| Yazoo.
The word rolls off the tongue, bringing to mind a fabled
land of lush, rolling hills rising abruptly from the
fertile flatlands of the Mississippi Delta.
Yazoo County - where these picturesque hills meet broad,
open fields has struck visitors for almost two centuries,
providing, surpassing scenic vistas and a diverse economic
base.
Gifted with a colorful history, abundant forests and
wildlife, thriving industries and an unparalleled agricultural
economy, Yazoo County offers a unique range of opportunities
for residents and visitors alike.
For most, the dominant impression of Yazoo County is
the sudden appearance of the Delta, stretching to the
horizon from the top of the last, long hill from which
Yazoo City's Broadway Street descends.
Yazoo County's geographic location has long been a major
factor in its history. Civil War gunboats plied the
waters of the Yazoo River winding past Satartia and
Yazoo City.
The river provided early trade as farmers from Eden,
Holly Bluff and all points in between shipped their
cotton to market aboard steamboats bound for New Orleans.
The shady hills offered welcome relief from the summer
heat and refuge from floods before levees tamed the
Yazoo River. The Delta, in turn, provided fertile ground
for the agricultural economy upon which Yazoo County
depended.
Yazoo City - the county seat and principle city - was
originally named Manchester. It was laid out in the
1830s on acreage originally owned by a half French,
half Choctaw Indian planter named Greenwood Leflore.
Fire destroyed some Yazoo City homes and most of its
businesses in 1904, but the central business district
was rebuilt in turn-of-the-century splendor. Local lore
places blame for the fire on "The Witch of Yazoo,"
who was chronicled in prize winning author and Yazoo
City native Willie Morris' novel, Good Old Boy.
In the Delta, the flat terrain gives way to a different
perspective. Open roads and rows of crops make beelines
for the horizon. Here the landscape is broken only by
occasional homes and farm buildings, catfish ponds,
serpentine rivers, lakes and bayous. The Delta National
Forest and two national wildlife refuges provide an
expanse of hardwood timber teeming with fish and wildlife
.
The diverse culture of Yazoo County has produced a range
of notable residents including the late comedian Jerry
Clower; authors the late Willie Morris and Zig Ziglar;
actress Stella Stevens and blues singers Gatemouth Moore
and Jack Owens.
Whatever your interest - history; the arts, shopping,
recreation or commerce - you'll find what you're looking
for where the Delta meets the hills in Yazoo County.
Experience the magic!
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Down
every side road lie unexpected treasures.
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Yazoo
County's agriculture shows visitors high tech farming
methods |
Wildlife
and outdoor recreational opportunities
are abundant in Yazoo County |
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