The City of Natchez took a huge step toward a permanent exhibit at the Forks of the Road site Thursday.

While the actual exhibits are a ways off, the city tore down a building on the property, which was once the site of one of the largest slave markets in the South.

Clearing the land is a necessary &045; and quite visible &045; step toward establishing that spot as a viable visitor destination. While the Forks of the Road may be a &uot;non-traditional&uot; tourist site, it will certainly attract many visitors interested in heritage tourism and could one day become part of the Natchez National Historic Park.

The next step at the Forks site will be to design the actual exhibits that will grace the site.

Right now, a modest historical marker is all that identifies the area as significant to our community’s history. The exhibits will be able to tell the story of the market in detail. While it is a difficult story to tell &045; and to read about &045; such sites are an important part of all of our history and of the heritage tourism market.

With renovation work well under way at the William Johnson House &045; the home of one of Natchez’s most famous free black men &045; and work begun on the Forks of the Road site, Natchez is on the right track toward establishing a niche market for heritage tourism. Such attention to these sites makes sense not only for our economy and our tourism industry but for our own sense of community history as well.