ississippi River by railroads in the early 1900s, some of which
bypassed the river cities and drew away their commerce. Later there was an
exodus of many local industries that had provided a large number of jobs in the
area. Despite its status as a popular destination for heritage tourism, because
of its well-preserved aspects of antebellum culture, Natchez has had a general
decline in population since 1960. It remains the principal city of the Natchez,
MS–LA Micropolitan Statistical Area
