Tishomingo State Park - Tishomingo MS

City:: Tishomingo, MS
Site Type:: Parks and Recreation, Archaeology and History, Archaeology
New Deal Agencies:: Work Relief Programs, Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC)

Description

“Tishomingo State Park is located in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in Tishomingo County, Mississippi, north of Tupelo. Activities in the park include canoeing, rock climbing, fishing and hiking.^[2]

The park pays tribute to Tishomingo County’s remarkable geography of massive rock formations, found here and in the immediately surrounding areas but nowhere else in Mississippi.^[3] The steep cliffs and abundant carboniferous limestone outcrops represent the southwestern extremity of the Southern Appalachian Plateau.

Archaeological excavations suggest the presence of Paleo Indians in the area of the park as early as 7000 BCE. The park is named for an early Chickasaw leader who served with General Anthony Wayne against the Shawnees in the Northwest Territory and received a silver medal from president George Washington. During the War of 1812, Tishomingo served under Andrew Jackson. After his service in the military, he retired to become a farmer until white settlers came onto his land. In 1837, a final treaty forced the Chickasaws to move to the Indian Territory in present-day Oklahoma.

The park was constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the 1930s. Many of the original buildings are still standing.”