Mom’s Hometown

My mother, Ellen Virginia Caldwell, was born to Fred Caldwell Jr. and George Ella Caldwell on April 4th, 1921 in Tiptonville, Tennessee. Situated in the northwest corner of the state, the community is largely agricultural, and cotton farming was the family business. It’s probably the contrast between rural Tennessee and my own suburban upbringing that is the source of my fascination with Tiptonville. It shares little with the metropolitan setting to which I’m accustomed, and my memories of the place, not visited by me since 1981, are of an idyllic setting that exemplifies what America once was. The community has a fascinating history, far more than I can cover here, but I would like to touch on a few points of interest.
Tiptonville, population 2,439, is in Lake County, the smallest county in Tennessee. The town, situated along the New Madrid Fault Line, is near Reelfoot Lake, which was said to have been formed as a result of the earthquakes of 1811-1812. According to several accounts from the time, the quakes split the earth open, the Mississippi River flowing backwards to fill the void. The filling process was said to have taken anywhere between 10 and 24 hours.
Besides the legend surrounding its creation, Reelfoot Lake is also known for the heated dispute that surrounded its ownership and use that began in 1907. A group called The West Tennessee Land Company, having acquired most all of the shoreline, hired lawyers to defend their legal claim to the lake itself, their ultimate goal being to drain the lake and use the land for cotton production. Many citizens who relied on the lake for their income were now denied access, so a band of citizens called the “Night Riders” were formed to free the lake. The Night Riders apprehended two of the attorneys representing the Land Company, one being both hung and shot, the other barely escaping with his life. This sort of vigilante behavior was amplified when a criminal element infiltrated the group. All sorts of crimes were committed under the Night Rider banner, including numerous acts of personal revenge completely unrelated to the Lake issue. It’s been said that not all the Night Riders were criminals, but that all of the Lake County criminals were Night Riders. Ultimately the state militia was called to quell the violence, but permanently resolving the issue required further action by the state government. The lake was declared public domain in 1914, regardless of shoreline ownership.
On a lighter note, Tiptonville also has the distinction of being the birthplace of Carl Perkins, the father of the musical form known as “rockabilly”. His songs were recorded by Elvis, The Beatles, Johnny Cash and others, his most famous composition being, Blue Suede Shoes. In fact, Paul McCartney stated flatly, “If there were no Carl Perkins, there would be no Beatles.” Tiptonville can boast a history that few towns its size can match, but for me it will always be remembered because of my childhood summer vacations, where I caught fireflies, explored the cotton fields, and laughed with Grandma and Uncle Bubba.