Natchez

During my recent trip to the South, I spent some time in Natchez, Mississippi.  The town's name comes from an Indian tribe who inhabited the area before being wiped out or scattered as the result of a conflict with French colonists.  The Natchez had built a ceremonial center several miles from the Mississippi River, which the French would refer to as the "Grand Village of the Natchez", and which is preserved today under the same name.  The site includes a reconstructed Natchez house.

The Grand Village includes several mounds, of which this is the largest.

Just above the Mississippi is this park...

...which includes this gazebo and sign.

Before the Civil War, Natchez was the home of quite a few cotton planters, whose plantations were across the river in Louisiana.  They built their homes in Natchez because of the higher elevation, as the city is located on bluffs above the river.  One such home is Longwood, which has six levels, but with only the basement being completed.  In this picture, my fellow tourists are exiting from the unfinished first floor.

If you wish to visit Longwood, or other antebellum houses such as Rosalie, you can go on a Natchez Pilgrimage.