Tracing History Part 3

The Natchez Trace Parkway - Mount Locust

Our next stop on the trace was Mount Locus. Here's some background:

Constructed circa, 1780, this home is one of the oldest structures in Mississippi. It functioned as both a working plantation and as an inn, where travelers on the Natchez Trace could rest for the night. Mount Locust is the only surviving inn of the more than 50 that existed during the period of greatest use of the Old Natchez Trace.
Beginnings of Mount LocustThe American Revolution caused several thousand British sympathizers to move into the Natchez District. During the American Revolution, Spain moved against Britain and seized Natchez in 1779. John Blommart, a retired British naval officer, probably built Mount Locust about 1780.
William FergusonWilliam Ferguson, a Virginian, migrated to Natchez in 1774. In 1784 the recently married Ferguson bought the Blommart tract, Mt. Locust. As the Ferguson family grew, so did the house and its outbuildings. William Ferguson's widow Paulina married James Chamberlain in 1806. The Ferguson-Chamberlain family lived at Mount Locust for over 150 years.
Mount Locust as an InnAfter 1795, the Mississippi River was legally opened for American traffic. Settlers from the Ohio River Valley floated their products downriver and sold them at Natchez or New Orleans. Most of them walked back home over the Natchez Trace, because their boats could not go upstream.
Mount Locust as a PlantationWhen steamboats came to the Mississippi, travel on the Trace declined. At Mount Locust, cotton growing replaced the tavern business.

Source: http://www.natcheztracetravel.com/natchez-trace-mississippi/lorman-natchez-ms/191-mount-locust.html

We stopped at this historic "stand", got a little background from a volunteer in the office, picked up a brochure, and then proceeded to tour the building on our own. We looked at the rooms, took some pictures, pointed to and marveled at stuff, and talked among ourselves.



























































Then we went outside to get some pictures of the Old Trace that ran through the property. The path looked well used and maintained.












 As the mosquitos dined on my blood, we imagined what it must of been like for travelers to walk this trail for over 400 miles to get back to their homes in the Ohio Valley so they could build new boats, load them with goods to sell, and travel back down river to Natchez and New Orleans.

Once we came back to reality, we spied this gentleman. He was one of the workampers who  volunteered at the site. He was dressed and outfitted like a typical Kaintuck, albeit cleaner and better smelling.

Although they were known as "Kaintucks," these boatmen floated merchandise down the Ohio and Mississippi rivers from states throughout the Ohio River valley. Agricultural goods, coal, and livestock were among the many products that were floated to markets in Natchez and New Orleans. Once the goods on the boats were sold, the boats were often dismantled and sold as lumber. Before the age of the steamboat, Kaintucks had little use for these flatboats once they reached their destinations.

From Natchez, the boatmen would begin the long walk home. They traveled the Natchez Trace to Nashville, Tennessee. From there, they used more established roads to take them to their homes further north and east. Research indicates that more than 10,000 Kaintucks traveled the Old Trace in the year 1810 alone. The 500 mile trip on foot typically took about 35 days. Lucky travelers that rode horses could expect to cover it in 20 to 25 days.

Source: http://www.nps.gov/natr/historyculture/kaintuck.htm 

Our Kaintuck explained the gear he carried and what it was used for. He also asked us if we had seen such-and-such on the site. We told him what we saw, and photographed, and then explained we had just taken some picts of the Old Trace right there. Our guide was quite amused as he explained that what we shot was the maintenance road, (DOH!), and then asked we would like a proper tour of the place. We graciously and sheepishly accepted. Here's what we learned:

Though not as opulent as the mansions in Natchez, this too was an Antebellum dwelling. It was also a plantation with 65 slaves. If you look at the picture on the left you'll see that the house is painted white, but only up to a point. There was a town below and it had a commercial district with a "Main Street" that ran parallel to the Old Trace. Paint was expensive, so with the true Antebellum attitude, the only part of the house painted was what you could see from town. The only people who would see the unpainted parts where the family, the Kaintucks, and the slaves. No need to impress any of them!

When a Kaintuck arrived at the "Stand" he put his traveling gear on the back porch. Typically this was a walking staff, canteen, purse, hat and a rolled up rudimentary knapsack called a budget. A budget usually consisted of a wool blanket rolled around other sleeping items, and hung across the back with a rope. One who traveled in this manner was said to be "Traveling on a budget."

The picture below show the "Inn" part of the house. See how the table is on saw-horses? After supper, the table was cleared and put away. Then the guests set up their budgets on the floor where they would sleep. It sounds harsh, but it was warm, dry, AND indoors.

Two things were interesting about this room. The first is that a person who was born in this room was still living in the area. As a matter of fact his family lived in the house until 1944, and the mother who bore him was still alive and lived about 300 yards south of here. The second thing of interest was about the bed you see pictured here. Notice the ropes on the footboard? (Click on the picture to enlarge it so you can see them better.) Those ropes ran from the head of the bed to the foot. Their job was to support the mattress evenly. The mattress itself was constructed like a pillowcase, and it was stuffed with moss, pine boughs, hay, horsehair and other organic materials that were handy and soft. With the mattress stuffing originating outdoors, on the ground, and /or on an animal, it could be infested with insects. If the ropes became loose, not only would the mattress sag, but the contents could fall out. If the contents fell out, the insects would escape their confinement. This resulted in mothers wishing their children to "Sleep tight, and don't let the bed bugs bite." 

This room belonged to the family's only daughter.

Here we have the Master's bedroom. Not only did the Mr. and Mrs. sleep here, but business was also conducted at the desk. The room was connect to another bedroom where the family"s other son was born, and slept. He too is still alive today.

The last thing out docent showed us was two paths and a cistern. The path that leads to the left, past the cistern led to the family cemetery. The other path led to the slave cemetery.

By this point we had been at Mt Locust for over two hours, and our brains were busting with information. In spite of that we did not see everything the site had to offer.

Isn't History fun?