Rocky Springs, Mississippi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rocky Springs, Mississippi
Ghost town
Marker at site of Rocky Springs
Rocky Springs, Mississippi Location in Mississippi Show map of Mississippi Rocky Springs, Mississippi Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Mississippi
County	Claiborne
Elevation	312 ft (95 m)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
GNIS feature ID	692184

Rocky Springs is a ghost town and a special historical place in Claiborne County, Mississippi, United States. It is located between Old Port Gibson Road and the Natchez Trace Parkway. You can visit the old town site during the day. The National Park Service takes care of Rocky Springs and the land around it.

History of Rocky Springs

Rocky Springs started in the late 1700s. It was a popular stop for travelers on the old Natchez Trace. People liked to stop there because of a natural spring and a rock area. The town got its name from these features.

In 1796, a person named Mayburn Cooper settled in the area. Records from 1816 show he owned land there. By 1829, 90 people voted in the Rocky Springs election area. A Methodist church was built in 1837. The first private school, Rocky Springs Academy, opened in 1838.

By 1860, Rocky Springs had grown a lot. About 2,616 people lived there. There were also around 2,000 enslaved people. All these people lived in an area of about 25-square-mile (65 km²). At its busiest, the town had three merchants and four doctors. There were also four teachers, three clergy members, and 13 skilled workers. Growing Cotton was the main way people made money.

Why Rocky Springs Declined

The town of Rocky Springs began to shrink during the American Civil War. Union soldiers marched through the area. They were on their way to nearby Port Gibson.

In 1878, the people still living in Rocky Springs faced a terrible yellow fever outbreak. Later, tiny insects called boll weevils ruined the valuable cotton crops. At the same time, farmers had problems with their land. Many years of poor farming caused serious soil erosion. In 1930, the last store in town closed. The natural spring, which gave the town its name, also dried up.

Rocky Springs Today

Today, you can visit the old town site of Rocky Springs during the day. The Methodist church built in 1837 is the only building still standing. This church held regular Sunday services until 2010. Its group of worshippers became too small to continue.

You can see some parts of the old town on a short walking path. These include an old post office safe and a cistern (a tank for collecting water). Signs along the path tell you about the town's history. They explain how it grew and then declined. There is also a small graveyard next to the church. It is kept in good condition and is where some of the first settlers are buried.

Images for kids

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  Rocky Springs Cemetery

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  Rocky Springs Methodist Church

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  Post office safe and covered cistern