Lake Providence, Louisiana is a little corner of the South that most people never see or even think of visiting, but it may well be one of the most picturesque places in the entire United States. Only about an hour's drive away from the attractions, historic sites, hotels and restaurants of Vicksburg, Mississippi, Lake Providence is a small town nestled on a huge oxbow lake left behind centuries ago when the Mississippi River changed course.
The lake provides spectacular views. Lake Providence is also noted for its Civil War history. During the Vicksburg Campaign, General U.S. Grant first tried to bypass the Confederate batteries on the Mississippi by digging a canal from the river into Lake Providence. The project failed, but a portion of the canal can still be seen today at Grant's Canal Park in Lake Providence.
The community is also the home of the Louisiana State Cotton Museum, a very nice center that interprets the history and importance of cotton with restored buildings, agricultural displays and museum exhibits. Poverty Point State Historic Site, a major prehistoric Native American ceremonial and trade center, is just southwest of Lake Providence.
To learn more about this fascinating community, please visit:
http://www.exploresouthernhistory.com/, scroll down the page, and click the link for Lake Providence under the Louisiana heading.
