More than a century later, public opinion still varies
greatly in regard to the character and motivation of the men and women involved
in the Reelfoot violence. For seven months in 1908, masked horsemen rode
roughshod over a portion of Obion County and imposed their own brand of justice
with whips, shotguns and arson.
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| picture from The Tennessee Magazine |
The Night Rider chapter was a dispute over title to Reelfoot
Lake and the surrounding land. The lake was created by the cataclysmic forces
of the 1811-12 earthquakes. Tthe lake and its wildlife supplemented the diets
and incomes of subsistence farmers in the area. Although claims on the land existed
prior to the earthquake, the local population regarded the lake as public
domain. When the West Tennessee Land Company quietly purchased old claims and
made plans to drain at least part of the lake and convert it to cotton
production, the region’s residents reacted violently.
On the night of October 19, 1908, after several weeks of
increasingly violent activities, events moved swiftly to a tragic point. Masked
riders kidnapped Tennessee Land Company officers RZ Taylor and Quinton Rankin
from Ward’s Hotel in Walnut Log. Rankin was murdered, but Taylor escaped into
the swamp and was presumed dead. He survived by hiding under a cypress log and
was found more than twenty-four hours later, wandering and disoriented.
 |
| picture from The Tennessee Magazine |
Governor Malcolm Patterson personally took charge of matters
and arrived in the lake region with the Tennessee National Guard. By the end of
October, nearly one hundred suspects were incarcerated in a makeshift camp set
up by the Guard. The suspects received very harsh treatment while in the custody
of the state, and two died while awaiting trial. Eventually, six were found
guilty in the murder of Quinton Rankin and sentenced to death. The Tennessee
Supreme Court overturned their convictions in 1909.
Public opinion favored the plight of the Reelfoot Lake
people. As a consequence, the state acquired title to the lake in 1914, ending
the threat of private ownership. If you want to learn more, I recommend “Night
Riders of Reelfoot Lake” by Paul Vanderwood.
We drove into Hickman, Kentucky. The City of Hickman was
established in 1834 and is the county seat of Fulton County. Hickman is located
in the most western part of Kentucky on the Mississippi River. It is nestled
under and atop the bluffs overlooking the great Mississippi River. Mark Twain
once called Hickman, "The Most Beautiful Town on the Mississippi." We
found a mural of Mark Twain on the side of a building. A funny side note … the
city of Hickman is in Foley County and the city of Foley is in Hickman County.
What is in Hickman? The US Coast Guard is in Hickman. When I
think of the Coast Guard, I think of swift boats chasing down drug smugglers in
the ocean or executing rescues in the sea between Cuba and Florida. All of
these missions are important; however, there are about 20 men in Hickman,
Kentucky, who are just as vital as anyone else in the Coast Guard.
So what is
the Coast Guard Doing in Kentucky? The US Coast Guard Cutter CHENA is based out
of Hickman Harbor and its primary mission is to maintain a safe shipping
channel on the Lower Mississippi River (from Cairo, Illinois down to River Styx
Landing, Arkansas.) This allows for the transport of millions of dollars’ worth
of raw materials to the heartland. In addition, they provide a safe and
navigable channel for national defense forces to gain access to this region in
times of emergency or heightened security. Without the men keeping the shipping
channels safe, the barges that carry coal, gravel, concrete, grain and
everything else that you find on a barge, could run aground in the mighty
Mississippi. That would definitely put a kink in commerce around here and
across the entire nation.
Carl & Edna carried us to Hickman to see the breathtaking historical mural
scenes on Clinton Street, in downtown Hickman.
A total of 79 murals cover the floodwall depicting memorable moments from this little river town. It's sad that there is not much else in this part of town, but the murals!
Over the course of about three years, people have watched as a Lake County Tennessee artist, Karon Griffin, turned the once blank floodwall
into colorful, one-of-a-kind paintings worthy of high praise. These murals certainly are drawing people to the area. I am told Karon paints all of these out of the kindness of heart.
Hickman’s downtown park is the perfect place to sit and view the floodwall
murals that now decorate it. They share the historical value to the river town perched on
the bluff along the mighty Mississippi River.
When we visited, they were cleaning up from the 4th of July festivities and these over-sized portraits, were the backdrop!
When we visited, they were cleaning up from the 4th of July festivities and these over-sized portraits, were the backdrop!
I am told that it takes about 12 hours each to
paint each mural. They are rendered from photographs or drawings that people submitted.
Sponsors of the murals choose the scene they wanted on their mural space
as long as it had historical relevance to Hickman and the people who reside
here or once made a life along the river.
Some of Griffin’s favorite ones to
paint include Hickman Hardware, the LaClede Hotel, Cemetery Arch and the USS
Taylor. Our friend, Edna knows the artist, personally. It made viewing these
murals even more special!
To the right is a picture of the LaClede Hotel with the brick horseshoe entry way, then we turned around and we could see the actual historic building. I can picture people streaming in from the paddleboats to stay here.
We visited the Columbus-Belmont State Park, a place where our framily from Tennessee has often camped! One stop in the camping area, we can see why it is one of their favorites. The views are breathtaking!
At the park we got a glimpse of our 2020 Yankee RV caravan along the Great River Road. Oh, the places we will see!
There is a great deal of history in this State Park. Confederate General Leonidas Polk fortified the area now occupied by the park beginning September 3, 1861. The fort at Columbus was built upon a bluff along the "cutside" of the river. The fort was christened Fort DeRussey, after an engineer supervising construction of fortifications, but Polk referred it as the "Gibraltar of the West".
He had equipped it with a massive chain that was stretched across the Mississippi to Belmont, Missouri, to block the passage of Union gunboats and supply vessels to and from Southern destinations in the western theaters of the war. Equipped also with 143 cannons, Columbus was the Northern-most Confederate base along the Mississippi, protecting Memphis, Vicksburg, and other key Southern holdings.
Paducah was founded in 1827 by William Clark of Lewis &
Clark fame. Its rich history can be traced to its strategic location at the
confluence of the Ohio and Tennessee Rivers. There are five life size bronze sculptures celebrating the Lewis & Clark Expedition in historic downtown Paducah.
From the Civil War to civil
rights, Paducah's narrative is intricately connected to America's history.
Paducah's history is reflected and preserved in its architecture and historic
attractions, including the 1905 Market House, Market House Museum and
"Wall to Wall" Murals.
Robert Dafford, one of America's most prolific muralists, from
Lafayette, Louisiana and his mural team has captured Paducah's rich history in
life-sized paintings on the river city's floodwall.
These panoramic
"Portraits from Paducah's Past" overlook the convergence of the Ohio
and Tennessee Rivers and illustrate Paducah's historical significant events.
There are other landmarks, museums and architecture that can
be viewed to understand Paducah's story. Tours and trails connect Paducah's
cultural heritage to the greater American story by way of the US Grant Trail,
Lewis & Clark Eastern Legacy and local Quilt Block Trail. Our friend Kathy,
is an avid quilter and has followed the Quilt Block Trail.
Last summer, we learned all about UNESCO sites. Today we
learned that Paducah is a designated UNESCO Creative City anchored by the
National Quilt Museum and a thriving fiber arts community. The United Nations
Educational, Scientific & Cultural Organization (UNESCO) designated
Paducah, Kentucky, the world’s seventh City of Crafts & Folk Art in
November 2013 for the City’s important role in the connectivity of cultures
through creativity. From the colorful revitalization of the Lower Town Arts
District to the vibrant streets of 19th century architecture in Historic
Downtown, Paducah invites visitors to immerse themselves in rich American
heritage and distinctively creative culture - and find your inspiration in
Paducah!
Can you imagine traveling from port to port on a paddle
boat? Traveling on America's majestic inland rivers allows passengers a unique
mode of transportation to discover America in much the same manner as the
original steamboat travelers. We were lucky enough to see a paddleboat in the port
of Paducah! Paducah's riverfront is a port of call for the Delta Queen
Steamboat Company, Mississippi Queen, RiverBarge Explorer, American Queen
steamboats and others. This is only port that's located where four major
eastern rivers converge in America's heartland.
It was an awesome day with friends, seeing new sights and learning more about this great country!
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