Nathan Bedford Forrest Monument (Memphis, Tennessee) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Nathan Bedford Forrest Monument |
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The statue in its former location in Health Sciences Park (then called Forrest Park) in 2010
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| Artist | Charles Henry Niehaus |
| Year | 1905 |
| Location | Memphis, Tennessee, United States |
The Nathan Bedford Forrest Monument was a large bronze sculpture. It showed General Nathan Bedford Forrest riding a horse. He was wearing a uniform from the Confederate States Army. This statue used to be in a park in Memphis, Tennessee. The park was first called Forrest Park. Later, its name changed to Health Sciences Park in 2013.
The statue was made in Paris. General Forrest and his wife are buried in front of where the monument once stood. Their bodies were moved there in 1904. The monument's first stone was placed in 1901. The statue was officially shown to the public on May 16, 1905. It was taken down on December 20, 2017. Now, it is owned by the Sons of Confederate Veterans. There are plans to put the statue up again in Columbia, Tennessee.
About the Statue
The Nathan Bedford Forrest Monument was a very detailed statue. It showed General Forrest on his horse. Many people thought the statue looked very real and strong. It was considered one of the best statues of a person on a horse in the country.
The monument was put in place with help from Mary Latham. She was the wife of Judge Thomas J. Latham. She was also a member of a group called the United Daughters of the Confederacy.
Moving the Statue
In 2015, the city council in Memphis tried to remove the statue. But the Tennessee Historical Commission stopped them in 2016. In September 2017, the Memphis City Council voted again. They decided to remove statues from public parks. This included the Nathan Bedford Forrest Monument. It also included a statue of Jefferson Davis.
The city council made this decision for several reasons. One reason was the high cost of police. Police were needed to manage groups of people. These groups included both protesters and people who supported the statues. This happened more often after an event in August.
On December 20, 2017, the Memphis City Council sold Health Sciences Park. They sold it to a group called Memphis Greenspace for $1,000. This sale allowed Memphis Greenspace to remove the monument. That same evening, the Nathan Bedford Forrest Monument was taken down. The statue of Jefferson Davis was also removed.
In May 2018, a local newspaper reported new plans. Memphis Greenspace wanted to sell both the Forrest and Davis statues. Any group wanting to buy them had to be a nonprofit. They also had to agree to take care of the statues. And they had to display them in public. But the statues could not be displayed in Shelby County, Tennessee.
The next month, another newspaper shared more news. Memphis Greenspace had received many offers for the statues. These offers came from different groups. Some were from Tennessee lawmakers. Others were from places linked to the American Civil War. The Jefferson Davis Presidential Library and Museum also made an offer. Even the city of Savannah, Georgia was interested.
See also
In Spanish: Monumento a Nathan Bedford Forrest (Memphis) para niños
