Local Voices
County declares Budds Creek Disaster Day of Remembrance
Montgomery County, Tennessee, Mayor Jim Durrett declared July 28 as Budds Creek Disaster Day of Remembrance.
Montgomery County, Tennessee, Mayor Jim Durrett declared July 28 as Budds Creek Disaster Day of Remembrance.
The proclamation honors the sesquicentennial of a Memphis, Clarksville & Louisville Railroad disaster on July 28, 1869, at Budds Creek in southern Montgomery County. Five people died in the wreck, including the train’s engineer, fireman and several passengers.
“It is important to remember historical events that happened in our county, especially one as tragic as the disaster at Budds Creek,” Durrett said. “The railroad meant so much to Montgomery County, and I hope our community will take a moment to reflect on the lives lost 150 years ago.”
Find out what's happening in Nashvillefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The Memphis, Clarksville & Louisville formed an integral part of the railroad link between New Orleans and New York. The Louisville & Nashville purchased the railroad in 1871 and operated it as part of its Memphis Branch for more than a century.
Note: Durrett issued the proclamation at the request of the author, the editor of Railfanning.org and whose book about the Memphis, Clarksville & Louisville publishes on Oct. 14.