Davis Island (Mississippi) facts for kids
Davis Island is a large island located in the Mississippi River. It lies mostly in Warren County in the state of Mississippi. A smaller part of the island is in Madison Parish, in the state of Louisiana. It is located about 20 miles southwest of Vicksburg, Mississippi, USA.
The island is about 30,000 acres (120 km2) in size, but this can change depending on how high the Mississippi River is. It used to be a peninsula, which is land surrounded by water on three sides. This area was known as Davis Bend and had 11,000 acres of rich farmland.
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Early History and Plantations
Before the American Civil War, a man named Joseph Emory Davis owned a large farm called Hurricane Plantation on this land. He grew cotton there. Joseph Davis tried to create a special community for the enslaved people who worked on his plantation. He gave them more freedom than was common at the time, even allowing them to keep some of the money they earned. He bought this land in 1818.
In the 1830s, Joseph allowed his younger brother, Jefferson Davis, to use about 1,000 acres of land next to his plantation. Jefferson Davis then started his own farm called Brierfield Plantation. However, Joseph never officially gave Jefferson the ownership of this land. This caused legal problems after Joseph died in 1870. Jefferson Davis later became the President of the Confederate States of America.
Becoming an Island
In March 1867, after the Civil War, the Mississippi River changed its path. This change separated the land from the mainland, turning it into an island. After this, the only way to reach Davis Island was by water.
After the war, Joseph Davis helped Ben Montgomery, who had managed his plantation as an enslaved person, and other freedmen. He gave them a loan so they could buy both Hurricane and Brierfield plantations. They tried to run the farms for several years. However, cotton prices dropped, the economy faced hard times, and the island flooded many times. Because of these problems, they could not keep the plantations. The Davis family who inherited the land took it back. This meant Montgomery's family and others had to leave the island.
Later Ownership and Flooding
After several years of legal arguments, Jefferson Davis finally gained legal ownership of Brierfield plantation in 1878 from his brother's family. He never lived on the plantation again. Both he and other members of the Davis family rented out the properties to farmers. The only way for these farmers to get to the island was by water.
After the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927, which covered a huge area, the US Army Corps of Engineers built the levees (river banks) higher. This was meant to stop future floods. However, it accidentally made the flooding on Davis Island even worse. The island has been underwater more than once since then.
The Davis family finally sold the properties in 1953. Since then, a private group called the Brierfield Hunting Club has owned most of the island. Like before, the only way to get to the island is by water.
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