Post Card Tuesday: David Crockett Cabin - Rutherford, TN

Here is what this cabin looked like 10 years ago in 2011:



After being defeated in a re-election effort for U.S. Congress in 1834, Davy Crockett decided to move out to West Tennessee. About 10 miles away from where his mom and sister were living, he built a farm in Gibson County, which would eventually be his last residence. Soon thereafter, he went to fight in the Texas battle for independence and died at the Alamo in 1836.

About halfway between the location of his farm, and where his mom and sister lived is the town of Rutherford, TN. The townspeople took the remaining logs from his last house which had fallen apart, and assembled them to make "Davy Crockett's Last house and Museum." The home is located along old US45W on the north side of town.

In the news: Davy Crockett replica birthplace cabin to be replaced

The place where Davy Crockett was born has been preserved at Davy Crockett Birthplace State Park near Limestone, TN in Greene County. By preserved, I mean the spot has been marked as the original log cabin is long gone. The state park has built a couple of replicas over the years and the one in the picture above was built in 1986 for the state's Bicentennial.

According to the story linked below, a new replica cabin is scheduled to be built and the one above will be preserved elsewhere in the park.

Greeneville Sun: Crockett Cabin Ready For Uprooting

Davy Crockett Bust - Trenton, TN

DAVID CROCKETT
Pioneer - Statesman - Hero
Born August 17, 1786 - Died March 6, 1836
Served three terms in the Congress of the United States while resident of this county
Emigrated to Texas in 1835 and was killed at the Alamo fighting for the independence of Texas.

"Be sure you're right and then go ahead"

David Crockett was of course one of Tennessee's most prominent early residents. Like the base of the bust says, Gibson County (near the town of Rutherford) was the last place Crockett called home before going to fight for Texas independence and dying at the Alamo. This bust has been placed on the lawn of the Gibson County Courthouse in Trenton, one of the finest courthouses in the state. The bronze bust on a granite base was sculpted by Belle Kinney and dedicated on Oct. 13, 1950.

David Crockett State Park entrance sign

Not to be confused with Davy Crockett Birthplace state park in East Tennessee, David Crockett State Park is in Lawrenceburg, TN.

In 1817, Crockett moved to Lawrenceburg. Along the banks of Shoal Creek, he established a powdermill, a gristmill and a distillery. A flood in September 1821 washed away all three of these businesses and Crockett decided to move out west. Today, that land along Shoal Creek is the State Park with the entrance along US64.

David Crockett State Park Covered Bridge

David Crockett State Park is in Lawrenceburg, TN at the site where the historic figure once operated a mill. In 1959, the park built a covered bridge over the stream and dam for the reconstructed mill at the park. A storm washed away the original covered bridge here in 1998 but the state rebuilt it in 1999 for the one we see here. There is also a pedestrian lane on this side of the bridge. The pond was full of frogs and turtles when I was there.

There aren't too many vintage covered bridges left in Tennessee. (I think there are only three or four.) In East Tennessee, there's the Doe River Covered Bridge in Elizabethton and the Harrisburg Bridge of Sevierville.

David Crockett Motel - Lawrenceburg, TN

Lawrenceburg, TN along U.S. 64 east of the town square and next door to David Crockett storage warehouse.

Davy Crockett Museum - Lawrenceburg, TN

This cabin museum is a replica of Davy Crockett's cabin just a couple of blocks south of Lawrenceburg's town square on Military Ave.

Historical Marker:
seemidtn.com/gallery/index.php?album=historical-markers/g...

Davy Crockett's Last House and Museum

After being defeated in a re-election effort for U.S. Congress in 1834, Davy Crockett decided to move out to West Tennessee. About 10 miles away from where his mom and sister were living, he built a farm in Gibson County, which would eventually be his last residence. Soon thereafter, he went to fight in the Texas battle for independence and died at the Alamo in 1836.

About halfway between the location of his farm, and where his mom and sister lived is the town of Rutherford, TN. The townspeople took the remaining logs from his last house which had fallen apart, and assembled them to make "Davy Crockett's Last house and Museum." The home is located along old US45W on the north side of town.

Happy 226th Birthday, David Crockett!

DAVID CROCKETT
Pioneer - Statesman - Hero
Born August 17, 1786 - Died March 6, 1836
Served three terms in the Congress of the United States while resident of this county
Emigrated to Texas in 1835 and was killed at the Alamo fighting for the independence of Texas.

"Be sure you're right and then go ahead"

David Crockett was of course one of Tennessee's most prominent early residents. Like the base of the bust says, Gibson County (near the town of Rutherford) was the last place Crockett called home before going to fight for Texas independence and dying at the Alamo. This bust has been placed on the lawn of the Gibson County Courthouse in Trenton, one of the finest courthouses in the state. The bronze bust on a granite base was sculpted by Belle Kinney and dedicated on Oct. 13, 1950.

Burial Site of Davy Crockett's first wife

At the Age of 18, Polly Finlay married Davy Crockett in Jefferson, TN. 5 years later in 1811, the family moved to Franklin County, TN on some land overlooking Beans Creek. Polly was the mother of 3 of Davy's children, raising them at their house on this land at a time when Davy was off volunteering for Andrew Jackson's army. On this day, June 11, 1815, Mrs. Crockett died and was buried at a small cemetery on the property. Eventually Davy married again and the second wife Elizabeth lived many years after Davy's death at the Alamo.

Most of Davy Crockett's storied achievements that helped bring him fame happened after Polly's death. When the second wife died, her gravesite was adorned as the wife of a famous hero, complete with a marble headstone and a statue. By comparison, Polly was buried in a location that time almost forgot. Eventually, (in the early 80s I think) the Tennessee Historical Commission erected the larger marker seen here as well as a roadside historical marker where US64 passes a couple of miles away. It's my understanding that this is still on private property, but the owners are nice enough to allow those that are aware of it to visit. At the same time, Franklin County's tourism people are trying to make this place more well known and hope to turn it into a small park.

Burial Site of Davy Crockett's Mother

Happy Mothers Day!

Rebecca Hawkins Crockett was born in Maryland and moved with her husband to east Tennessee. David Crockett's mother followed him through several residences before moving in with a daughter in West Tennessee.

About 10 miles away from where his mom and sister were living, David Crockett built a farm, which would eventually be his last residence. Soon thereafter, he went to fight in the Texas battle for independence and died at the Alamo in 1836.

About halfway between the two locations is the town of Rutherford, TN. The townspeople took the remaining logs from his last house which had fallen apart, and assembled them to make "Davy Crockett's Last house and Museum." They also reinterred the body of Mrs. Crockett here on the property with the marker shown here.

Crockett Tavern (replica) - Morristown, TN

At this location in the 1790's, Davy Crockett's parents, John and Rebecca Crockett established and operated Crockett Tavern. The tavern also served as Davy's boyhood home for the Tennessee pioneer and political leader. The Hamblen County chapter of the Association for the Preservation of Tennessee Antiquities opened the replica in 1958.

Davy Crockett Memorial - Limestone, TN

There are Davy Crockett memorials all over the state due to the many places he lived. This one is located in the Davy Crockett Birthplace State Park near Limestone, TN.

The main part of the monument is in the center. It was placed there by the Davy Crockett Historical Society in 1890. Then, the monument was replaced at the Davy Crockett Celebration in Aug, 1965 by the Limestone Ruritan Club.

The front of the monument reads:
Davy Crockett
Pioneer
Patriot
Soldier
Trapper
Explorer
State Legislator
Congressman
Martyred at the Alamo
1786-1836

Encircling the Memorial are four curved stone wall segments. Embedded in the walls is a stone from each of the lower 48 states, with the name of the state carved onto it. For instance, Tennessee is the largest one in the middle of the bottom row.

"The Barn" - Chuckey, Tennessee

At one time, there was a marker by the barn that was either gone by the time I got there, or I just didn't see it. The sign read:

The Barn was built mid 20th century pimarily for farm use. The barn was readily visible from the old 11-E highway and quickly turned into a form of advertising for Corner and Central Drug Stores in Greeneville. Progress has moved business and traffic patterns to the new 11-E highway, leaving the barn bypassed by today's population. However, the barn continues to serve as a landmark today, preserving the history of one of Greene County's oldest towns.
Davy Crockett: Born in Chuckey 1786
Glider: Ed Huffaker, early pioneer in aviation
Steam Locomotive: Railroad and Fullens Depot
Log House: Earnest Fort House built in 1784
First Aid Cross: Dr. Annis O. Pickering, Tennessee's first lady doctor.
Tennessee Flag Pole: Battle of Rheatown 1862
Nolichuckey River: Early transportation "Earnestville"
Pointer: "Old Ted" One of the best bird dogs to hunt in Chuckey

Crockett Theater Marquee - Lawrenceburg, TN

Fall in love with Lawrenceburg - that's the message on the banner on the right.

Located along Military Ave. a block north of the town square in Lawrenceburg, TN

Added to the National Register of Historic Places, and is a fine example of Art Deco in a cinema.

Davy Crockett Museum & Fall Foliage

This cabin museum is a replica of Davy Crockett's cabin just a couple of blocks south of Lawrenceburg's town square on Military Ave. There's a historical marker out front and a couple of parking spaces.

Davy Crockett Statue - Lawrenceburg

Located on the south side of the center of the town square in Lawrenceburg, TN.

Written on the statue:
On the front (south side):
Erected by gift of the people and legislature of Tennessee, to the memory of Col. David Crockett. Born in East Tennessee Aug 17th, 1786. And gave his life for Texas Liberty amid the smoking walls of the "Alamo" Sunday Morning March 9th, 1836.

East side:
Justice of the Peace for Lawrence County 1818.
Member of the Commission of Lawrenceburg, 1819.
Represented Lawrence and Hickman counties in the state legislature 1821-22.
Congressman from west Tennessee, 1827-1831, 1833-1835.

North Side:
"Be Sure you are right, then go ahead."
DAVY CROCKETT.

State aid and gifts collected by Sen. C.C. Kelley
Committee
Robt. R. Williams,
C.C. Kelley,
John C. Crews.

Erected 1922 by W.M. Dean Marble Co. Columbia, Tenn.

West side:
Path-finder, Pioneer, Hunter, Patriot, Statesman and Soldier. His fame is immortal with the story of his state, and the glory of his death.
"Thermopylae had its messenger of defeat. The Alamo had none."

Davy Crockett Statue

The backdrop for the Crockett statue used to be the county courthouse, until the 70's when it was removed. Now, most of the square is a grassy area, with a large pavillion in the center. The clock tower atop the pavillion is seen behind the statue. Also, notice the C for Crockett logo on the statue.

Located on the south side of the center of the town square in Lawrenceburg, TN.

Written on the statue:
On the front (south side):
Erected by gift of the people and legislature of Tennessee, to the memory of Col. David Crockett. Born in East Tennessee Aug 17th, 1786. And gave his life for Texas Liberty amid the smoking walls of the "Alamo" Sunday Morning March 9th, 1836.

East side:
Justice of the Peace for Lawrence County 1818.
Member of the Commission of Lawrenceburg, 1819.
Represented Lawrence and Hickman counties in the state legislature 1821-22.
Congressman from west Tennessee, 1827-1831, 1833-1835.

North Side:
"Be Sure you are right, then go ahead."
DAVY CROCKETT.

State aid and gifts collected by Sen. C.C. Kelley
Committee
Robt. R. Williams,
C.C. Kelley,
John C. Crews.

Erected 1922 by W.M. Dean Marble Co. Columbia, Tenn.

West side:
Path-finder, Pioneer, Hunter, Patriot, Statesman and Soldier. His fame is immortal with the story of his state, and the glory of his death.
"Thermopylae had its messenger of defeat. The Alamo had none."