Natchez is the oldest civilized settlement along the mighty Mississippi River, settled by the French in 1716. By the late 17th and early 18th century, the historical Natchez (pronounced “Nochi”) American Indian tribe were occupying the site, which they used for their major ceremonial center, replacing Emerald Mound, which still exists about 15 miles from Natchez on the Natchez Trace. They added to the mounds, including a residence for their chief, the Sun, on Mound B, and a combined temple and charnel house for the elite on Mound C. Many early European explorers, including Hernando De Soto, La Salle and Bienville, made contact with the Natchez at this site, called the Grand Village of the Natchez. Their accounts provided descriptions of the society and village. As Natchez grew, it maintained a hierarchical society, divided into nobles and commoners, with people affiliated according to matrilineal descent. The paramount chief, the “Great Sun”, owed his position to the rank of his mother.
Today, Natchez is a major tourist destination market and over 100 residential structures are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In addition to the opulent antebellum mansions that remain, there are a number of other attractions to be seen when you visit. The Grand Village of the Natchez Indians is still located on the Southeastern edge of the city, and a visitor can get a true sense of the wealth and commerce that made Natchez thrive even following the war, when visiting the exhibit “Natchez in Historic Photographs”, located upstairs in the Stratton Chapel behind the historic First Presbyterian Church. And, speaking of churches, Natchez has more than its fair share of historic houses of worship. The William Johnson House, a property restored and operated daily by the Natchez National Historic Park Service, was the home of a free man of color by the name William Johnson. Johnson kept a diary of his life as an African businessman, operating a business in a predominantly white community, however, Johnson was not the only business-owning free man of color in Natchez. In fact, a number of them owned slaves themselves. To learn more about the fascinating history behind this remarkable city and her people, call 800-647-6724 or e-mail the Natchez CVB at info@visitnatchez.org.
