There are a number of ghost towns throughout the United States, so it comes as no surprise that there are several abandoned towns in Mississippi. However, most people are unaware that we actually have an underwater ghost town hiding in the Magnolia State! Prentiss, Mississippi started off as a thriving river port and the county seat of Bolivar County. By the 1870s, it was swallowed by the mighty Mississippi River and had practically disappeared forever.

If you look at a current map of Mississippi, you will see the town of Prentiss in Jefferson Davis County. However, this was not the first Prentiss, MS.
Danielle Lampton/Flickr
There was another city by the exact same name that was established decades before the present-day Prentiss.
The original Prentiss was first known as Wellington. It was settled around 1800 and situated on the banks of the Mississippi River.
Alexrk2/Wikipedia
Wellington could only be reached by boat, but the population steadily increased after the War of 1812. Soldiers returning home by boat from New Orleans often stopped in the town and decided to remain as residents.
By 1838, Wellington's first road was constructed. Within two years, a courthouse and jail had been built. The town quickly grew into a lively river port.
National Park Service/Wikimedia
Wellington was complete with gambling houses and saloons. In 1852, the county records were moved to Wellington and it became the county seat.

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Over the next few years, the thriving town continue to expand. It was renamed Prentiss after Seargent Smith Prentiss, a Mississippi Congressman who was a noted orator.
Thomas R Machnitzki/Wikipedia
At the start of the Civil War, Prentiss was home to about 800 residents. The town included buildings, a racetrack, hotel, and newspaper. It was the only place that had a ferry crossing of the Mississippi River between Vicksburg and Memphis.
During the Civil War, Prentiss was burned to the ground by the Union army. Only a few buildings were left standing, and even these were doomed.
Christine Karim/Wikipedia
Soon after the war, the remaining buildings and all the land where the town stood were swallowed up by the Mississippi River. Unlike many underwater towns, Prentiss, MS has no remains to be explored. However, every once in a while, drought conditions lead to a brief appearance of Prentiss. In 1954, the river's course changed and exposed part of the brick courthouse that once stood in Prentiss.
Hunters found the sunken buildings, who could only see a chimney poking up from the river. The discovery made national headlines, as many had forgotten that the drowned town ever existed.
google.com
Prentiss, MS remained exposed for a brief time, attracting plenty of amateur archaeologists. The mud was sifted through and various relics like champagne bottles and whiskey barrels were recovered.

Prentiss, MS has not been exposed again since the 1950s, so it appears that the city may be lost to the Mighty Mississippi for the rest of time. Did you know about this Mississippi underwater town? Or know of any others in the state? Tell us in the comments section!

We’ve also got a drowned island in Mississippi that you may want to check out. It was once nicknamed the Monte Carlo of the South, but it’s completely gone now.

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More to Explore

Ghost Towns In Mississippi

Lisa Sammons | July 19, 2022

Are there any other ghost towns in Mississippi?

  • Bankston

It's amazing that there are so many ghost towns in Mississippi, though it does make more sense when you think about how long and storied our history is here in the Magnolia State. One of the most famous is the town of Bankston, in Choctaw County. This city was once fairly large, with several factories that produced war supplies for the Confederacy. Because it was such an important supplier to the Confederate Army, the Union Army burned down all of the town's factories in December 1864. Since this was the main industry in Bankston, there wasn't really much left to survive. Today, it's practically completely abandoned other than the town cemetery.

What is another abandoned place in Mississippi?

  • Royal Land

We have some pretty creepy abandoned places in Mississippi. Some of them are surrounded by rumors of ghosts and ghouls, others just have your general run-of-the-mill spookiness of a place that hasn't been lived in for years. Have you ever heard of Royal Land? It was once a small amusement park in Meridian, but it's been closed for decades and is now quite eerie. It looks like something out of a nightmare, not a fun-filled vacation!

What is the most haunted place in Mississippi?

Natchez is a small town, so it may be surprising to you that it's among the most haunted places in Mississippi... but it is! This place allegedly has insane paranormal activity and attracts many thrill seekers looking to encounter a ghost. Several buildings here, including the oldest building in town, are said to house multiple ghosts.

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Bolivar County, MS, USA