact.)
Although the Natchez Trace Parkway was officially completed and dedicated on
May 21, the Parkway commemorates an ancient trail that connected southern
portions of the Mississippi River to salt licks in today's central Tennessee.
The last construction was recently completed on the Jackson and Natchez, Miss.,
sections, 71 years after construction began. The May 21st date is a significant
one for the Parkway. It was on that date in 1934 that Congress approved an act
to have the Old Natchez Trace surveyed and a commemorative Parkway planned.
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Double Arch Bridge (milepost 438) completed in 1994 received the Presidential
Award for Design Excellence in 1995. The span rises 155 feet above the
valley.
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Today, the Natchez Trace Parkway runs 444 miles from Natchez in southern
Mississippi to just south of Nashville, Tenn., cutting across a corner of
northern Alabama. RVing along the Trace is a wonderful way to experience the
lore of the adventurers who traveled one of America's frontier highways. Along
the way, you can stop and explore the many towns and cities that grew up along
its route.
The Trace, like many early footpaths, traces its beginnings to
the natural wanderings of bison, deer and other game. When Native Americans
began to settle the area, they expanded the trail further until it became a
relatively well-worn path. The earliest formal usage of the trail was for trade
between the Cherokee, Choctaw and Chickasaw nations, through which the trail
passed.
Over the centuries, the Choctaw, Chickasaw and other American Indians
left their marks on the Trace. But, the Natchez Trace experienced its heaviest
use from 1785 to 1820 by the "Kentuck" boatmen that floated the Ohio and
Mississippi Rivers to markets in Natchez and New Orleans. They sold their cargo
and boats at their southern destination and then trekked back north on foot to
Nashville and points beyond.
Spanish explorer Hernando Desoto crossed the area of today's Natchez Trace
somewhere in the area of milepost 243.3 while looking for gold in 1540.
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The Spanish explorer Hernando De Soto may have
traveled it in part in 1540. On their erratic migrations searching for gold, De
Soto and his men stumbled through northern Alabama, near the present day Trace.
The first recorded European to travel the Trace in its entirety was an
unnamed Frenchman, who wrote of the trail and its "miserable conditions" in
1742.
In 1801, the US Army began blazing the trail for use as a postal route.
Major work was performed on the Trace to prepare it as a road for travelers.
Treaties were signed with the Chickasaw and Choctaw nations and work began,
first by soldiers from Tennessee and then later by civilian contract. By 1809,
the trail was fully navigable by wagon.
Critical to the success of the Trace
as a trade route were inns and trading posts, referred to at the time as
"stands." The stands developed southbound from the head of the trail in
Nashville and by 1816 extended along the Trace all the way to Natchez, providing
convenient stopping and outfitting for weary travelers. Most of the original
stands have long since disappeared; however, RVers can still visit Grinder's
Stand in its restored condition at the Meriwether Lewis State Park in Tennessee
near milepost 386.
The continued development of Memphis and Andrew Jackson's
military road to New Orleans from Nashville began shifting trade both east and
west. The Trace entered a steady decline because of the improved ease of
water-bound trade, particularly the steamboat. In 1830, the Trace was officially
abandoned as an official road and began to disappear back into the
wilderness.
Despite its brief lifespan, the Trace served an essential
function in the years it was in existence. It was the only reliable and the most
expedient link between the goods of the North and the trading ports of
Louisiana. This brought all sorts of people down the Trace: itinerant preachers,
highwaymen and traders, to name just a few.
The circuit preachers were some
of the most notable of the lot. Unlike its physical development, the "spiritual
development" of the Trace started from the Natchez end. Methodist preachers
began working a circuit along the Trace as early as 1800, and claimed a
membership of 1,067 Caucasians in 1812. The Methodists were soon joined in
Natchez by other Protestant religions, including the Baptists and Presbyterians.
The Presbyterians and an offshoot of Cumberland Presbyterians were more active
than the Methodists or Baptists in procuring converts along the Trace itself,
including the Native American population-the Presbyterians starting from the
south, the Cumberland Presbyterians from the north.
As with much of the
unsettled Western US, the Trace was also a hotbed for banditry. Much of it
centered around Natchez-Under-The-Hill, as compared with the tamer city at
Natchez-On-The-Hill. Under-the-Hill, where the port to the Mississippi was
located, was for gamblers, prostitutes and drunkenness. The rowdiest were the
frontiersmen from upriver who came in on steamboats and flatboats loaded with
goods and sold them in Natchez in exchange for pockets full of cash.
Still
worse dangers lurked in the wilderness outside the city boundaries on the Trace
itself. Highwaymen such as John Murrell and Samuel Mason terrorized travelers
along the road and operated large gangs of organized bandits.
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Meriwether Lewis Site (milepost 385.9). In 1809 Meriweather Lewis, co-captain
of the Lewis & Clark expedition, died of gunshot wounds at Grinders Stand on
the Trace. His grave is marked by this monument.
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Meriwether
Lewis, co-captain of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, met his mysterious end
while traveling on the Trace in October 1809. Lewis, as governor of the
Louisiana Territory, was traveling to Washington and had stopped at Grinder's
Stand near current day Hohenwald, Tenn., for rest. Extremely depressed because
of his staggering debt, he became drunk and asked the owner of the stand for
gunpowder, which she gave him. A few hours later, two shots were heard in the
dark. Lewis apparently shot himself twice, once in the head and once in the
chest. He lived until the next morning. Whether his death was from suicide (as
is widely believed) or murder (as contended by his familyboth his wrists were
cut) has never been conclusively determined. The National Park Service oversees
the gravesite along the Trace in Hohenwald.
RVing visitors can experience
this National Scenic Byway and All-American Road through driving, hiking,
biking, horseback riding and camping. The scenic road was built and maintained
by the National Park Service with 15 major interpretive locations, historic
sites, camping and picnicking facilities. There are nature trails, portions of
the original trace, scenic overlooks, historic monuments, bridges and visitor
centers. The Parkway Visitor Center is located at milepost 266, near Tupelo,
Miss., and is open every day (except Christmas Day) from 8 am to 5 pm CST.
All business vehicles are prohibited from the Trace. Hauling is also
prohibited, except for recreational use (campers, horse and boat trailers).
RVers are cautioned that total length cannot exceed 55 feet on the Trace, and
the speed limit is 50 mph, unless posted otherwise.
Like many of its earlier
travelers, a southern start in Natchez is a nice way to begin your RVing journey
along the Trace Parkway. Overlooking the Mississippi River, the town offers the
romantic history, grandeur and charm of the Old South. Visitors can choose
everything from carriage rides through the city and tours of some of the South's
most historic homes to taking a walking tour through downtown.
About 40
miles north of Natchez is the historic town of Port Gibson that features homes,
churches and public buildings in a town General U.S. Grant declared "too
beautiful to burn." The Ruins of Windsor showcase the stark beauty of that once
stately Greek Revival mansion and offers visitors a glimpse back in
time.
Continuing north to Mississippi's capital city of Jackson, RVers will
discover a variety of historical sites and attractions, as well as nationally
acclaimed cultural offerings. The Mississippi Museum of Natural Science
showcases the state's natural heritage through life-like displays and over
100,000 gallons of aquariums. You can walk through history as you explore the
Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum's farm restoration, cotton gin and
Main Street-imagining what life was like for the people who once worked and
worshipped in these buildings. The Mississippi Governor's Mansion, in the heart
of downtown, has been the official residence of Mississippi's First Families
since 1842 and is the second oldest continuously occupied gubernatorial
residence in the United States. RVers will find over 252 restaurants, 66 events,
10 museums, and one baseball team for nonstop fun.
Ridgeland, situated on the
rim of central Mississippi, offers RVing visitors a blend of shopping, dining,
area attractions, outdoor recreation and annual festivals. Ridgeland has an
assortment of shopping venues including original, hand-painted dinnerware,
antiques, artwork and imported items from around the world. The Mississippi
Crafts Center, located on the Trace Parkway, features works of more than 150
artisans, who are members of the Craftsmen's Guild of Mississippi. The city's
location on the Parkway and along the north shore of the Ross Barnett Reservoir
offers an environment of natural beauty and outstanding recreational facilities.
RV camping is available at several locations along the reservoir.
Tupelo, Mississippi, at milepost 266 is
the park headquarters. Also in
Tupelo, RVers can visit the birthplace of Elvis Presley and the Tupelo Buffalo
Park.
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Cradled in
the hills of northeast Mississippi, Tupelo's most significant landmark is Elvis
Presley's two-room house where he was born on January 8, 1935. The city is also
home to the Tupelo Automobile Museum, Tupelo Buffalo Park, two National
Battlefield sites, the Oren Dunn City Museum and the Natchez Trace Parkway
headquarters. Festivals abound in Tupelo with the Blue Suede Cruise featuring
hundreds of classic cars, the GumTree Festival showcasing original artwork and
paintings by regional artists, and the Elvis Presley Festival presenting
top-notch live entertainment.
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A short drive off the Trace at milepost 320, the historic City of Tuscumbia,
Alabama, offers visitors a glimpse into the early life of Helen Keller. The site
includes Keller's birthplace, a museum and original structures including the
main house, as well as the original famous well pump.
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The historic northwest Alabama cities of
Florence, Muscle Shoals, Sheffield and Tuscumbia provide a quality tourism
destination for RV travelers. Notable attractions include the birthplace and
childhood home of Helen Keller in Tuscumbia. Tours of the main house and
birthplace cottage include a museum room with Keller memorabilia, the famous
well pump and the carriage house. The Father of the Blues, W.C. Handy, was born
in a small log cabin in Florence. A museum in his honor contains an expansive
collection of his personal papers and artifacts. Visitors can also see his
famous piano and trumpet. Other famous attractions include the only structure in
Alabama built by noted 20th century architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The house,
built in Florence in 1939, has been meticulously restored and is open as a house
museum.
Country, rock, blues, gospel, jazz or bluegrass-Nashville delivers on
its title of Music City every day. If music is what draws you, you won't leave
disappointed. Music City is overflowing with festivals and events featuring
singers, songwriters and musicians who have made contributions to the worlds of
country, pop, rock, gospel, Americana, contemporary Christian and bluegrass.
Along with an incomparable musical backdrop, Nashville also boasts history and
heritage with museums, historic homes, and cultural and family attractions.
Belle Meade Plantation (615-356-0501), The Hermitage, home of President Andrew
Jackson (615-889-2941) and Historic Mansker's Station Frontier Life Center in
Goodlettsville, Tenn. (615-859-3678), are just a few.
Tishomingo State Park (milepost 304.5) is named for a Cherokee medicine man.
The park offers RV camping, picnicking, swimming, fishing and canoeing.
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Located on Highway 100
in Nashville at the Northern Terminus of the Natchez Trace Parkway, the Loveless
Cafe (615-646-9700) remains unchanged in the charm and good cooking that has
made it a landmark in the South since opening over half a century ago. RVers
visiting for one of their famous Southern breakfasts have the opportunity to rub
elbows with the stars. Al Gore, Princess Anne, and just about any country star
you could name have all pulled up a chair to Loveless Café's red checkered
tablecloths.
Camping along the Natchez Trace
The Natchez Trace Parkway provides
campgrounds to help make your visit more enjoyable. Campgrounds are located at:
Rocky Springs, milepost (MP) 54.8, has 22 campsites; Jeff Busby, MP 193.1, 18
campsites; and Meriwether Lewis (gravesite), MP 385.9 in Tennessee, 32
campsites. There are no hookups and no fees. Individual sites have tables,
grills, and a level tent site. Restrooms and drinking water are provided,
however, hot water, showers, electrical/sanitary hookups or dumping sites are
not available. Pets are permitted if leashed (physically restrained) at all
times; fireworks and firearms are prohibited. Campsites cannot be reserved, and
stays are limited to 15 days during periods of heavy visitation. Campgrounds are
open all year. The peak seasons are spring and fall. For information, call
800-305-7417.
Other RVing and camping opportunities along the Trace include
Riverview RV Park in Vidalia, La. (318-336-1400), Barnett Reservoir Campgrounds
in Ridgeland, Miss. (601 856 6574), and Joe Wheeler State Park in Alabama.
(256-247-1184). You can find a complete listing of campgrounds available along
and near the Natchez Trace Parkway by visiting the Natchez Trace website at
http://www.nps.gov/natr. Click on "Management Docs" for the campground list.
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