Alcorn State University

Alcorn State University was founded on the site originally occupied by Oakland College, a school for whites established by the Presbyterian Church.  Oakland College closed its doors at the beginning of the Civil War so that its students could answer the call to arms. Upon failing to reopen at the end of the war, the property was sold to the state of Mississippi and renamed Alcorn University in honor of James L. Alcorn in 1871, then governor of the state of Mississippi. Hiram R. Revels resigned his seat in the United States Senate to become Alcorn's first president. The state legislature provided $50,000 in cash for ten successive years for the establishment and overall operations of the college. The state also granted Alcorn three-fifths of the proceeds earned from the sale of thirty thousand acres of land scrip for agricultural colleges. The land was sold for $188,928 with Alcorn receiving a share of $113,400. This money was to be used solely for the agricultural and mechanical components of the college. From its beginning, Alcorn State University was a land-grant college.

Chamberlain-Hunt Academy

Chamberlain-Hunt Academy is a Christian, military, boarding school established by the Presbytery of Mississippi in Port Gibson in 1879. First, Chamberlain-Hunt is a Christian school. God has made us for his glory, and, therefore, everything that is taught in the classroom, achieved on the playing field, or modeled in relationships is done to the best of our ability to the honor and glory of God. Second, Chamberlain-Hunt is a military school, one of the few left in the U.S. that self-consciously maintains its distinctive Christian character and strict military discipline. Third, Chamberlain-Hunt is a boarding school. Our cadets get a reprieve from some of the distractions of the usual high school scene and are placed in an environment that supports their academic, physical, and spiritual development.

Chamberlain-Hunt Academy was established in 1879 and has been in continuous operation since that time.  The Academy is the successor of Oakland College, a Presbyterian institution founded in 1830, but forced to close after the War Between the States.

The College buildings were sold in 1871 to the State of Mississippi, which used them to found Alcorn State University.  The Presbytery of Mississippi then used proceeds from the sale to found a secondary school, Chamberlain-Hunt Academy.

City of Port Gibson

(circa 1840) Chartered as a town on March 12, 1803, Port Gibson is Mississippi's third oldest settlement, being occupied in 1729. Port Gibson was the site of several clashes during the American Civil War and was important during Ulysses S. Grant's Vicksburg Campaign. The Battle of Port Gibson occurred on May 1st, 1863 and resulted in the deaths of over 200 Federal and Confederate soldiers. The battle was an important turning point in the Confederate's ability to hold Mississippi and defend against an amphibious attack.
Port Gibson has many historic buildings including the Windsor Ruins which have appeared in several motion pictures. Many of Port Gibson's historic buildings survived the Civil War because Grant believed the city too beautiful to be burned.

First Baptist Church of Port Gibson

Grand Gulf Military State Park

In May of 1962, the Grand Gulf Military Monument Park was officially opened, dedicated to preserving the memory of both the town and the battle in which occurred there. Located eight miles northwest of Port Gibson, Mississippi off Highway 61, this 400 acre landmark is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and includes Fort Cobun and Fort Wade, the Grand Gulf Cemetery, a museum, campgrounds, picnic areas, hiking trails, an observation tower, and several restored buildings dating back to Grand Gulf's heyday.

Natchez Trace Parkway

The Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail lies within the boundaries of the Natchez Trace Parkway, extending for 450 miles from Natchez, Mississippi, to Nashville, Tennessee. The most historic in nature of the National Scenic Trails, the Parkway commemorates the historic Natchez Trace, an ancient path that began as a Native American trail.
Near Port Gibson, Mississippi, the Rocky Springs section of trail, within the Port Gibson District, has 10 miles open for use extending from the Regantown road trailhead (milepost 59), south to Russell Road (milepost 50.8). The trail has been built and maintained primarily by members of the Natchez Trace Trail Conference, Vicksburg Trail Dusters, Student Conservation Association, Boy Scouts of America and other interested volunteers.

First Presbyterian Church

(circa 1859) The gold hand atop the steeple pointing heavenward is just one of the architectural features.

Windsor Ruins

Only 23 columns remain of what once was a grand home destroyed by a fire in 1890. There were 29, 45-foot columns supporting the roof line. The first floor housed a commisary, doctor's office, school, and dairy; along with the kitchen and storage areas. The house was host to many cultural events, served as an observation post for Confederates during the war, and a Union hospital after the Battle of Port Gibson.