Vicksburg's Original Floodwall

Vicksburg's Original Floodwall. . Vicksburg's first floodwall, built to keep annual spring flood waters from disrupting commercial activity along Levee Street, was completed in 1924. It was financed on a shared basis agreement between the City of Vicksburg, the Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad, the Alabama and Vicksburg Railroad, and private owners. The City's portion was financed through a bond issue, the resulting election for which solicited the largest number of votes ever cast in the city with almost 74 percent in favor of the bond issue. In addition, private concerns contributed more than $200,000 for the wall. The flood of 1913 sparked plans to build the wall when flood waters completely covered Levee Street. The construction of this floodwall assured that the growth in Vicksburg's most important wholesale and manufacturing section would continue. The wall was built with three gates-at Clay, China and Grove streets. It received its first "test" when, in 1927, the Nation experienced the worst Mississippi River flooding in recorded history. The wall held, providing protection for what was at the time, a booming retail and warehousing district. In 1959, the current taller floodwall was completed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Before you is one of the remaining sections of Vicksburg's "little" floodwall.