The legendary Giles Island has recently welcomed its third owner since 1883. A place known to produce legends, most notably of which is the famous Jim Bowie sandbar fight and knife, Giles Island was once part of Clermont Plantation and was commonly known as Cowpen Point. In 1933, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers severed Cowpen Point from the mainland of Mississippi for navigational purposes, creating what became known as Giles Island. Cowpen Point/Giles Island was purchased by the Giles Family in 1883 and it remained in their ownership until 1992 when sold to Mr. F. Speed Bancroft of Monroe, Louisiana.
In 1996, Mr. Bancroft hired Jimmy Riley as the General Manager and the two of them together set out to develop Mr. Bancroft’s vision of turning Giles Island into the premier deer hunting destination in the Southeast United States, if not the entire country.
To assist in developing his overall vision, Tom Middleton was hired as the Forest Manager in 1998. His role was to develop a long term, sustainable yield management plan for the magnificent timber stand found on the island while also enhancing the wildlife resources, primarily deer, and to maintain the aesthetic and pristine beauty of this one-of-a-kind place.
The result of Mr. Bancroft’s vision speaks for itself. Giles Island quickly became a household name among whitetail enthusiasts throughout the country and remains so until this day as evidenced by the hosting of thousands of outdoor enthusiasts to the island over the years.
In late 2019, Mr. Bancroft began flirting with the idea it was time to pass his work on to someone else and in late 2020, the decision was made to place Giles Island on the market.
Once again, Mr. Bancroft turned to Tom Middleton and entrusted him, as Associate Broker of Mossy Oak Properties Land Investment in Natchez, using the platform and recognition afforded by Mossy Oak Properties, the leading brand in outdoor world, to market this property for himself and his family.
According to Middleton, it was an honor and privilege to be asked and entrusted by the Bancroft Family to market this legacy property for them. “Many, many folks have heard me say for years that Giles Island is without a doubt the most beautiful and pristine riverfront tract on the Lower Mississippi,” said Middleton. “I have truly been blessed and humbled to work on one of God’s masterpieces for the past 23 years, as well as being able to pass it on to its new owner. As a further reward of our efforts to sell this property, I feel extremely confident in saying that the vision of Mr. Bancroft will live on with the new owner and its pristine and unique beauty will be preserved for years to come.”
