Yazoo County Historic Sites & Events

The largest county in Mississippi has a vast abundance of historical sites. Ante-bellum homes and sacred Indian mounds, Wildlife and agriculture, Civil War History and the Yazoo River… All can be found where the Delta meets the rolling hills in colorful Yazoo County.

With the proximity to Vicksburg, much of Yazoo County’s Civil War history includes skirmishes and brigade strikes. Many were fought in the Mechanicsburg/Satartia area comprising the unique civil war history of this area.

Known as the “largest single area” to be placed on the National Register of Historic Places, comprising both residential and commercial areas, the Yazoo City Town Center District can be viewed on the Walking Tour.

The second largest tributary east of the mighty Mississippi, the Yazoo River, gained its name from the Yazoo Indians who originally populated the area. This river was also the primary route into the delta region, bringing in the unique people and culture that thrived here.

The Yazoo county town of Vaughan was the scene of the famous wreck of the Illinois Central Railroad’s track “Cannonball” express, which killed the fabled engineer, Casey Jones, on April 30, 1900. An historic marker now marks the spot.

The Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad, begun in1882 between Jackson and Yazoo City, was later expanded in branches through the Delta to Memphis. This system, often used by the famous W.C Handy to bring his band down into the Delta, was instrumental in the development of its Blues artists and types, including Yazoo County’s Bentonia Blues.

the scenic drive Bell Road, located just south of Yazoo City, is part of the original road that stretched from Yazoo City to Vicksburg and was used by travelers in the 1830’s. The road is a winding narrow path with high banks. Bells were once hung on each end. Wagons rang these bells to signal that a passenger was approaching from one end. At the point that the road overlooks the Delta, one can envision the site of the Yazoo Confederate Navy Yard where the CSS Arkansas was built.

The name Yazoo comes from a group of Native Americans called the Yazoo. Mysteriously, the Yazoo Native Americans became extinct about 1740, and the meaning of Yazoo has remained a puzzle. Some say it means River of Death, others suggest that it means hunting ground (Yashu). Between Satartia and Holly Bluff are fascinating and rare Native American mounds dating as early as 1500 BC.

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