ROUNDABOUT BLOG

Eudora Welty

“Why, just to write about what might happen along some little road like the Natchez Trace—which reaches so far into the past and has been the trail for so many kinds of people— is enough to keep you busy for life.” -- Eudora Welty

Author Eudora Welty found inspiration in the land surrounding her childhood home in Jackson, Mississippi. Welty set The Robber Bridegroom and several other stories along the Natchez Trace: a 450-mile forest pathway connecting Natchez, Mississippi with Nashville. The path easily slopes from high ridges to deep valleys, making it easy for animals and people to traverse on foot. Its history goes back to prehistoric times and teems with colorful incidents and legends. Though the Trace itself may be gentle, many of its travellers were anything but.

During prehistoric times, bison and other grazing animals traipsed along the Trace to reach salt licks in the Tennessee area. Native American hunters then followed the "traces" of the herds. American mound builders, the ancient tribes of the Mississippi region, settled along the Trace and built large earthen mounds that still stand today. Centuries later, the Chickasaw, Choctaw, and Natchez tribes all lived along the Trace.

In the 18th century, Europeans from Spain and France used the road as a trade route and widened the path for their horses and wagons. The US acquired the Mississippi territory in 1798. Under Thomas Jefferson’s presidency, the US army began improving the path of the Trace so that it could serve as a major artery to the southwest frontier.

The route bustled with activity from the late-18th into the early-19th century. Farmers and boatmen from Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Kentucky began floating supplies down to ports in Natchez (then a busy trade port) and New Orleans in the early 1800s. Regardless of where they came from, they were collectively known as "Kaintucks." After selling their goods, the Kaintucks walked or rode horses up the Trace to return to Nashville. This trip took three to four weeks, so there were many roughly-built inns (with names like Buzzard Roost and Sheboss Place!) for rest stops along the way. From 1800-1930, the Trace was the most-travelled road in the southern US, used by over 10,000 people each year.

Devi's Backbone Trail

Far from cities, civilization, or law enforcement, the Trace was a rugged, rustic frontier that attracted all sorts of people: fur traders, hunters, pioneer families, and shopkeepers. Because it was a secluded route, it also attracted bandits and highwaymen. Two of the first organized gangs in the US operated hideouts along the Trace. Travellers risked being held up or even murdered, and the area was so dangerous that it became known as “the Devil’s Backbone.”

By 1820, most travellers abandoned the Natchez Trace in favor of faster steamboats and a new, direct road between Nashville and New Orleans. With faster, safer options, the Trace was no longer a choice route. By 1830 it was barely used and was reclaimed by wilderness. In the 20th century, it was paved. The Natchez Trace Parkway is now maintained by the National Park Service. The 444-mile drive allows drivers, bikers, horseback riders, and campers to enjoy the exceptional scenery and 10,000 years of history, without any threat of bandits!

The Ghost Town of Rodney

Today, the town of Rodney, Mississippi is considered a ghost town, but like the Natchez Trace, this setting for The Robber Bridegroom has a rich history. Americans and Europeans began settling in the area, about 30 miles north of Natchez, during the 1770s, and the town of Rodney was incorporated in 1828. By the 1860s, it was one of the busiest ports along the Mississippi River: a bustling town with churches, hotels, banks, and over 4,000 residents. Rodney’s economy declined after the Civil War, and in 1869 much of the town was destroyed by a fire. Nature dealt the ultimate blow, with a sandbar in the Mississippi that shifted the course of the river away from the town. By 1870, Rodney no longer had a port, and the next 50 years saw a steady decline in business and population. A Governor’s proclamation officially closed Rodney in 1830. Today, the remains of Rodney can be reached only by a single dirt road. It has no operating businesses, and only a few people still live near the town ruins.

Meriwether Lewis

The Mystery of Meriwether Lewis

One of the most famous travelers (and victims) of the Trace was explorer Meriwether Lewis (of Lewis and Clark). In 1809, Lewis stopped for the night at Grinder's Stand, an inn in Tennessee. Shots were heard by the innkeeper's wife at night, and in the morning Lewis was found dead in his room. Although an investigation determined his death was a suicide, his family remained convinced that the innkeeper was involved with his murder. Certainly, he was not be the first person to enter the Trace on foot and leave in a coffin.

The Robber Bridegroom plays through May 29, 2016 at the Laura Pels Theatre. For tickets and information, please visit our website.