Selsertown, Mississippi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Selsertown
|
|
|---|---|
 Selsertown
Location in Mississippi
|
|
| Country | United States |
| State | Mississippi |
| County | Adams |
| Elevation | 400 ft (122 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| GNIS feature ID | 686071 |
Selsertown is a ghost town located in Adams County, Mississippi, in the United States. A ghost town is a place that used to be a town but is now empty or has very few people living there.
Contents
The Amazing Emerald Mound
Selsertown is famous for a large earth mound. This mound was once called the Selsertown Mound. Today, it is known as Emerald Mound. It was built by the Plaquemine culture, an ancient group of people.
What is Emerald Mound?
The mound is like a huge, flat-topped hill. It stands about 35 feet (11 meters) tall. On top of this main mound, there were once six to eight smaller mounds. Only two of these smaller mounds remain today. The entire mound covers about 6 acres (2.4 hectares) of land.
A Giant Earthwork
In 1848, a book called Ancient Monuments of the Mississippi Valley described the mound as "extraordinary." It is the second-largest ancient earthwork in the United States. Only Monk's Mound at Cahokia, Illinois, is bigger.
Who Used the Mound?
The Emerald Mound was built between the years 1200 and 1730 CE. It is a very important site for understanding the Emerald Phase of the Plaquemine culture. This phase lasted from 1500 to 1680 CE. The mound was used by the Natchez people, who were descendants of the mound builders. It was their main center for ceremonies.
Why Was It Abandoned?
By the time French explorers arrived, the Emerald Mound was no longer in use. The main leader of the Natchez people had moved his capital. It was then located at the nearby Grand Village Site. The Emerald Mound was one of the last large mounds built along the Mississippi River.
Selsertown and the Natchez Trace
Selsertown was an important stop on an old road. This road was called the Old Natchez Road. It was the third stop for travelers heading northeast.
A Historic Roadway
The Old Natchez Road started in Natchez. It then went through places like Washington and Selsertown. The road continued through many other towns. Finally, it ended in Nashville, Tennessee.
The Selser Inn
The United States government wanted travelers to have places to stay. So, they required inns or taverns every six miles along the Trace. In 1780, a man named George Selser built an inn at Selsertown. Later, John McCullum owned the inn. A funny sign outside his inn read, "Intertainment for Man and Baste." This meant "Entertainment for Man and Beast." Sadly, the inn was destroyed by fire during the American Civil War.
