At this place: Yazoo Diversion Canal

VICKSBURG, Miss. (VDN) — The completion of the Yazoo Diversion Canal in 1903 restored Vicksburg’s waterfront nearly three decades after a dramatic shift in the Mississippi River’s course left the city without a port.

On April 26, 1876, the swirling waters of the Mississippi River, which had for years slowly eaten away at the shoreline at DeSoto Point, suddenly cut through the peninsula, leaving Vicksburg without a port except during periods of high water. The drastic shift in the river’s course, which occurred in a matter of hours, had a devastating effect on the city’s economy.

Coincidentally, the Union Army had attempted to dig a similar course change during the Civil War but was unsuccessful. Eventually, years of flooding and erosion brought about the change naturally.

In early 1903, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers completed the Yazoo Diversion Canal, diverting the waters of the Yazoo River into the old riverbed and restoring a waterfront and port to the city. The project began in 1878 and took 25 years to complete.

The first image is part of the Old Court House Museum’s collection and was taken during dredging of the canal around 1901–1902. The second image was recently taken by Chris Bolm.

The Old Court House Museum has an extensive collection of historic photos from Vicksburg and Warren County. For those interested in obtaining a print for a home or business, contact the museum staff for assistance.

Starting in 2022, Chris Bolm began to take images from the Old Court House Museum‘s photo collections and pinpoint their current locations and replicate the shot. Bolm named the series “Then and Now.”