Rocky Springs

"55 miles north of Natchez, Mississippi is the campground and village site of Rocky Springs.

"A settlement grew up around the spring here in the late 1790s. The town of Rocky Springs prospered during the time of the Old Trace and much later with the population reaching 2600 people. But, like its name, the history of the town was "Rocky." The town and farms suffered during the Civil War, and over a decade later in 1878, it was struck by Yellow Fever. Then in the early 1900s the Boll Weevil attacked and destroyed the cotton crops. Farming also suffered from over a hundred years of neglect and poor land management -- the erosion scars can still be seen in the area today. People left after all that, and during the 1930s the last store here went out of business. Now, even the spring's dried up.

"If you like you may walk a loop trail through the old town site. You'll see all that's left, a brick church and cemetery, a couple of rusty safes and several cisterns. The old Methodist Church was built in 1837 and still holds regular services. Both the church and the cemetery rest on a hilltop overlooking the abandoned town.

"Next time we'll look at a related exhibit, Owens Creek Waterfall. For Natchez Trace: A Road Through the Wilderness, I'm Frank Thomas."

For more about Natchez Trace: A Road Through the Wilderness, visit eddieandfrank.com