Mile 867.0 - Miles 867-861: Little Cypress Bend

867 - 861 Little Cypress Bend

Few things impressed early voyagers on the Lower Mississippi more than the beautiful tree for which this bend was named. In Little Cypress Bend and other areas. the bald cypress grew to tremendous heights and sizes. The spreading branches, with light feathery foliage, and the massive trunks surrounded by the peculiar protuberances called "cypress knees" made it as picturesque as it was beautiful. When loggers and lumbermen began their operations on the Lower Mississippi, cypress was su abundant that the straight·grained and easily worked wood was often used for fence posts and railroad ties. Today it has become relatively hard to obtain, and the expensive lumber is often used in house interiors. On old plantations in the south, a few of the cabins that housed slaves or farm laborers are still in existence. Made of rough·sawed cypress that has weathered to a silvery gray, the marvelous texture of the weathered boards makes even the most tumble- down cabin attractive. Cypress lumber, which is extremely durable, was often called "the wood everlasting." (Braggs: Historic Names & Places)