One of the county’s greatest natural resources and sources of pride is the Hatchie National Wildlife Refuge. This nearly 10,000 acres of land surrounding the Hatchie River supports over 100 species of fish, 35 species of mussels and 250 species of birds.
The Hatchie River is the longest unchannelized river remaining in the Lower Mississippi River Valley and hosts the most extensive bottomland forests in Tennessee.
The Hatchie River is the longest unchannelized river remaining in the Lower Mississippi River Valley and hosts the most extensive bottomland forests in Tennessee.
It was established in the mid-1960s primarily as a waterfowl refuge and is home to many other species of wild game.
The Hatchie River is also now under the watchful eye of The Nature Conservancy that has the vision to protect the rich biological diversity of the river, while maintaining sustainable cultural and economic uses of the river.
The Conservancy has designated it as “One of the 75 Last Great Places” in urgent need of protection. For more information about the Conservancy and the Hatchie River Project, please click here.
Preserving our past are the community’s Historical Society and the Reese Moses-Scallions Genealogy Room at the county’s Elma Ross Public Library. The Genealogy Department of the library provides thousands of piece of information annually to people who are searching for their roots.
Members of the Brownsville-Haywood County Historical Society took as their project in 1979 to have a portion of the city designated as a State Historic District. Known as the College Hill Historic District, it includes 83 buildings, one vacant lot and one cemetery, of which 75 buildings and the cemetery contribute to the significance of the district.
The architectural character and significance of buildings surrounding the area well-define the boundaries of this historical district. Greek Revival is the most frequently visible style of architecture.
One of the Brownsville-Haywood County Historical Society’s continuing missions, in conjunction with the city and county. We place plaques and monuments throughout the community to mark significant historical events.
Greater Jefferson Street, once a hub in Brownsville of African American education, commerce , arts, music, entertainment, civil rights activities, and church meetings, is lighting up again. Once called Brownsville’s Black Wall Street, Jefferson Street, and the contiguous area, was where it happened day or night, seven days a week. Dunbar-Carver School was where black teenagers went to high school. It sent forth its’ accomplished students into the world to achieve success in many fields and now houses a museum which covers all of Dunbar Carvers history. The Gem Theatre, just off Jefferson Street, was where black citizens sat in the front row seats for movie night. It was where teeth were extracted or cavities filled and where aches and pains were treated at the physicians office.
It is where hair was fixed and cut, where one got a taxi, a car repaired, shopped for groceries, and where one came to share a meal and to learn the latest news. the Historic Jefferson Street Association is working to Revitalize Jefferson Street so that all who come will know who was here, what it once was and what it can teach us.
Brownsville artist Billy Tripp, is a bit different from the rest. The Mindfield is perfect proof. A structure begun in 1989, the Mindfield is the creation and life’s work of the artist, and will continue to evolve until Billy’s death. It is a collection of steel, each piece representing various events and periods of Billy’s life.
Billy Tripp also has a book, The Mindfield Years, which serves as a further representation of his life through the voices of three main characters and their efforts to find meaning, purpose and contentment in the existence to which they were born. A strange, yet fascinating site, a trip to the Mindfield is well worth it.
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Haywood County’s economy has long been based on agriculture and the county abounds with beautiful farmland that continues to be fertile. While Haywood County farmers produce the most “Cotton” in the state diversification is key to the overall strength of the farming community. Each year thousands of acres of corn, wheat, soybeans. other grains, fruits and vegetables are planted and ships worldwide.
The Park of Dreams is a 8,000 square foot playground designed to be accessible to the special needs of children with disabilities while maintaining its main purpose to encourage the inclusion of ALL CHILDREN at playtime.
The project is a result of a three year effort made by a committee of 15 local citizens who saw a need and decided to rally the community behind their vision.
Funding for this project came from the State of Tennessee LPRF Grant, the City of Brownsville, Haywood County, and private donations raised by the committee. The Park of Dreams is located in the Industrial Park. For more information, call 772-6693.
From this heritage, artists of all genres have created music, paintings and writings to record the region’s history through the arts. Early blues musicians Sleepy John Estes, Yank Rachel and Hammie Nixon are known throughout the world for their music, as is Tina Turner for her rock music and Alex Harvey for his country lyrics.
These are just a few of the artists who have called Brownsville-Haywood County home and are featured in the Music Museum Room at the West Tennessee Delta Heritage Center. The center, which also houses the Hatchie River Museum Room, is also considered to be the welcome center for West Tennessee, representing and offering information about other West Tennessee counties to visitors as they leave I-40 at Exit 56. The West Tennessee Delta Center is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, and Sunday 1 to 5 p.m. For more information, please send an e-mail or visit the website.
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Serendipity: Brownsville’s Venue and Resort boasts 150 beautiful rolling acres. All open to the public, we offer a scenic Venue for events for up to 200 guests, a Bar & Grill with the option of outdoor seating on the Lake.
The restaurant menu offers broad options of steak, pasta, seafood and other specialties such as our amazing cheese curds. We have a full bar with some exquisite specialty drinks to match. Our venue hosts weddings, receptions, Holiday parties, family reunions and so much more.
Camping is open year-round. We have a serene campground with tent sites, yurts, cabins and RV sites available for a nightly rate. Our amazing waterpark that is a 2.5-acre lined pond with sandy beaches and Wibit Inflatables makes us a destination for families. Serendipity promotes an environment for family and friends, a place to make memories and enjoy the picturesque outdoors. We currently offer hiking, swimming pools, fishing, kayaking, paddle boards, paddle boats, a lookout tower, horse shoes, basketball and an 18-hole disc golf course.
Webb F. Banks Passive Park is located at 985 Key Corner Street in Brownsville. The walking trail park, originally a 14-acre cotton field, was created through several state and federal grants and through the City of Brownsville. The park was named for Webb F. Banks who served as mayor of Brownsville for 20 years. The serene setting includes many native trees and plantings, benches for watching the dozens of bird species which inhabit the park, including bats, 4,950 feet of walking trails, interpretive signage and a stream running through the park where ducks and fish live peacefully together. This park is a great spot for children and families to spend family time together. The gazebo is a favorite place for pictures and small weddings. It is a park enjoyed and appreciated 365 days a year by all.
For those experienced adventure seekers or folks looking to try a new spot, the Rockin’ Roll Hatchie Trails may be the perfect spot to spend an afternoon.
Local mountain biker Mark Yoder built these trails after finding expansive trail system in places like Florida, where there are few natural hills to work with.
He took this as inspiration to build his own trail system in Brownsville and opted to take it a step further, putting his own West Tennessee twist on the project with references to the rich local music culture around every bend.
Brownsville’s Dunbar-Carver Museum located at 709 East Jefferson Street chronicles the rich African American Heritage of the town. The Dunbar-Carver Museum is the centerpiece of the town’s Jefferson Street Historic District, a Tennessee Historical Commission designation.
The Dunbar-Carver Museum tells the story of African American life in Haywood County, TN through portrayal of events associated with the one hundred year existence of the Dunbar-Carver County Training Carver High School in Brownsville, TN.
