Buchanan, Tenn.–Paris Landing State Park invites everyone to participate in a walk back in time to honor those forgotten in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The walk and presentation are set for 2 p.m. Sunday, January 18 at Bradford Cemetery.
Park Rangers will share names and new information about African-American graves discovered on the park property. Registration for the event is available at:
Paris Landing was established in 1945 after the Tennessee River was flooded by the TVA in the 1930s. A cemetery belonging to the first white settler in the area was located on the park property and park rangers have been working to identified the unmarked graves.
Some are most likely the children of emancipated slaves. Rangers would like to share what they have discovered and celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.’s inspiration.
According to Find A Grave, there are numerous graves in the Bradford Cemetery with surnames of Ross, Perkins, Nairon, Moore, Kay, Kendall, Gray, Chilcutt and more.
The cemetery is located on Golf Course Lane and participants will gather at the Nature Center within the park for the walk to Bradford Cemetery.