Former Superintendent questions park road maintenance

I agree with Bill Nichols, as do most of the people of Vicksburg. As I was told by a friend who retired from the Park, the people working there now are doing it just for a job. When the new superintendent came, he just retired, many retired or moved to other parks. Having ran Grand Gulf Park, I know how important it is to maintain infrastructure, something that seems to have eluded this park administration. The erosion close to Grants Circle could have been avoided with some preventative maintenance, but no one bothered to try and fix where the water was washing around the drainage pipe till it was too late. The Cemetery was a different matter, I don’t believe anything could have prevented that.
 
Those cave-ins have almost totally obliterated the infamous section known as Natchez-Under-the-Hill which was right along the river and as the name suggests was on land below the top of the bluffs upon which the "real" town was built. This was the "colorful" part of town where most of the gambling dens, saloons, and bawdy houses were located, mainly to cater to the enormous river trade because here was where all riverboats stopping at Natchez were forced to land. It was also the most likely place to find some of Natchez' more notorious characters and visitors such as knife-fighter Jim Bowie and others of his ilk.
Very true.

What is now known as " Natchez Under the Hill" is actually all that's left of the uppermost street of the original area.

And although the Mississippi River has always changed course, (Enter the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers again).

During the 1930s, they began the " Giles Island cut-off project "

Giles Island was once a part of Clermont Plantation and the mainland of Mississippi. In 1933, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, needing to shorten vital shipping routes from Memphis to New Orleans, implemented the Giles Cut-Off

Long story short, what little that remained of the original "Under the Hill" disappeared under water ... after the new river channel of 1933.
 
There's a place along that part with great catfish and sweet potato fries. I forget the name of it but went there a couple of times.

The VNMP had a long-time maintenance supervisor who retired about 2011 or 2012. It may be the loss of people like him, with that long "institutional memory" that Bill Nichols is referring to in his letter-to-the editor.
 
For one to be fully cognizant of this discussion, you simply have to visit the Park and view the terrain! A mountain goat would be right at home of the Northwest side of the Park near the National Cemetery with the steep slopes.

Mother nature has been very rough with Vicksburg in the last few years with heavy rains that have caused several mud slides and road closures. I am not that familiar with the state of Park maintenance but I have seen how steep the terrain is around and through the Park.
Regards
David
 
There's a place along that part with great catfish and sweet potato fries. I forget the name of it but went there a couple of times.

The VNMP had a long-time maintenance supervisor who retired about 2011 or 2012. It may be the loss of people like him, with that long "institutional memory" that Bill Nichols is referring to in his letter-to-the editor.
Exactly, the former maintenance supervisor was from Vicksburg and he knew how to spot a problem before it got out of hand. Unfortunately there is no one as experienced as he is at the park now. You have to have an understanding of loess soil and the effect water has on it.
 
A mountain goat would be right at home of the Northwest side of the Park near the National Cemetery with the steep slopes.
:laugh:

That is a great observation!

Especially when one is down in the National Cemetery (almost along the River) and looking up at Fort Hill.
I've never thought about mountain goats at Vicksburg ... but you are correct, those animals would "feel at home".

The CSA did bring in a camel, but there are many threads about that.
:bounce:

However, I must say the ever changing terrain of the Park is no excuse for the current situation of collapsed roads.
 
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The Loess soil, which makes Vicksburg and the hill country of southwestern Mississippi unique in geography, is loose soil and shifts. There will always be issues at Vicksburg when it comes to erosion, road maintenance, etc. The very thing that makes Vicksburg unique, is also costly in terms of maintenance and damage to the terrain.....Those of us that go into the woods in Vicksburg see this first hand. Huge ridges and hills are continually sloughing off and changing. Same thing is going on in the park and all over the city for that matter. it's going to take a lot of work to get the park back into shape again. But there are several organizations out there that I'm sure would be glad to volunteer time - Scout groups, Friends of Vicksburg, CW Roundtable, as well as individuals, just to name a few.
 
Are they back to cutting the grass on a more regular basis? And if I need to "adopt" this 3-in. Ordnance Rifle to see it get some TLC, I'd happily do so.

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Are they back to cutting the grass on a more regular basis? And if I need to "adopt" this 3-in. Ordnance Rifle to see it get some TLC, I'd happily do so.

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The Park has enlisted volunteers to help with the maintenance, so far it is working. Also there is a new interim superintendent. So I’m keeping my fingers crossed.
 
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