Friday, January 25, 2008

Natchez, Mississippi

The terminus of the Natchez Trace (ie. MP 0) is the city of Natchez. Oh, by the way, the name Natchez is pronounced like ‘matches’, only beginning with ‘n’. Natchez was one city that seems to have escaped the ravages of the Civil War, and is known for its many antebellum mansions that date back to pre-Civil War days.
We visited the home of William Johnson. Known as the ‘barber of Natchez’, William Johnson was a freed slave who became quite wealthy by owning and operating several barber shops. Historically, he handed down a 'treasure' by keeping excellent diaries, explaining different aspects of life of his day.

















We also visited the mansion named Melrose. It was built 20 years before the Civil War, and still has most of its original furniture and floor-coverings. The interior is exquisite. We were amazed at the high ceilings – 14 ½ feet. It’s a must-see for anyone in southern Mississippi.





















Natchez State Park, Mississippi


At Mile Post 10 on the Natchez Trace is Natchez State Park. We stayed in this campground for several days too. But the most exciting event that happened while we were there was that it snowed. The locals said that it hadn’t snowed there for seven years. We had thought that maybe during this year away we wouldn’t see any of the white stuff. The kids took advantage of it to have fun making snowmen. Elise even made snowmen depicting the entire Ritchie family.












A side-trip from Natchez State Park took us to what remains of a magnificent mansion. We arrived at the Windsor Ruins at dusk, and it added to their mysterious atmosphere. Ironically, Windsor survived the ravages of the Civil War, only to be destroyed a few years later by fire caused by a smoldering cigarette.












I enjoyed the mural of the Natchez Trace Parkway at the Visitor Center. We also thought the wildlife was exciting to see. There were lots of deer, but the animals/birds that we found most fascinating are those that we don't have at home: the armadillo, wild turkeys, and the bright red cardinal birds.



























Grand Gulf Military Park, Mississippi

Grand Gulf is another Civil War site on a side road off of Mile Post 45, on the Natchez Trace. Located along the Mississippi River, it is now a park of restored or moved historical buildings. Grand Gulf has a campground, so we had lots of time to explore. The Spanish moss hanging on trees in the cemetery made the place look very mysterious. The look-out tower allows people toview the great river in three directions. The metal jail cell looked ominous. There was a one-man submarine that was used for smuggling liquor during Prohibition. I enjoyed the collection of horse-drawn carriages, including a hearse and a Civil War hospital wagon.


















Vicksburg, Mississippi

The city of Vicksburg (20 miles from Mile Post 60 of the Natchez Trace) was also a scene of Civil War action. Probably the most famous aspect of this battle was that the Union army held the city under siege for 47 days, during which civilians actually took shelter in caves under the city.
Vicksburg was located on the Mississippi River. Therefore naval boats plied the water of the river. One Union boat, named the Cairo, was sunk by a Confederate torpedo. Because the vessel went down in 12 minutes, almost all the artifacts went down with her, and were very well preserved. There is a museum dedicated to this boat and its artifacts.












The Cairo was a special kind of boat called an ‘ironclad’, which means that it was a wooden boat that was covered on the top with iron. The river mud preserved much of the original boat, which is now displayed under a giant tent.

Thursday, January 24, 2008

Shiloh National Military Park, Tennessee

One rainy day we visited Shiloh National Military Park, an hour or so off of Mile Post 320 of the Natchez Trace. This Civil War site saw a 2-day battle in 1862. The Confederates took the advantage on the first day of battle, taking many prisoners. The Union army welcomed reinforcements during the night, and as a result, they took the battle on the second day. With the ensuing heat, the commanders found it necessary to bury the dead soldiers quickly, and for the first time we saw a mass trench grave for the Confederate soldiers.







While we were studying the displays in the Visitor Center, the national park ranger informed us that we had to take cover in the basement due to an imminent tornado warning. There were about a dozen of us visitors huddled in the furnace room of the Visitor Center, listening to the battery-operated radio for reports. The tornado did pass through within 10 miles of us, but all we witnessed was the pouring rain that accompanied the storm. It made for an exciting experience.

Tupelo, Mississippi

Along the Natchez Trace we found some other locations worth mentioning. At the city of Tupelo (MP260) we toured the birthplace of ‘the king’ – that’s right - Elvis Presley. Elvis was born in 1935 in a small 2-room house on ‘the wrong side of the tracks’. It’s amazing that from this humble beginning he met with such success, and at such an early age. He was recording music by the age of 18, and bought Graceland in Memphis for his parents in his early 20s.









Tishomingo State Park, Mississippi

We found a beautiful state park at Mile Post 304 on the Natchez Trace Parkway, so we stayed for several days. The man-made lake made this a great place for photos and reflections.













We also discovered that this park had quite a history, including a pioneer cabin. The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was also active at this location. The CCC was a government-run employment program for young men during the 1930s. There were hundreds of CCC camps around the United States during the Depression. This program gave work and income to the workforce in an era when neither was plentiful, and many improvements were made in national and state parks. Their labours are still evident today in many parks that we have visited. Here in Tishomingo, they made several stone buildings, a swimming pool, a swinging bridge, and a dam for collecting water.







Morgan enjoyed making friends with the ducks.



Ivy Green, Tuscumbia, Alabama

One of the most inspiring points of interest that we visited just off the Natchez Trace (MP320) was a home named Ivy Green, the birthplace of Helen Keller. It was built by Helen’s grandfather in the year 1820. Helen Keller was born there in 1880, a healthy baby. At the age of 1 ½ years, Helen suffered from an extreme fever which left her blind and deaf. The fascinating story of her young life can be seen in the story “The Miracle Worker”. Our family watched this as a movie a few years ago. This summer while we were in Illinois, we saw the story again, as a play. “The Miracle Worker” is about Annie Sullivan, the teacher who introduced Helen to the concept of language, and therefore changed the life of this little girl from one of frustration and lack of control to one of order and discovery. Seeing the actual location where Helen’s life-changing experiences really happened was awesome!

Do you remember the scene where Helen locked Annie Sullivan in her room? Helen’s father had to rescue Annie by putting a ladder up against the house.











One fact that I found fascinating was that the main house of Ivy Green was a mere 30-40 feet away from the ‘cottage’ where Annie took Helen for two weeks of privacy, to try to make a break-through with her young student without the Kellers’ intervention. This photo shows just how close the building are.

Just steps away from the house, the water pump still stands. This is where Helen finally understood the concept of language, when Annie used manual sign language to spell out the word W-A-T-E-R in Helen’s hand. After that moment, Helen was a sponge for learning.







Helen’s break-through came when she was six years old. Soon she learned how to print words on paper. Using a template to keep her lines straight, her printing was very neat. As a young lady, she also met inventor Alexander Graham Bell who worked closely with the hearing-impaired. He became a long-time friend.








Ivy Green is a wonderful historic site not only because of its human story, but also because of its artifacts. About 80% of the contents of the house are original to the Keller family, including the furniture, quilts, and clothing.

Helen Keller did not pass away until 1968, so there was plenty of opportunity to have her photo taken. We saw several photos of her throughout her life, and many with Annie Sullivan who remained ‘teacher’ for her entire life. As an adult, Helen worked promoting programs and understanding for the visually- and hearing-impaired.