Panel #5 Mississippi Riverwalk
A) Junior Crevasse
Mile 55.0 AHP
During the great flood of April 1927, the steamship
Inspector was fought erratic currents downstream past the Junior Plantation. The pilot lost control and the boat's bow crashed into the levee. Thought the pilot tried to keep the boat jammed against the levee to plug the hole, the current caught the vessel's stern and swung it around, creating an even larger hole. Flood waters poured through flooding the area. The
Inspector lay aground for several weeks, blocking all attempt to close the crevasse until the flood subsided.
B) Poverty Point, Louisiana
Mile 60.0 AHP
A series of earthwork mounds at Poverty Point are the remnants of a sophisticated Native American Culture that lived in the area several thousand years ago. Artifacts found here indicate the inhabitants traded with other tribes throughout North America. Poverty Point was the site of Fort de la Boutaye, the first French settlement, which in 1700 consists of six small guns, a few cabins, and a house. During the high water of Spring, the garrison suffered flooding and was abandoned in 1701.
C) Jesuits Bend
Mile 68.5 AHP
Pilots named this bend for the Society of Jesus, a Roman Catholic religious order which owned plantations in the area. The Jesuits played an active role in the settlement and development of the Lower Mississippi Valley. They established missions to convert Native Americans to Christianity, built schools, and supported their work by selling produce raised on their plantations. The Jesuits help introduce indigo, oranges, figs, and sugar cane to the young colony.
Photo Credit: Indian Mounds at Poverty Point State Historic Site, Louisiana Office of Tourism
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