David Crockett Birthplace State Park in Limestone, Tennessee, was officially declared destroyed on September 29, 2024, following the devastating impact of Hurricane Helene. Isaac White, Historic Interpreter at Crockett Tavern Museum, issued a heartfelt statement: “Folks, it’s official. It is with a heavy heart that I state that David Crockett Birthplace State Park has been destroyed as a result of Hurricane Helene.” The park is an integral part of Tennessee and American history.
Colonel David Hawkins Stern Crockett (1786–1836), perhaps more familiar as simply Davy, was very likely a Cumberland Presbyterian, his wife and children certainly were. Crockett was an American frontiersman, soldier, and politician, celebrated as a folk hero. Born in East Tennessee, he gained fame as a skilled hunter and woodsman, served in the Tennessee militia during the Creek War, and later represented Tennessee in the U.S. Congress from 1827 to 1831 and again from 1833 to 1835. Known for his opposition to President Andrew Jackson’s policies, Crockett’s legacy endures as a symbol of rugged individualism. He died defending the Alamo in Texas during the Texas Revolution.
In 1822, Crockett and his second wife, Elizabeth, moved to the now extinct Tyson Store community near Rutherford in Gibson County, Tennessee. It is impossible to leave the Tyson Store area by a main road without passing within feet of a Cumberland Presbyterian Church. North Union Cumberland Presbyterian Church, where some of the Crockett family are interred, is virtually within sight of the Crockett farm. Bells Chapel Cumberland Presbyterian Church and Cool Springs Cumberland Presbyterian Church are both within two miles.
The path to recovery for the state park will be long, but the message invoked Crockett’s resilient spirit, calling on the community to lend support. A fundraising raffle will be held, with all proceeds dedicated to rebuilding efforts. White continued, “We will push forward, stay strong, and build back what was taken from us! I call on you in the name of history, education, and entertainment to see what you can do to lend aid.”
The Cumberland Presbyterian carried an extensive article on Crockett in our November-December 2018 issue as part of the “Our Stories” series. It will be included in the forthcoming Our Stories hardcover book.
