Monuments Forrest Stays.

[Desert Kid]

The Tennessee State Historical Commission has denied the City of Memphis from appealing an exception to the Tennessee Heritage Preservation Act to remove Nathan Bedford Forrest's remains and statue in a downtown Memphis park.

http://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/...athan-bedford-forrest-wont-be-moved/92510072/

@7th Mississippi Infantry, @diane , @Lazy Bayou, @Nathanb1

 

[Andersonh1]

Good. And the statue is one thing, but wanting to dig up the bones of Forrest and his wife?!?

 

[John Winn]

Good for them.

 

[JOHN42768]

Enough with Political Correctness nonesense

 

[CMWinkler]

We must thank the Tennessee Historical Commission for its wisdom in refusing Memphis' desire to try to cleanse the city of its heritage. The Tennessee Division of the SCV has worked very hard to preserve Forrest's legacy in Memphis and those efforts have been crowned with success.

 

[redbob]

Good. And the statue is one thing, but wanting to dig up the bones of Forrest and his wife?!?

Forrest's wishes was that he would be buried in Elmwood Cemetery with his men and that was where rested before 1905 when he and his wife was moved downtown into what was then Forrest Park.

 

[7th Mississippi Infantry]

@Desert Kid thanks for the update.

 

[Andersonh1]

Forrest's wishes was that he would be buried in Elmwood Cemetery with his men and that was where rested before 1905 when he and his wife was moved downtown into what was then Forrest Park.

Sounds like he should have been left in the cemetary back in 1905. I doubt the people who want him moved back there today want to do so in order to honor his wishes though. At this point, I'm inclined to say just let the dead rest in peace and don't move them again.

 

[UCVRelics]

Fantastic News, I didn't think they would get it since it was a Tenn State law.

 

[redbob]

Sounds like he should have been left in the cemetary back in 1905. I doubt the people who want him moved back there today want to do so in order to honor his wishes though. At this point, I'm inclined to say just let the dead rest in peace and don't move them again.

As is the case now, there was a great deal of politics being played in 1905 to get him moved downtown.

 

[Allie]

Thank goodness. Whatever you may think of the General, I'm very fond of the statue as a statue - I used to play on it as a child.

I haven't heard this elsewhere, but my grandmother had the belief acquired from somewhere that the statue of the General watched over the city of Memphis and protected it from earthquakes. I'm not superstitious, but given that we're on a branch of the New Madrid fault and overdue for a big one, every little bit helps.

 

[UCVRelics]

Gen Forrest was capable of anything and I'm sure he could prevent an earthquake,

 

[bankerpapaw]

Good!!!

 

[Desert Kid]

Thank goodness. Whatever you may think of the General, I'm very fond of the statue as a statue - I used to play on it as a child.

I haven't heard this elsewhere, but my grandmother had the belief acquired from somewhere that the statue of the General watched over the city of Memphis and protected it from earthquakes. I'm not superstitious, but given that we're on a branch of the New Madrid fault and overdue for a big one, every little bit helps.

His dearly departed ghost sits above it at all times astride King Phillip, a sabre in his right hand and a Colt in his left, reins in his mouth, giving down a steely, gray-eyed glare at the fault.

 

[diane]

Thanks for that information. I'm glad they'll leave it be, and I think there will be people to take care of it better so vandals can't damage it. Since the matter has been settled from on high, one might say, then the city must enforce laws to protect it as they would any other monument.

By the way, does this mean Memphis has to put back the Forrest Park name? Health Sciences Park is bad no matter what the reason - but the park is also part of the monument.

 

[Desert Kid]

Thanks for that information. I'm glad they'll leave it be, and I think there will be people to take care of it better so vandals can't damage it. Since the matter has been settled from on high, one might say, then the city must enforce laws to protect it as they would any other monument.

By the way, does this mean Memphis has to put back the Forrest Park name? Health Sciences Park is bad no matter what the reason - but the park is also part of the monument.

The statue battle finally ends.

The park name battle, has just begun.

We'll know again in about 5-10 years.

 

[Allie]

Thanks for that information. I'm glad they'll leave it be, and I think there will be people to take care of it better so vandals can't damage it. Since the matter has been settled from on high, one might say, then the city must enforce laws to protect it as they would any other monument.

By the way, does this mean Memphis has to put back the Forrest Park name? Health Sciences Park is bad no matter what the reason - but the park is also part of the monument.

My husband and I used to call it "Giant Swings Park" during our dating days, but then it became "hobo toilet park" and we stopped going. I doubt very much anyone will be protecting it particularly. It's not a nice neighborhood. Hopefully the short attention spans of citizens will cause people to forget to vandalize it.

 

[CMWinkler]

Thanks for that information. I'm glad they'll leave it be, and I think there will be people to take care of it better so vandals can't damage it. Since the matter has been settled from on high, one might say, then the city must enforce laws to protect it as they would any other monument.

By the way, does this mean Memphis has to put back the Forrest Park name? Health Sciences Park is bad no matter what the reason - but the park is also part of the monument.

There's a summary judgment hearing soon in the SCV's lawsuit against the city so hopefully, that too will be resolved in the near future.

 

[DixieRifles]

The statue battle finally ends.

The park name battle, has just begun.

As I recall, the name change was rejected by the courts but it is still under appeal. If they loose, then the city council can't make a name change due to the new state law. That is how I understand it.

 

[Desert Kid]

As I recall, the name change was rejected by the courts but it is still under appeal. If they loose, then the city council can't make a name change due to the new state law. That is how I understand it.

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So would this mean they would have to return that big granite sign to it's spot?