re: Pictures from the Natchez City Cemetery

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Before the civil war, Natchez had more millionaires per capita than anywhere in the U.S.

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Other than the city having more millionaires per capita than any other city in the country at a point in time, one of the most unique things about Natchez was it being such a hilly area.

How hilly was it?

People tied ropes to their push lawnmowers, let the rope out to let them down the hills in their yards, and pulled them back up with the rope. I'm talking their front yards on lots where the house was at the top of the hill and the street, and front edge of their yard was down a very steep hill. No way they could have safely pushed the mower up the hill.

This yard on Pearl Street is nowhere near as steep as the yards in some of the poorer neighborhoods.



More like this one, also on Pearl, before they put these brick retaining walls up.



There were some houses, with no more front yard than this last pic, that had 20+ foot drop offs.