" Natchez On The Mississippi --Part One "

Next week I will be traveling 150 miles to one of my very favorite tourist destinations Natchez , Mississippi to spend a couple of days during the Spring Pilgrimage Tour. Twice a year, Spring and Fall, thousands travel to Natchez to view the Antebellum Mansions that open to the public for tours. This tour will have 25 homes on it, some which are private residences. Natchez has more Antebellum structures than any city its size in the United States, 13 National Landmarks and 1,000 buildings on the National Historic Register. I like to go in the Spring as the Azaleas are magnificent!

Natchez was founded in 1716. It is built on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River .
Located on the river between Memphis and New Orleans, across the river from Vidalia, LA.
It was occupied by the Natchez Indians until the French built a Fort and settled it in 1716.


Looking from the Natchez Bluff toward Vidaila at sunset.
The Natchez Belle River Boat awaits passengers for its
Sunset Dinner Cruise down The Mississippi River.






Downtown Natchez in 1900. Natchez was a thriving river port.



Natchez seen from the air.

I will be staying at "The Burn" B&B. It is also on the tour. It was built in 1832 by John P. Walworth. Next door to The Burn is the home of Alice Walworth Graham (1905-1994).

Alice was the author of quite a few romance novels set both in the old south and England.

I have 5 of her southern set novels. The Burn was the home of Alice's grandparents. She was also the great- grand niece of John James Audubon. The Walworth family has been immortalized in the fiction novel pictured below written by a Walworth descendant, Louise Collier.

( 1982)

I chose to go back for the Pilgrimage this year because " Glenburnie" the house where the infamous "Goat Castle Murder" took place is on the tour. It is a private residence and can only be toured when it is on the tour. I have never seen it on the schedule before and so this was a must see for me since I am hoping to someday pen a book based on the four friends who made world news after Jennie Merrill's murder here.

Across the road from "Glenburnie" is "Elms Court", the home of Jennie Merrrill's parents,

where Jennie was raised and where the famous " Ball of a Thousand Candles " took place when she was young. It is also a private home on the tour with "Glenburnie".

Along with these two previous homes will be "Auburn". I have toured "Auburn" before as it is located in Duncan Park and open to the public year round. Each tour has a name and includes three houses. This is the "Purple Tour ".

After the " Purple Tour" I will be having a wonderful meal

at this famous Natchez Landmark, "Mammy's".

My next tour is the "Peach Tour" and includes another home tied to the Goat Castle Murder.

" Oakland", the family home of Duncan Minor. It was from this home that Duncan rode horseback every day for twenty years to" Glenburnie " to spend the night with Jennie, leaving

at dawn. As far as I know, this is the first time "Oakland" has been on the tour as it also a private residence .

Also on the " Peach Tour" is Elgin, I have also toured this house before but look forward to viewing it once again. " Elgin" was built in 1780 on property from a Spanish land grant to Sir William Dunbar. In 1840 rooms were added by Dr. John Jenkins who had married Sir William's

granddaughter Annis Dunbar and it was Annis who named it " Elgin" after Sir William Dunbar's home in Scotland.

The last home on the "Peach Tour" is "Montaigene" (1855)
The home was built by William T. Martin who became a

Confederate Civil War Major General serving along side

Jeb Stuart in Tennessee. For his service, Montaigine

suffered as Union soldiers rode horses all through the rooms.

TO BE CONTINUED...................