Plymouth, Mississippi
Encyclopedia
Plymouth was an early settlement in the U.S. state
of Mississippi
in present-day Lowndes County
. Plymouth was located at 33°31′23"N 88°30′06"W on the west bank of the Tombigbee River
. It was formed around 1819, nucleating at the fortified house of John Pitchlynn
, the U.S. interpreter for the Choctaw Agency for communications with the Choctaw
Nation. Unfortunately, the low-lying landing site of the village was prone to repeated flooding. While both Plymouth and its sister town of Columbus
across the river had high bluffs, Plymouth's landing site did not have easy access to the bluff heights. By the 1840's, the village site was abandoned, with most of the residents removing across the river.
Today, the site of Plymouth is just west of John C. Stennis Lock and Dam
on the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway
. A 210 acres (85 ha) area was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1980. It includes a village site and a cemetery.
Plymouth Bluff, just downstream of the village site at 33°30′45"N 88°29′33"W, is now occupied by the Plymouth Bluff Environmental Center, operated by the Mississippi University for Women
, but on land owned by the Army Corps of Engineers. The complex serves as the local center for ecological studies, as well as a retreat and conference center.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
in present-day Lowndes County
Lowndes County, Mississippi
As of the census of 2000, there were 61,586 people, 22,849 households, and 16,405 families residing in the county. The population density was 123 people per square mile . There were 25,104 housing units at an average density of 50 per square mile...
. Plymouth was located at 33°31′23"N 88°30′06"W on the west bank of the Tombigbee River
Tombigbee River
The Tombigbee River is a tributary of the Mobile River, approximately 200 mi long, in the U.S. states of Mississippi and Alabama. It is one of two major rivers, along with the Alabama River, that unite to form the short Mobile River before it empties into Mobile Bay on the Gulf of Mexico...
. It was formed around 1819, nucleating at the fortified house of John Pitchlynn
John Pitchlynn
John Pitchlynn was a Scottish-American who served as the official U.S. Interpreter for relations between the government of the United States and the Choctaw Nation, an office known at the time as the Choctaw Agency...
, the U.S. interpreter for the Choctaw Agency for communications with the Choctaw
Choctaw
The Choctaw are a Native American people originally from the Southeastern United States...
Nation. Unfortunately, the low-lying landing site of the village was prone to repeated flooding. While both Plymouth and its sister town of Columbus
Columbus, Mississippi
Columbus is a city in Lowndes County, Mississippi, United States that lies above the Tombigbee River. It is approximately northeast of Jackson, north of Meridian, south of Tupelo, northwest of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and west of Birmingham, Alabama. The population was 25,944 at the 2000 census...
across the river had high bluffs, Plymouth's landing site did not have easy access to the bluff heights. By the 1840's, the village site was abandoned, with most of the residents removing across the river.
Today, the site of Plymouth is just west of John C. Stennis Lock and Dam
John C. Stennis Lock and Dam
The John C. Stennis Lock and Dam, formerly named Columbus Lock and Dam, is one of four lock and dam structures on the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway that generally lie along the original course of the Tombigbee River. It is located near Columbus, Mississippi, and impounds Columbus Lake. It is named...
on the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway
Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway
The Tennessee–Tombigbee Waterway is a 234-mile man-made, artificial waterway that extends from the Tennessee River to the junction of the Black Warrior-Tombigbee River system near Demopolis, Alabama, United States. The Tenneessee-Tombigbee Waterway links commercial navigation from the nation’s...
. A 210 acres (85 ha) area was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1980. It includes a village site and a cemetery.
Plymouth Bluff, just downstream of the village site at 33°30′45"N 88°29′33"W, is now occupied by the Plymouth Bluff Environmental Center, operated by the Mississippi University for Women
Mississippi University for Women
Mississippi University for Women, also known as MUW or simply the "W" is a four-year coeducational public university located in Columbus, Mississippi. It was formerly known as Industrial Institute and College and later Mississippi State College for Women...
, but on land owned by the Army Corps of Engineers. The complex serves as the local center for ecological studies, as well as a retreat and conference center.