Concordia, Mississippi

Concordia is a ghost town in Bolivar County, Mississippi, United States, located on the eastern edge of the Mississippi Levee, approximately 2.5 mi (4.0 km) west of Mississippi Highway 1.

Concordia, Mississippi
Ghost town
Concordia, Mississippi
Coordinates: 33°58′39″N 90°57′02″W
CountryUnited States
StateMississippi
CountyBolivar
Elevation
164 ft (50 m)
Time zoneUTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
GNIS feature ID691781

Once an important Mississippi River shipping point for cotton, little remains of the community today but a cemetery.

History

Concordia is one of the oldest communities in Bolivar County. The Concordia Cemetery, located south of the community, has been used since 1848, and is marked with a historic plaque. The Concordia Methodist Church was also located there.[1]

Concordia was officially formed in 1866, and included "Carson's Landing", located north of the settlement.

Concordia had a population of about 250 by 1879, when yellow fever struck, killing half the population. The town was quarantined for a period.[2][3]

When the Louisville, New Orleans and Texas Railway was built in 1889, it passed 3 mi (4.8 km) east of the town, and many residents abandoned Concordia and moved to the nearby railway town of Gunnison.[3]

The town became further isolated sometime prior to 1939, when the Mississippi River changed its course. The river had previously followed the "Concordia Bend", with the town located on the east bank. Following the diversion, the main channel of the river moved approximately 5 mi (8.0 km) west, creating "Old River Lake", and oxbow lake, as well as Island No. 70 and Island No. 71.[4][5]

The area west of Concordia, between the levee and the Mississippi River, is currently used by the Concordia Hunting Club, and occupies 6,200 acres (2,500 ha).[6]

References
  1. "Historic Marker Inventory" (PDF). Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-10-21.
  2. National Board of Health Bulletin. United States National Board of Health. 1879.
  3. "Concordia: One of Bolivar County's First Settlements". Bolivar Bullet. November 1, 2002. Archived from the original on October 11, 2011. Retrieved January 7, 2014.
  4. Bragg, Marion (1977). Historic Names and Places on the Lower Mississippi River (PDF). Mississippi River Commission. p. 111. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2014-01-07.
  5. "Concordia Bend (historical)". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.
  6. "Concordia Rod and Gun Club". Concordia Rod & Gun Club. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
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