Not quite 300 years ago, early 18th century French explorers established a settlement high atop the bluff in Natchez. This week the magnificent views those early Frenchmen had of the Mississippi River will inch closer to modern reality.

The National Park Service is beginning to clean up the former Fort Rosalie site in preparation for its public opening next year during Natchez’s tricentennial birthday celebration.

Many locals have complained that NPS has simply taken far too long to begin the work to reopen the Fort Rosalie site.

That’s mostly because the wheels of government move excruciatingly slow, particularly compared to the pace that most of us enjoy.

The good news for locals is that NPS doesn’t typically do subpar work. Their care and maintenance of other portions of the Natchez National Historical Park including Melrose and the William Johnson House are spectacular. Both of those locations are on most visitors’ “must do” lists and for good reason. NPS offers up a fair, impartial and unvarnished view of history. It’s the kind of realism today’s travelers enjoy greatly.

We cannot wait until the first phase of Fort Rosalie is completed so Natchez residents can again stand on the ground where Bienville and his men stood and look out across the beauty of our corner of the world.

We know, however, once the fort site is opened, it will be worth the wait. Thanks to the NPS for caring for some of our area’s most significant historical sites.