Historic Nashville Behind-the-Scenes Tour of Dutchman’s Curve

Join us for a walking tour of Dutchman’s Curve on Saturday April 28, 2018 at 10:00 am.

Did you know that the deadliest train wreck in US history occurred in West Nashville one hundred years ago? In 1918, two locomotives—each hauling overcrowded passenger trains—smashed into each other on a set of railroad tracks known as Dutchman’s Curve.

The site of the train wreck is now part of the Richland Creek Greenway.

Historic Nashville Inc. member Betsy Thorpe is the author of The Day the Whistles Cried: The Great Cornfield Meet at Dutchman’s Curve. It’s a book that tells the story of the train wreck and the US Supreme Court case that followed.

On April 28, Betsy will lead a members-only walking tour through a section of the Richland Creek Greenway. Giving a presentation specifically designed for Nashville Historic Inc., she will tell the story of the train wreck and discuss the historic architecture of the area.

The tour will begin on the old White Bridge. It will end at the Dutchman’s Curve Wayside, a designated resting place on the Richland Creek Greenway. A 160-year-old limestone railroad abutment marks the wayside.

Betsy contends that the two structures are the greatest artifacts of the train wreck. Using the bridge and the abutment as her frame of reference, she will examine how understanding and documenting the history of old buildings and structures helps historians and storytellers like her interpret and record historical events and culture.

Please join us April 28 for this informative and interesting tour!

We will meet at the White Bridge Road Trailhead at the Richland Creek Greenway. See map. The historical marker for Dutchman’s Curve marks the entrance to the parking lot and parking is plentiful. This is a walking tour, be sure to dress appropriately. The Greenway is handicap accessible. 

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