We started the day right off with history. The bus driver narrated between the miles. We learned that this area was first populated by the Natchez Indians who befriended the French, who then took too much land, caused a disagreement, and then killed the entire population. Not a great introduction to the town. The good news is that this town was mostly spared during the Civil War because so many of the citizens were transplants from the north and therefore were Union sympathizers. The representatives voted against the succession of Mississippi. While the state still left the union, Natchez was known for its Union sympathy.
We also learned about the role of cotton. Everyone talked about it…the bus driver, the guide to the Rosalie Mansion, and the curator of the Museum of African American History. When the cotton gin was invented, cotton became king. Everyone in the industry became fabulously wealthy and the mansions grew. Rosalie Mansion has imported marble and chandeliers because of cotton, but since it has been preserved by the Garden Club, the pictures on the wall are very one-sided. John noticed the initials “CSA” on the fancy dress of the “king and queen” at the ceremony they have every year. The docent admitted that yes, they still wear Confederate States of America belts and that none of the crowned has been African American. The Garden Club has done a lot for preservation in the town but hasn’t found a way to be inclusive yet. Maybe it’s coming. They haven’t had their big event for two years and have just canceled it for this year as well.
When we arrived at the Museum of African American History, we were shocked by its poverty. This is wonderful museum that has so much to tell, but none of the fancy cases or displays of other museums. The curator gave a terrific talk at the end that included local heroes such as Richard Wright and Medgar Evers. We put a big bill in the donation box. In just a few hours, we could feel the strain of politics in this area.
Our cotton experience gave us a chance to sing gospel songs, walk through slave cabins, pick cotton, and see the early machinery up close. We came away with great handfuls of fresh cotton which we’d love to share!
The Longwood Mansion was both spectacular and crazy. Who thought of this nut house? The dream was to build an octagonal home of descending size as it went upwards. The building had been framed in and the basement finished when the war started. All the workers were from the north and dropped their hammers to head home. The only person who stayed on the job was the roofer because—politics aside— he just couldn’t leave this magnificent structure without a roof! Because of him, the house stands today, but it’s quite an experience. The basement is a complete house in the round. It’s just lovely. But when we climbed the roughhewn staircase, we found ourselves on the first floor of an unfinished house. The walls were up, but the floors were still raw. For a house started in 1859, this looks pretty fresh! Looking up is the crazy part. Each floor was successively smaller in the eight-sided shape with the center revealing an open view straight up—boards and cross beams, all unfinished and waiting. The committee has decided not to ever finish this amazingly crazy house for historical reasons. I’m dizzy from the view.
Oh, and the answer to yesterday’s mystery picture was —a calliope, a steam-powered keyboard instrument that plays whistles! Everything you play sounds like Popeye the Sailor Man!