Shelby Farms

Coordinates: 35°08′20″N 89°49′57″W / 35.1388°N 89.8325°W / 35.1388; -89.8325
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Shelby Farms
Entrance sign at Shelby Farms Park.
Map
TypePublic park
LocationMemphis, Tennessee
Coordinates35°08′20″N 89°49′57″W / 35.1388°N 89.8325°W / 35.1388; -89.8325
Area4,500 acres (1,800 ha)
Created1970s
Operated byShelby Farms Park Conservancy
StatusOpen all year from dawn to dusk
Public transit accessBus interchange MATA: 53

Shelby Farms is a public park located in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States, just east of the city of Memphis. It is one of the largest urban parks in the US and the world, at a size of 4,500 acres (1,800 ha) and covers more than five times the area of Central Park in New York City with 843 acres (341 ha).

trails in the park. Shelby Farms park is home to a bison
herd.

The land Shelby Farm sits atop today was privately-owned property in the 19th century. In 1825,

slaves after they worked off the costs of their indentured servitude. Remains of a settlement
from the late 19th century are still present in the modern-day park.

From 1929 until 1964, Shelby Farms was used as a penal farm operated by the Shelby County Government.

Shelby Farms was opened for

non-profit
partnership was established to provide for the daily operation of the park and to plan for its future use.

In 2008, a masterplan was put in place for the redesign of the park. The re-design provided additional hiking and biking trails as well as more opportunities for boating in a much enlarged (and renamed) Hyde Lake, formerly known as Patriot Lake.

Geography

Scenic view in Shelby Farms Park (2005)

Encompassing about 4,500 acres (1,800 ha) of land,

East Memphis

Several lakes, natural forests, and the wetlands of the Wolf River are situated in hilly surroundings.

Wildlife

habitats
large enough to survive.

Shelby Farms park is home to a

Bill Morris was instrumental, along with park superintendent Tom Hill, in introducing the bison, which now number about 45.[3]

History

19th century

Mann family burial (2005)

In 1825,

commune of slaves, free blacks and whites to prepare slaves and former slaves for their future freedom. Wright believed in the emancipation of slaves by providing education for them in practical and cultural skills.[4]

Remains of an early settlement from the late 19th century can be found at the eastern tip of Shelby Farms park, consisting of ruins of a residential building, a disintegrated barn, car wrecks dating from the 1950s and 1960s, old fences and a family burial site.

In 2005, the family burial site of the Mann family exists with just one

graves are marked only by their base stones.[5]

Shelby County acquired 1,600 acres (650 ha) of land in 1928 for use as a penal farm.[4] The remaining formerly private property of 2,900 acres (1,200 ha) was incorporated into the Penal Farm between then and December 1940, when the Shelby County Commission authorized the purchase of the final 1,383 acres (560 ha), bringing the total to 4,450 acres (1,800 ha).[6]

20th century

From 1929 until 1964, Shelby Farms was used as a

agricultural labor to provide food for inmates and staff, or to sell overproduction for profit on behalf of the state of Tennessee.[7]

In the 1970s the Shelby County Commission opened the area for

recreational
purposes.

21st century

The Shelby Farms Park Alliance (SFPA) was granted a conservation

residential development in the park area for 50 years.[8][9]

In 2007, an agreement was signed between the Shelby County

non-profit partnership established by Shelby County government to help provide day-to-day operations of the park and to develop a planning process for the future of Shelby Farms park.[10][11]

A masterplan was put in place in 2008 to direct a major re-design of the park. This came to fruition in 2016, when Shelby Farms opened a $52 million expansion that included an enlargement of Patriot Lake (renamed Hyde Lake), the addition of new walking and biking trails, the construction of a new visitors center, and the planting of more than 1 million new trees across the park. In the year after Heart of the Park opened, park staff estimated that visitation to Shelby Farms had more than doubled.[12]

Recreation

  • The Go Ape Zipline and Adventure
    The Go Ape Zipline and Adventure
  • The First Horizon Foundation Visitor Center
    The First Horizon Foundation Visitor Center
  • The FedEx Event Center
    The FedEx Event Center

rowing boats are allowed. On one of the latter two lakes, Hyde Lake, pedal boats
can be rented. There is also a 2.5-mile (4.0 km) paved trail around Hyde Lake. Another paved trail, the 2.75-mile (4.4 km) long Chickasaw Trail, is available to hikers. An unpaved trail, the Tour de Wolf, takes hikers and bikers through the woods of Shelby Farms Park for 6.08 miles (9.8 km). The paved trails are suitable for walking, running, biking, and roller-blading. The Tour de Wolf is suitable for walking, running, and mountain-biking. Off-leash dog activities are designated in a 120-acre (49 ha) area that includes meadows, lakes and hiking trails.

The Shelby Farms Greenline is a 10.65-mile (17.14 km)

pedestrian hybrid beacon at two major crossings: Highland and Graham.[citation needed
]

Horseback riding is allowed in parts of the park and on a few trails. Horses can be rented as well. A designated runway to start and land miniature radio-controlled aircraft
is present in the park for public use.

An 18-hole disc golf course is located near the welcome center of the park.[15]

A BMX race track sanctioned by USA BMX is located at 6435 Walnut Grove Rd.[16]

See also

References

  1. ^ Shelby Farms Park Info Archived 2010-01-26 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ The Trust for Public Land: The 150 Largest City Parks[permanent dead link]
  3. ^ Tom Charlier Oh, give me a home ... where new buffalo roam at Shelby Farms to improve bloodline Commercial Appeal, February 1, 2009 (Accessed October 27, 2009)
  4. ^ a b "View Master Plan | Shelby Farms Park Conservancy". Archived from the original on 2008-11-21. Retrieved 2008-08-31. SFPC Master Plan
  5. ^ http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/tn/shelby/cemeteries/mann.txt - RootsWeb
  6. ^ Memphis Commercial Appeal newspaper, 03 Dec 1940
  7. ^ http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2007/Nov/22/calvin-anderson-an-opportunity-to-be-heard-on/ Commercial Appeal, Memphis
  8. ^ "Shelby Farms Park Alliance » the History of Shelby Farms Park". Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-08-26. Shelby Farms Park Alliance (SFPA) conservation effort
  9. ^ "Newsroom_article_2007_0110_CA". Archived from the original on 2007-09-29. Retrieved 2007-08-26. MemphisBioworks.org Article
  10. ^ "Shelby Farms Park Alliance » 2007 » July". Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-08-26. Management agreement between SFPA and Shelby County
  11. ^ http://www.shelbyfarmspark.org/ Shelby Farms Park Conservancy (SFPC)
  12. ^ Charlier, Tom (August 31, 2017). "A year after expansion, Shelby Farms' visitation has 'easily doubled'". Commercial Appeal. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  13. ^ "SFG". Archived from the original on 2012-06-08. Retrieved 2012-11-06.
  14. user-generated source
    ]
  15. ^ "Memphis Disc Golf". Archived from the original on 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2007-08-26. Disk golf in Shelby Farms Park
  16. ^ http://www.shelbyfarmsbmx.com

External links