Trace transformation.Natchez Trace Natchez Trace, road, from Natchez, Miss., to Nashville, Tenn., of great commercial and military importance from the 1780s to the 1830s. It grew from a series of Native American trails used in the 18th cent. by the French, English, and Spanish. travelers can now take an educational journey into the history the old road through new interactive displays at the recently renovated Natchez Trace Parkway Natchez Trace Parkway: see National Parks and Monuments (table). Visitor Center, located at milepost 266 near Tupelo. The colorful new exhibits present the varied stories of the Trace's past as never before, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. Parkway superintendent Wendell Simpson. "These stories form the rich, interpretive tapestry of the Old Trace and modern Parkway," Simpson says. "We encourage our visitors to continue their education by exploring the entire length of the Parkway and its natural, cultural, and recreation resources." The visitor center is the only facility of its kind along the historic Natchez-to-Nashville road that is owned and operated by the National Park Service. The center was closed for more than six months while the renovation took place; it was the first time the exhibits had been updated since they were installed 45 years ago. "When the original structure was designed in the 1960s, the standards of telling history were very different," interpretative specialist Ernie Price told the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal. "The exhibits were entirely about archaeology. There was nothing specific about the Chickasaw, the Choctaw, the War of 1812, or so many of the events that shaped the Natchez Trace." Hadley Exhibits, a Buffalo, New York-based company, oversaw the construction of the new displays in an effort to allow visitors to enjoy either a quick overview or an in-depth knowledge of the history of the ancient trail. Videos, wall panels, animal tracks Animal tracks are the imprints left behind in soil, snow, mud, or other ground surfaces that an animal walk across. Animal tracks are used by hunters in tracking their prey and by naturalists to identify animals living in a given area. , and artifacts artifacts see specimen artifacts. add to the learning experience. Funding for the $520,000 renovation came from a cooperative effort of the National Park Service, the National Scenic Byways A National Scenic Byway is a road recognized by the United States Department of Transportation for its archeological, cultural, historic, natural, recreational, and/or scenic qualities. Program, Eastern National, and BancorpSouth. Historical expertise was offered by the Chickasaw Nation
The center is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day except Christmas. For details, call 800/305-7417 or see www.nps.gov/natr. |
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