More of Natchez Trace

Today’s travels took us further south on the Natchez Trace. There are several stops all along the highway--bluffs, lookouts, trails, campgrounds, etc. Our first stop took us to the Gordon House and Ferry site. We didn’t walk the 1/2 mile to the river but hope to another time. From 1801 until traffic on the trace declined, the Gordons ran a ferry across the Duck River. The small house was built about 1818. The brick house had some flood damage so there was no entry today.
We then stopped at the Tobacco Farm and drive. We drove the two miles down a mostly gravel oneway road but it was beautiful and green on both sides. We ended up back on the paved Trace and drove back down to the tobacco barn. Really old tobacco leaves were hanging from the rafters, tiered to keep from being ruined by mold. Depending on the weather, the large leaves dry quickly.
Sheboss Place had nothing standing but once served travelers along the Trace with an inn.
We stopped at the Old Trace which marked the boundaries of Chickasaw lands ceded to the United States in 1805 and 1816.
At Fall Hollow, trails lead down through limestone and forest as a backdrop to the falls.
The Merriweather Lewis Monument sits at milepost 385.9. Lewis lived in the area and owned a home nearby. He died at the age of 35 from gunshot wounds and is buried on site of a campground there. Nearby is the model of a cabin in which he spent his last night at Grinder’s Stand.
(If you’d like to see other blogs of Natchez Trace, see older posts.)