Recent earthquake brings back memories of Reelfoot Lake
A Day Away By Mike Steely
Where were you during the recent earthquake? I was at home when the house shook, followed by a loud boom. I ran outside thinking there may have been a railroad or traffic accident, or a tree may have fallen in my yard. I was surprised to find out it was a 4.1 earthquake many miles away near Greenback.
That quake was felt for hundreds of miles away but apparently caused little to no damage. I heard the U. S. Park Service was inspecting the Foothills Parkway for possible damage.
Experts tell us that there are hundreds of small earthquakes that occur without most people knowing.
One earthquake rattled our region in early Tennessee history and you can see the results of that devastating event yet today. The New Madrid earthquake in 1812 was a huge 7.2 magnitude shaker with a 7.4 aftershock. It, so far, is the largest earthquake recorded east of the Rocky Mountains.
The series of earthquakes happened near the current border of Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee and Missouri. The huge quake rerouted a portion of the Mississippi River, caused the formation of West Tennessee’s Reelfoot Lake, and created a small isolated part of extreme West Kentucky. The quakes at New Madrid began in late December of 1811 and continued until November of 1812.
Most of the people living in the sparsely settled areas then were Native Americans and the quake had been predicted by Shawnee Chief Tecumseh’s brother, Tenskwatawa, known as The Prophet. Prior to the quakes, Tecumseh had visited the Cherokee in our region to unsuccessfully bring them into his war against white settlers.
The Shawnee chief was unhappy with the Cherokee declining to join the war. Legend says that Tecumseh told the Cherokee that when he got back to his tribe in Michigan, he would stamp his feet on the ground to let them know when he arrived.
“Tecumseh is home,” was the talk of the Cherokee after the huge quake was felt in our area.
Reelfoot Lake is located in the far northeast corner of Tennessee and is very unusual, with large cypress trees growing up and out of the water. The state park there has two campgrounds, cabins, picnic areas and trails along the lakeshore. The 15,000-acre lake also offers boating and fishing, but swimming is not permitted.
The park also has special events, the R.C. Donaldson Memorial Museum and Nature Center and is open year-round except for Thanksgiving and the Christmas holidays. Admission is free.
Nearby Tiptonville is the county seat of the aptly named Lake County and is the home of the Northwest Correctional Complex, a maximum-security prison. The town is also known as the hometown of country and rock legend Carl Perkins who created the “Rockabilly” style of music. He’s best known as the singer of “Blue Suede Shoes.” His birthplace home is located on Highway 78 on the south side of town and has been transformed into the city’s visitors center along with an old caboose and replica of a train station.
While in the area, you may want to drive north from town to Kentucky Bend, also known as Madrid Bend, Bessie Bend or Bubbleland. It’s legally a part of Fulton County, Ky., but Kentucky residents can’t get to the area and have to enter Tennessee and double back north. It was created during the Madrid Quake and separated from the rest of Kentucky by the rerouted waters of the Mississippi. The bubble-shaped piece of the Bluegrass State is a landlocked island.
You can get there by following TN Highway 22 to Tony Toehead Road.
Lake County was “Shaped by Water and Earth,” has a Civil War monument to the Battle of Island Number Ten, and, at one time, had a large Confederate fort there. You can find out more about Reelfoot Lake on the internet, or you can get information by emailing visit@ reelfoottourism.com or by calling (731) 253-2007.
The easiest way to visit Reelfoot Lake and Tiptonville is by taking I-40 west to Jackson and then going northwest on Highways 412 and 78. While in Jackson, you may want to visit the Casey Jones Home and Railroad Museum, where you can dine, shop and learn about the legendary railroad legend.
