Ridgeland in Madison County, Mississippi — The American South (East South Central)
The Choctaw Agency
| | Ridgeland History Trail | |
Photographed by Mark Hilton, October 25, 2024
1. The Choctaw Agency Marker
Archaeological investigations took place on this site in 1988 and 1994 and was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1995. The site includes a 3.3-mile segment of the old Natchez Trace, as well as structural remains where the Choctaw Agency was located.
In 1811, Silas Dinsmoor, the acting Choctaw agent, moved the agency site from present day Quitman, Mississippi, to a new location to be situated along the south side of the "Natchez Road" being constructed by the United States Army. Work began on this new road in 1801, which utilized and improved local Choctaw and Chickasaw village trails linking Natchez to Nashville. The agency site, which included a house and agency headquarters, was located near here from 1811 to 1823 when it was moved farther north.
[Inset] A well-known feud started around 1805 between Andrew Jackson and Silas Dinsmoor when Jackson attempted to travel through Choctaw territory without the "proper papers." A confrontation ensued between the two men. Because of this, Jackson refused to stop at or stay at the Choctaw Agency and instead camped on
this page online
Erected 2024 by the City of Ridgeland. (Marker Number 8.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Indigenous Peoples and Communities • Roads & Vehicles. A significant historical year for this entry is 1988.
Location. 32° 25.801′ N, 90° 8.926′ W. Marker is in Ridgeland, Mississippi, in Madison County. It is on Highland Colony Parkway south of Old Agency Road, on the left when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Ridgeland MS 39157, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Natchez Trace Corridor and in Greater Jackson. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Deep South. Globally, it is in North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the Confederate States of America,
Photographed by Mark Hilton, October 25, 2024
2. The Choctaw Agency Marker with Natchez Trace Parkway bridge in background.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Old Agency Road (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); a different marker also named Old Agency Road (about 600 feet away); a different marker also named Choctaw Agency (approx. Ό mile away); Greenwood Plantation (approx. 0.4 miles away); Historic Churches (approx. 0.7 miles away); Wesley Chapel Methodist Church (approx. 0.8 miles away); Clifton/Ash Plantation (approx. 0.8 miles away); The Pecan Our City Tree (approx. 0.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Ridgeland.
Regarding The Choctaw Agency. Because of the cessions of land, the Choctaw Agency had to move four times in order to remain within tribal boundaries.
Photographed by Mark Hilton, October 25, 2024
3. The Choctaw Agency Marker along bike/walking trail.
Credits. This page was last revised on October 27, 2024. It was originally submitted on October 27, 2024, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 430 times since then and 54 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on October 27, 2024, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.
