Port Royal, Tennessee facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Port Royal
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Port Royal State Park bridge
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 Port Royal, Tennessee
Location in Tennessee
Port Royal, Tennessee
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Tennessee |
| County | Montgomery, Robertson |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
Port Royal is a small community in Tennessee, located right on the edge of Montgomery and Robertson counties. It's known for Port Royal State Park and sits where the Red River meets Sulphur Fork Creek. This historic spot has a long and interesting past!
Contents
Discovering Port Royal's Past
Early Days of Settlement
Port Royal was once a very important place for trading tobacco and other goods in what is now middle Tennessee. People from Europe started settling in the Red River valley around the 1780s. One of the main settlements was called Prince's Station.
In 1791, the Red River Baptist Church was started here. This church is still active today in Adams. When Tennessee became a state in 1796, four out of five delegates (representatives) from this area came from the Port Royal settlement.
Becoming a Town
The government officially made Port Royal a town on October 24, 1797. This happened because the people living there asked for it. Soon after, in 1799, it became a special place where tobacco was inspected and stored.
At first, Port Royal was mainly busy during tobacco season. In 1802, it got its first post office. Since Port Royal was on a major road leading west from Nashville, many businesses like inns and stables opened to help travelers. However, the town didn't grow very fast. A traveler in 1818 even called it a "village rather on the decline."
The Trail of Tears Connection
In the fall of 1838, something very sad happened in Port Royal. Over ten thousand Cherokee people spent their last night in Tennessee here. They were being forced to move west on what is known as the Trail of Tears. A letter from one of the Cherokee leaders, Elijah Hicks, tells about their time in Port Royal. This letter is one of the few records we have about their experience here.
A New Chapter for the Town
Around 1839, new money came into Port Royal, which helped the town grow for almost 30 years. It changed from a small farming community to a more developed town with shops and warehouses.
In 1842, the Tennessee Silk Manufacturing Company opened. The governor of Tennessee, James C. Jones, even wore a silk suit made in Port Royal for his inauguration in 1843! Other businesses and schools also started, like the Port Royal Female Academy in 1853. By 1845, small steamboats visited the town. But by 1859, new railroads started to change how tobacco was traded, which affected Port Royal's role.
The African American Community
After 1865, when slavery ended, African Americans in Port Royal started their own businesses, churches, and community groups. A book called Pioneer Colored Christians shares the stories of the Black community in Port Royal.
The Black Patch Tobacco War
Port Royal started to decline in the 1890s. However, in 1904, a group called the Planter's Protective Association was formed here. This group led to the Black Patch Tobacco War. In 1908, masked riders who supported the Association, known as Night Riders, attacked Port Royal. It's the only town in Tennessee known to have been attacked by these Night Riders.
From Town to Historic Park
By 1921, Port Royal had become a very small community. Its post office, which had been open for 139 years, closed in 1941.
In 1978, the state of Tennessee bought a large part of Port Royal. Now, this historic town is a protected site called Port Royal State Park. It is also an official stop on the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail. The preserved part of the Trail of Tears and an old iron bridge from the 1890s are both listed in the National Register of Historic Places, which means they are important historical sites.
Famous People from Port Royal
Anna Mae Winburn, a famous bandleader who led an all-female, integrated big band called the International Sweethearts of Rhythm in the 1940s, was born in Port Royal in 1913.
