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52-484: Public use of the lake and grounds has been preserved since it was acquired by the state of Tennessee in the early 20th century and the area was established as Reelfoot Lake State Park . Lake Isom , a similar, smaller lake to the immediate south, has been designated as a National Wildlife Refuge area. In 1966, Reelfoot Lake was designated as a national natural landmark by the National Park Service. According to

104-457: A "fantastic exaggeration typical of that time of excitement." On early maps, the new lake sometimes took the names of Line Lake (a reference to the state boundary) or Wood Lake. By 1834, Reelfoot River was identified as a north fork of the Obion River . The regional body of water then identified as Wood Lake was located from the north line of Obion county extending south as a marshy swamp. Much of

156-466: A South peopled with honorable citizens, charming eccentrics, and loyal, subservient blacks, but at their best the Judge Priest stories are dramatic and compelling, using a wealth of precisely rendered detail to evoke a powerful mood." Among Cobb's other books are the humorous Speaking of Operations (1916), and an anti- prohibition ode to bourbon , Red Likker (1929). Cobb also wrote short stories in

208-518: A direct connection at Fulton with trains to and from New Orleans. Cobb wrote humorous stories set in Kentucky, and he is considered part of the American literary regionalism school. These stories were first collected in the book Old Judge Priest (1915), whose title character was based on a prominent West Kentucky judge named William Pitman Bishop. Joel Chandler Harris wrote of these tales, "Cobb created

260-400: A good drink. The cartoon The Woods Are Full of Cuckoos caricatures Cobb as "Irvin S. Frog". Cobb has been described as having a round shape, bushy eyebrows, full lips, and a triple chin, with a cigar always hanging from his mouth. He married the former Laura Spencer Baker of Savannah, Georgia . Their daughter, Elisabeth Cobb (born 1902, died 1959), was also an author. She published

312-546: A group of landowners purchased almost the entire shoreline of the lake. They formed the West Tennessee Land Company to enforce what they saw to be their legal rights, including the ownership of the lake, and most importantly its fishing rights. Most of the Night Riders were from families who had derived much of their living from fishing the lake for generations, joined by their friends and supporters. They expanded

364-608: A lake was formed on the opposite side of the Mississippi River, in the Indian country, upwards of one hundred miles in length, and from one to six miles in width, of the depth of from ten to fifty feet. It has communication with the river at both ends, and it is conjectured that it will not be many years before the principal part, if not the whole of the Mississippi, will pass that way. Samuel Cole Williams argued Bryan's dimensions were

416-661: A marriage ceremony. In the middle of the ceremony, the Great Spirit stamped his foot in anger, causing the earth to quake, and the Father of the Waters raised the Mississippi River over its banks, inundating Reelfoot's homeland. The water flowed into the imprint left by the Spirit's foot, forming a beautiful lake, beneath which Reelfoot, his bride, and his people lie buried. Though the legend

468-506: A national audience of more than two million readers, and was widely reprinted in the black press. In the midst of covering the 1920 Democratic Convention, Cobb received 1.5 votes on the 23rd Presidential ballot. Several of Cobb's stories were adapted as silent movies. He also wrote the screen titles for other movies, including the Jackie Coogan movie, Peck's Bad Boy (1921). With the advent of sound, more of his stories were adapted for

520-469: A portion of North West Tennessee to subside and the Mississippi River to flow backward for a short period of time. As the water rushed back towards the direction from which it previously came, the forested area adjacent was flooded, creating a new lake. Reelfoot Lake State Park was established in 1925 when the state purchased land surrounding the lake for preservation. In 1981 The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency successfully introduced nesting eagles to

572-421: A rolling motion, so was nicknamed Kolopin, meaning Reelfoot. When he became chief, Reelfoot determined to marry a Choctaw princess, but her father would not permit it. The Great Spirit warned Reelfoot that if he attempted to kidnap the maiden, his village and his people would be destroyed. Reelfoot disobeyed the Spirit, and seized the princess by force and carried her to Chickasaw territory, where he arranged

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624-867: A second visit to France to cover the Great War, Cobb publicized the achievements of the unit known as the Harlem Hellfighters , most notably, Croix de Guerre recipients Henry Johnson and Needham Roberts . His article "Young Black Joe," published on August 24, 1918, in The Saturday Evening Post and later republished in Cobb's book, The Glory of the Coming , highlighted the discipline and courage displayed by black American soldiers fighting in Europe during World War I . The three-page article and half-page photograph reached

676-484: A variety of exhibits displaying the ecology, history, and culture of the area. The nature center at the museum contains various non-releasable raptors, several snakes, and other wildlife. It also serves as the park Visitor Center. Reelfoot offers visitors approximately 200 picnic sites. Most of the sites have grills and all sites are adjacent to drinking water, toilet facilities, and playgrounds. The park also offers five large pavilions for group use. A plethora of wildlife

728-590: Is a state park in the northwest corner of Tennessee in the United States . It encompasses Reelfoot Lake and is situated in Lake and Obion counties. The park itself makes up 280 acres (1.1 km ), divided into ten sections around the lake. A major hunting and fishing preserve, it is part of a much larger wildlife refuge which comprises 25,000 acres (100 km ), 15,000 acres (61 km ) of which are water, and harbors almost every kind of shorebird , as well as

780-505: Is about the Chickasaw and Choctaw tribes that once inhabited the area, these tribes left around the early 14th century, reserving this area as hunting grounds. Other origins are also cited, for example, in his 1911 story "Fishhead", Irvin S. Cobb claimed the lake "[took] its name from a fancied resemblance in its outline to the splayed, reeled foot of a cornfield Negro." Original landowners and their descendants retained title to ground under

832-430: Is available for viewing at Reelfoot Lake State Park. Popular wildlife for viewing include Bald eagles, golden eagles, ospreys and other birds of prey. Reelfoot Lake is also located on a major migratory bird flyway which creates opportunities to view a variety of waterfowl, shorebirds, herons, and songbirds. It also has a diversity of turtles and snakes. Turtles include the pond slider, painted, and map turtles. Snakes include

884-427: Is available throughout the year on Reelfoot lake. Bass, crappie, and catfish are most popular sought after fish. The appropriate Tennessee fishing license and lake permits are required for anglers. Reelfoot Lake State Park offers several easy to moderate trails allowing access to the unique wetland areas available. Trail information is available at the park's visitor center. The R.C. Donaldson Memorial Museum features

936-521: Is located, was named for it. Until 2003, Reelfoot was the world's only legal commercial fishery for crappie , a species of sunfish . It was served in restaurants near the shore. The area is popular for recreational boating, fishing, and waterfowl hunting. Since 1930, water levels in the lake have been regulated by the construction and operation of a spillway at the southern end, where the Running Reelfoot Bayou flows out of it. This structure

988-493: The United States Geological Survey , Reelfoot Lake was formed in northwestern Tennessee when the region subsided during the 1811–12 New Madrid earthquakes , which were centered around New Madrid, Missouri . The earthquakes resulted in several major changes in the landforms over a widespread area, with shocks being felt as far away as Quebec , Canada. A land survey begun by Henry Rutherford in 1785 identified

1040-545: The 1930s for two feature films directed by John Ford . Cobb was the second of four children born to Kentucky natives in Paducah, Kentucky . His maternal grandfather, Reuben Saunders , M.D., is credited with discovering in 1873 that injections of morphine - atropine were useful in treating cholera . Cobb was raised in Paducah, and the events and people of his childhood became the basis for much of his later works. Later in life, Cobb

1092-578: The 1967 Oscar -winner In the Heat of the Night , and 1998's U.S. Marshals . P.W. Long named his band after the area -- P.W. Long's Reelfoot -- and his song "Laughing Eyes" is about the legend of Chief Reelfoot trying to steal a Chickasaw princess, causing the Great Spirit to initiate the New Madrid earthquake and drown them all in the newly formed lake. Reelfoot Lake State Park Reelfoot Lake State Park

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1144-723: The John Church Company. Cobb was inducted into the Kentucky Writers' Hall of Fame on February 2, 2017. When Cobb died in New York City in 1944, his body was sent to Paducah for cremation . His ashes were placed under a dogwood tree. The granite boulder marking his remains is inscribed "Irvin Shrewsbury Cobb 1876-1944 Back Home". Cobb wrote a letter detailing his desired funeral arrangements. The document reads in part: Above all I want no long faces and no show of grief at

1196-642: The Reelfoot River Basin as the location of the Monsoupelea settlement during Jacques Marquette 's exploration of the Mississippi River in 1673. An archaeological investigation for the Army Corps of Engineers in 1987 stated that Henry Rutherford's survey party encountered a small Native American settlement near the Bayou de Chien, and named the river Reelfoot for the local leader of the village. According to legend,

1248-485: The Reelfoot River, which gave its name to the lake, is said to be named for an Indian chief who had a deformed foot and was nicknamed "Reelfoot" by settlers in the early 19th century. A non-Chickasaw (The Chickasaw Nation Historical Society does not claim him) legend states that the name originated from a prince of a Chickasaw tribe inhabiting the present West Tennessee , who was born with a deformed foot and walked with

1300-403: The banded and diamondback water snakes, the venomous cottonmouth, and the milk and corn snakes. Frogs, also common, include the green frog, and the gray and green tree frogs, which are vocal during the summers. Rangers at Reelfoot offer a variety of programs throughout the year. From January through Mid-March, the park offers a bald eagle tour around Reelfoot lake. Scenic boat tours are offered on

1352-433: The burying ground. Kindly observe the final wishes of the undersigned and avoid reading the so-called Christian burial service which, in view of the language employed in it, I regard as one of the most cruel and paganish things inherited by our forebears from our remote pagan ancestors. In deference to the faith of our dear mother who was through her lifetime a loyal though never bigoted communicant of that congregation, perhaps

1404-600: The current pastor of the First Presbyterian Church would consent to read the Twenty-third Psalm , which was her favorite passage in the Scriptures and is mine since it contains no charnel words, no morbid mouthings about corruption and decay and, being mercifully without creed or dogma, carries no threat of eternal hell-fire for those parties we do not like, no direct promise of a heaven which, if one may judge by

1456-493: The dark. As reported by the Nashville Banner , Taylor escaped, although he was initially reported as killed. His grandson was author Peter Taylor . Governor Malcolm Rice Patterson of Tennessee directed an investigation of Rankin's murder and ordered in the state militia to suppress the violence. Hundreds of suspects were arrested, and six men were convicted and sentenced to death for the murder. The governor soon declared

1508-498: The existent waterway as the Reelfoot River. The now extinct river flowed into the Mississippi River prior to the earthquakes of 1811 and 1812. Jedidiah Morse , in 1797, described the river as 30 yards wide, 7 miles from the mouth. Eliza Bryan, an eyewitness to the earthquakes, wrote in 1816 from Missouri Territory that an enormous lake had grown on the other side of the Mississippi River: Lately it has been discovered that

1560-418: The golden and American bald eagles . Other animals are also diverse and abundant. The many species of flowering and non-flowering plants attract botany enthusiasts from all over the country. Bald cypress dominates the margins of the lake, but many other trees and shrubs are also present. A series of earthquakes in 1811 and 1812 are credited with the creation of Reelfoot Lake. These seismic events caused

1612-548: The highest-paid staff reporter in the United States. During the murder trial of Harry Kendall Thaw in 1907, Cobb coined the term " sob sister " to describe the women reporters who were covering the trial. Cobb joined the staff of the magazine The Saturday Evening Post in 1911, and covered the Great War for the magazine. At the same time, he wrote a book about his experiences, published in 1915, titled Paths Of Glory . After

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1664-516: The lake from May through September. This article related to a protected area in Tennessee is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This Lake County, Tennessee geography–related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This Obion County, Tennessee geography–related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Irvin S. Cobb Irvin Shrewsbury Cobb (June 23, 1876 – March 11, 1944)

1716-410: The lake to be part of the public domain ; the legislature authorized acquisition in 1909, but court challenges over the rights at low water delayed full acquisition for years. The state finally acquired the land and lake, years after constructing levees from 1917 to 1920 to maintain the water level to settle property-rights issues. The Tennessee State Park and Forestry Commission was ordered to determine

1768-639: The majesty of the rolling, sonorous periods without being shocked by distressing allusions and harrowing references. The World War II Liberty Ship SS  Irvin S. Cobb was named in his honor. Following the Second World War, the Illinois Central Railroad named a passenger train operating between Louisville and Memphis, via Cobb's hometown, Paducah, the Irvin S. Cobb . The train carried timetable numbers 103 southbound and 104 northbound and made

1820-557: The media and artist networks. "If Prohibition is a noble experiment," he said in one, "then the San Francisco fire and the Galveston flood should be listed among the noble experiments of our national history." As part of his AAPA efforts he published the anti-Prohibition novel Red Likker . After the repeal of Prohibition, Frankfort Distilleries recruited him to compile a recipe book to remind consumers who were out of practice how to mix

1872-531: The nation's youngest managing news editor at age nineteen. He later worked at the Louisville Evening Post for a year and a half. His anecdotal memoir-cum-autobiography, Exit Laughing , published in 1941, includes a firsthand account of the assassination of Kentucky Governor William Goebel in 1900 and the trials of the killers. He wrote numerous series in periodicals, and also collaborated on dramatic productions. After moving to New York in 1904, Cobb

1924-437: The novel She Was a Lady and the nonfiction My Wayward Parent (1945), a book about her father. Her first husband was Frank Michler Chapman, Jr. , son of the ornithologist Frank Michler Chapman . Cobb's granddaughter was Buff Cobb , a television actress of the early 1950s. She married journalist Mike Wallace as his second wife. Cobb was honored in 1915 with the march "The War Correspondent" by G. E. Holmes, published by

1976-642: The old lower portion of the Bayou de Chien is submerged in the lake. The Mississippi River beheaded the Bayou de Chien near Hickman, Kentucky while the remaining southern portion feeds Reelfoot Lake along with contributions from Reelfoot Creek and Indian Creek. Radiocarbon dating of artifacts from the Otto Sharpe site indicate a Native American presence in the Reelfoot Lake Basin around 1650 AD. The site includes European artifacts. Willard Rouse Jillson suggested

2028-481: The overall health of the lake and its species. The town of Samburg, Tennessee , is the only incorporated municipality on the lake's shores. The story of the formation of Reelfoot Lake is told through an earthquake simulator program at Discovery Park of America , a museum 14 miles from the lake in Union City, Tennessee. Reelfoot Lake was a filming site for three movie productions: the 1957 drama Raintree County ,

2080-402: The park. Activities at Reelfoot Lake State Park include boating, fishing, hiking, museum and nature center, picnic facilities, wildlife viewing, and planned programs and events. Reelfoot lake is open to boating throughout the year. Boat ramps are located at various points around the lake. As Reelfoot Lake contains a partially submerged forest, boaters should use caution at all times. Fishing

2132-514: The people who are surest of going there, must be a powerfully dull place, populated to a considerable and uncomfortable degree by prigs, time-servers and unpleasantly aggressive individuals. Hell may have a worse climate but undoubtedly the company is sprightlier. The Catholics, with their genius for stage-management, handle this detail better. The officiating clergyman speaks in Latin and the parishioners, being unacquainted with that language are impressed by

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2184-475: The precise boundaries and was ultimately given responsibility for this and other state parks, to guarantee public use. A system of parks, wildlife refuges, recreation areas, and public boat ramps has been developed through federal-state cooperation. Reelfoot Lake currently covers 15,000 acres, with a maximum depth of 18 feet (5.5 m) and an average depth of 5.5 feet (1.7 m). It is the only large natural lake in Tennessee. Lake County , Tennessee, in which it

2236-512: The reach of their violence, expressing other social tensions by attacking and threatening Black individuals and families in the area. A mob of 50 masked Night Riders lynched all seven members of the David Walker family on the night of October 3, 1908, in Fulton County, Kentucky. The lynchings received national coverage and Governor Augustus E. Willson strongly condemned the murders, but no one

2288-541: The screen, including The Woman Accused (1933), featuring young Cary Grant . John Ford twice made movies based on Cobb's Judge Priest stories: Judge Priest (1934) featured Will Rogers in the title role. The Sun Shines Bright (1953) was based on his short stories "The Sun Shines Bright", "The Mob from Massac", and "The Lord Provides". Cobb also had an acting career, acting in ten movies between 1932 and 1938. He won major roles in such movies as Pepper , Everybody's Old Man (1936), and Hawaii Calls (1938). He

2340-468: The spring of 1908, the Reelfoot area was marked by widespread lawlessness in western Kentucky and Tennessee as farmers and residents organized as Night Riders to resist the acquisition by the West Tennessee Land Company of the lake and surrounding lands. They were also reacting to the expansion of large-scale cotton production into this area, which had been dominated by yeomen farmers. The troubles began when

2392-576: The water, but local people grew used to treating it as a common resource. Farmers, fishermen, and landowners all derived their livelihoods from the lake and nearby lands. In the early 20th century, however, outside parties began to try to take over control of the lake and its lands. A group of investors bought up most of the land around the shoreline, and organized as the West Tennessee Land Company. In this period, major planters in both Kentucky and Tennessee, sometimes based in cities, were also expanding large-scale cotton cultivation into this area. Beginning in

2444-599: Was also host of the 7th Academy Awards in 1935. In 1919, Cobb was recruited by former U.S. Navy officer and lawyer Capt. W.H. Slayton to become chairman of the Authors and Artists Committee of the Association Against the Prohibition Amendment (AAPA). The Association based their opposition on the misuse of national government power over U.S. citizens. As chairman, Cobb helped extend coverage of their message through

2496-507: Was an American author, humorist, editor and columnist from Paducah, Kentucky , who relocated to New York in 1904, living there for the remainder of his life. He wrote for the New York World , Joseph Pulitzer 's newspaper, as the highest paid staff reporter in the United States. Cobb also wrote more than 60 books and 300 short stories. Some of his works were adapted for silent movies. Several of his Judge Priest short stories were adapted in

2548-559: Was controversial when first built. In 1939 local residents attempted to blow it up, unsuccessfully. In the early 21st century, the 80-year-old spillway was regarded as obsolete by both the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and the United States Army Corps of Engineers . They planned to replace it. A new spillway was completed in 2013 and became operational. This has helped regulate water levels and by doing so, helped

2600-459: Was ever prosecuted for them. Related violence by Night Riders in Tennessee culminated on October 19, 1908, with the kidnapping of two White attorneys , engaged by the West Tennessee Land Company to enforce its claims: Captain Quentin Rankin, also a shareholder in the company, was lynched by being hanged and shot; Colonel R. Z. Taylor was wounded, but escaped by swimming across the lake in

2652-534: Was hired by the Evening Sun . The publication sent him to Portsmouth, New Hampshire to cover the Russian-Japanese peace conference . His dispatches from the negotiations, emphasizing the personalities involved (including President Theodore Roosevelt ), were published across the country with the title "Making Peace at Portsmouth." They earned him a job offer from Joseph Pulitzer 's New York World and he became

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2704-478: Was nicknamed "Duke of Paducah." Cobb was educated in public and private elementary schools, and then entered William A. Cade's Academy intending to pursue a law career. When Cobb was 16, his father became an alcoholic , after the death of his grandfather. Forced to quit school and find work, Cobb began his writing career. Cobb started in journalism with the Paducah Daily News at age seventeen, and became

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