ROADSIDE FEATURES

State Monuments

As new road construction continued and existing roads were incorporated into the tour route in the early 1900s, states began erecting monuments and memorials in commemoration of the battle and its participants. These monuments were placed as near as possible to the area in which the represented troops fought. In addition, the placement of memorials was based on the routing of the roadway in many cases. The hilly landscape of Vicksburg necessitated heavy emphasis on grading and the incorporation of switchbacks to allow horse-and-buggy traffic to navigate the steep terrain. In many cases states planned their memorials to be seen from these curvy, hilly approaches. A reversal of the direction of the one-way traffic on these roads in the late 1960s had a dramatic effect on the views of many state monuments.

Some of the many roadside structures: one of three (removed) observation towers ca. 1930s. (VICK), Illinois Monument and Shirley House at Tour Stop #2. (HAER, 1997), tour route sign. (HAER, 1997)

Roadside Interpretation

Interpretive signs and descriptive markers were also added to the roadside landscape. The commissioners worked diligently to ensure that all the signs were placed so that visitors would be in the approximate location and facing the same direction as the troops and movements they were reading about. As a result, some markers are located at a distance from the road and others are facing the opposite direction. This is a curious feature of the park's road system in light of the fact that it was designed to be a driving tour.

View of interpretive markers, monuments, and cannon near Third Louisiana Redan along Union Avenue ca. 1930s. (VICK)

Alignment and Drainage

Careful attention to alignment and grading were important aspects of building the roads, in order to create smooth transitions and improve drainage. The Vicksburg area often receives heavy amounts of rain and is subject to flash flooding. The roads were sloped in such a way as to make the grades less steep, to facilitate easy travel for horse-and-buggy traffic, and to guide large amounts of water to gutters and drain structures.

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