Mound Landing, Mississippi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mound Landing, Mississippi
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 Mound Landing, Mississippi
Location in Mississippi
Mound Landing, Mississippi
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Mississippi |
| County | Bolivar |
| Elevation | 135 ft (41 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| GNIS feature ID | 692087 |
Mound Landing is what we call a ghost town in Mississippi, USA. It's in Bolivar County. This old settlement was right by the Mississippi River, at a place called Choctaw Bend.
Contents
History of Mound Landing
Early Days of Mound Landing
Mound Landing started in 1840. A man named William P. Perkins began a large cotton farm here. It was called Mound Plantation. He used enslaved people to clear about 2,000 acres (800 ha) of thick cane fields.
The plantation and its river landing were named after three nearby Indian mounds. By 1850, Perkins owned about 3,200 acres (1,300 ha) of land. He was the biggest landowner in Bolivar County.
Life in the Settlement
Mound Landing had its own post office by 1880. In 1886, about 50 people lived there.
To protect the town from river floods, a levee (a raised bank) was built in 1867. People in the area paid for it. Over time, the levee was made even stronger. There was also a ferry landing in Mound Landing. It had a ramp that allowed vehicles to cross over the top of the levee.
The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927
In April 1927, the Mississippi River began to rise very high. This was because of heavy rains. People tried to make the levee stronger by filling sandbags.
On April 21, the levee at Mound Landing broke. This event started the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927. It was one of the worst floods in U.S. history. The flood covered about 1,800 square miles (4,700 km2) of land in the Mississippi Delta. It caused 246 deaths and forced 700,000 people to leave their homes.
Today, a special marker tells the story of when the Mississippi River broke the levee at Mound Landing. You can find it on Mississippi Highway 1, about 2.5 miles (4 km) east of where the settlement used to be.
What Remains Today
All that is left of Mound Landing is a boat ramp. It is on private land owned by a hunting club.
Notable People
- J. E. Halbert: He was a member of the Mississippi House of Representatives from 1888 to 1889. He also served as the top doctor for Mississippi, known as the Surgeon General, from 1889 to 1892.
Images for kids
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An 1862 map showing William Perkins' plantation.
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The levee at Mound Landing broke in 1927, starting a huge flood.
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