Turkey Creek Community Historic District is a settlement established by emancipated

African Americans African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

during the

Reconstruction Era The Reconstruction era was a period in American history following the American Civil War (1861–1865) and lasting until approximately the Compromise of 1877. During Reconstruction, attempts were made to rebuild the country after the bloo ...

after the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

. National Register of Historic Places Registration Form (Thomas and Melinda Benton House)
Retrieved December 22, 2011 The community is situated in north

Gulfport, Mississippi Gulfport is the second-largest city in Mississippi after the state capital, Jackson. Along with Biloxi, Gulfport is the co-county seat of Harrison County and the larger of the two principal cities of the Gulfport-Biloxi, Mississippi Metropolitan ...

, and was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 2007.

History

In 1866, a group of emancipated African Americans settled along Turkey Creek on about 320 acres (130 hectares) formerly owned by Arkansas Lumber Company. Freed slaves, Thomas and Melinda Benton, acquired enough land so that their holdings comprised 50 percent of the community. Later settlers purchased property from the Bentons. Many residential lots originally adjoined Turkey Creek, which served as a transportation route for early settlers. Residents often planted gardens, grew fruit trees, and raised livestock on their property.

Description

The historic Turkey Creek community is surrounded by large urban developments that include the Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport to the south,

U.S. Route 49 U.S. Route 49 (US 49) is a north–south United States highway. The highway's northern terminus is in Piggott, Arkansas, at an intersection with US Route 62/ Highway 1/ Highway 139 (US 62/AR 1/AR 139). Its southern terminus is ...

to the west, and an industrial seaway on the north. The Historic District is a residential area situated along Rippy Road and is associated with

freshwater marsh A freshwater marsh is a non-tidal, non-forested marsh wetland that contains fresh water, and is continuously or frequently flooded. Freshwater marshes primarily consist of sedges, grasses, and emergent plants. Freshwater marshes are usually found ...

and coastal hardwood forest. The principal forest cover type is live oak (''

Quercus virginiana ''Quercus virginiana'', also known as the southern live oak, is an evergreen oak tree endemic to the Southeastern United States. Though many other species are loosely called live oak, the southern live oak is particularly iconic of the Old South. ...

'') with common associates that include ''

Myrica cerifera ''Myrica cerifera'' is a small evergreen tree or large shrub native to North and Central America and the Caribbean. Its common names include southern wax myrtle, southern bayberry, candleberry, bayberry tree, and tallow shrub. It sees uses both i ...

'', ''

Ilex vomitoria ''Ilex vomitoria'', commonly known as yaupon () or yaupon holly, is a species of holly that is native to southeastern North America. The word ''yaupon'' was derived from the Catawban ''yą́pą'', from ''yą-'' tree + ''pą'' leaf. Another comm ...

'', ''

Vaccinium arboreum ''Vaccinium arboreum'' (sparkleberry or farkleberry) is a species of ''Vaccinium'' native to the southeastern and south-central United States, from southern Virginia west to southeastern Nebraska, south to Florida and eastern Texas, and north to ...

'', and ''

Serenoa repens ''Serenoa repens'', commonly known as saw palmetto, is the sole species currently classified in the genus ''Serenoa''. It is a small palm, growing to a maximum height around . It is endemic to the subtropical and tropical Southeastern United S ...

''. Houses consist of one-story cottages typical of

vernacular architecture Vernacular architecture is building done outside any academic tradition, and without professional guidance. This category encompasses a wide range and variety of building types, with differing methods of construction, from around the world, bo ...

. In addition to residential houses, the community contains religious and educational structures. The primary natural feature is Turkey Creek which meanders along 12.9 miles (20.8 kilometers) to Bayou Bernard. By the mid-1950s, infrastructure development in the form of industries, highways, airports and housing construction, associated with the expansion of Gulfport, began to encroach on the Turkey Creek Community. Although the Turkey Creek Community predated the founding of the City of Gulfport, it was annexed by that City in 1994. After

Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...

devastated the

Mississippi Gulf Coast The Mississippi Gulf Coast, also known as Mississippi Coast, Mississippi Gulf Coast region, Coastal Mississippi, and The Coast, is the area of Mississippi along the Mississippi Sound at the northern extreme of the Gulf of Mexico. Geography At th ...

in 2005, business expansion accelerated northward, away from the coastline, and into the Turkey Creek Community, garnering national attention. In response, the Turkey Creek Community Initiatives was formed and received assistance from the

Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain The mission of the Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain is: History Founded in 2000, the non-profit Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain (LTMCP) operates in the six Coastal Plain counties of south Mississippi and is accredited b ...

and Audubon MississippiAudubon and Turkey Creek
Retrieved December 24, 2011 to protect the remaining natural and cultural resources of the Turkey Creek Watershed from further degradation caused by commercial encroachment. In 2021, Turkey Creek (the river that runs adjacent to the community
was listed
by American Rivers as one of

America's 10 Most Endangered Rivers America's Most Endangered Rivers is a list of threatened rivers in the United States compiled by the nonprofit group American Rivers. First published in 1984, the annual list spotlights ten threatened rivers–rivers that are facing environment ...

due to the continuing threat of development.

References

External links

Come Hell or High Water: The Battle for Turkey CreekAmerica's Most Endangered Rivers® of 2021
{{National Register of Historic Places Gulfport–Biloxi metropolitan area Geography of Harrison County, Mississippi Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Mississippi National Register of Historic Places in Harrison County, Mississippi