Natchez Trace: Difference between revisions

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 ''[[United States|United States&nbsp;]] [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] &nbsp;[[United States Migration Internal|Migration&nbsp;]] [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] &nbsp;[[US Migration Trails and Roads|Trails and Roads&nbsp;]] [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] &nbsp;[[Natchez_Trace|Natchez Trace]]''
-[[Image:{{NatchezT}}]][[Image:{{NatchezTMap}}]]The '''Natchez Trace''', or "Old Natchez Trace" was a 450 mile (725 km) long trail connecting what were originally American Indian settlements on the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cumberland_River Cumberland River] (Nashville, Tennessee) and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tennessee_River Tennessee River] ("Wawmanona" Indian site near Florence, Alabama) with settlements near the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mississippi_River Mississippi River] (Natchez, Mississippi, Grand Villiage of the Natchez Indians). European colonists had used the old Indian trail since at least 1742. In 1796 a new section called the [[Maysville Turnpike]] extended the Natchez Trace 275 miles (440 km) from Nashville, Tennessee to Maysville, Kentucky where it connected with [[Zane's Trace|Zane's Trace]] which continued through Ohio to Wheeling, West Virginia. This made it possible to go overland from the east coast to the Mississippi River. After the trace was upgraded to a road in 1801, the same could be done in a wagon for the first time. The Trace declined in importance after 1816 when rival roads and steamboats grabbed much of its traffic.<br>
+[[Image:{{NatchezT}}]][[Image:{{NatchezTMap}}]]The '''Natchez Trace''', "Old Natchez Trace" or "Chickasaw Trail" was a 450 mile (725 km) long trail connecting what were originally American Indian settlements on the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cumberland_River Cumberland River] (Nashville, Tennessee) and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tennessee_River Tennessee River] ("Wawmanona" Indian site near Florence, Alabama) with settlements near the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mississippi_River Mississippi River] (Natchez, Mississippi, Grand Villiage of the Natchez Indians). European colonists had used the old Indian trail since at least 1742. In 1796 a new section called the [[Maysville Turnpike]] extended the Natchez Trace 275 miles (440 km) from Nashville, Tennessee to Maysville, Kentucky where it connected with [[Zane's Trace|Zane's Trace]] which continued through Ohio to Wheeling, West Virginia. This made it possible to go overland from the east coast to the Mississippi River. After the trace was upgraded to a road in 1801, the same could be done in a wagon for the first time. The Trace declined in importance after 1816 when rival roads and steamboats grabbed much of its traffic.
-<br>'''Route'''
+=== Historical Background  ===
+The "trace" was first created by animals like bison to reach [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt_lick salt licks] in the Nashville (French Lick) area, and their grazing areas near the Mississippi River. American Indians, developed the trace further for trading mostly, and also as a warpath. An unknown Frenchman was the first European to write about traveling the full Natchez Trace in 1742.<ref name="NatchTWiki">Wikipedia contributors, "Natchez Trace," ''Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia'' at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natchez_Trace (accessed 24 July 2010).</ref> But earlier Europeans such as Spanish explorer [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hernando_de_Soto_(explorer) Hernando de Soto] may have come across parts of the trace in 1540 while being guided by [[Choctaw Indians|Choctaw]] and [[Chickasaw Indians|Chickasaw]] Indians. The trace followed a natural ridge and, at first, was only a narrow footpath or horse trail unsuitable for wagons because of trees.
-'''''Original trace south to north:'''''<ref>William E. Myers, ''Indian Trails of the Southeast'' (Nashville, Tenn.: Blue and Gray Press, 1971), 77-81. ({{FHL|54678|item|disp=FHL Book 970.1 M992i}}) [http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1523234&amp;amp;referer=brief_results WorldCat entry].</ref>
+In 1801 the United States signed a treaty with the Choctaw Indians allowing construction of a mail road by the side the the old footpath. The new road soon became important to settlers. Eventually inns known as "stands" were built every few miles to offer travelers a room and refreshment.
+Midwestern farmers called Kaintucks often used flatboats to float their agricultural goods, coal, or livestock down the Ohio-Mississippi River to market in Natchez, or New Orleans. Once downriver, their boats were of little use, so they often sold them as well, and the boats were dismantled for their lumber. One of the ways they could return to Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, or Indiana was by way of the Natchez Trace. An estimated 10,000 Kaintucks used the Natchez Trace in 1810.<ref>U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, "Natchez Trace Parkway-Kaintucks" in nps.gov at http://www.nps.gov/natr/kaintuck.htm (accessed 1 August 2010).</ref> However, because their pockets were loaded with money they were frequently preyed upon by gangs of robbers along the trail.<ref>The Story of the Historic Natchez Trace at http://library.thinkquest.org/6270/story_index.html (accessed 1 August 2010).</ref>
+The road not only carried settlers, but also their ministers. Methodist circuit riders were working the Trace as early as 1800 with many converts. Baptists and Presbyterians soon joined them. The Presbyterians worked their way from the Trace's south end, and the Cumberland Presbyterians from the north extension of the Trace.<ref name="NatchTWiki" />
+Meriwether Lewis, Governor of the Upper Louisiana Territory, and a former leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition was traveling on the Natchez Trace in 1809 when he died at Grinder's Stand [near Hohenwald], Tennessee.<ref>U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, "Natchez Trace Parkway-Park Home" in nps.gov at http://www.nps.gov/natr/index.htm (accessed 1 August 2010).</ref> During the War of 1812 the ferryman at the Tennessee River, George Colbert, charged Andrew Jackson $75,000 to ferry his army across the river.<ref>U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, "Natchez Trace Parkway-Photos and Multimedia" in nps.gov at http://www.nps.gov/natr/photosmultimedia/index.htm (accessed 1 August 2010).</ref>
+The rise of steamboats that could easily return upriver, and rival roads such as [[Jackson's Military Road|Jackson's Military Road]], built during the War of 1812, resulted in the decline of the Natchez Trace after 1816.<ref name="NatchTWiki" />
+=== Route  ===
+'''''Original trace south to north:'''''<ref>William E. Myers, ''Indian Trails of the Southeast'' (Nashville, Tenn.: Blue and Gray Press, 1971), 77-81. ({{FHL|54678|item|disp=FHL Book 970.1 M992i}}) [http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1523234&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;referer=brief_results WorldCat entry].</ref>
 *Natchez, Adams, Mississippi
@@ Line 26: / Line 40: @@
 *Maysville, Mason, Kentucky
-=== Historical Background  ===
+'''Counties on the Natchez Trace''' ''(south to north)''<ref name="HBG">''Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed.'' (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), 852. ({{FHL|1049485|item|disp=FHL Book 973 D27e 2002}}). [http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/50140092 WorldCat entry.]</ref>
-The "trace" was first created by animals like bison to reach [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt_lick salt licks] in the Nashville (French Lick) area, and their grazing areas near the Mississippi River. American Indians, developed the trace further for trading mostly, and also as a warpath. An unknown Frenchman was the first European to write about traveling the full Natchez Trace in 1742.<ref name="NatchTWiki">Wikipedia contributors, "Natchez Trace," ''Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia'' at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natchez_Trace (accessed 24 July 2010).</ref> But earlier Europeans such as Spanish explorer [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hernando_de_Soto_(explorer) Hernando de Soto] may have come across parts of the trace in 1540 while being guided by [[Choctaw Indians|Choctaw]] and [[Chickasaw Indians|Chickasaw]] Indians. The trace followed a natural ridge and, at first, was only a narrow footpath or horse trail unsuitable for wagons because of trees.
-In 1801 the United States signed a treaty with the Choctaw Indians allowing construction of a mail road by the side the the old footpath. The new road soon became important to settlers. Eventually inns known as "stands" were built every few miles to offer travelers a room and refreshment.
-Midwestern farmers called Kaintucks often used flatboats to float their agricultural goods, coal, or livestock down the Ohio-Mississippi River to market in Natchez, or New Orleans. Once downriver, their boats were of little use, so they often sold them as well, and the boats were dismantled for their lumber. One of the ways they could return to Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, or Indiana was by way of the Natchez Trace. An estimated 10,000 Kaintucks used the Natchez Trace in 1810.<ref>U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, "Natchez Trace Parkway-Kaintucks" in nps.gov at http://www.nps.gov/natr/kaintuck.htm (accessed 1 August 2010).</ref> However, because their pockets were loaded with money they were frequently preyed upon by gangs of robbers along the trail.<ref>The Story of the Historic Natchez Trace at http://library.thinkquest.org/6270/story_index.html (accessed 1 August 2010).</ref>
-The road not only carried settlers, but also their ministers. Methodist circuit riders were working the Trace as early as 1800 with many converts. Baptists and Presbyterians soon joined them. The Presbyterians worked their way from the Trace's south end, and the Cumberland Presbyterians from the north extension of the Trace.<ref name="NatchTWiki" />
-Meriwether Lewis, Governor of the Upper Louisiana Territory, and a former leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition was traveling on the Natchez Trace in 1809 when he died at Grinder's Stand [near Hohenwald], Tennessee.<ref>U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, "Natchez Trace Parkway-Park Home" in nps.gov at http://www.nps.gov/natr/index.htm (accessed 1 August 2010).</ref> During the War of 1812 the ferryman at the Tennessee River, George Colbert, charged Andrew Jackson $75,000 to ferry his army across the river.<ref>U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, "Natchez Trace Parkway-Photos and Multimedia" in nps.gov at http://www.nps.gov/natr/photosmultimedia/index.htm (accessed 1 August 2010).</ref>
+*'''''Mississippi:&nbsp;''''' [[Adams County, Mississippi|Adams]], [[Jefferson County, Mississippi|Jefferson]], [[Claiborne County, Mississippi|Claiborne]], [[Hinds County, Mississippi|Hinds]], [[Madison County, Mississippi|Madison]], [[Leake County, Mississippi|Leake]], [[Winston County, Mississippi|Winston]], [[Oktibbeha County, Mississippi|Oktibbeha]], [[Clay County, Mississippi|Clay]], [[Monroe County, Mississippi|Monroe]]
+*'''''Alabama:&nbsp;''''' [[Lauderdale County, Alabama|Lauderdale]]
+*'''''Tennessee:&nbsp;''''' Lawrence County, Tennessee|Lawrence]], [[Giles County, Tennessee|Giles]], [[Maury County, Tennessee|Maury]], [[Williamson County, Tennessee|Williamson]], [[Davidson County, Tennessee|Davidson]]
-The rise of steamboats that could easily return upriver, and rival roads such as [[Jackson's Military Road|Jackson's Military Road]], built during the War of 1812, resulted in the decline of the Natchez Trace after 1816.<ref name="NatchTWiki" />
+'''Overlapping and Connecting Routes:&nbsp;''' [[Jackson's Military Road]] followed the same path as the Trace from Nashville to [[Monroe County, Mississippi]]. In Monroe County [[Jackson's Military Road]] forked off south headed for New Orleans. The north end of the Trace eventually linked to the [[Maysville Turnpike]] into Kentucky and beyond. The south end of the Natchez Trace starts in Natchez (a river port) on the Mississippi River, gateway to Baton Rouge, New Orleans and the Gulf of Mexico.
 === Settlers and Records  ===