Overview
Budds Creek, located west of Clarksville near Palmyra, was the scene of the Memphis, Clarksville & Louisville Railroad’s deadliest accident. On July 28, 1869, a Louisville-bound passenger train plunged from the Budds Creek trestle when the bridge collapsed beneath it. The resulting wreck and fire killed several passengers and crew members and injured many others. The disaster drew national attention and became one of the most significant events in the history of the railroad, illustrating both the importance and dangers of rail transportation in nineteenth-century Tennessee. The crossing was subsequently rebuilt, and trains resumed operation.
Quick Facts
- Status
- Existing
- Community
- Palmyra
- County
- Montgomery County
- State or province
- Tennessee
- Country
- United States of America
- Coordinates
- 36.45332140362022, -87.45117727858111