History Kentucky Bend

state line between kentucky bend , route 22 in tennessee

the border predates separation of kentucky virginia , tennessee north carolina. location stems royal colonial boundary of 1665, meant delimit overlapping inland claims of colony of virginia , province of carolina, respectively.

in 1812, area of river highly disrupted , reported flow backwards because of 1811–1812 new madrid series of earthquakes, of largest ever felt in united states.

the state of tennessee contested inclusion of kentucky bend in state of kentucky, claiming part of obion county until @ least 1848, tennessee dropped claim.

this area of mississippi river, east @ island number ten around town of new madrid, missouri, site of civil war battle february 28 april 8, 1862, battle of island number ten.

due highly productive soil in river s floodplain, kentucky bend developed major cotton-producing area. 1870 census recorded more 300 residents. in west tennessee farm edited marvin downing (university of tennessee @ martin press, 1979), norman l. parks reports in 1880 there population of 303, of whom 18 african american. 1900, there large numbers of negroes in bend working laborers plant , harvest cotton.

front stone madrid bend families cemetery (known in official registries whitson cemetery)

in mark twain s book life on mississippi, described six-decade-long feud between darnell , watson families , other elements of life in bend.