Port Royal, Mississippi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Port Royal, Mississippi
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 Port Royal, Mississippi
Location in Mississippi
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| Country | United States |
| State | Mississippi |
| County | Coahoma |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
Port Royal is a ghost town in Coahoma County, Mississippi, United States. A ghost town is a place where people used to live and work, but now it's empty.
Port Royal was once a very busy port on the Mississippi River. Today, you won't find anything left of the old town. The area is now covered by wetlands and part of the Mississippi Levee, which is a big wall built to stop floods.
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History of Port Royal
Port Royal was the very first town in Coahoma County. People started buying land here before 1836. Back then, the Mississippi River had a big curve called "Horseshoe Bend." Port Royal was right at the east end of this bend.
How Port Royal Got Its Name
The town might have first been called "Powhatan." Its name was probably changed by an early settler named William J. Oldham. He was born in Port Royal, South Carolina, and he owned land near Horseshoe Bend.
Port Royal as the County Seat
In 1836, the new government for Coahoma County was formed. It was called the "Board of Police." They chose Port Royal to be the first county seat. A county seat is the main town where the local government offices are located.
Port Royal grew into the biggest and busiest town in Coahoma County. It had a special landing where steamboats could stop. There were also a few small trading stores and cabins. John Clark, who later founded the city of Clarksdale, first arrived in the county by landing at Port Royal.
Port Royal never had its own post office. It also never officially became a city or town with its own local government.
The River Changes Everything
In 1841, the Mississippi River had very high waters, and the town of Port Royal was flooded. Because of this flood, the county seat was moved in 1842 to a new town called Delta.
Then, in 1848, the Mississippi River changed its path completely. This event was called the "Horseshoe Cutoff." The river no longer flowed directly past Port Royal. Instead, the old bend became a separate body of water.
Over time, dirt and sand built up at the ends of the old river bend. This turned the waterway into an oxbow lake. Today, this lake is known as "Horseshoe Lake."
Since Port Royal was no longer on the main river, its economy was badly hurt. It couldn't be a busy port anymore. Because of this, Port Royal stopped existing as a town.
