Norfolk, Mississippi | |
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Coordinates: 34°57′05″N 90°13′50″W / 34.95139°N 90.23056°W | |
Country | United States |
State | Mississippi |
County | Desoto |
Elevation | 210 ft (64 m) |
Time zone | UTC-6 ( Central (CST)) |
• Summer ( DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
GNIS feature ID | 692114 [1] |
Norfolk is an unincorporated community located in Desoto County, Mississippi, United States. Norfolk Landing (also called Helm's Landing), located a short distance west of Norfolk, was the community's port on the Mississippi River. [1]
Norfolk began as a steamboat landing on a plantation belonging to a man named Helms. [2] In 1854, Norfolk was a small village. [3]
Norfolk Landing was the first port south of the Mississippi-Tennessee border. In 1862, the newly formed Confederate States of America established a customs office there, and all passing vessels were required to stop and provide a list of cargo. Regarding this action, historian Marion Bragg wrote:
Men who had previously been neutral and disinterested in the issues which had aroused others in the North were suddenly enraged. Free navigation of the Mississippi was a natural birthright of every American, the westerners believed, and they would gladly fight to death for it. The idea of a "foreign power" dictating the terms upon which they could navigate "their river" was unthinkable. [2]: 85
Norfolk had a post office from 1854 to 1913. [4]
Norfolk Landing has been converted into a 41-acre (17 ha) public park called "Hernando DeSoto Park", which features a hiking/walking trail, river overlook, picnic area, parking and boat launch. The park is the only place in DeSoto County with public access to the Mississippi River. [5]