Port Royal State Historic Park

11/01/2025

Historic preservation at work on the 1859 Masonic Lodge and General Store

We’re sanding the latex paint off the historic exterior! While convenient, latex paint creates a film over wood that traps moisture and degrades wood over time. Oil based paints, like linseed oil, are a much better choice for historic wood. They are water permeable which equals rot resistance. Stay tuned for our next steps!

10/25/2025

“Tell our friends that we are on the journey west, arising from the acts of wicked men and from our unfortunate fate.”

187 years ago today, Elijah Hicks wrote a letter from Port Royal to Chief John Ross. Port Royal was one of the towns located along the Great Western Road, part of the Northern Route taken by the Cherokee during the Trail of Tears. In late 1838, THOUSANDS of Cherokees passed through this town, their last stop in Tennessee, on their forced migration west.

Elijah Hicks was the last editor of the Cherokee Nation’s newspaper, The Cherokee Phenoix, and an outspoken critic of removal. He was also one of about a dozen Cherokee detachment leaders during the Trail of Tears (1838-1839). It was his responsibility to make sure that the thousand people under his charge were fed and clothed. This meant resupplying around towns like Port Royal or Hopkinsville. At that time, the road they’d taken from Nashville to Hopkinsville was called the Great Western Road and it went through the heart of downtown Port Royal.

In his letter, Hicks described how the men, women, and children were “very loathe to go on and unusually slow in preparing for starting each morning.” He continued, saying, “I am not surprised at this because they are moving not from choice to an unknown region not deserved by them. I am disposed to make full allowance for their unhappy movement.”

Hicks also requested the following of ChiefJohn Ross,
“Tell our friends that we are on the journey west, arising from the acts of wicked men and from our unfortunate fate.”

When the Cherokee left Port Royal, following the road pictured above, they had traveled 191 miles from Fort Cass, with more than 500 more miles still left until they reached their destination in Oklahoma Territory.

10/20/2025

“…people who laugh at the superstition of our fathers only need be put to the test to prove this fact.”

That’s a wrap on Superstition in 2025! Thank you to everyone who came out and supported this program, we hope you had a scary good time! Now, for the most intriguing stats that you haven’t been waiting for—

Of the 90 or so people who attended our events the last 3 weeks many responded if YES they are superstitious or NO of course they aren’t. Polling results below! Let us know if these results surprise you, and for fun, drop a yes or no if YOU’RE superstitious (for extra credit, say what about!) 👀

Total responded out of 90: 46
11 people NOT Superstitious
20 people SUPERstitious
15 a LITTLE stitious (sometimes)
And only one person had their mind changed from NO to YES at the end of the evening…

Thank you again! We sure had a heck of a time!

“The average person of today eschews the belief in the existence of witches, ghosts, and apparitions as a relic of past superstition, and as a subject of ridicule; nevertheless, specters stalk the earth today just as they did hundreds of years ago—the only difference being that we know place a different interpretation upon them, calling them spirits,fantasies, psychic manifestations etc., instead of ghosts and witches, and people who laugh at the superstition of our fathers only need be put to the test to prove this fact.” - M.V. Ingram, An Authenticated History of the Famous Bell Witch (1894).

10/13/2025

Port Royal tells the story of the forced removal of indigenous people from the landscape, but indigenous groups and historic tribes had lived in and utilized Middle Tennessee for centuries before removal in the 1830s. Indigenous Peoples Day is a great reminder to learn about the indigenous history in your area. You can do this by reading a book or article, or visiting your local historic site, park, or museum that tells these stories!

For Indigenous Peoples' Day, October 13, learn about the sacred artwork in Dunbar Cave in this article written by Beau Carroll, from the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, "Ancient Art & Sacred Space." Available in Volume 2, Issue 4 of Second & Commerce magazine (Image from Dunbar Cave State Park): https://publuu.com/flip-book/939485/2066766/page/18

10/07/2025

Thank you to everyone who attended It’s Only Superstition last Saturday! We had a blast, even when the power went out when the Bell Witch was mentioned… 👻

If you didn’t get tickets for last Saturday, you can still put your belief (or lack thereof) in superstitions tot he test this Saturday (the 11th) and next Friday (the 17th)!

Tickets are available on our website (link in our bio), or you can purchase them in person at the visitor center (open Fri-Sun 9-4).

Hope to see you there…if y’all dare!

09/27/2025

October is quickly approaching, and so is It’s Only Superstition: The Mysterious World of Port Royal! 👻

We’re looking forward to these hauntingly fun nights! However: Tickets for October 4th are almost sold out. If you don’t make it next weekend, tickets are still available for the 11th and 17th (follow the link in our bio to get yours!).

🎃

09/23/2025

A few Port Royal artifacts were kindly donated to the park recently-let’s take a look!

The pitcher was sold by E.W. “Latin” Bourne who was a local merchant in the 1890s to 1930s. By 1896 Latin was operating his General Store inside the Masonic Lodge (the very one in the park today). In 1903 he purchased another store near the present day eastern guardrail of the Red River bridge and moved his business there. After Latin died in 1935 his daughter Bertha Bourne continued to run the store until 1944.

The dinner plate was sold by Noel T. Alley. Alley went into the merchant business around 1908 and likely rented the Mallory building (destroyed 1985) from E.W. “Latin” Bourne. Alley was also (2nd to last) Postmaster from 1908 to 1928.

Both pineces of pottery were made by the Harper China Company (1840-1972) of East Liverpool, Ohio around 1890-1920.

Images 2&3: Harker Co. pitcher
Image 4: Bertha Bourne in front of her and her father’s store c. 1940
Images 5&6: Harker Co. plate
Image 7: N.T. Alley c. 1900

09/13/2025

Port Royal was recently featured on WKRN during a segment highlighting Robertson County and dark fire to***co. To hear from Ranger Chad Burgess about Port Royal’s past as a to***co town and what makes this place special, copy and paste the link below!

https://www.wkrn.com/news/local-news/on-tour-middle-tn/port-royal-to***co-hub-of-the-19th-century/

09/13/2025

Word is getting out about our favorite park (we might be a little biased). 🤭

Port Royal was recently featured on WKRN during a segment highlighting Robertson County and dark fire to***co. Click the link to listen to Ranger Chad Burgess share what makes this place special!

Nestled along the Red River in Robertson County lies the historic, yet often forgotten, land that was once known as the town of Port Royal.

09/09/2025

The time is nearing to put your belief to the test…

By lantern, step back in time through Port Royal to discover the superstitions that have captivated people in the Red River Valley for over 200 years. Those brave enough are also invited to Dr. Eucle’s Curio of Curiosities to investigate the mysterious and macabre origins of seemingly mundane objects…

Saturday October 4th & 11th
Friday October 17th

$15 18 & up
$10 8-17

To register, visit our website (link in bio) or scan the QR code (if you dare!!!)

09/08/2025

On this day in history the circus came to town! (Er, sort of!)

James Raymond, along with his various business partners, operated one of the first menegeries in America,from 1830 to 1851, and appeared in major cities like Chicago, New Orleans, Boston and New York, as well as the far western city of St. Louis. On Friday September 7th, 1849 Raymond and CO’s MENAGERIE came to Port Royal, TN for one night only, promising “lions, tigers, leopards, cougars, ETC” as well as a specifically performance from the company’s lion tamer. Price of admittance was 50 cents for adults (about $20 today) and 25 cents for children and “servants,” which would have referred to enslaved persons.

Circuses carried negative connotations of debauchary but menageries were viewed as more “educational” so companies like Raymonds often ran one of each for broader appeal, until the two shows eventually developed into the combination show that includes a wide variety of circus acts as well as exotic animals. Nevertheless, we image watching lion tamers and coming up close large wild cats would have been quite thrilling for the folks in Port Royal!

The image above appeared in the company’s ad published in the Clarksville Jeffersonian on August 28, 1849.

08/23/2025

Attention bird enthusiasts! On Saturday October 4th, the Warioto Audubon Society is hosting a free bird watching walk at Port Royal. The event is free to the public. Below is an event description from the Audubon Society:

“If you have always wanted to know the names of those feathered creatures flying close by, join us as we walk in the park and we will help you identify birds. Bring your own binoculars if you have them, but we offer youth or adult binoculars to use during the walk. This is a great way to get outside (with your kids, if you have them), get away from screens, and out to the park to enjoy these beautiful green spaces. Meet at the upper parking lot at Port Royal State Park for a short walk along the streams and river on grassy, dirt and paved paths. We bird for about two hours, but if you need to leave sooner, your car will be nearby. No registration is required, this activity is free and open to the public. Birds we expect to see are those that migrate through our area including Rose-breasted Grosbeak (photo), our resident winter birds that have just arrived back in our area and the year-round residents.”

If you have questions about the event, please reach out to Warioto Audubon directly on Facebook or by emailing them at [email protected]