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BUZZARD ROOST (Mile
320)
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COLBERT FERRY (Mile 328)
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COLBERT'S STAND George Colbert operated a ferry across the Tennessee River from 1800 to 1819. His stand or inn offered travelers a warm meal and shelter during their journey on the Old Trace. Colbert looked after his own well-being and once charged Andrew Jackson $ 75,000 to ferry his Tennessee army across the river. The site of his stand is a short 50-yards up this path. An additional 20-minute stroll will take you along the Old Trace to the bluff overlook station and back. |
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Levi Colbert, a Chickasaw Chief, operated a stand near here that served Old Trace travelers in the early 1800's. Adjacent to this area was a spring which provided an abundant water supply. |
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"... shrewd, talented..." Thus, a traveling preacher characterized George Colbert, the half-Scot, half-Chickasaw Chief, who operated a stand (inn) here between 1801 and 1820. But for more than 30 years, he helped negations with the U S for Chickasaw rights as the tide of settlement advanced from the East, and his successful farm showed his people the way of their future. |
| This short path will take you to the side of his stand and along a remnant of the Old trace that it served. |
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OLD NATCHEZ TRACE The mail, and the military muscle that kept the isolated Natchez district bound to the Union, passed along these ruts. In 1801, the loose chain of Indian trails was made a post road, vital in communications, defense, commerce, and settlement. By 1820, steamboats made upstream travel practical, and the Trace fell into disuse. |
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WILDERNESS HAVEN After a venison supper, one guest at Colbert's Stand spent the night in an outbuilding with "... not less than 50 Indians, many of them drunk." Here, and at about 20 other stands along the Trace, "Kaintuck" river boatmen, money-laden business men, Indians, and outlaws shared a spot of fellowship on a long, hazardous road. |
| NATIVE AMERICANS
ALONG THE TRACE Three Native American groups migrated throughout the state and at times lived adjacent to the Natchez Trace Parkway. The Natchez Indians lived south near Natchez, Mississippi. The Choctaw Indians migrated from the central area to the upper central area of Mississippi. The Chickasaw Indians lived in central Mississippi later moving further west into the state. Most Native Americans left Mississippi during the government Indian removals which took place during the post Civil War era. A few Chickasaw and Choctaw live in Mississippi today with the largest population living in Oklahoma. The Natchez no longer exist as an independent nation due to French and Indian wars in the early 1800's. |
| REMOVAL OF THE
CHICKASAW-CHOCTAW Removal west by way of Memphis via steam boat or overland by way of the Tennessee River banks. Of the total number of Chickasaw and Choctaw who were removed in Mississippi, only one fourth went overland, which attributed to the low mortality rate of these two nations. |
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This scene would have occurred far below the surface of the lake you see now. From 1802 to 1819, George Colbert operated a ferry across the quarter-mile breadth of the powerful Tennessee River. The ferry carried mail, militia, settlers, Indians and renegades over what was considered by many travelers as the worst natural obstacle on the Trace. |
ROCK SPRING (Mile 331)
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ROCK SPRING Rock Spring Nature Trail offers you an opportunity to explore a small natural spring as it bubbles forth from the ground. Small fish dart about a deep pool created as the stream wandered through rich bottom land soil and limestone rock. Vegetation and trees change as you move through an abandoned field past the stream onto a rock hillside. After completing the 20-minute walk you may decide to pull off your shoes and dangle your feet in the swift cool waters. |
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ROCK SPRING TRAIL The trails and stepping stones in this area lead you across Colbert Creek past Rock Spring, and through the woodlands. Since 1977, numerous beaver dams have been built then abandoned or destroyed by high water. Walk the trails and enjoy the changing environment of this once free-flowing spring-fed stream. |
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HABITATS Habitats change according to the natural elements present at a given time. Food, water, soil, and sunlight affect all living things. When water is plentiful, characteristic plants and animals occupy an area. Whereas on dry, dark slopes, organisms that have adapted to these particular surroundings are present. Change is the foundation of our environment. Conditions will always fluctuate causing constant change around us. |
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WATER CURRENT Water current is a critical element in a stream, surging and trickling, but always providing precious oxygen to underwater dwellers. Acting as a conveyor belt for food, the current transports decaying matter and plant seed downstream. A river of stream is a challenging habitat. Whatever enters or lives near the stream must adapt to its changing course, in addition to offering changes of its own. All living things in the area around you are affected, directly and indirectly, by this water source, Colbert Creek. |
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DAMS Dams are created by a variety of sources: animal activity such as beaver, fallen trees and other accumulated plant matter, or a build-up of stream sediment after a heavy rain. Whatever the source, damming obstructs the current enough to allow deep pools to form which support plants and attract insects. In turn, these insects attract other aquatic organisms and their predators. |
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CREATION OF DAMS Creation of dams dramatically changes the environment. Water-loving plants move in and replace vegetation that requires less moisture. Over time the area will continue to change. If the water supply increases, the area will continue to widen and flood, yet resemble what you see today. With less water the area may fill in with dense grasses, sedges, and shrubs, the start of a marsh that will later develop into a meadow through a process called succession. An influx of new plants may alter the types of wildlife in this area. |
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SLOW MOVING WATER Slow-moving water, another aspect of an aquatic community, drops sediment it has carried, creating a perfect home for burrowing worms and mussels. Along the quiet edges, plants gain a foothold in the mud. these plants offer a place for algae to grow, which in turn provided food for tadpoles, turtles, and fish. With sun and water in ample supply, plants fill all available space. Fallen plants and dead animals decay and quickly recycle back into the community, encouraging more growth. |
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HIGH WATER SIGNS Look around, do you see signs of high water? The cut away bank in front of you and the absence of larger hardwood trees across the stream are clues. Heavy rainfall, which causes frequent flooding, makes it very difficult for seedling trees to get started. The dense vegetation surrounding the stream, cattails, willows, and other low growing plants, thrive in the abundant water, while larger trees grow out of the flood zone. |
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AREA ANIMALS Many different kinds of animals inhabit an area where water is readily available. The soft, muddy bottom provides a home for fresh water invertebrates, and abundant plants offer places for insects to lay their egg sacs. Tadpoles swim in the quiet waters, later becoming a meal for turtles and egrets. Frogs breed in the cool water, while water birds stalk the margin, hunting for young fish. Mammals such as white-tailed deer, raccoon, skunk, opossum, and squirrel come here to drink, in addition to finding food in or near the water. |
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UNDERGROUND
RESERVOIRS Water accumulates in underground reservoirs called "aquifers." Occasionally an aquifer will touch the surface and the water will flow out in the form of a spring. Rock Spring flows year-round and has an average temperature of 50 degrees F. This spring creates the slow-moving water environment before you. |
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ORIGIN OF THE
WATER As you emerge from the forest to the opening of the stream side, hear the bubbling of the water. Think about where the water comes from and how it affects every living thing around it. Think about the changes water can bring to an area, the many forms it takes, and how it results in habitats supporting different animals and plants. Reflect on the diverse and changing areas you visited along this trail and how important change is to a healthy environment. |
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WIND THROWN TREES Notice the amount of wind thrown trees in this area. Repeated spring floods which remove soil followed by high winds combine to topple trees whose crowns extended above surrounding trees. |
EXHIBIT SHELTER
(Mile 370)
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The Trace followed ridges and avoided valleys wherever possible. Ridges were more easily cleared out, where dryer in wed weather, provided greater sight distance and reduced the number of streams to be crossed. |
LAUREL HILL LAKE (Mile 372)
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OLD TRACE DRIVE (Mile 376)
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A RIDE ON THE OLD
NATCHEZ TRACE From this point you may drive over a mile and a half of the Old Trace and see for yourself this frontier road much as it appeared in the early 1800's. En route, stop at the three scenic overlooks to enjoy the fine views. The modern parkway follows the general route of the Old Trace. Engineering standards and the necessity of preserving sections of the Trace have made it impractical to follow it exactly. |
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This monument marks the Old Natchez Trace over which pioneers traveled through Lawrence County, Tennessee, which was organized October 21, 1817. The county seat, Lawrenceburg was created on November 23, 1819, and named in honor of Captain James Lawrence, naval hero of the War of 1812. Erected May 15, 1998 by Buffalo River Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution |
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DIARY OF EARLY TRACE TRAVELERS Some of the hardy travelers on the Old Natchez Trace kept records of the numerous difficulties encountered. |
| TORRENTIAL RAINS "... the most profuse heavenly shower bath I ever enjoyed... I would rather take my chance in a field of battle than in such a tornado again." Alexander Lewis, 1811 |
| THIEVES "... Our camp (was) surprised in the night, and two of our horses stolen, by the Indians Francis Raily, 1797 |
| SWAMPS "... I passed through the most horrid swamps I had ever seen. These are covered with a prodigious growth of canes, and high woods, which shut out almost the whole light of day for miles." Alexander Lewis, 1811 |
| INSECTS "... Muskeetos & Gnats & Water very bad." Phillip Buckner, 1801 "... I can adjust a simple handkerchief about my head and face in a way to parry the mosquitoes, or their more formidable companions the horseflies." Harman Blennerhassett, 1807 |
| SWOLLEN STREAMS "This creek... we found was not fordable; we were... obligated to unload our horses and swim them across. As to ourselves, there was fortunately a large tree lying across the stream." Francis Baily, 1797 |
| The Natchez Trace was vital to the military and economic welfare of the nation. Its most important travelers included... |
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POST RIDERS The United States inaugurated mail service between Natchez and Nashville in 1800, providing, at first, for one trip a month each way. This had increased to three a week by 1816, |
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SOLDIERS Between 1798 and 1815, troops frequently passed over the Trace in times of crisis to meet threats posed by Indians or foreign powers. |
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CIRCUIT-RIDING
PREACHERS Christian missionaries followed the Trace. They established schools and churches among the Indians and in the frontier settlements. |
After the American revolution,
frontiersmen from the Ohio Valley carried their products down stream to
Spanish controlled New Orleans and Natchez.
Returning home, boatmen followed a series of Indian trails from Natchez to Nashville... trails which evolved into the Natchez Trace. |
| After the United States acquired Natchez in 1798, the Government decided to clear a road between the newly-created, Mississippi Territory and the State of Tennessee as an important communication link between the national capital and the Old Southwest. |
JACKS BRANCH (Mile 378)
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NAPIER MINE (Mile 382)
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| PHOSPHATE MINE From here north for approximately 40 miles, the parkway passes through or near a geologic region of limestone rich in phosphate deposits. Abandoned mine shafts in limestone ledges on both sides of the parkway in this immediate area are silent reminders of past mining activity. A five minute walk to your right leads to an abandoned railroad bed and a collapsed mine shaft in a limestone outcrop. |
METAL FORD (Mile 383)
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STEELE'S IRON
WORKS Here, about 1820, stood a charcoal-burning furnace used to manufacture pig iron. All that remain of this pioneer enterprise are a slag pile and the evidence of a mill race, used to bring water from Buffalo River to operate the furnaces air blasting machinery. |
| An easy 5-minute stroll beyond Metal Ford leads you beside the Buffalo River to the McLish Stand Exhibit and then back to this point by way of the historic mill race. |
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METAL FORD "I was roused from this melancholy reverie by the roaring of Buffalo River, which I forded with great difficulty." Alexander Wilson, 1811 Here travelers on the Natchez Trace crossed the river which was fordable except after heavy rains. The ford takes its name from its stone bottom, which reminded frontier travelers of stone surfaced or "emerald" roads of the day. |
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MILL RACE This trail to your right follows the Mill Race that once brought water form the Buffalo River to the furnace. |
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SLAG PILE We do not know the exactly location of Steele's Iron Works because no remains of the furnace have been found. This Slag Pile, on the bottom and side of the mill race, suggests that the smelting furnace might have been located here. |
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MERIWETHER LEWIS (Mile 331)
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MERIWETHER LEWIS
(1774 - 1809) Born near Charlottesville, Virginia, August 18, 1774. Died, October 11, 1809, aged 35 years. A native Virginia, he entered the United States Army in 1794 and achieved the rank of Captain in 1797. From 1801 to 1803, he was the private secretary of President Thomas Jefferson. |
| An officer of the Regular Army, Private Secretary to President Jefferson, Commander of the Expedition to the Oregon in 1805 - 1806. Governor of the Territory of Louisiana. His melancholy death occurred where this monument now stands and under which rest his mortal remains. |
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During the years 1804 to
1807 Lewis, assisted by William Clark, led the expedition
which explored the great American Northwest from the mouth of the Missouri
River to that of the Columbia.
The Lewis and Clark Expedition provided the first accurate knowledge of the extent and character of the vast territory west of the Mississippi River. |
| In the language of Mr. Jefferson. "His courage was undaunted, his firmness and perseverance yielded to nothing but impossibilities. A rigid disciplinarian, yet tender, as a father of three committed to his charge. Honest, disinterested liberal with a sound understanding and a scrupulous fidelity to truth". Meriwether Lewis traveled via the Trace enroute to Washington, D C in 1809 to have business disputes addressed. He died at the Grinder's Inn, located on the Trace, today's Hohenwald, Tennessee. Lewis later became Governor of Louisiana. He died at Grinders Inn on the Natchez Trace October 11, 1809 at age 35, apparently from a self-inflicted gunshot wound while enroute from Saint Louis to Washington, D C. In 1848, Tennessee erected a monument at his grave site. |
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MERIWETHER LEWIS
MONUMENT AND GRAVE SITE Originally dedicated by congress in 1925, the Meriwether Lewis Monument was erected by state and local residents, and is now a part of the Natchez Trace Parkway. |
| Beneath this monument erected under
Legislative Act by the State of Tennessee, A D 1848,
reposes the dust of Meriwether Lewis, a captain in the United States Army,
Private Secretary to President Jefferson, Senior Commander of the Lewis and
Clark Expedition, and Governor of the Territory of Louisiana. The report of
the Committee appointed to carry out the provisions of the Monument Act,
contains these significant statements:
"Great care was taken to identify the grave, George Nixon, Esq, an old surveyor, had become very early acquainted with the locality. He pointed out the place, but to make assurance doubly sure, the grave was re-opened and the upper portion of the skeleton examined and such evidence found as to leave no doubt of the place of interment." |
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| GRINDER HOUSE Site and ruins of the Grinder House, in which Meriwether Lewis met his death on the night of October 11, 1809. In the Grinder House, the ruins of which are still discernible, 230 yards south of this spot, his life of romantic endeavor and lasting achievement came tragically and mysteriously to its close on the night of October 11, 1809. |
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NATCHEZ TRACE The plainly visible, though long deserted road is a section of the Natchez Trace evolved from Buffalo and Indian Trails, into the first National Highway of the South-west, cut and opened under authority of the United States Government, after treaties negotiated with the Chickasaw and the Choctaw Indians, in 1801. |
| Designed to meet early necessities of trade between Nashville and the Country of the Lower Mississippi, it is an abiding footprint of the bold, crude commerce of the Pioneers: yet it is not without military significance in the history of our Country. Over it passed a part of Andrew Jackson's army in his campaign against the Creek Indians in 1813, and again on his return from the battle field of New Orleans in 1815. |
| But, before Talledega and New Orleans... before the soldiers of Jackson had given renown to the Natchez Trace, it received its immortal touch of melancholy fame when Meriwether Lewis, journeying over it on his way to Philadelphia, to edit the story of his great expedition, here met his untimely death on the night of October 11, 1809. |
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WESTERN EXPANSION When the Constitution was adopted in 1789, only a small area west of the Appalachian Mountains had been settled. During the next 30 years most of the area between the Appalachians and the Mississippi and a small area west of the Mississippi was settled. |
| WESTERN
EXPLORATION (1804 - 1828) President Jefferson in 1803 ordered Meriwether Lewis to explore and map the Missouri and Columbia Rivers and report on climate, plants, and Indians. Inspired by the success of Lewis, other explorers by 1828 had visited every part of the west, preparing the way for acquisition and settlement. |
| CHRONOLOGY OF THE NATCHEZ TRACE PARKWAY |
| 1765 - 1779 | English speaking people colonize the Natchez District, veterans of French and Indian War, and exiled Tories from 13 colonies. |
| 1775 - 1783 | American Revolution. |
| 1779 | September 21, Spanish Colonial forces occupy Natchez. |
| 1780 | April 24, Nashville established by Richard Henderson, John Donelson, and James Robertson, and North Carolina Settlers. |
| 1781 | April 22, English speaking settlers in Natchez revolt against Spain. |
| 1783 | September 3, Treaty of Paris ends American Revolution. The Mississippi River becomes the western boundary of the United States. East and West Florida ceded to Spain. Beginning of Spanish American boundary quarrel. |
| 1785 | First cargo of American goods reaches Natchez via the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. The first of thousands of boatmen begin their journey over the Natchez Trace to Nashville, and other places in the Ohio Valley. |
| 1785 | Chachare, a French officer in Spanish service makes trip, Natchez to Nashville on the Natchez Trace. The first written report of a journey over the Trace. |
| 1792 | March 13, Stephen Minor's trip on Natchez Trace. Left a detailed diary. |
| 1798 | March 30, Spain withdraws troops and Natchez District occupied by U S forces. April 7, Mississippi Territory organized with Natchez as capital. |
| 1800 | April 23, Congress establishes post route between Nashville and Natchez. |
| 1801 | October 24, Treaty of Chickasaw Bluffs in which Chickasaw agree that U S may open a road, the Natchez Trace, through their lands. December 17, Treaty of Fort Adams officially opens Old Natchez District to settlement and Choctaw agree that U S may open a road, the Natchez Trace, through their lands. |
| 1801 - 1802 | U S Troops open the Natchez Trace from Davidson Williamson County line in Tennessee to Grindstone Ford in Mississippi. |
| 1802 | June 11, That part of Old Trace in Tennessee between Nashville and Duck River Ridge abandoned as a post road. |
| 1802 | December 27, Ferry across Tennessee River, 59 miles south of here, established by George Colbert. Gordon's Ferry established on Duck River in Tennessee by John Gordon |
| 1804 - 1806 | Lewis and Clark expedition |
| 1807 | Meriwether Lewis appointed governor of Louisiana Territory |
| 1809 | Lewis left St Louis enroute to Washington, D C. Illness interrupted his trip at Memphis. Traveled overland to Chickasaw Agency, thence northeast on Natchez Trace. Died by gunshot wound at Grinders Stand on October 11. Murder or suicide? The mystery lingers. |
| 1811 | First Mississippi River steamboat reached Natchez from Pittsburgh |
| 1812 | Doaks Stand established in Mississippi by William Doak. French Camp, Mississippi, or Le Fleur's Stand established by Louis LeFleur, McLish Stand established by John McLish, a Chickasaw. More than 50 stands established along Old Trace during its heyday. |
| 1813 | March 25, Andrew Jackson marches from Natchez to Nashville and is given the name "Old Hickory." |
| 1814 - 1815 | The Natchez Trace was a vitally important link between Washington and New Orleans when the latter was threatened by a British army and fleet. Jackson's army returns to Tennessee via the Old Trace after the Battle of New Orleans. |
| 1820 - 1830 | Death of the Trace. Steamboats become the usual method of travel from Natchez up the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers to the northeast. Use of Old Trace greatly reduced. |
| 1861 - 1865 | Civil War, Troops of both armies march over sections of Old Trace. Numerous battles are fought near it. 1863, Grant's army marches over Natchez Trace, Port Gibson to Raymond. June 10, 1864, Battle of Brice Cross Roads. July 14, Battle of Tupelo. In 1864, parts of Hood's army march over Natchez Trace from Tennessee - Alabama line to Nashville. After the Battles of Nashville and Franklin the remainder of Hood's army retreats over the Old Trace to Tupelo, Mississippi. |
| 1938 | May 18, Natchez Trace Parkway created as a unit of the National Park System by Act of Congress |
| 1961 | August 10, Ackia Battleground National Monument, Mississippi and Meriwether Lewis National Monument, Tennessee, included in Natchez Trace Parkway by Act of Congress. |
| Today | Enjoy a safe, leisurely drive along the Natchez Trace Parkway, a memorial to the Old Natchez Trace. |
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NATIONAL SCENIC
TRAIL The National Scenic Trail, which runs adjacent to the Trace, offers 60+ miles of hiking in four different areas east of the Parkway. The National Scenic Trail, in its completion is over 694 miles long. For more information about trails in this area, call 1-800-305-7417. |
FALL HOLLOW (Mile 392)
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SWAN VIEW OVERLOOK (Mile 392)
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