The Encyclopedia Americana (1920)/Natchez

NATCHEZ, năch′ĕz, Miss., city, county-seat of Adams County, on the Mississippi River, and on the Yazoo and Mississippi Valley, the Mississippi Central, the Natchez and Southern and the Saint Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern and Louisiana and Arkansas railroads, 297 miles by rail and 470 miles by river from Memphis, and 214 miles by rail and 265 miles by river from New Orleans. It has steamer connection with all the Mississippi River ports. The country surrounding Natchez is chiefly devoted to livestock and agriculture; cotton is the principal product. The principal industries of the city are packing plants, box factory, cotton mills, broom factories, oil mills and candy factories. It has ice factories, planing mills, foundries, machine shops and furniture factories. Natchez has a large trade in cotton, shipping each year thousands of bales. Considerable rice and sugarcane are shipped from this port. The city has a Confederate Memorial Park, Baker Grand Theatre, Duncan Memorial Park and public buildings, Institute Hall, several excellent hotels and a large number of handsome residences. It is the seat of Jefferson Military College; Natchez Institute; and Natchez College (colored); has good public and parish schools, the Fisk library and the Carpenter Public Library. Natchez has one Associated Press paper. There are four orphanages, a charitable hospital, three sanatariums and a number of private schools. The government, in accordance with the charter of 1877, is vested in a mayor, who holds office two years, and a council. The school board are elected by the council. The waterworks are municipal property. The city is built on a bluff about 200 feet above the river. On this bluff was located the first settlement, by Bienville, who built here Fort Rosalie in 1716. The place was destroyed and many of the inhabitants murdered, in 1729, by the Natchez Indians. The fort came into possession of the English in 1763, when the name was changed to Fort Panmure. In 1779 the Spaniards took possession, and in 1793 the United States became undisputed owner of lands east of the Mississippi, which included Natchez and much of the adjacent territory. From 1798 to 1820 Natchez was the capital of Mississippi; in 1803 it was incorporated as a city. During the Civil War the city suffered considerable loss of property and damage. In 1862 Commodore Porter shelled the city, and in 1863 Federal troops took possession and retained control until peace was declared. On a bluff just outside the city limits is a national cemetery and an observatory affording extensive views. Pop. 15,000.