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Category: Local History & Information

Historical Markers

Historical Markers

Source from HMdb.org  Haywood County Markers Tennessee (Haywood County), Brownsville — Army National Guard     The Army National Guard predates the founding of our nation by almost one hundred fifty years. It is the oldest component of our armed forces. Today’s National Guard is the direct descendent of the militias of the thirteen original colonies. The Guard has participated in every American conflict since the Pequot War of 1637. The Marquis de Lafayette, who commanded a Virginia brigade during the…

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Abstracts from The Southern Atlas Newspaper (1860)

Abstracts from The Southern Atlas Newspaper (1860)

Transcribed by Sarah Midyett Hutcherson in 2000-2002 for the USGenWeb Archives.  No copyright infringement is intended.  Click here to view the original page at the Internet Archive. Source:  Tennessee State Library & Archives Microfilm Roll #101, Misc. & Brownsville States Graphic, Dec. 1838 – Dec. 1905 The Southern Atlas — J. D. Mann, Editor & Proprietor — Volume 1 Number 18 — Brownsville, Tennessee — July 18,1860 UNNATURAL CRIME—Recently the residence of one John HACKET, a farmer in prosperous circumstances…

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Anna Mae Bullock / Tina Turner

Anna Mae Bullock / Tina Turner

Arguably, Haywood County’s most famous native was born Anna Mae Bullock in Nutbush on November 26, 1939.  Anna Mae’s parents separated when she was 11, leaving Anna Mae and her sister to be raised by their grandmother.  At the age of 16, Anna Mae moved to St. Louis to live with her mother.  There, Anna Mae Bullock met Ike Turner.  As Tina Turner, she became a force in the global music industry before her death in 2025. Click here to…

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Brownsville Railroad Depot

Brownsville Railroad Depot

Source:  Multiple Property Application for Historic Register Designation, Historic Resources of Brownsville, Tennessee (1823-1964), Section E, Page 5 Click here to view the full application (59 pages; PDF-format) from the U.S. National Park Service. Click thumbnail to view larger image. In 1846, Brownsville began constructing narrow-gauge railroads connecting Brownsville to cities to the east and west. Narrow-gauge railroads were often used in Europe before they became popular in the United States in the 1840s. These railways were built to be…

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Brownsville Old Post Office Opened in 1936

Brownsville Old Post Office Opened in 1936

The “old” Brownsville Post Office was built as part of the New Deal effort following the Great Depression.  The Tennessean (Nashville) newspaper described the event (April 3, 1936; page 18) New Postoffice Opened Brownsville, Tenn., April 2. —(Spl)— The Brownsville postoffice moved into the new $55,000 ederal [sic] building here today. The structure was completed early this week. The new building is located on Washington street, just off the public square. Construction began last fall. Click here to view a…

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Brownsville Historic District Established

Brownsville Historic District Established

The Brownsville, Tennessee, Historic Zoning Commission published a full-color, PDF-format report with a significant amount of local history and recommendations for preservation.  Click here to view the latest iteration, dated 2024. A Multiple Property Application for Historic Register Designation, Historic Resources of Brownsville, Tennessee (1823-1964), was filed in February, 2014.  The National Register designation was approved in January, 2015. Click here to view the full application (59 pages; PDF-format) from the U.S. National Park Service.  

Dunbar-Carver Museum in Brownsville

Dunbar-Carver Museum in Brownsville

The Dunbar-Carver Museum opened in 2007 as an archive of Haywood County’s deep, rich African American culture and heritage. The building formerly housed a series of schools: Brownsville Colored Normal School (1883 – 1887) Dunbar School (1890 – 1920) Haywood County Training School (1921 – 1950) Carver High School (1950-1970) Click here to visit the Museum’s Web site. Click here to view a local news video dated December, 2015.

Business Ledger of a Denmark Area Enslaver, 1820-1860

Business Ledger of a Denmark Area Enslaver, 1820-1860

The Tennessee Virtual Archive (TeVA) contains a digitized copy of a document identified as Business Ledger of a West Tennessee Slave Owner.  The book is described in the catalogue: Business ledger approximately 200 pages, dating from 1820 belonging to a landowner and slaveholder of Denmark, Tennessee. Listed are the names, ages, and prices of slaves involved in an estate appraisal. Later generations used the old ledger for scrapbook pictures and poems, one poem entitled, “The Confederate Flag.” It includes a…

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