State Park Proposal for
Hickman County, Tennessee

The Governor of Tennessee has proposed a state park for an area of Middle Tennessee southwest of Nashville. The citizens of Hickman County propose that this park should be located in Hickman County along the Duck River corridor. The low impact park would feature the extraordinary ecology, rich waters, and natural beauty of the Western Highland Rim and the Duck River.  The predominantly rural area will provide a welcome respite for visitors from the adjacent urban growth areas.  This extraordinarily healthy environment will promote family-friendly fun where unspoiled ecology can be the highlighted attraction.  This park will provide an economic boost to the struggling rural economy where the majority of workers have long commutes to the Nashville Metro area.  It will allow the state to salvage some of the worthy remnants of the rural character and cultural heritage of the state that are rapidly being displaced.

Location

After careful study, a local citizen group working with the Chamber of Commerce recommends consideration of several areas located along the Duck River corridor as each of these areas offer a complete package of history, natural features, and adventure. Several other areas located on smaller streams also offer prime opportunity for park consideration.

The potential locations are about an hour's drive from Nashville and less than 30 miles from the point where Hickman, Maury, and Williamson Counties join. At most, the locations are about a half hour's drive from the Natchez Trace Parkway. Major highways in the immediate area are Interstate 40; Highways 50, 100, and 48. Close by is I-840 at the Williamson and Hickman County line.

A park located in Hickman County would complete a void in park coverage in Middle Tennessee (see enclosure 3). The two closest state parks are Mousetail State Park, approximately to the southwest, and Montgomery Bell State Park to the northeast.

Proposed Theme:  Ecology Through the Ages

Coiled around scenic bluffs, cleansed by cascading springs, cooled by the shade of majestic oaks, and filtered by stone and mineral, the Duck River has threaded the life of the heart of Middle Tennessee, her people, and wilds through the ages.

Come see the land, trace the footsteps of ancestors on the hand hewn, winding stairs down to the Duck River, hear the music that birthed the Grand Ole Opry, and steep in ways of life as old as the hills!

Enjoy the diverse ecological waterways and woodlands, most of which are as pristine as when middle Tennessee was first settled.

Distinguishing Features

1.      Opportunistic Setting.  The very rural area will easily support a park of 1,500 acres.  There is sufficient "available" land for a park.  With more springs and waterfalls than any other Middle Tennessee county, the clean waters of this area define many of the outdoor opportunities. The area can support a variety of river-based water sports, fishing, nature trails, archaeological tours, and historical points of interest along the rivers and streams.

2.      Ideal Camping.  The area will easily sustain a large travel camp of 250 camping sites or more.  Unlike nearby growth areas, the night sky will be dark and full of stars, ideal for youngsters and adults unaware of the Milky Way.  Quiet can prevail interrupted only by the authentic sounds of nature.

3.      An Ecological Treasure.  The ecosystems of both the Central Basin and Highland Rim reveal their nature at their edges and along escarpments exposed along the Duck River's basin.  A float down the Duck River is a geology lesson with active exhibits of the real ecology that thrives there, a biological wonder that has supported wildlife and people for thousands of years.

4.      Lessons in Anthropology.  Middle Tennessee was a great, shared hunting ground for Native Americans, but as great hunters, they left few signs of their living.  At the "winding stairs" they carved into the bluff at the confluence of the Duck and Piney Rivers. At other places, similar signs of their lives remain.  The majestic trees along the river bluffs, the wildlife along the riverbanks, and the fish and aquatic life are there to see, learn about, and to preserve much as they existed in the era of the Native Americans. 

5.      Culturally Appropriate.  As the hometown of Sarah Cannon, Minnie Pearl, the site should be suitable for an amphitheatre or other performance area for music and arts.

This is a place people need to come to and learn about the importance of our natural resources, the ecology, and the cultures of the ages here.

Visions of the Park's Future

Location-sensitive video.  Wireless, broadband Internet tools will deliver video to cell phones and other personal devices on a context and location-sensitive basis. The technology required is almost available now, and it will be commonplace by the time the park is opened.  The park can and should be designed to teach ecology using these emerging technologies to augment traditional displays, tours, and hands-on adventures.

Swinging Bridge Tours.  The fragile ecosystems of the Duck River bluffs and riparian areas are challenging to protect while sharing them with an inquisitive public.  Just as Ghana, Africa, displays its rain forest at Kakum with rope bridges suspended above the fragile jungle, similar approaches will work here.  People would be able to safely navigate up close along the steep, fragile bluffs through the flora and fauna without actually touching the resources. And, the swinging bridges once common in this area can be shared with people unaware of this method of dealing with "high water" in days gone by.  The suspended bridges can be an international attraction and educational tool for this area just as they are for the park in Ghana.

Replica Flatboats.  History tells us that the Duck River was large enough in this county to support trade up and down the river with steam-powered flatboats.  Intensive research will be required to duplicate these ancient vessels, but replica flatboats should be able to ferry tourists up and down portions of the Duck River in and near the park.  This will provide low impact access to the riparian areas for viewing wildlife, fish, aquatic plants, and for studying the extreme ecological diversity of the river.

Anthropologic Trails.  At certain points, visitors should be able to enjoy a long, traversing walk from the top of the river bluff to the riverbank some 250 feet below following the same paths that the Native Americans created centuries ago.  Some of the more prominent sites should be researched and studied by archaeologists and anthropologists; visitors will walk on an elevated wooden trail to protect the artifact.  Through the virtual tour delivered wirelessly, the hiker can then learn that this is actually an ancient stairway constructed by Indians as they used this region for their hunting grounds for thousands of years.

The Not Always Legal Use of Corn.  In years past, Hickman County was often called "Keg County" as a reference to the moonshine once produced here from the abundant spring water and rich cornfields.  As a tribute to the past culture, the river bottoms can still produce corn for corn mazes, for demonstrations of moonshine making, "revenuer" raids, and even the now legal ethanol for fuel.

Impacts on the Area

Natural Features.  There are many springs, bluffs, caves, waterfalls, fishing holes, and other natural areas that can supplement a state park's attractions.  Some can be state managed, like the "old growth" forest being acquired by the state at nearby Bon Aqua.  Recreation and tourism entrepreneurs can develop other natural features of the area.

The upstream area of the Piney is known for its rock outcrops and natural beauty.  Canoeing and camping are already commercial ventures in place along this scenic river.  Other streams like Swan Creek, Mill Creek, and Beaverdam Creek have similar opportunity.

Large caves are common in the area's karst topography.  Even the town of Centerville is built over a large, well-documented cave.  Trails could be developed and promoted by private interests for tourists.

Clean, sparkling spring water gurgles down almost every hollow with many cascading waterfalls.  Many springs and waterfalls occur along the river bluffs and feed the streams with clean, pure water.  The water makes for great, old-fashioned swimming holes and great tasting, fresh water fish.  Once known for cold-water trout fishing lakes fed by springs, Hickman County could redevelop these almost gone businesses.

Historical Places.  From minerals and mining to once popular mineral springs to the "Trail of Tears" to the Natchez Trace, to frontier river traffic, there is much history and old culture here worth sharing today.

The mineral springs still remain at the once famous and popular Bon Aqua Spring.  Most of the structures of the Primm Springs Resort remain waiting for restoration.  These were highly popular tourist areas of a century ago.

The hills are full of iron ore once mined here; we're a part of the Iron Furnace trail.  The small mining and company towns are gone; a few historical signs still remain, such as the iron furnaces, abandoned mines, and gravel flows from unmitigated erosion of the hills once cleared of trees for fuel.

Even after the passage of the iron furnaces, a charcoal plant in the Wrigley community devoured huge quantities of hardwoods in the early to mid 20^th century.  The ecological lessons can emphasize the ability of the land to heal bringing back the deer and turkey in abundance that once inhabited the area.

With Hickman County being chartered 200 years ago, there are numerous Century Farms-farms in continuous ownership and operation for over 100 years.  Some of these farms would support historic tours.

The mines, sawmills, and farms of the rural countryside required the support of merchants for dry goods and groceries.  A few historic country stores remain often as venues for local musicians preserving their traditions in the communities.  Tarkington's General Store is a good example of such a store that is frequented by tourists.

Economics.  Like many other Middle Tennessee counties, Hickman County has lost it's economic prowess over the past several years due to the closure of manufacturing facilities. With the growth of Davidson, Williamson, and Dickson Counties, Hickman County has become more of a bedroom community serving as a low cost haven for workers in the other counties. Our county is experiencing a population growth rate of 3.5% per year with our net revenue from retail and commercial activity barely holding steady.

Commitment to Tourism.  Without the technology infrastructure needed to compete for new and modem job growth, our county has had to make hard decisions as to what direction our economy should go. We have committed to developing tourism as a major source of revenue.

Our efforts have realized modest success, and local merchants and retail services have seen an increase in traveler activity. A state 'park located in Hickman County would move our tourism efforts to the next level and would have a great impact on our local economy. Local service operations, along with artisans and small businesses would benefit tremendously from the tourist traffic generated by the park.

Existing Festivals.  The Grinders Switch Music and Arts festival is a local celebration held each year on the Saturday after Labor Day. Locally successful in attracting approximately 4,0O0 visitors and 100 vendors of mostly artisans and craftsmen, the festival could have far greater attendance and economic impact on the Middle Tennessee area.

Visits Projected.  Based on other parks in our area, we estimate a park in Hickman County will draw approximately 400,000 visitors a year. Imagine the impact to our economy if our local businesses had access to a hundred times the number of tourist they see during the Duck River Music and Arts Festival.

Summation

Governor Bredesen, many locations and communities can come forward with plans that will rival those proposed by the citizens of Hickman County. But when the selection is made, few of those will have the lasting fortune so dearly needed by our community. As soon as we heard your desire for the park we immediately knew this was our chance move forward, our chance to succeed in the tourist business, our chance to develop an economic base within the county that will help us create the infrastructure necessary to improve the lives of all our citizens.  A park in Hickman County is good for the state of Tennessee.