U.S.S. Batfish - The Oklahoma Submarine

One of the most remarkable sights in the South is the U.S.S. Batfish, a famed World War II submarine that sits high and dry in Muskogee, Oklahoma.

Commissioned in 1943, the Batfish was named for a ferocious West Indian fish and lived up to its name in combat against the forces of Imperial Japan. Credited with sinking 15 Japanese vessels, the Batfish earned lasting fame late in the war when it destroyed 3 enemy submarines in 76 hours. The record stands to this day as a landmark in naval warfare.

When the war ended, the Batfish became part of the large U.S. "mothball" fleet of vessels no longer needed by the peacetime navy. By the late 1960s, she had deteriorated badly. An effort developed in Oklahoma, however, to save a World War II submarine. The effort originally focused on the U.S.S. Pirahna, but she proved too badly deteriorated. The Navy, instead, recommended the Batfish.

Towed from Texas up the Mississippi and Arkansas Rivers in 1972, the submarine was moved into its current position at Muskogee during the extremely high water of 1973. The sub now sits high and dry, 30 feet above the normal stage of the Arkansas River.

The Batfish is the centerpiece of Muskogee's noteworthy War Memorial Park. To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/okbatfish.

Appomattox Court House National Historical Park - Appomattox, Virginia

While the surrender of General Robert E. Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia at Appomattox Court House did not end the Civil War, it did start the final collapse of the Confederate cause.

The sites where Lee's army fought its last battle and where he met Union General Ulysses S. Grant to surrender are now preserved as part of Appomattox Court House National Historical Park. Located two miles outside Appomattox, Virginia, the park preserves the historic town of Appomattox Court House where the closing scenes of the war in Virginia took place.

Retreating south across the Virginia countryside, Lee reached Appomattox Court House on the afternoon of April 8, 1865. Grant's forces had forced the Confederates to evacuate their positions at Petersburg, a withdrawal that forced President Jefferson Davis and the Southern government to flee the capital of Richmond. As Lee retreated, Grant pursued him with relentless tenacity. By the time the Confederate general reached Appomattox, key parts of his army had already been cut off and captured.

As his army camped in the fields and pastures around the little town of Appomattox Court House on the night of April 8th, Lee knew he was surrounded but thought that only cavalry was in the vicinity. He ordered General John B. Gordon to attack at dawn on the 9th, believing that he could cut his way through and open a way for the army to reach supplies and rail transportation. His plan was to form a junction with General Joseph E. Johnston's army in North Carolina and continue the war.

The attack took place as planned and Gordon drove through two lines of Union cavalry to capture an important ridge. Once there, however, he could see two corps of Grant's infantry forming for action. He informed Lee that there was nothing more he could do.

The realization that he could not break through hit the Confederate commander hard and he told his generals and staff that nothing remained for him to do but to go meet with General Grant. "I would rather die a thousand deaths," he said.

The two met at the Wilmer McLean house in Appomattox Court House that afternoon and Lee surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia. The move started the full collapse of the Confederate military effort.

To learn more about Appomattox Courthouse, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/appomattox.

Historic Sites of Southport, North Carolina

The charming old city of Southport overlooks the historic Cape Fear River on the coast of North Carolina and serves as a gateway to one of the most fascinating areas of the South.
Southport got its start in 1745 when the British built Fort Johnston there to guard the entrance to the Cape Fear and protect the important upriver port of Wilmington. Because river pilots were then needed to guide ships into the harbor, a small community grew under the shelter of the guns of the fort. Over time the pilots and their families were joined by traders and others and by the time of the American Revolution a small village had grown up around Fort Johnston.

In 1792, the village was incorporated as the town of Smithville, a name that it kept until 1887 when the city renamed itself Southport. It served as the county seat of Brunswick County until 1975, when the seat of government was moved following a hotly contested referendum.

Southport now stands as a charming and historic city overlooking the waters of the Cape Fear. It is rich in historic sites and served as the setting for the popular 1980s movie, "Crimes of the Heart." The city also is a gateway to the historic lower Cape Fear region. Ferries connect the waterfront with nearby Bald Head Island as well as historic Fort Fisher across the river.

To learn more about Southport and its historic sites and points of interest, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/southportnc.

Oak Island Lighthouse - Caswell Beach, North Carolina

The Oak Island Lighthouse is the newest of the more than one-half dozen lighthouses that dot the North Carolina coast.

Completed in 1958 using unique poured concrete construction, the 148-foot tower was once the second brightest lighthouse in the world. The last in a series of towers built at the mouth of the Cape Fear River to help guide ships through the often turbulent waters of Cape Fear, the lighthouse is still active and the beacon is maintained by the U.S. Coast Guard.

The Oak Island Lighthouse itself, however, is now owned by the Town of Caswell Beach, North Carolina. The grounds are open to the public daily and feature nice views of the lighthouse tower as well as a boardwalk leading to the beach and observation platform. The Friends of the Oak Island Lighthouse will resume their Wednesday and Saturday tours on May 26th. The tours continue through the summer, but do not operate during the winter months. One note, the tours go only to the second level of the lighthouse, not all the way to the top.

The lighthouse grounds provide views of some of the most historic waters in America. The notorious pirates Blackbeard and Stede Bonnett once prowled the lower Cape Fear and the river was the last major port for Confederate blockade runners.

To learn more about the historic Oak Island Lighthouse, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/oakislandlighthouse.

U.S.S. North Carolina - Battleship of the Wilmington Waterfront

The view across the Cape Fear River from the waterfront of the historic city of Wilmington, North Carolina, is dominated by one of the most famous warships in American history - the battleship U.S.S. North Carolina.

Built as the United States warily watched World War II cover the glove, the North Carolina was commissioned just months before Pearl Harbor as a state of the art fast battleship. The most powerful weapon in the world when she was launched, the battleship was sent to the Pacific front, where she took part in every major naval campaign in that sector of the war.

By the time World War II ended, the U.S.S. North Carolina and her crew and earned 15 battle stars. The ship's massive array of guns downed at least 24 enemy aircraft and took part in nine bombardments of Japanese shore positions. In her role as escort for the vital American carrier U.S.S. Enterprise, she was credited with saving the Enterprise and hundreds of her crewmen by shattering an attacking force of Japenese planes with severe anti-aircraft fire.

These are just the highlights of the North Carolina's remarkable six year career as an active American warship. Now a museum and memorial to North Carolina's World War II veterans, the ship is a remarkable attraction easily accessible from Wilmington and the entire Cape Fear region. To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/battleshipnorthcarolina.

Spring Break Destination #1 - Eden Gardens State Park, Florida

Since many of you will be heading for the coast on Spring Break family trips over the next few weeks, I thought I would spend some time spotlighting some of the places along the coast that I really enjoy to give you some options when the sunburns get a bit too bad for the beach!

One of my favorites is Eden Gardens State Park in Point Washington, Florida. Point Washington is a charming little community on the Emerald Coast between the mega resort areas of Destin and Panama City Beach.

Eden Gardens is a beautiful state park that becomes one of the most spectacular places in the Deep South when the gardens move into full bloom later this month and in April. Centered around the historic Wesley Mansion, the gardens were created in the 20th century to accentuate the old homes beautiful waterfront setting.

Visitors to the park can tour the old house, which was built during the post Civil War era by a lumberman who run mills near Choctawhatchee Bay that converted virgin timber floated down the Choctawhatchee River into lumber. It is said that he based the design of the house on a mansion where he found shelter while returning home from serving in the Confederate army. The mansion was remodeled to its present almost antebellum form in later years.

The gardens surround the old mansion, complete with statuary and water features, and visitors can walk peaceful pathways through the beautiful blooms and greenery.

To learn more about Eden Gardens, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/edengardens.

Jekyll Island Historic District - Jekyll Island, Georgia

One of the most remarkable historical settings in the United States can be found at the Jekyll island Historic District on Georgia's beautiful Jekyll Island.

The historic district preserves the structures and grounds of the Jekyll Island Club, once the most exclusive private club in the world. The Jekyll Island Club was formed in the 1880s by a group of America's most wealthy and powerful individuals. Among the original founders of the club were J.P. Morgan, Marshall Field, Joseph Pulitzer and William K. Vanderbilt.

For decades, the Jekyll Island Club was one of the focal points in the social lives of America's rich and famous. It was from here that the president of AT&T placed the first international telephone call and it was on Jekyll Island that a group of the nation's top financial leaders crafted the outline of what would eventually become the Federal Reserve.

The turbulent years of the first half of the 20th century, however, spelled an end to the Jekyll Island Club. The World Wars, Great Depression and the dramatic progress realized in means of transportation and communication made the beautiful isolation of the island on the Georgia coast a thing of the past for America's elite. The State of Georgia purchased the entire island during the late 1940s for less than one million dollars.

Jekyll Island today is a playground for people of all walks of life and the former clubhouse and "cottages" of the millionaires who once vacationed there are preserved for future generations. To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/jekyllislandclub.

Fort Fanning Historic Park - Fanning Springs, Florida

One of Florida's newest preserved historic sites also demonstrates how even small communities can turn historical points of interest into nice focal points.

Fort Fanning Historic Park is a city-owned facility in Fanning Springs, a community of fewer than 1,000 residents perched atop a bluff overlooking Florida's historic Suwannee River. The park preserves the site of Fort Fanning, an important fort of the Second Seminole War.

Built in 1838, Fort Fanning guarded a key crossing of the Suwannee River and also served as a base of operations for U.S. Army troops fighting against Creek and Seminole warriors in the swamps of the Suwannee valley. At least 31 soldiers died at the fort during its years of occupation, all but three of them from sickness.

The sites of very few forts of the Second Seminole War survive and can be visited by the public today, a fact that makes Fort Fanning such a unique feature for North Florida. The park features the restored gates and a section of stockade wall of the fort, paved walking paths and a series of scenic overlooks that provide beautiful views of the Suwannee River. Just across U.S. 19 is Fanning Springs State Park, home to natural spring that feeds the famed river.

To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/fortfanning.

Brierfield Ironworks Historical State Park - Brierfield, Alabama

On March 31, 1865, Union troops destroyed one of the most important industrial facilities in the South. General James H. Wilson's raid was then sweeping south through Alabama and the Bibb Naval Furnaces at Brierfield were one of his primary targets.

A major source of iron for the production of Confederate cannon and ironclad warships, the Bibb Furnaces were defended by a regiment of Confederate cavalry from the command of Brigadier General Phillip D. Roddey. In addition to two furnaces, the complex also included a rolling mill and other facilities necessary for the mass production of iron. The complex supplied the major Southern manufacturing facilities at Selma and Brierfield iron was considered excellent for the casting of heavy Brooke cannon.

As Wilson pushed south through the Alabama iron country, he targeted much of the region's industrial capacity. After taking Montevallo, an important community south of today's Birmingham, he ordered Colonel Frederick Benteen and the 10th Missouri Cavalry to destroy the Bibb complex at Brierfield.

Benteen attacked the Confederate troops defending the furnaces on March 31, 1865, driving them back in a brief but sharp encounter that is remembered today as the Skirmish or Battle of Brierfield Ironworks. Then, as the Southern troops watched from a distance, the Union soldiers destroyed the massive complex.

The ruins of the Bibb Naval Furnaces are now preserved at Brierfield Ironworks Historical State Park, an absolutely beautiful facility that also offers cabins, a lodge, camping, picnicking, walking trails, a variety of preserved historic structures and a wide range of other recreational opportunities. To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/brierfieldironworks.

Grave of General William J. Hardee - Selma, Alabama

Known affectionately as "Old Reliable," Lieutenant General William J. Hardee was a brave and intelligent military officer who served in both the U.S. and Confederate armies.

Born in Camden County, Georgia, in 1815, he graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1838. Commissioned as a lieutenant in the 2nd U.S. Dragoons, Hardee served in Florida during the Second Seminole War until he became seriously ill.

Unlike many who were incapacitated by sickness during that terrible war, he recovered and went on to serve under both Zachary Taylor and Winfield Scott during the Mexican War. He won two field promotions for bravery, suffered a battlefield wound and was taken prisoner and exhanged during that conflict.

After the war, Hardee published his famed Rifle and Light Infantry Tactics, which became one of the most consulted military books for commanders both North and South during the Civil War.

Resigning his commission in January of 1861 following the secession of his home state of Georgia, Hardee eventually rose to the rank of Lieutenant General in the Confederate army. He commanded troops at Shiloh, Perryville and Chattanooga, as well as during the Atlanta Campaign. Left with few men, he bravely tried to stop Sherman's March to the Sea and then achieved the remarkable evacuation of his small army from Savannah under the very eyes of Sherman's much larger command.

After the war, Hardee settled on his wife's plantation in Alabama. After living there briefly, the couple moved into Selma where he engaged in various business pursuits and was president of a railroad. He died while on vacation in West Virginia in 1873, but was returned to his home in Selma for burial. His peaceful grave can now be seen at the city's Old Live Oak Cemetery.

To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/hardeegrave.

Anniversary of the Battle of Olustee, Florida

Tomorrow (Saturday, February 20th) marks the 146th anniversary of the Battle of Olustee, the largest Civil War engagement fought in the state of Florida.

Part of a politically-inspired campaign to return at least part of Florida to the Union in time for President Abraham Lincoln to claim the the state's electoral votes in the hard fought 1864 election, Olustee was a major Confederate victory. Ignoring orders from his direct superior to consolidate his newly achieved position in and around Jacksonville, Brigadier General Truman A. Seymour instead headed inland with 5,500 men.

He did not realize it, but he was marching into the teeth of an army of similar size being assembled at Olustee, a railroad siding between Jacksonville and Lake City, by Confederate Brigadier General Joseph Finegan. The two armies collided in the pine woods just east of Olustee on February 20, 1864.

The Battle of Olustee was a stand-up fight in the open woods, with neither side using breastworks. By the time it was over, Finegan and his second-in-command, Brigadier General Alfred Colquitt, had handed Seymour a major defeat. Over 1,800 Union soldiers were dead, wounded and missing, while Confederate losses were just under 1,000.

The site of the battle is now preserved at Olustee Battlefield Historic State Park on U.S. 90 between Jacksonville and Lake City, Florida. To learn more, read original reports and see photographs of the battlefield, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/olustee.

Gun from the C.S.S. Tennessee - Selma, Alabama

One of the most interesting naval artifacts in the South can be found not by the ocean, but far inland on the city hall lawn in Selma, Alabama.

Displayed there, through the courtesty of the Naval Historical Center, is one of the original 7-inch Brooke Rifles from the famed Confederate ironclad C.S.S. Tennessee. The gun weighs 15,300 pounds and had an effective range of 4 1/2 miles. It was one of the most powerful and advanced weapons of its day.

The gun on display in Selma was the stern pivot gun of the Tennessee. It was a critical part of the ironclad's armament during the Battle of Mobile Bay and it was at this gun that Confederate Admiral Franklin Buchanan was wounded.

The Tennessee was actually built in Selma, which was also the place where its guns were manufactured. Launched in February of 1863, it was commissioned one year later. On August 5, 1864, with only a few small wooden gunboats to help, the ironclad tackled the entire Union fleet that was storming its way into Mobile Bay. By the end of the battle, the Tennessee's steering chains had been shot away and the ironclad was surrounded by the ships of the Union fleet as they pounded it over and over with cannonballs. Unable to maneuver it surrendered after one of the most heroic fights ever waged by the Confederate navy.

Although the Tennessee was scrapped after the war, several of its cannon still survive. The one on display in Selma was returned to the city where it was cast in 1981. To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/csstennessee.

Battle of Selma - Selma, Alabama

On April 2, 1865, Confederate Lieutenant General Nathan Bedford Forrest fought his last major battle when Union troops stormed the defenses of Selma, Alabama.

The Battle of Selma was one of the events that marked the final collapse of the Confederacy and even with Forrest's military genius, the outnumbered Southern troops could not prevent the capture of the vital Alabama city and its massive military industrial complex.

Forrest knew that he could not hope to hold the extensive Selma fortifications with the troops at his disposal and had tried to prevent the Federal army of Major General James H. Wilson from reaching Selma at the Battle of Ebenezer Church the previous day. When the separated Confederate forces proved unable to converge on Ebenezer Church as Forrest had hoped, Wilson prevailed in that battle and in less than 24 hours was outside the fortifications of Selma.

The Confederates took up positions behind the Selma earthworks, but the line was so extensive that there was only a man every 10 to 15 feet. Many of these were not seasoned soldiers, but were workers and citizens of the city who took up arms in a last ditch effort to defend Selma. Wilson complicated the situation by attacking via two roads leading into the city. While one force demonstrated along the main road, a second stormed the works defending the Summerfield Road.

Once the Confederate lines were pierced, Forrest pulled back to a still incomplete inner line and briefly stalled the Union advance. In the end, though, the Federals took the city and Wilson's soldiers spent days destroying the military factories, arsenal and storehouses there. Forrest managed to cut his way out at the end of the fighting.

The Battle of Selma marked the last time that Nathan Bedford Forrest would lead troops in action in a major battle and also opened the door for the Union capture of Montgomery, the original capital of the Confederacy.  To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/selmabattle.

Battle of Ebenezer Creek - Stanton, Alabama

On April 1, 1865, Confederate Lieutenant General Nathan Bedford Forrest fought one last time on ground of his own choosing in a last ditch effort to stop the Union army then advancing on the vital manufacturing center of Selma, Alabama.

The Battle of Ebenezer Church is often remembered today as a preliminary to the Battle of Selma, which was fought one day later. In reality, though, the April 1st encounter decided the fight for Selma before it ever took place.

Knowing that he could not hope to defend the vast fortifications surrounding Selma with the limited number of troops at his disposal, Forrest searched for good defensive ground north of the city where he could spring a trap on the army of Major General James H. Wilson. The Union general was then driving south through Alabama, destroying ironworks and farms as he advanced, and there was no doubt that his target was Selma and its militiary manufacturing facilities.

Forrest selected a site at Ebenezer Church, in today's community of Stanton about 24 miles north of downtown Selma. There he was able to place three brigades of troops into a line of battle stretching from a high hill on the left to Mulberry Creek on the right. The Confederate general hoped that with reinforcements coming up under Brigadier General James R. Chalmers he would be able to hold this line until 3,000 additional Southern troops came in behind Wilson and struck the rear of his army.

The battle did not unfold as Forrest hoped. Chalmers was unable to reach the field in time and only a portion of his brigade took part in the fighting at Ebenezer Church. The other 3,000 men that he planned to hurl against Wilson's rear were prevented from crossing the Cahaba River and did not reach the field.

Even without these men and despite the fact that he was outnumbered more than 2 to 1, Forrest waged a fierce fight at the Battle of Ebenezer Church. He was wounded by a saber blow during the fighting and also killed a Union officer who is thought to have been his 33rd combat victim.

To learn more about battle, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/ebenezerchurch.

Schedule for 2010 Muskogee Azalea Festival now available

The annual Muskogee Azalea Festival in Muskogee, Oklahoma, is one of the premier Spring events in the South.

When many Americans think of Oklahoma, they think of "wind sweeping down the plain." What many do not realize, however, is that the eastern part of the state is a beautiful region of mountains, lakes, forests and farms. Very much a part of the South, it is an area with historic sites that range from Civil War battlefields to historic forts and even plantations.

In fact, one of the finest annual displays of azaleas, dogwoods and other flowering plants in the South can be found each April at Honor Heights Park in Muskogee. A free event that draws hundreds of thousands of visitors each year, the Muskogee Azalea Festival focuses on the scenic beauty, culture and history of the unique Oklahoma city.

The main day of this year's festival will be April 10th. That's the day of the parade and many other major events, although the festival continues daily for the entire month of April.

More specific information, including a link to a complete schedule of events for this year's Muskogee Azalea Festival, is now online at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/okmuskogeeazalea.

Snow Falls in Two Egg, Florida

For the first time in more than a decade, snow has fallen on our unique little community of Two Egg, Florida!

The Two Egg area joined the list of Southern communities receiving snowfall as the record-breaking winter continues. Two Egg doesn't see snow very often, but today it began to fall at around 3:30 p.m. and continued for more than an hour and a half as a winter weather advisory was issued across Northwest Florida by the National Weather Service.

Two Egg's last noticable snow was in the early 1990s, although there have been a few flurries over the years since. Today's snowfall was enough to dust the grass and cover the tops of cars and roofs. Nearby communities reported slightly heavier amounts.

If you would like to see more of today's Two Egg, Florida snow, please visit www.twoeggfla.com/snow2010.

Branson, Missouri - Reliving the Romance of the Rails

There is an aura of romance that surrounds the old passenger trains that once rolled across the railroads of the South. As we continue our St. Valentine's Day look at romantic places in the South, it seems appropriate to focus on the Branson Scenic Railway in southern Missouri.

One of the finest such attractions in the South, the Branson Scenic Railway is a rolling historic site that takes passengers for rides through the scenic Ozark Mountains of Missouri and Arkansas. Leaving from its station in downtown Branson, the historic Ozark Zepher is a beautifully restored passenger train that features observation cars, a club car and regular passenger cars. It rolls through mountain valleys and over historic trestles and provides passengers with a chance to experience a 40 mile train ride that recreates the romance of train travel in days gone by.

 

The Zephyr uses a historic line of track that was laid between 1902 and 1905 at a then remarkable cost of $12 million. The challenge of building the tracks through the mountains caused the construction cost to soar, but the line was eventually finished, bringing passengers by rail to the developing resort area of Branson, Missouri.

The train station from which the Zephyr departs was built in 1905 and is now 105 years old. It provides an authentic beginning for trips into the past.

To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/bransonrailway.

Waterfalls of Arkansas - Romantic Cascades of the Mountains

Continuing with our St. Valentine's Day theme, waterfalls are an important part of American culture and life. They thread through favorite stories and the romance of our youth and are favorite destinations for Southerners of all ages.

The Natural State of Arkansas is blessed with hundreds of waterfalls and cascades, ranging from thundering Cedar Falls atop Petit Jean Mountain to small falls along the mountain streams that dot the Ozarks and Ouachita Mountains. A surprising number of these are very easy to access and at least one - Pig Trail Falls on the Pig Trail Scenic Byway - can even be seen from the windows of your car.

Although temperatures can be quite chilly in Arkansas this time of year, it actually is a great time for hand in hand visits to the state's waterfalls. They tend to run best during the late winter and early spring, before the trees put on their leaves. Many are near some of the more interesting historic sites in the state and are also within convenient distance of major communities.

To help you find some of the easier to access ones, I've put together a new web page with photographs and links for more information. To take a look, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/arkansaswaterfalls.

St. Simons Island, Georgia - Romantic Jewel of the Southern Coast

Continuing our St. Valentine's Day look at some of the most romantic destinations in the South, there are few places that possess the charm and beauty of historic St. Simons Island on the Georgia coast.

One of the Peach State's famed Golden Isles, St. Simons is a place unto itself. There are ruins of the old English settlement and fort of Frederica, the beautiful St. Simons Lighthouse, oak canopied streets, unique shopping and dining districts and an array of unique and charming places to stay. Dolphins play off the waterfront and the island fronts an area of the Atlantic that is a noted habitat of the magnificent North Atlantic Right Whale.

St. Simons was inhabited by Native Americans for centuries before Spanish missionaries arrived to bring Christianity to the Guale Indians. The Spanish eventually gave way to the English, who established Fort Frederica on the island during the 1700s. The ruins of the old fort and town can still be seen beneath the magnificent moss-draped oaks at Fort Frederica National Monument.

Visitors can climb to the top of the St. Simons Lighthouse for spectacular panoramic views of the island and adjacent waters. They can also learn the history of the beautiful old tower as well as the story of its well known ghost.

And the causeway out to the island passes over the Marshes of Glynn, made famous by the noted Southern poet Sidney Lanier.

To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/stsimons.

Natchez Trace Parkway - Beautiful Drive through the Romantic Old South

Continuing our St. Valentine's Day look at some of the South's most romantic places, a drive down the Natchez Trace is an unforgettable experience.

The parkway shadows the route of the original Natchez Trace, a road deeply embedded in the romance of the Old South. It was blazed during the 1700s by "Kaintuck" boatmen making their way back home to the Cumberland and Ohio River Valleys from trips down the Mississippi River to New Orleans on flatboats. This was during the days before paddlewheel steamboats made their way up and down the great river.

Today's highway is a limited access national park that stretches from Natchez in Mississippi up to the outskirts of Nashville, Tennessee. As it winds its way through beautiful scenery in Mississippi, Alabama and tennessee, the Trace takes visitors past historic plantations, Indian mounds, the ruins of a school where John James Audubon once taught, battlefields, sites associated with the Trail of Tears, waterfalls, lakes, natural points of interest and much more. Visitors can even visit the grave of Meriwether Lewis of Lewis and Clark fame and the birthplace of Elvis Presley.

There are numerous hotels, bed and breakfast inns, campsites and other accommodations in the towns and parks along the parkway, which can be accessed at points all along its route. The National Park Service operates visitor centers and contact stations at multiple points on the parkway and rangers and staff are always available to answer questions.

To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/natcheztrace1.