Elysian Fields, Mississippi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Elysian Fields
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 Elysian Fields, Mississippi
Location in Mississippi
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| Country | United States |
| State | Mississippi |
| County | Amite |
| Elevation | 315 ft (96 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| GNIS feature ID | 685256 |
Elysian Fields is a ghost town located in Amite County, Mississippi, in the United States. A ghost town is a place that used to be a town but is now empty.
This settlement was started in the early 1700s. Today, no one lives there, and the area is covered by forest.
Contents
History of Elysian Fields
Elysian Fields was about 2.5 miles (4 km) east of the city now known as Centreville. It began in 1718 as a simple stop for travelers. This stop was along an old pioneer trail and a route for mail carried by horses.
Spanish Influence and Early Growth
In 1781, the Spanish set up a trading post here. A trading post was a place where people could buy and sell goods. They used this spot until 1789 to give out land grants. Land grants were official papers that gave land to new settlers coming from the eastern American states.
After Spanish rule ended in 1798, Elysian Fields became important. It was chosen as the location for the Amite County courthouse. Because of this, the town was sometimes called "Amite Courthouse."
Community Life and Development
More and more settlers moved to the town. They built the New Providence Baptist Church in 1804. Later, the Midway Methodist Church was built in 1817.
In 1823, a local group of the American Bible Society was started. A year later, in 1824, a post office was built. This meant people could send and receive mail easily.
A Notable Town
By 1838, a book called a "gazetteer" listed Elysian Fields. A gazetteer is like a dictionary of places. It said that Elysian Fields was one of Amite County's main towns, along with Liberty and Centreville.
The Town Moves
Elysian Fields eventually moved to Centreville in 1883. This happened because the Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad was built in Centreville. Railroads were very important for travel and trade back then.
The old site of Elysian Fields, which was then called "Old Centreville," soon became empty. It turned into a ghost town, with no one living there anymore.
