Natchez Trace: A Road Through the Wilderness

"The parkway commemorating the Natchez Trace is a star in the crown of human endeavors.  It is a tool of instruction our country can turn to often to gain understanding. There have been many rewards along this journey, a journey that's as much about this country's future as it has been about the past. It offers us time to reflect and realize that the same progress that brought Europeans on board ships to the new lands of the Americas and prompted a new nation to seek convenience along the road to its Natchez frontier, those hopeful steps also drove an ancient people from their homelands. "And today, we construct mammoth projects, which flow with hope for a grand future, bringing commerce and change to what once seemed a near boundless, flourishing wilderness -- exchanging the order of nature for the order of man. "The Natchez Trace offers us a picture of change encapsulated within a 450 mile journey through history. It's hopeful, beautiful and at times filled with horror and tragedy. "You can study it. You can listen to its myriad tales, but nothing compares with a first hand journey up the Trace. So, if you get the chance, I invite you to visit this grand parkway and add your footsteps along "one of the oldest roads in the world," a road through the wilderness. "I'm Frank Thomas. Thank you for joining me." For more about Natchez Trace: A Road Through the Wilderness, visit eddieandfrank.com

"At 4:30 in the afternoon, Saturday June 22, 1996 the National Park Service officially opened the last five miles of the Natchez Trace Parkway in Tennessee. The public along with Vice President Al Gore attended the formal ribbon cutting event near TN Highway 100. "Following this event there was a parade of antique vehicles to represent each year the Parkway has been under construction. The parade of cars traveled from the Highway 100 terminus down to Highway 96 and assembled for public viewing below the Highway 96 Arch Bridge where there was a concert featuring country music star Amy Grant followed by music from the 101st Airborne Division Military Band. "During that afternoon beneath the 96 bridge, visitors could see Civil War and frontier-era encampments along with characters dressed in the traditional costumes of Kaintucks and post riders. Throughout the day, prior to the ribbon cutting, hikers, runners and cyclists enjoyed the final section of the parkway making their way down to the events and exhibits below the unique and impressive Highway 96 bridge. "It was an extremely hot and humid day there near Nashville, but the people gathered to see and be a part of the continuing story of a road that has played such an important role in shaping this great "nation of people." "Join us next time for the final program in this series when we will complete our journey and take a last look at this outstanding parkway and the people it commemorates. I'm Frank Thomas, your guide along the Natchez Trace a road through the wilderness." For more about Natchez Trace: A Road Through the Wilderness, visit eddieandfrank.com

"Our journey along the Natchez Trace Parkway is nearing a close as we get closer to Nashville, Tennessee. Today we are crossing Tennessee Highway 96 where we will see evidence that the story of the Natchez Trace isn't over. Today we look at the Parkway bridge across Tennessee Highway 96. "This modern bridge across highway 96 was opened to the public June 22, 1996. It is the first segmentally constructed arch bridge in the United States -- a double arch bridge. One arch spans the length of nearly 2 football fields (582'). The entire bridge is 1648 feet long and carries the parkway 155 feet above highway 96. "The bridge's 3 concrete piers were cast where they stand, but the arches and the super structure were cast off site in a plant under controlled conditions. Some of these segments weigh as much as 55 tons and were hauled to the site and lifted into position by a ground mounted crane. In all there are about 122 arch segments and 196 superstructure segments. "This new approach to bridge building was designed using computer models, and tests were made throughout construction to check and refine engineering and design techniques. "Join us next time when we will drive the last 5 miles up the Natchez Trace to its NORTHERN TERMINUS. 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

"Today on our journey up the Natchez Trace Parkway we are visiting a site called GARRISON CREEK that is just south of Leipers Fork, Tennessee. "There's a trail used by hikers and horseback riders that connects this site with exhibits at BURNS BRANCH, the OLD TRACE EXHIBIT and the TENNESSEE RIVER DIVIDE along the original Old Natchez Trace and the parkway. All these exhibits pertain to the National Road Era of the Natchez Trace. "When the old trail first became a national road, the postmaster general wrote the secretary of war asking for the army's help to improve the road. During those days, in 1801 and 1802, the army worked on this section of the road. GARRISON CREEK got its name because the U. S. Soldiers who did the improvements on the NATCHEZ ROAD were garrisoned at this creek. "Just beyond GARRISON CREEK the Parkway crosses over highway 46 and enters a section of the parkway opened in June of 1993. This is the parkway's high country and the road is very curvy as it winds its way around, in and out of the valleys that are the last steps of our journey. "Join us next time as we cross the first segmentally constructed arch bridge in the United States at Tennessee Highway 96. 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

"James Robertson and John Donelson, who lead settlement parties from Fort Patrick Henry to the Salt Lick where the Old Natchez Trace crossed the Cumberland River, are known as the co-founders of Nashville, which was the new name given to Fort Nashborough in 1784. "Robertson later became known as the 'Father of Tennessee.' "As a young man Andrew Jackson rode into the town in 1788, and had a great effect upon Nashville, and Tennessee and the building of the new nation along its frontier. His exploits along the Natchez Trace were many. We know of his famous trip down the Trace to marry Rachel Donelson Robards outside of Natchez. She was the daughter of John Donelson who brought the flotilla of boats to the great bend of the Cumberland River. Jackson's plantation home, the Hermitage, is a few miles east of Nashville. "Nashville has been the capitol of Tennessee since 1843, and though you may know it today as the 'Country Music Capitol of the World' it also carries the nickname of the 'Athens of the South' because of its numerous institutions of higher education plus its many buildings designed in the classical Greek style. There's even a replica of the Parthenon standing in Centennial Park. "Join us next time when we visit GARRISON CREEK. I'm Frank Thomas, your guide along the Natchez Trace, a road through the wilderness." For more about Natchez Trace: A Road Through the Wilderness, visit eddieandfrank.com

"On our Journey up the Natchez Trace we are getting close to what was the destination for many who traveled along this road so many years ago -- Nashville, Tennessee. "In 1775, at the Treaty of Sycamore Shoals, Richard Henderson, a North Carolina businessman, purchased from the Cherokee Indians, lands in the great bend of the Cumberland River. He called this land west of the Appalachian Mountains, Transylvania and advertised for settlers to journey to a site where this old Indian trail joined the Cumberland River; the site of a salt lick, where a much older trading post had been, a site that we know today as Nashville, Tennessee. "James Robertson and John Donelson were chosen to lead two settlement parties from Fort Patrick Henry in what is now northeastern Tennessee. Robertson lead the men and boys of the party overland with livestock. They arrived at the site of the Big Salt Lick on Christmas Day in 1779 and crossed a frozen Cumberland River to begin building Fort Nashborough. "Donelson lead a flotilla of boats down the Tennessee River, and up the Ohio and Cumberland Rivers to join Robertson's settlement party on April 24, 1780... their journey was a hard one, troubled by bad weather, disease and hostile Indians. "Join us on our next program when we will look further at the history of Nashville, Tennessee. I'm Frank Thomas, your guide along the Natchez Trace, a road through the wilderness." For more about Natchez Trace: A Road Through the Wilderness, visit eddieandfrank.com

"On our journey up the Natchez Trace Parkway from Natchez to Nashville we are well up into Tennessee, and today we cross the TENNESSEE VALLEY DIVIDE. We have been riding along the highest elevation on the entire Natchez Trace, which is right at 1000 feet above sea level. The Tennessee Valley Divide is a watershed, part of a ridge that divides central Tennessee. Streams and creeks south of here flow into the Duck River and the Tennessee River, but to the north water flows down to the Cumberland River. It's on the banks of the Cumberland that the City of Nashville was built. "Early travelers on foot and horseback would have been more conscious of these changes in elevation than we are today riding on a paved road, in motorized and climate controlled vehicles, and they would have noticed the directions that the streams flowed. The reason this watershed was important to travelers was because when Tennessee became a state in 1796, this ridge marked the boundary between the United States and the Chickasaw Indian Nation. This watershed marked the edge of the frontier. "It was in 1805 that the Chickasaw began to surrender land south of the divide. "Join us next time when we will take a look at some of the early history of Nashville, Tennessee. 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

"We are making our way up the Natchez Trace Parkway from Natchez, Mississippi to Nashville, Tennessee and today we are west of Columbia, Tennessee at a site called the WATER VALLEY OVERLOOK. "This exit takes travelers 3 tenths of a mile, high up to a hilltop overlooking a quiet valley.  It's a pastoral scene of farmlands, ponds and country roads. There's a picnic table there for those who care to stay for awhile. "The ten miles or so north of this overlook is the highest section along the entire Natchez Trace. The following RoadMusic® piece titled THE JOURNEY was written to accompany this drive along the parkway. (PIANO INTERLUDE) THE JOURNEY "Join us next time when we will cross the Tennessee Valley Divide. 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

"Today on our journey up the Natchez Trace Parkway from Natchez, Mississippi to Nashville, Tennessee we are visiting the GORDON, HOUSE AND FERRY SITE west of Columbia, Tennessee near the community of Shady Grove. "At this exhibit is one of the few buildings still remaining from the days of the Old Natchez Trace. "By treaty George Colbert had been given control over all ferry operations on Chickasaw lands. John Gordon, an Indian scout and friend of Andrew Jackson, made an agreement with Colbert to allow Gordon to operate a trading post and a Ferry across the Duck River beginning in 1802. Though the Duck River wasn't as big as the Tennessee, it was still an obstacle to travelers during the rainy seasons. "John Gordon was away on military duty much of the time with General Andrew Jackson, and Gordon's wife, Dorothea, oversaw construction of the house that still stands at this site today. It was finished in 1818. John Gordon died a year later, and Dorothea lived there until her death in 1859. "The GORDON FERRY operated for more than 90 years. The first bridge across the Duck River was built in 1896. "Join us next time when we will visit WATER VALLEY OVERLOOK and hear another RoadMusic® selection. 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

"Today on our journey up the Natchez Trace Parkway from Natchez, Mississippi to Nashville, Tennessee we are visiting several sites outside of Columbia, Tennessee that pertain to the Duck River. "At the Jackson Falls exhibit there are two trails. The one to the right is the steeper, a 900 foot trail that takes visitors to a clear pool at the base of the Jackson Waterfalls. These falls were named for Andrew Jackson, a frequent traveler of the Trace between his home in Nashville and the territories of Mississippi and Louisiana. The stream that feeds this water fall is Jackson Branch and flows into the Duck River. "The other trail at this exhibit is to the left and carries visitors a quarter of a mile to BAKER BLUFF, which overlooks the Duck River. At the Baker Bluff Overlook the park service has placed an exhibit that describes the flow of life giving water, and discusses the need for clean water. "Join us on our next program when we will get a much closer look at the Duck River and visit the GORDON, HOUSE AND FERRY SITE where early travelers crossed the Duck River. 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

"Today on our journey up the Natchez Trace Parkway from Natchez, Mississippi to Nashville, Tennessee we are visiting a Tobacco Farm exhibit near Columbia, Tennessee where we will ride and walk along the original Old Trace. "There are two recorded messages at this exhibit that tell how tobacco is grown, cut and dried. Visitors can take a short walk through the field, and the barn built by Mr. Leland Greenfield in 1959. In the summer you can see the tobacco growing and in the fall, see it drying in the barn. "This section of the parkway parallels the Old Natchez Trace very closely, and from the tobacco farm exhibit it is possible to take a one way ride north along the original Old Trace.  This Drive is about a mile and a half long, and only the last half mile of the road is paved. "For those wanting an even closer look, a mile beyond where the Old Trace Drive reenters the parkway is an exhibit where visitors can take a 15 minute walk along a 2000 foot section of the original Trace that follows a ridge 300 feet above the Duck River. "Join us next time when we will visit JACKSON FALLS. 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

"Today on our journey up the Natchez Trace Parkway from Natchez, Mississippi to Nashville, Tennessee we are visiting SHEBOSS PLACE near Columbia, Tennessee. "By comparison to the forced removal of the Cherokee and the Choctaw Indians from the southeastern United States, it must appear the Chickasaw had an easy time of it. Beginning in 1837 some of the Chickasaw traveled west to Oklahoma with Government escort while others took up their lives and traveled at their own expense. By the fall of 1839 the enrollment of Chickasaw in the west was 5,947. Others moved between 1840-47. "The Chickasaw became a unique culture, establishing their own schools, and courts and legislature based upon the model of the whiteman. "SHEBOSS PLACE was the location of another of the inns along the Old Trace. According to the agreement with the Chickasaw that allowed travel through their lands these 'Inns' or 'Stands' along the way had to be owned by Indians. The Widow Cranfield ran this inn along with her second husband who was an Indian who spoke very little English. The legend of how the inn got its name tells of travelers coming by asking the Indian about lodging there. He would point to his wife and say, 'SHE BOSS.' "Join us next time when we visit a TOBACCO FARM. I'm Frank Thomas, your guide along the Natchez Trace, a road through the wilderness." For more about Natchez Trace: A Road Through the Wilderness, visit eddieandfrank.com

"HEMONA KA ONAHLÍ TÖK. This is Chickasaw, meaning, 'Once I was there.' "Today we are in land that belonged to the Chickasaws before the tribe's removal along the "Trail of Tears" in 1837. "Possibly the worst events of the Indian Removal from the Southeast in the1830s occurred to the Cherokee Indians, removed at bayonet point by the American army in the dead of the winter 1838-39; There were 645 wagons filled with a freezing human cargo. It was so sudden that many were barefoot and without blankets against the cold. 4000 Cherokee died of starvation and exposure and disease along the infamous trail. Today few remember. And when we do, the memory is cloaked with the romantic title THE TRAIL OF TEARS -- Tears without pity -- tears of sorrow and pain and suffering -- tears of loss. (SONG CLIP PERFORMED HERE) Never will my spirit ever drift so far away You will not find me in the wind and the silence. You will not think of me each day, And never know my name; But I was there, once I was there, And I walked upon the water. "Join us next time when we visit Sheboss Place. 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

"Today on our journey up the Natchez Trace Parkway from Natchez, Mississippi to Nashville, Tennessee we are just north of the parkway intersection with Tennessee highway 412 at the exhibit, SWAN VALLEY OVERLOOK, where you can get a good look at the terrain in the direction south. "The change in elevation here along the parkway gives it a different feel. Boatmen and Kaintucks returning from Natchez would have been keenly aware of these hills and valleys and would have sensed their journey along the old road coming to an end. Their thoughts must have turned toward home as we hear in this RoadMusic® selection. (SONG CLIP PERFORMED HERE) Words that seem so hard to say, they do come easy, When you are far away. But when our chance arrives, We let our chance go by. This time's the last time I'm giving up all my holding back. I'll say all these things to you, When I get back home. "On our next program we will look more closely at this land that was once home to the Chickasaw Indian Nation, and we will hear stories of the Indian's forced removal and the 'Trail of Tears.' 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

"Today we will look at a couple of exhibits near Swan Valley, where the Natchez Trace Parkway crosses Tennessee highway 412. The first exhibit is PHOSPHATE MINE. A 5 minute walk there takes visitors to a collapsed mine shaft and an abandoned railroad bed. "This is a region where the limestone has rich deposits of phosphate. There was a lot of mining activity in this area at one time, and there are many abandoned mine shafts like this one. "Just past PHOSPHATE MINE is a bridge that takes travelers across Big Swan Creek.  Beyond the bridge is FALL HOLLOW. A short trail goes over to a waterfall and down to a small pool below. This water is making its way down toward Swan Creek. "Join us next time when we will climb up out of the valley and visit SWAN VALLEY OVERLOOK. I'm Frank Thomas, your guide along the Natchez Trace, a road through the wilderness." For more about Natchez Trace: A Road Through the Wilderness, visit eddieandfrank.com

"Today on our journey up the Natchez Trace Parkway we are visiting the Meriwether Lewis exhibit and are going to listen to part of Pale Moon Rider, a song written about the danger posed by robbers along this early National Road. "Captain Meriwether Lewis of the Lewis and Clark Expedition died here in 1809. In 1848 the state of Tennessee erected a monument at Lewis's grave, which visitors can see at this exhibit. The monument is a broken shaft symbolizing the early death of a promising life.  The surrounding County is also called Lewis County. "To this day there is some question about his death. Was it the suicide of a troubled young man? Or had Lewis, in his post as governor of Louisiana, discovered something about his predecessors, General Wilkinson and associates, that they wouldn't allow him to report to Washington? Too, the Trace was notorious for its criminals and bandits. Was Lewis robbed and murdered? (SONG CLIP PERFORMED HERE) Highwaymen are coming. They're on a dead run through the cane break. Hide all the women and the silver and the gold, Highwaymen, on the road. Don't you be fooled by all those fancy clothes, He's a highwayman and he's a rogue. "Join us next time when we will visit PHOSPHATE MINE. I'm Frank Thomas, Your guide along the Natchez Trace a road through the wilderness." For more about Natchez Trace: A Road Through the Wilderness, visit eddieandfrank.com

"Today we visit the location of Grinder's Stand at an exhibit called MERIWETHER LEWIS. Meriwether Lewis was President Thomas Jefferson's personal secretary when the United States made the Louisiana Purchase from France in 1803. Meriwether became leader of the famous LEWIS AND CLARK EXPEDITION and explored trails all the way to the pacific northwest. When Lewis returned, President Jefferson appointed Captain Lewis governor of upper Louisiana, replacing the controversial General James Wilkinson who had convinced President Jefferson to look into charges of treason against his vice president Aaron Burr. "Meriwether Lewis had his headquarters in St. Louis, and in 1809 he left there headed for Washington to settle some accounts he felt were due him from the government. He traveled down the Mississippi River to Fort Pickering where Lewis and his traveling companions were joined by the U.S. Agent to the Chickasaws, James Neely . They went east through Chickasaw country and crossed the Tennessee River to join the Old Trace heading north. "On October the 10th, 1809, thunderstorms hit them and Lewis made it into Grinder's Stand ahead of his companions. During that night Lewis was shot. He died as the sun was rising October 11, 1809. He was only 35 years old. "On our next program we will look further at Lewis's death." For more about Natchez Trace: A Road Through the Wilderness, visit eddieandfrank.com

"Today on our journey up the Natchez Trace Parkway from Natchez, Mississippi to Nashville, Tennessee we are visiting an exhibit called METAL FORD at the Buffalo River in Tennessee. "METAL FORD is a point where travelers of the old road waded across the Buffalo River when the water was low. One method of road construction in that era was known as 'metalling', which meant the road was built by placing stones on the surface to help it stand the wear in bad weather. As you can imagine, these road surfaces were hard and rough to travel. The stone bottom of the ford across the Buffalo reminded travelers of 'metaled' roads and so it came to be known as METAL FORD. "In 1820 this ford was the site of Steele's Ironworks where nearby ore was smelted in a coal burning blast furnace. Air was pumped into the fiery coal to make it burn hotter, and this air-blasting machinery was operated by water taken from the Buffalo River by a channel, known as a millrace. The iron making operations lasted at Metal Ford for more than a hundred years until after World War I when the great depression brought operations there to a close. "Join us next time when we will hear the story of Meriwether Lewis. 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

"Today on our journey up the Natchez Trace Parkway from Natchez, Mississippi to Nashville, Tennessee we are visiting an exhibit called NAPIER MINE near the Buffalo River in Tennessee four miles south of the parkway junction with Tennessee highways 20 and 412. "As people moved into the expanding frontier, it wasn't possible to bring everything they needed, and they couldn't afford to have it shipped from the East. Among the things pioneers settling these areas needed were items made of iron, like shoes for their horses and nails, plow points and hoes for tending the fields and cast iron pots and skillets for cooking their food. In 1805, Dr. Rush Nutt discovered Iron ore here, and that provided the raw material for iron making operations in this area from 1820 to 1923. "NAPIER MINE was an open pit mine because ore deposits were shallow here. Miners dug this high yield ore with pick axes and hauled it out in wagons drawn by mules. "The exhibit at NAPIER MINE has specimens of the ore dug from the mine and examples of the iron products that could be made from the ore. From the exhibit parking lot visitors can see the pit of the mine. "Join us next time when we will visit METAL FORD. I'm Frank Thomas, your guide along the Natchez Trace a road through the wilderness." For more about Natchez Trace: A Road Through the Wilderness, visit eddieandfrank.com

"In building the parkway it wasn't possible to follow the Old Trace exactly. What worked for people traveling on foot and on horseback 200 years ago doesn't work well today in a car going 50 mph. "We are 5 miles north of where the Natchez Trace Parkway intersects Tennessee highway 64 at an exhibit called OLD TRACE DRIVE. This is a 2.5 mile section of the Old Natchez Trace that you can drive along in your car. Visitors have to travel the old road at a slower pace and get to see it up close. It makes you think about the footsteps that have preceded you, about the roaming buffalo and the Indian's plight at the hands of the colonists, of the thousands of Kaintucks and boatmen carrying their goods by river to Natchez and returning home with everything they owned on their backs. They were likely prey for thieves and robbers who waited -- vultures feeding off the work of others. Imagine the weary post riders and troops of soldiers passing through here to build and defend this great nation -- circuit riding preachers, building missions and schools among the Indians. "These were people like you and me, who swam the rivers and streams, waded swamps and fought disease, and animals, and insects and violent storms. They faced life threatening heat and cold. People did all this... and for what purpose? "Join us next time When we will visit NAPIER MINE. 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

"Today on our journey along the Natchez Trace Parkway from Natchez, Mississippi to Nashville, Tennessee we are going to visit several trails and exhibits just north of Collinwood, Tennessee. "SWEETWATER BRANCH nature trail takes 15 or 20 minutes to walk. This branch was named for the "sweet" flavor of the water. Travelers today should not drink the water. The shallow rocky soil of this bottom land supports plants and trees as they struggle to grow, as the branch continues to carve and shape the valley. In season, wildflowers are plentiful in this area. "A few mile north is another branch that parallels the parkway, and the park service has built two picnic areas connected by a trail that runs 2/3 of a mile along side GLENROCK BRANCH. The sites are LOWER and UPPER GLENROCK BRANCH PICNIC AREAS. "And 3 miles north of Glenrock Branch is an exhibit that refers to a spot along the Old Trace called DOGWOOD MUDHOLE. You can possibly guess how it got its name. It's a low spot in a ridge that's covered with dogwood trees. This spot became a difficult passage for wagons after heavy rains. So, this mudhole came to be known as DOGWOOD MUDHOLE. "Join us next time when we will travel 2.5 miles along an actual piece of the Original Old Natchez Trace. I'm Frank Thomas, your guide along the Natchez Trace, a road through the wilderness." For more about Natchez Trace: A Road Through the Wilderness, visit eddieandfrank.com

"In 1811, on board a steamboat named the New Orleans, Nicholas Roosevelt pioneered steam travel down the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers. "As the New Orleans passed along the western border of the state of Tennessee, the first shocks of an earthquake struck near New Madrid, Mo. on December the 16th. Villages were destroyed, bluffs along the Mississippi fell into the river, ravines opened as far south as Natchez. As a result of the earthquake of 1811, the ground in the northwestern corner of Tennessee collapsed and giant waves from the Mississippi flowed to fill the depression, reversing the flow of the Mighty River and forming Reelfoot Lake. (Awakening musical Interlude) "This tune is called Awakening. It is RoadMusic® written especially for this part of our journey along the Natchez Trace Parkway through Tennessee. "Steamboats helped bring an end to pioneer travel along the Natchez Trace in the early 1800s. At a pivotal point in this rapidly changing world stood a truly remarkable year. "Annus mirabilis 1811. "Join us next time when we will visit SWEETWATER BRANCH, GLENROCK BRANCH and DOGWOOD MUDHOLE. 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

"Annus mirabilis -- miraculous year. This comes from Jonathan Daniels story of the Natchez Trace, The Devil's Backbone. "In 1811 the steamboat pioneer, Robert Fulton, hired Nicholas Roosevelt to travel the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers to see if a steamboat could navigate them. Roosevelt and his bride took there honeymoon 6 months on board a flatboat to check out the rivers and determined that it was indeed possible for a steamboat to negotiate the currents. So Roosevelt built a steamboat named the New Orleans, and in the fall of 1811, Nicholas and his wife, an engineer, a pilot, six hands and a dog set out from Pittsburgh on board a 300 ton steamboat, headed for Natchez and points south. "As though announcing the beginning of this new era of river travel, a great comet shown against a moonlit night, as the New Orleans made its way down the river past Louisville, Kentucky. "After the New Orleans sailed past the section of the Mississippi River that lies along the western border of the state of Tennessee, the first shocks of an earthquake struck near New Madrid, Mo. on December the 16th. "On our next program we will finish our story of the miraculous year of 1811 with the forming of Reelfoot Lake while we listen to a bit of RoadMusic® along the way. 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

"Today on our journey up the Natchez Trace Parkway from Natchez, Mississippi to Nashville, Tennessee we visit another of the trading posts established along the Old Trace, McGLAMERY STAND. It was built in 1849 by John McGlamery, quite late in the old road's history. This stand didn't survive the Civil War, but today, the nearby village is known as McGlamery Stand. "'Annus mirabilis' is the title of a chapter in the book Devil's Backbone by Jonathan Daniels.  This is Latin meaning "Miraculous Year." The title was inspired by a quotation from the Englishman Charles J. Latrobe, who journeyed through the American West with Washington Irving in 1811. To Latrobe 1811 was a year of miracles. "In America early in 1811, many rivers flooded, and the flooding was followed by a great deal of sickness. Then there was an unexplained migration of squirrels from the north, tens of thousands, charging south in droves. Nothing seemed to stop them and large numbers perished in the broad waters of the Ohio River, which lay along their path. "The steamboat pioneer, Robert Fulton, hired Nicholas Roosevelt to travel the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers to see if a steamboat could navigate them. On our next program we will journey down the Mississippi on a barge with Roosevelt and his newly wed wife. "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

"Today on our journey up the Natchez Trace Parkway from Natchez, Mississippi to Nashville, Tennessee we are visiting an exhibit 8 miles north of the Tennessee-Alabama State line. The exhibit is called SUNKEN TRACE and offers visitors a look at how this old road through the wilderness changed with the passage of time and traffic. "We've seen how the Natchez Trace grew out of the geography of the land and the movement of animals and man, and rivers and streams. Just as the animals and people have changed during the course of the trail's history, the trail itself changed in response to the life it bore. "The Old Natchez Trace itself relocated as it became worn. Heavy traffic would eventually turn spots along the trail into dangerous mud holes, and travelers would begin to make their way around these spots. As a result a new trail would soon grow to replace the old worn spot. At SUNKEN TRACE visitors can see three distinct cuts through the woods, that were made to avoid the mud. Each of these was at one time a part of the path we know today as the Natchez Trace. "Join us on our next program when we will visit McGLAMERY STAND. 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

"Today we are leaving Alabama and going into the state of Tennessee. In 1663 King Charles II granted the Carolina Colony all the land starting at the Atlantic Ocean and running west between the 31st and 36th parallel. The 31st parallel is the bottom border of Mississippi below Natchez. The 36th parallel is now the northern boundary of North Carolina and Tennessee. When North and South Carolina separated they established the border between them as the 35th parallel. North Carolina released it's claim on lands west of the Appalachian Mountains, and this became the state of Tennessee the 16th state, entering the Union in 1796. So, the 35th parallel became what is now the southern border of Tennessee. "John Coffee, supervised the survey of this line between 1817 and 1822, some 10 years later John Coffee negotiated for the United States in the Treaties of Dancing Rabbit Creek and Pontotoc Creek. "Just for the record, I checked the almanac under Tennessee... the state flower is the iris, Motto: AGRICULTURE AND COMMERCE, state bird: the same as Mississippi, the mockingbird, tree: tulip poplar and the state song: THE TENNESSEE WALTZ. "Join us next time when we will visit SUNKEN TRACE. For Natchez Trace a road through the wilderness, I'm Frank Thomas."

"Today on our journey up the Natchez Trace Parkway from Natchez, Mississippi to Nashville, Tennessee we are about a mile and a half beyond the Tennessee River at an exhibit called ROCK SPRING. "Colbert Creek empties into the Tennessee River near where the river and the parkway intersect. A mile or so above the mouth of Colbert Creek, beaver have built a dam near where Rock Spring feeds into the creek. This place is alive with activity in the spring and summer, and in the backwater of the beaver dam visitors can see fish and turtles -- wildlife of many varieties. When we were at Myrick Creek closer to Jackson, Mississippi we looked at an area after Beaver had deserted it. This area is much more lively than Myrick Creek. There's a loop trail that takes about 20 minutes to walk, and visitors even have to use stepping stones to cross the Creek. There are benches along the way too, to sit and watch and listen to some of what travelers along the Old Trace experienced. (Live sounds from Rock Spring) "Join us next time when we will be leaving Alabama and entering the State of Tennessee.  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

"Today on our journey up the Natchez Trace Parkway from Natchez, Mississippi to Nashville, Tennessee we are crossing the Tennessee River at the JOHN COFFEE MEMORIAL BRIDGE. "John Coffee was an old Indian fighting buddy of Andrew Jackson and one of Jackson's Generals who fought with him against the British at the Battle of New Orleans in 1815.  Coffee was chosen by Jackson to negotiate for the United States with the Choctaw at Dancing Rabbit Creek in 1830 and with the Chickasaw at Pontotoc Creek in 1832. In both cases Coffee was successful in getting the Indians to give up all their tribal lands to the United States. These negotiations resulted in later banishment of the Indians from their ancestral home to lands West of the Mississippi during the painful Indian Removal that has come to be known as the Trail of Tears. In 1839, along this infamous trail to exile the Chickasaw Indian Chief, Tishomingo, died of smallpox before reaching the new lands in Oklahoma. This old respected leader of the Chickasaw Indians was buried west of Little Rock, Arkansas near Fort Coffee. "Join us next time when we will visit ROCK SPRING. 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

"For early travelers, the Tennessee River was the biggest obstacle along the entire Natchez Trace. "At the COLBERT FERRY stop, down by the edge of the River, there's a taped message that tells what it was like crossing the Tennessee River in the early 1800s and before. The river wasn't as wide as it is today. It was swift moving and a little more than a quarter mile across (about a third the distance it is now). What you'll see there today is a lake created in the mid 1930s when the Tennessee Valley Authority build Pickwick Dam, down river from this site about 25 miles to the northwest. "After the Natchez Trace became a national road in 1800, George Colbert, a powerful Chickasaw Indian Chief and a brother to Levi Colbert at Buzzard Roost Spring, operated a ferry and stand at the river. Visitors at this exhibit can see where George Colbert's stand was located and an old photograph of the stand itself. George Colbert was a clever businessman, and it is said that he once charged Andrew Jackson $75,000. to ferry the Tennessee army across the river. "Join us next time when we will cross the Tennessee River on the JOHN COFFEE MEMORIAL BRIDGE. 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

"On the parkway in Alabama, about 7 miles before we reach the Tennessee River there is an exhibit called BUZZARD ROOST SPRING.  Buzzard Roost was one of the most famous stands along the Natchez Trace, at the site of a large spring originally called BUZZARD SLEEP. In 1801 Levi Colbert built his stand near this spring. At that time this was Chickasaw land and the stands were owned by Indians. "Levi wasn't a full-blooded Indian, his father was a Scotsman, James Logan Colbert, who spent most of his life among the Chickasaw and may have been an important military strategist for the Chickasaw in their battle against the French at Ackia.  The father's military prowess wasn't lost on Levi. One fall while most of the young men of the tribe were away on hunt, the Creek Indians attacked the Chickasaw village that was Levi Colbert's home. Levi organized the remaining men, young and old, and lead them to victory over the Creeks. For his bravery, Levi received honor at Council, seated upon a wooden bench rather than upon the ground. He received the name, Itawamba Mingo, meaning Bench Chief. As one of the mixed bloods Levi became acting chief of the entire Chickasaw Nation. Highly respected and trusted, he was known as Levi, "The Incorruptible." "Join us next time when we will visit COLBERT FERRY. I'm Frank Thomas, your guide along the Natchez Trace a road through the wilderness." For more about Natchez Trace: A Road Through the Wilderness, visit eddieandfrank.com

"Today on our trip up the Natchez Trace Parkway traveling from Natchez, Mississippi to Nashville, Tennessee we are in northwest Alabama climbing out of the bottom land of Bear Creek up to the exhibit called FREEDOM HILLS OVERLOOK. "There's a steep paved walkway there that leads about a quarter of a mile up from the parking area to an overlook. There is a bench where visitors can sit and look to the east over the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. This overlook is 800 feet above sea level, about the same elevation as the highest point in all of the state of Mississippi, which is a dozen or so miles west at Woodall Mountain. This overlook is the highest point along the parkway in the state of Alabama. "We climbed up out of the Bear Creek bottom land to reach this peak; as we continue north we'll be entering the valley that contains the Tennessee River, which is about 10 miles farther up the Trace. "Join us next time when we will visit Buzzard Roost Spring.  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

"Today on our journey up the Natchez Trace Parkway we leave the state of Mississippi and cross into Alabama, the 22nd state to join the Union. That was on Dec. 14, 1819. The Southern pine is the state tree. The state flower is a rose-like flower that grows on a bush, called a camellia. The state bird is the yellowhammer. And the motto? WE DARE TO DEFEND OUR RIGHTS.  The state song is ALABAMA. "After crossing the state line the parkway begins to drop off into bottom land. Down in the bottom we get to see Bear Creek as it parallels the parkway off to the west. In the bottom is the BEAR CREEK PICNIC AREA, where canoeists can access Bear Creek. Bear Creek flows into the Tennessee River about 15 miles to the north of here, and for about the last 10 of those miles Bear Creek is part of Pickwick Lake, one of the chain of lakes formed by dams built along the Tennessee River in the 1930s. "At one time General Andrew Jackson was a close friend of Chief Tishomingo, the old and venerated Chickasaw Indian chief. On several occasions, these two friends, paddled canoes together where the mouth of Bear Creek opens into the Tennessee River at Eastport, Mississippi. "Join us next time when we will visit the FREEDOM HILLS OVERLOOK. 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

"We are making our way up the Natchez Trace Parkway from Natchez, Mississippi to Nashville, Tennessee, and today we visit BEAR CREEK MOUND, our last exhibit before we leave Mississippi. "The Bear Creek Mound is typical of the ceremonial Indian Mounds we have seen along our Natchez Trace journey. It is a flat topped temple mound that stands about 10 feet high and is right on the Mississippi-Alabama Border. The mound itself was built less than a 1000 years ago, sometime between 1200 and 1400 AD. At first you may think this is just another old Indian mound; however, the mound is located at the oldest major prehistoric site on the entire Natchez Trace. Dating back more than 10,000 years, the BEAR CREEK MOUND SITE was occupied by migratory hunters as early as 8000 B.C. Just imagine, this site was occupied by human beings for thousands of years, from Paleo times through the Mississippian period. "On our next program we will take a small step in our journey as we cross over into Alabama, but remember this final exhibit in Mississippi; it's a lasting footprint of human life here that spanned not just a few decades and centuries, but rather, several millennia. 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

"We are making our way up the Natchez Trace Parkway from Natchez, Mississippi to Nashville, Tennessee, and today we are very near the Mississippi-Alabama State line at an exhibit called Cave Spring. "The basic type of rock in this area is limestone. When rain falls, the water absorbs carbon dioxide from the air and this forms a weak acid. As this water seeps through the ground it dissolves the limestone very slowly. At this site, the underground water dissolved a large cavern out of the limestone just beneath the surface and eventually the roof of the cavern gave way and the ground here fell in to open up a cavern filled with spring water. This spring was probably used as a source of water by the Indians in this area over the millennia; however, today the spring water is unsafe to drink and the cavern is dangerous, so visitors to the Cave Spring exhibit are cautioned to be careful -- look but don't touch. "There is another exhibit near Cave Spring, actually just a few tenths of a mile to the north.  It's the last exhibit within the State of Mississippi and is the oldest site on the entire Natchez Trace. So, join us on our next program when we will visit the Bear Creek Mound. 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

"TISHOMINGO is the Chickasaw Indian name meaning WARRIOR CHIEF. Today we visit TISHOMINGO STATE PARK along the Natchez Trace Parkway about 6 mile before it leaves Mississippi and crosses into Alabama. The park, county and nearby town are all named for the last great war chief of the Chickasaw Indian Nation, Chief Tishomingo. "The land in this scenic state park was Tishomingo's favorite hunting ground, and saddle back ridge was his favorite spot, where he spent many hours riding young white children on his spotted red horse and telling them stories of his many battles. He fought with Gen. Wayne in the Revolutionary War against the British and later along side Andrew Jackson. "He fought with his tribesmen in the war against the Creek Indians 1793-1795, and was a great warrior in the Chickasaws victorious last war against the Cherokee. Tishomingo was the Chickasaw advisor and leader in the Treaty of Pontotoc in 1832 that resulted in the Chickasaw removal to west of the Mississippi. He felt the pain of his tribe in leaving their home land. Tishomingo's favorite spot in the world was here, and when he was more than 100 years old, he gave it up, left never to return. Tishomingo died on the journey to exile with his people. "Join us next time when we will visit Cave Spring. 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

"Today we are visiting the Bay Springs Lock and Dam site on the Tennessee Tombigbee Waterway. The Lock is just off the Natchez Trace Parkway about 30 miles north of Tupelo, Mississippi. "Construction of the Waterway began in 1972 and was finished in 1985. The RIVER section of the Waterway is south of Bay Springs and utilizes the Tombigbee River coming north from Demopolis, Alabama to Amory, Mississippi. Using a chain of lakes construction, the CANAL section runs from Amory to Bay Springs where barges locking through change elevation by 84 feet. The final DIVIDE CUT SECTION was the most difficult to construct.  It had to be cut through the Hills of Northeast Mississippi for 39 miles from Bay Springs to Yellow Creek, which flows into the Tennessee River. "The Natchez Trace bridge across the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway at Bay Springs is named in honor of U. S. Representative, Jamie L. Whitten, from Mississippi, who fought in Congress to complete both the Natchez Trace Parkway and the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway. This bridge stands where two of the Congressman's greatest accomplishments cross each other's paths. "Join us next time when we will visit Tishomingo State Park. I'm Frank Thomas, your guide along the Natchez Trace, a road through the wilderness." For more about Natchez Trace: A Road Through the Wilderness, visit eddieandfrank.com

"Today we visit where the TENNESSEE-TOMBIGBEE WATERWAY crosses the Natchez Trace Parkway about 30 miles north of Tupelo, Mississippi. "The Tombigbee River was known as the "River of the Chickasaw" -- Desoto crossed it when he came through the Chickasaw land in 1540. Bienville traveled with his troops up the Tombigbee from Mobile in 1736 with visions of destroying the Chickasaw Nation, before being routed by the Chickasaw at the Battle of Ackia. But Bienville saw the advantage of a waterway connecting the Tombigbee and the Tennessee Rivers and recommended it to Louis XIV. It would allow a more direct water route to the Gulf of Mexico for much of the territory East of the Mississippi River. Frontier settlers also recognized the advantage such a waterway would bring, and in 1810 residents along the "Tennessee River in the Knoxville Tennessee area proposed to Congress that the two rivers be connected. The Army Corps of Engineers made the first survey in 1827. Transportation by steam power and fossil fuel and a growing railway and highway system delayed further discussion of the waterway for quite sometime, but the economics of water transportation finally brought this project to the nations attention once again. "Join us on our next program when we will continue our discussion of the Waterway and visit the nearby Bay Springs Lock and Dam. 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

"PHARR MOUNDS, located 20 miles north of Tupelo, Mississippi on the Natchez Trace Parkway, is the most important archaeological site in northern Mississippi. It's also the largest, containing 8 dome shaped mounds spread over an area the size of 100 football fields. The Pharr Mounds date from the Middle Woodland Culture. People were at this site between 100 B.C. and 200 A.D. "Although the builders of these mounds traveled to hunt and trade, they probably stayed at a village most of the year. Archaeologists have discovered a village here that was occupied as much as 400 years before the mounds were built. "Artifacts recovered in 1966 indicate that the builders of these mounds were a part of the "HOPEWELL INTERACTION SPHERE" that had a far reaching trade network and was centered in Ohio and Illinois. Large ceremonial burial complexes like this one were a characteristic of the Hopewell Tradition. "The Pharr mounds were built by first constructing a low, clay platform where log tombs were built or graves were dug to prepare a crematory basin. In ceremonies the dead were cremated or placed in tombs or graves along with objects to reflect the importance of the deceased. The site was covered over with dirt and cremations, until the large dome shape was constructed and the final layer of soil was placed on top. This back breaking work was done to honor important individuals. "Join us next time when we will visit the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway." For more about Natchez Trace: A Road Through the Wilderness, visit eddieandfrank.com

"Today on our journey up the Natchez Trace Parkway from Natchez to Nashville we will look at a couple of exhibits that show us some of the bottom lands through which travelers of the Trace had to pass. We are now about 20 miles north of Tupelo, Mississippi. "The first exhibit is DONIVAN SLOUGH that contains a woodland nature trail through rich moist soil that supports Tulip poplar, sycamore and water oak, all trees that tolerate lots of water. A slough like this is a winding channel that makes its way through swampy bottom land. The occasional flooding that occurs influences the variety of plant life. There is a nature trail at Donivan Slough and a 20 minute walk lets visitors see how Bald Cypress grow. "A couple of miles north from the slough is BROWN'S BOTTOM where several bridges now cross Little Brown Creek and other perennial streams in this bottom land. Remember, in the early 1800s there were no bridges. "Join us next time when we will visit the most important archaeological site in northern Mississippi, Pharr Mounds. 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

"Today on our journey along the Natchez Trace Parkway from Natchez, Mississippi north to Nashville, Tennessee we are 15 miles north of Tupelo, Mississippi. Today's exhibit is called TWENTYMILE BOTTOM OVERLOOK. "From the overlook you can see the bottom land of Twentymile Creek. This land is typical of the terrain encountered by early travelers of the Natchez Trace. Near this bottom was another of the stands that grew up along the Trace where travelers could find food and rest along their journey. This was called Old Factors Stand. "It's hard for us these days to imagine what it was like for early travelers of the Trace, but at the Twentymile Bottom exhibit there is a quotation from Rev. John Johnson that might give us a hint. Rev. Johnson wrote of the day he journeyed to this stand in 1812. 'I have this day swam my horse 5 times, bridged one creek forded several others beside the swamp we had to wade through. At night we had a shower of rain; took up my usual lodging on the ground in company with several Indians.' "Join us next time when we will be visiting DONIVAN SLOUGH and BROWN'S BOTTOM. 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

"We are making our way up the Natchez Trace Parkway from Natchez, Mississippi to Nashville, Tennessee. Todays stop is at an exhibit called Dogwood Valley located about a dozen miles along the parkway north of Tupelo, Mississippi. A 15 minute nature trail takes visitors along a section of the Old Sunken Trace. It goes through a wooded area called DOGWOOD VALLEY. The valley gets its name because there's an unusually large number of flowering dogwood trees there. These are small trees that are common throughout the eastern United States. They blossom in the early spring of the year near Easter Season. "Join us next time when we will be visiting Twentymile Bottom Overlook and hear from the Rev. John Johnson who tells us a little of what it was like to journey through here on horseback. 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

(Music segue to BlueGray) "Today we are visiting the graves of 13 unknown Confederate soldiers at a site just north of Tupelo, Mississippi as we make our way up the Natchez Trace Parkway from Natchez, Mississippi to Nashville, Tennessee. A 5 minute walk takes visitors to the top of a small hill where these graves can be seen. "By the time the American Civil War began much of the Old Natchez Trace was no longer used, but the war impacted the area as it did the entire nation. The soldiers whose graves lie atop this hill may have fought at the Battle of Shiloh, or they may have served under Nathan Bedford Forest, or as part of J. B. Hood's Army of Tennessee -- we may never know. The grave markers here have long since vanished and the names they carried, if ever they carried names, have disappeared with them. The National Park Service has erected 13 headstones. Each carries the inscription, UNKNOWN CONFEDERATE SOLDIER. "In the background you hear another of the RoadMusic® pieces written to accompany the Natchez Trace Journey through this bit of Civil War History. (brief interlude) "Join us on our next program when we will visit Dogwood Valley. 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

"Today on our journey up the Natchez Trace Parkway from Natchez, Mississippi to Nashville, Tennessee we are visiting the TUPELO VISITOR CENTER, which also houses the parkway headquarters. "Outside the center there's a half mile loop trail, the BEECH SPRING TRAIL. This gentle grade trail passes through an area of forest regrowth. Inside the center there is an orientation program as well as exhibits that take visitors from ancient times through Indian and white man settlements up to modern times. You can see Indian artifacts recovered from within the park boundaries, along with exhibits of equipment used by pioneers and Kaintucks in the 1800s. There's also a scale model of a flat boat like those the boatmen used to float their products down the Mississippi River to Natchez and New Orleans. "The visitor center is the best place to purchase books about the history of the Natchez Trace and about the Indians who first lived here, and about local and regional history around Civil War times. And of course there's a ranger on duty to answer questions about the Old Trace and the parkway. "Join us next time when we will visit the graves of 13 unknown Confederate Soldiers. 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

"The next stop along the parkway is in Tupelo Mississippi. It is OLD TOWN OVERLOOK, where there's another marker erected by the Mississippi Daughters of the American Revolution. This one was presented to the City of Tupelo on November 19, 1914. The inscription mentions the Battle of Ackia. This is a partial quotation from that monument. 'Bienville fought the Battle of Ackia with the Chickasaw Indians near this spot May 26, 1736. Of the rage that repulsed him let it be recorded here, they die well who die for faith and home and native land.' "Of course the entire story doesn't end with the Battle of Ackia, but it was the beginning of the end for the French in this region, because after Bienville's defeat at the hands of the Chickasaws, French influence within the region declined rapidly. "This exhibit overlooks the flood plane of OLD TOWN CREEK as the Natchez Trace begins to make its way up into the Northeast hill section of Mississippi, and what are the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. OLD TOWN CREEK is one of the source streams of the Tombigbee River, which was first known as 'THE RIVER OF THE CHICKASAW' "Join us next time when we will visit the TUPELO VISITOR CENTER. 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

"Along the Natchez Trace Parkway, within the city limits of Tupelo, Mississippi is an exhibit shelter that tells of Chickasaw Village life in the early 1700s. There are foundations there that show the size and shape of both summer and winter homes and of a fort the group would use in times of danger. "One threat to the Chickasaw came from the French following the Natchez Indian's massacre of French troops at Fort Rosalie in 1729 and the subsequent annihilation of the Natchez Tribe by the French. A few Natchez Indians took refuge with their friends the Chickasaws.   "Ackia was a fortified Chickasaw Indian village, located within the city limits of present day Tupelo, Mississippi. Bienville had returned from France and he decided to annihilate the Chickasaws because they sheltered the escaped Natchez Indians and because the Chickasaw were allies with the British and constantly threatening communications between French colonies in Louisiana and those in Canada. Bienville lead a French and Choctaw army up from Mobile while d'Artaguette brought an army down from the north. D'Artaguette got to the Chickasaws first, and the Chickasaws killed him. Then along came Bienville. Though Bienville survived, the Chickasaws forced him and his troops back to Mobile. "Join us next time and look at more of the battle. 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

"Today on our journey along the Natchez Trace Parkway from Natchez, Mississippi to Nashville, Tennessee, we are visiting the Tupelo National Battlefield. This exhibit is located within the town of Tupelo, and is a little more than a mile off the parkway. "The Tupelo Battlefield Exhibit is not as extensive as the Civil War battlefields at Vicksburg or Shiloh, but it is a monument to the Union and Confederate armies that fought at the Battle of Tupelo on July 14, 1864. The Federal forces under General Andrew J. Smith were the victors. "The whole thing had to do with General Sherman's campaign against Atlanta. Union supply lines for Sherman's March were in danger of being cut off by the troops of Confederate General Forest in northern Mississippi. The Union sent General A. J. Smith down from the north with 14,000 troops and engaged 10,000 Confederate troops under General Steven B. Lee with a right flank commanded by Forest. The battle consisted of five attacks by the Confederates that day. They were unable to penetrate the Union defenses. "Join us on our next program. When we will take a look at a Chickasaw Indian village, and a DA AR marker at Old Town overlook for Natchez Trace, a road through the wilderness. Line Frank Thomas." For more about Natchez Trace: A Road Through the Wilderness, visit eddieandfrank.com

"About 10 miles south of Tupelo on the Natchez Trace Parkway is an exhibit called the BLACK BELT OVERLOOK.   "In a much earlier age all this area lay under a part of the ocean, which extended up across much of the state of Alabama, entering what is now Mississippi from the east near Columbus. From there an arm of the ocean reached through here north up into Tennessee.  The ocean's marine life, shells and such, formed deposits of limestone that built up to be the land here. Over the ages the weathered limestone has become the black fertile soil of this area known as the Black Belt or Black Prairie, and it's also known as the Tombigbee Prairie.  This area is one of Mississippi's two richest growing areas and was once one of the nation's great cotton belts. Now it is mostly pasture land. "The other major agricultural spot in Mississippi lies farther to the west but still it's in the northern part of the State. That area is the delta of the Mississippi River, which is on the other side of the state from here. The Delta lies between a belt of Loess soil and the Mississippi River, on a section of the river just South of Memphis, Tennessee, on down as far as Vicksburg. "Join us next time when we will visit the TUPELO NATIONAL BATTLEFIELD. I'm Frank Thomas, you guide along the Natchez Trace, a road through the wilderness." For more about Natchez Trace: A Road Through the Wilderness, visit eddieandfrank.com

"Today on our journey up the Natchez Trace Parkway from Natchez to Nashville we visit an exhibit known as the Chickasaw Council House. It is 11 or 12 miles south of Tupelo and due east of the town of Pontotoc. Along the original Old Natchez Trace was an Indian Village "PONTATOCK." The village had a council house, which became the capitol of the entire Chickasaw Indian Nation in the 1820s. "In the fall of 1832, President Andrew Jackson had John Coffee to negotiate with the Chickasaw, for their land, as Coffee had done with the Choctaw two years earlier at Dancing Rabbit Creek. Negotiations took place at The CHICKASAW COUNCIL HOUSE in Pontotoc and on October 20th 1832 the Chickasaw and the United States Government signed the Treaty of Pontatock Creek, where the Chickasaw relinquished all their lands. "When the Chickasaw went west, they carried the name of Pontotoc with them -- there's also a county and village of Pontotoc in Oklahoma. By the way, Pontotoc, known as the land of the hanging grapes, is the Chickasaw name meaning "Cattail Prairies". "Join us next time when we will visit Black Belt Overlook. 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

"About 12 miles south of Tupelo, Mississippi is an exhibit called Tockshish. This exhibit tells about a site on the Old Natchez Trace known as Tockshish. This was McIntoshville, a community of white men and Indians built up around the home of the British Indian agent, John McIntosh, who settled there before 1770. When the old Indian trail was established as a national road in 1801, Tockshish became a relay station where post riders carrying mail between Nashville and Natchez could exchange weary horses for fresh ones. The post riders would then move on with their mail bags. For them it was a 5 day journey from there to Nashville and 7 days to Natchez. The RoadMusic® selection at this site speaks of the efforts of these post riders." ( Clip from song ) You'll reach the other side when you get there. Never count the miles you've got to go. Travel hard all day then you can say, I've gone about as far as I can go. "Join us next time on Natchez Trace a road through the wilderness when we will journey up to the Chickasaw Council House. I'm Frank Thomas, your guide along the Natchez Trace, a road through the wilderness." For more about Natchez Trace: A Road Through the Wilderness, visit eddieandfrank.com

"We're on a journey along the Natchez Trace Parkway traveling north from Natchez, Mississippi heading up to Nashville, Tennessee. Today we visit an exhibit located in the northern part of the Tombigbee National Forest, 15 miles south of Tupelo, Mississippi. "The Chickasaw's first contact with Christianity and with formal education came in 1822 at the site of MONROE MISSION. Many of the Indians who became Chickasaw leaders in Oklahoma were taught in one of three missionary schools. One of those schools was MONROE MISSION STATION. "The church there was only 16 feet square, but 150 people were baptized in it. In school the students had classroom work, and in addition, the girls were taught spinning and weaving, and the boys, farming and carpentry. In 1827, eighty-one students attended school there, and that year they cultivated land, which totaled 100 acres. "Join us next time when we will stop by the exhibit for Tockshish. 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

"Today on our journey up the Natchez Trace Parkway from Natchez, Mississippi to Nashville, Tennessee we are stopping by an exhibit 17 miles south of Tupelo, Mississippi. It is called HERNANDO DESOTO. "Desoto was the Spanish explorer who came through this region from 1539-1541. When he and his men visited Emerald mound just north of Natchez, they not only brought beads and trinkets to trade with the native Indians, they also brought disease to the Mississippian Indians who lived there, disease, that may have aided in the early demise of this highly advanced Indian culture. "During the same expedition Desoto and his men crossed the Tombigbee River in December of 1540 and spent that winter with the Chickasaw Indians to the east of today's exhibit. It's along here that Desoto would have crossed this famous old Indian trail in 1541, and in June of that year, just south of what is now Memphis, Tennessee Desoto is given credit for being the first European to discover the Mississippi River. "Join us next time when we'll visit Monroe Mission. I'm Frank Thomas, Your guide along the Natchez Trace, a road through the wilderness." For more about Natchez Trace: A Road Through the Wilderness, visit eddieandfrank.com