Tennessee Community Recalls its Southern Roots
with Historic Attractions 

by Marilyn Jones

Every city, village and crossroads has its own story to tell.

Take Pulaski, Tennessee. Significant American history took place in this community of 8,000 over the past two centuries including the Trail of Tears and Civil War battles.

Named to honor Polish-born American Revolutionary War hero Kazimierz Pulaski, the county seat was laid out in 1809 in Giles County which borders Alabama to the south.

Visiting Pulaski

The city spreads out from the courthouse which was built in 1909. The neoclassical building features Corinthian columns and inside a balcony encircles the third floor featuring 16 caryatids — female faces. The rotunda is crowned with a stained glass skylight.

Pulaski has long been known for its preservation efforts. The entire square is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and features 18th- and 19th- century architecture. In 1938, the Tennessee Historical Commission declared Pulaski's square to be among the finest courthouse squares in Middle Tennessee.

A statue of young Sam Davis is on the south side of the square. It was erected in honor of the young confederate scout who was captured and executed in Pulaski on November 27, 1863.

The monument was erected through the joint efforts of the John H. Woolridge Bivouac and the Giles County Chapter of the Daughters of the Confederacy.

The Sam Davis Museum is nearby and features an extensive private collection of Civil War artifacts and memorabilia.
 The museum stands on the spot where the "Boy Hero of the Confederacy" was executed. Captured behind enemy lines with damaging information in his possession, Davis faced death by hanging rather than betray his source.

Trail of Tears

In 1830, the U.S. Congress passed the Indian Removal Act. Although Tennessee Congressman David Crockett bitterly opposed the bill with many others, it passed by one vote.

Two of the four land routes the Indians were forced to travel by — Bell’s and Benge’s — pass through Giles County and cross in Pulaski.

The Indian removal of 1838-1839 displaced more than 100,000 Native American Indians from their ancestral homes in the Southeast to a reservation more than 1,000 miles away in the territory now known as Oklahoma. 

The Cherokees called it, nunna dual isuny, which translates as "the trail where we cried.”

The convergence of the two historic trails, and Crockett’s strong opposition to the Indian removal, inspired the construction of a memorial to the Trail of Tears. Pulaski residents and other volunteers have spent years creating the memorial.

The park’s focal point, known locally as The Rock Church, is Gothic in design and was first used as the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church. In 1984 the building was sold to the adjacent First Baptist Church.

A significant financial contribution toward the construction of the church was made by Ethel V. Mars and her daughter Allan Feeney. The donation was made in memory of Frank Mars, founder of the Mars Candy Company and owner of Milky Way Farm which is located in Giles County.

The building was renamed Mars Chapel and was used by the First Baptist Church as a wedding chapel and youth activity center.

In 2002 the Baptist congregation donated the building to the Trail of Tears Memorial Committee with the stipulation that the building be relocated. The Trail of Tears Association then announced plans to utilize the rock church building as a Trail of Tears Interpretive Center. On October 31, 2002 the entire 300 ton structure was placed on a 122-wheel trailer and moved the three blocks to its present location.

Work is currently being done on the interior of the building.

In front of the building is a large map featuring the trails, showing how they crossed in Pulaski. Informative placards along with a striking bronze statue by artists Gail Bergeron and Pamela Keller — featuring a man, woman, child and dog walking along the trail — can be viewed at the present time.

Pulaski is like so many other American communities. Beyond the modern neighborhoods, strip malls, restaurants and schools is a rich history of what took place decades and centuries before to help create was is.

If you go:

Pulaski is located one hour north of Huntsville, Alabama, just west of Interstate-65.

There are several modestly priced hotels in Pulaski including Richland Inn, 1020 West College Street. For more information check the Giles County Tourism Bureau at www.gilescountytourism.com. 

For more information on the Trail of Tears Memorial check the website www.trailoftearspulaski.com.