Denmark

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#CC3333" TEXT="#080000" background="06ab85a3.jpg"> <div> <B>Big Black Creek Historical Association</B><B> </B></div> <div> <A HREF="index_welcome_.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Big Black Creek Historical Association"><B>Welcome</B></A><B> - </B><A HREF="buildings_historical_buildings.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Buildings"><B>Buildings</B></A><B> - </B><A HREF="cemeteries_cemeteries.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Cemeteries"><B>Cemeteries </B></A><B>-  </B><A HREF="churches_1.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Churches 1"><B>Churches</B></A><B> - </B><A HREF="communities.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Communities"><B>Communities</B></A><B> - </B><A HREF="events.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Events"><B>Events</B></A><B>  - </B><A HREF="future_projects.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Future Projects"><B>Future Projects</B></A><B> - </B><A HREF="photos_2.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Photos 2"><B>Photos</B></A><B>  - </B><A HREF="tours.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Tours"><B>Tours</B></A><B> - </B><A HREF="contact_us_contact_us.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact Us"><B>Contact Us</B></A><B> - </B><A HREF="links_links_to_other_websites.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links"><B>Links</B></A><B> </B></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#CC3333" TEXT="#080000" background="06b0c0e3.jpg"> <div> BIG BLACK CREEK HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION</div> <div> P.O. Box 50</div> <div> Denmark,TN 38391</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="britton_lane.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Britton Lane"><B>Britton's Lane</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="denmark.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Denmark"><B>Denmark</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="mercer.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mercer"><B>Mercer</B></A></div> <bR> <div> <B>The BBCHA is a 501(c)3 organization and was organized and is run by an all-volunteer organization.  All contributions to the BBCHA are invested in the restoration of historic sites in these areas.</B></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 width="100%" BGCOLOR="#CCCCE4" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="577" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 36 WIDTH="571"><div> <B>DENMARK</B></div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="584" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 1084 WIDTH="578"><div> <IMG SRC="078d8620.jpg" border=0 width="472" height="354" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <I><B>Denmark Church and Museum</B></I></div> <div> Denmark, Madison County, is 15 miles west of Jackson and is the oldest town in West Tennessee.  </div> <bR> <div> John Bryan, a young state surveyor, came to Denmark in 1818 and found John Rose already living there.  Rose had already named the community and had built a small cabin.  The Post Office opened in 1820 and is still in operation today.</div> <bR> <div> The Chickasaw and Cherokee Indians were still around the area.  There was a den of some animal that was a dividing line between the two tribes' hunting ground.  They called this line as being "the mark of the den."  Hence the name "Denmark."</div> <bR> <div> Denmark was incorporated in 1830. The first church in Denmark, the Presbyterian Church, was organized in 1821.</div> <bR> <div> The Civil War saw 97 young men from the town, under the leadership of Captain John Ingram, who under great fanfare marched off to Shiloh.  Over half of these young men were killed in the next several days.  A bivouac of Confederate Veterans at Jackson was named after Captain Ingram.  He now sleeps in the Presbyterian Cemetery.</div> <bR> <div> During the latter part of the Civil War, a huge battle was fought four miles southeast of Denmark, known as Britton Lane, in which 8,000 troops were engaged.</div> <bR> <div> In 1872 Denmark had a population of 350 and was preparing for the entrance of the railroad from Memphis to Jackson. It had a female institute, a Masonic Lodge with a membership of 154 and three churches -- Baptist, Methodist and Presbyterian.</div> <bR> <div> Denmark has suffered several setbacks and has not grown as its founders had intended.  First, the railroad was not built to the townsite, but away from it.  Second, Denmark suffered several damaging fires.  In 1860 a disastrous fire broke out and destroyed 17 businesses.  In 1866 three additional businesses were destroyed by fire.  And more recently, a tornado swept much of the place away.</div> <bR> <div> There are only two original homes remaining today -- the Harbert House and the Reid House.  The Reid House, built in 1852, served as headquarters for both the Confederate and the Union.</div> <bR> <div> However, the old church still stands and has been restored by the BBCHA.  The old bell that rung for fires, toiled for the dead, still rings and is made from silver from the women of the church.</div> <bR> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>