Fort Rosalie, an outpost in the Natchez Territory, was established by the French in 1716. Soon afterward conflicts with area Natives ensued, stirred up by British instigators. The Natchez tribes had occupied the Mississippi River Valley since the 8th century. Their community thrived, long before the Europeans set foot on the continent.
     The river has played an important part of Natchez's success. The town sits up on a bluff, overlooking the Mississippi. The river is one of the busiest in the world. The sternwheelers that operate on the river bring back memories of steamboat travel and storyteller, Mark Twain. Pictured here is the Isle of Capri, a floating gambling ship, where visitors experience a taste of the rowdy days long past. Below the Natchez bluff, the under-the-hill party is relived every June.