Harbert Landing, Mississippi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Harbert Landing, Mississippi
Ghost town
Harbert Landing, Mississippi Location in Mississippi
Country	United States
State	Mississippi
County	Tunica
Elevation	167 ft (51 m)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
GNIS feature ID	691920

Harbert Landing is a place that used to be a town but isn't anymore – it's called a ghost town. It's located in Tunica County, Mississippi, in the United States.

This settlement was right next to the mighty Mississippi River. It sat on the southeast side of a big, U-shaped curve in the river known as "OK Bend." Other towns near this bend were Fox Island and Austin.

History

Steamboats and Woodyards

In the 1800s, big boats called steamboats traveled on the Mississippi River. These boats needed fuel, and they often used "cord wood," which is wood cut into specific lengths. Many "woodyards" were set up along the river where boats could stop to refuel.

Harbert Landing had one of these important woodyards. It was owned by a man named Tom Turner. After the American Civil War, which ended in 1865, ships started using coal for fuel instead of wood. This change meant that woodyards like the one at Harbert Landing were no longer needed.

The Hardin Cutoff

The Mississippi River often changes its path over time. It can create big loops and bends. One of these large loops was called "OK Bend," which flowed around a piece of land known as "Hardin Point."

In 1942, the United States Army Corps of Engineers built something called the "Hardin Cutoff." This was like a shortcut dug across the "Hardin Point" land. The cutoff allowed big commercial ships to avoid the long, winding "OK Bend."

Over time, the old "OK Bend" became separated from the main river. When a river bend gets cut off like this, it forms a C-shaped lake called an oxbow lake. Today, this oxbow lake is known as Tunica Lake. The creation of this shortcut and the changing river likely played a role in Harbert Landing becoming a ghost town.